ATLANTA — Hunter Van Horn is the guy you go to for everything a skater needs, right down to the finest detail.
According to him, he's been in a hockey rink every day since he was four years old and now uses the tools and tricks of the trade to help those on the ice.
Horn works at The Cooler skating rink in Alpharetta, where he does everything from coach to manage the shop. However, his most unique job might be as a skate technician, where he works to perfectly sharpen an eighth of an inch blade that's make or break for athletes.
As former Olympic skater Mark Ladwig explained, the technician works "kind of like the guy in the NASCAR pit helping out with the tires and changing it out."
Horn elaborated saying one needs edges on a skate to maintain balance. So, he uses a grindstone to take away part of that blade and give the skate that perfect edge.
This ice requirement, used for figure skating and hockey, is also highly scientific.
"When it's deeper, you'll have more bite, so you are gripping the ice more," Horn added. "Some skaters want more glide."
The sharpening is an integral piece of the perfection needed to win on the ice and a microscopic nick on the blade can throw off an athlete's performance for an entire game or competition.
"A good sharpening can make the difference between making a good play on the ice and winning a game," Horn concluded.