OAC Skates: Finnish craftsmanship on ice
OAC’s 2011 range included the ISPO finalist Long Tour, Carbon Racer and colorful Prophet skates.
Finnish company OAC Skates presented its range at Swesport in 2011, impressing us with its designs and practical solutions.
The Long Tour was a finalist in that year’s ISPO Brand New Award. Handmade from lightweight nanocomposite, it was designed for varied ice conditions. Its ski base, visible in blue in the image, helped it glide over snow-covered ice.
The range extended from recreational to dedicated skaters. Other products included the lightweight Carbon Racer, described as the world’s first skate with the NNN NIS binding system, the colorful Prophet series for a broad audience, and ice-testing poles and skating poles.
The OAC binding shown in the main image was designed to allow free-heel skating with different types of boots.
All the skates were manufactured in Finland and used the patented OAC Low Profile design, with blades resembling ski edges in some respects. At the time, we hoped to test a pair before the end of the ice season; this article reports the trade-show introduction, not a completed field test.
Update, February 10, 2011: At ISPO, Sportwin AB was confirmed as OAC Skates’s new Swedish distributor. Price information was to follow.
