The pressure underneath a skate at rest

Abstract: The pressure distribution is calculated underneath a skate which is pushed in the ice by the weight of a skater at rest. Due to the sharp edges of the skate the deformation is partly elastic and partly plastic. The ratio of the plastic and elastic contribution to the reaction force is determined. Using this ratio the deformation in ice with a finite hardness can be mapped on the problem of the deformation in a purely elastic medium with infinite hardness. Both the upright skate and the tilted position are exactly calculated.