How do you select figure skates for beginners (adult)?
It all depends on what you’re planning to do and what your goals are. If all you want to do is go to the ice rink every now and then and glide along with the other recreational skaters but don’t want to wear rentals, you can get recreational skates that have small toe picks and a soft boot because you don’t need a lot of ankle support. They retail between $60 and $120. However, if you’re more serious and are planning to take lessons and want to get to the jumps and spins, I suggest a sturdier boot. You can purchase boots and blades separately or together and most beginner skates are sold together. Just take note that boots come with different degrees of stiffness or support levels, starting with 10 for a soft boot and 100 for the stiffest. For an adult beginner I recommend the Jackson Glacier which has a support level of 15 or Jackson Mystique with about the same level of support. There are also instructional skates from Riedell with support levels from 20 to 40. Your best bet is to ask your coach if you have one. You do have to consider that the level of support goes up as you advance your skills so an Edea Piano with support level of 95 will be too much for a beginner because it’s meant to be used for jumping triples and quads. In my own personal experience, I started with a Riedell with support level of 25, moved to a Risport Excellence with support level of 40 and am currently with an Edea Chorus (70 support) and I’m attempting the Axel jump. As for size, about the same that you wear for shoes. Retailers often ask for you to draw an outline of your foot on a piece of paper and then measure it from heel to toe and send it to them if you’re going to buy online. if you’re going to the store, you can take out the inner sole and step on it and there should be about 1/2 inch between your toe and the end of the sole. They have to fit snugly. I hope this helps. Happy skating.
Are these good ice skates for a beginner? 10 points?
No these aren't good skates, even as a beginner they will be no good. They will break down within the first week or so and the blades will porbably wear away quickly from sharpening - even if you are just starting off skating recreationally. You want to be looking at skate brands such as: riedell, risport, jacksons, sp terri, edea, graf. As these are the trusted skate brands recommended by coaches. You really don't want to be spending less than £80 on a decent pair of skates, I know you don't want to be spending a whole lot of money on them as you are just starting but even if you can get them second-hand, they will be better than these. Note: if you do get them second-hand I would suggest getting a pair that have hardly been used - so they haven't been broken into the previous owners foot. I'm afraid K L is right here, these skates will be rubbish. £45 for a pair of skates and a skate bag is very cheap, too cheap for these skates to be proper skates (which should be supportive) You may eventually decide you want to take lessons, or even get a private coach. I can guarantee any coach will tell you to get a better pair of skates straight away. Trust me these skates will not make you a better skater - they will most likely cause ankle pain due to lack of support. So here's my advice, save your money and put it away towards a good pair of skates. Like everything else in the world, you get what you pay for. I had a search on ebay for some second-hand skates that I would recommend: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WOMENS-SZ-SIZE... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jackson-Artist... (*new pair*) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Risport-Etoill... (*new pair*) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Risport-ice-skates-/290596757526?pt=UK_SportingGoods_IceSkates_RL&hash=item43a8eaa016 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Risport-Ice-Skates-Size-5-/130560493621?pt=UK_SportingGoods_IceSkates_RL&hash=item1e66030835 You should really try and find a pro shop to get them fitted at, buying them on ebay is not really recommended as they may not fit correctly. But since you said it is your only option, I would recommend the skates I gave links for, NOT the ones you originally thought of buying :)
Are these good ice skates for a beginner? 10 points?
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! My brain started screaming warnings at "ebay". It got louder at "isk8" (never heard of that brand). And it went into full on meltdown at "PVC". NO PVC! DO NOT EVER GET PVC SKATES! NEVER buy skates off Ebay. You CANNOT try them on, and you DO NOT know what condition they are really in. It may well be that the seller has posted a picture of the skates all nice, but they're actually broken down. You are in the UK. There are plenty of pro shops in the UK. Go to one, and get yourself properly fitted. Even if you just get fitted at the pro shop then order the skates online, that's better than what you're doing. What you're doing is a recipe for injury and disaster. Also, skate sizes vary differently from brand to brand. It is highly unlikely that your correct sizing in this brand is the same as your rental size. I was a size seven in rental skates and I'm an 8 in Jacksons, for example. And you also need the width measurement. Even if you're just going once-a-week, a good pair of skates will be worth the investment. Get a good beginner pair of Jacksons or Riedells. It WILL be worth it.
Do better skates make a difference when ice skating?
So, so very important! I literally cannot skate on the plastic rentals at my home rink- I flail about everywhere like a dog in socks and even the simplest of moves becomes a major challenge. As others have mentioned:Sharpness of the bladeJust like there is a sweet spot on the blade itself for spins, I like to think there is a sweet spot in a skate’s sharpness where you can get the grip you need whilst not fighting for control of the direction of the blade at every turn.FitBasic plastic skates simply can’t bend to the shape of your foot- and if they’re rental lace ups, it usually takes a beginner about 2/3 weeks to wear their skates in so that the crease where they bend fits your own foot shape.StiffnessIf your skates are too stiff, you won;t be able to bend properly, you’ll get blisters everywhere and skating becomes a nightmare sport shortly after that, and I believe it’s very important you take care of your feet and have fun.Presuming you’re a beginner, as you can see by everyone’s responses the answer is yes, but take it with a pinch of salt too- you probably don’t want to spend too much money on new skates so close the tab for EDEA Piano’s, a squishy second hand Risport or similar will last you perfectly fine until they over-crease/ you move onto harder jumps that require more support. Hope you continue, so take care of your feet and enjoy!
What size Ice Skates should I get? (tips welcome too :P)?
Im starting a new figure skating class tomorrow, what size skates shgould I get? Im a size 4 and a 1/2 shoe (since i was 11) and im 15 now. Any ice skating tips would also be appreciated too :P and how long will it take for me to get to competition level?
Figure skating newbie.. please HELP!?
I want to start figure skating and try and get really, really good. I've never skated a day in my life and I want to know some tips on what I need to have to skate, clothes, types of skates, etc., what do I need to be able to do, and just things that would help me out, being a beginner and all. Give me websites too if you can. :) I know it's a hard sport, I just think it's beautiful to watch, and I want to be out on the ice someday. <3 And also, are there figure skating teams or leagues or something to join instead of just having a coach all to yourself? I want to be with other people before I get my own coach for myself.
Jackson skates...From beginner levels to higher levels?
Jackson skates go: Mystique, Artiste, Classique, Freestyle, Competitors, Elite. I'm not sure above levels better the first 2 are basically recreational skates, u are taking lessons and aiming to go far so i doubt u'd want these. The blades are basic and the toe pick maay not help with toe assisted jumps in the future. What u want is a boot that suits what ur doing now and a few levels up from what ur doing too. Jackson Classiques (My babies!) are a stiffer skate and so can withstand more stuff, however they have a PVC plastic base (the brown bit with the heel) and so upgrading blades is not as easy. Drilling new holes into plastic isn't a good idea as it can crack. The blades that come with this (Ultima Mark IV blade/Mirage depending on where u get em) have a decent toe pick and will help with take offs in jumps. Freestyles and up all have the proper cork and leather base and so its easy to change blades. If u want to progress and be able to reuse the boot get these. The boots are stiffer still and should provide lots of support. U didn't say how old u were so i dunno if ur still growing but i say either Classiques or Freestyles. But i would pay that little bit extra to get the leather base on the Freestyles. this might help a lil too but they don't mention anything after Freestyles http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/skatebuys/skateselect.html And also don't follow this chart completely. Just because it says a certain skate can only do up to 'this' jump doesn't mean u can't go past that jump! its just a guide. Technically it says i can't do axels in my Classique but i'm definitely gonna try!! n I've even heard on here how peple land axels in their Mystiques so its definitely possible!! Hope i helped and good luck skating!!
Can i enlarge my ice skates?
Take out the insoles from the skates, that should help a lot. The insoles are inside the skate, at the bottom, and you should be able to pull them out. Try to do so without damaging the skate or insoles (they are typically glued at the heel and ball of foot), so very carefully - if you ever decide to get rid of the skates, you're going to want to put them back for the next user. Other than that, consider wearing thinner socks like nylon socks (like a pantyhose) or skating barefoot. You can't do that with rental skates, but normal figure skates are made so that they can be worn without socks. A lot of figure skaters skate barefoot or in nylon socks, it even improves grip on the skates! (If you get blisters, try taping your feet with sports tape on the spots where you get blisters, before you go skating - it helps me anyway). Also, remember to always wipe your new skates dry after skating with a towel, and again with a dry towel once you're home, else your blades WILL rust. By wiping I mean wiping the blades and the soles so they're dry. Also, loosen the laces up and open up your skates as much as possible (without removing the lacing from the holes) and air them for a day or two after skating. This will keep your skates smelling fresh (bacteria that thrive in moisture cause the smell). For extra freshness or if you're too lazy to air them like me, you can fill 2 socks with baby powder/talc powder, put a knot at the end so the powder doesn't get out and stuff it in your skates after skating. Remember to sharpen your skates at least every 30 hours of skating (20 is preferable) and don't walk in them on not-blade-safe surfaces (rinks typically have bladesafe surfaces directly adjacent to the rink, but not everywhere, all the rinks I skated at had signs that said "no rental skates beyond this point" where the bladesafe areas ended). My experience with stretching skates is that a. it only works on leather models (low-end figure skates tend to be not leather but a leatherlook material) and b. you need to skate in the skates after you get them stretched, you let them lay around for 6 months and they just shrink back to previous size. If you only skate a few times a year, it's not worth it.
How do I find someone to help me to find figure skating coach in China?
Are you talking ice skating or roller skating? I did only racing when I was younger on ice. Roller skating I probably start with asking my local skating coach—-I know he would have know someone who could help me. Twice a year we had a skating coach visit us from Russia for two weeks. If your skating coach can’t or won’t help you. I would write a letter to the roller skating association located in Lincoln, Nebraska. I’m sure they could refer you to someone that could help you. lots of luck!!!