No Edges!!!!!

[garyc254]

I'm constantly skating around and stopping to give pointers to new skaters whether they're kids or adults. So many of them get frustrated early and quit. I figure that if I can get them started right, they'll learn to enjoy skating and come back.

Last night, a mother (who evidently skated years ago) was trying to help her young son (maybe 7 years old) learn to skate. She had signed him up for beginner classes, bought him some new hockey skates, and was giving him a trial run at the public session.

They were both struggling to keep him upright.

I skated over and gave him a hand. After getting him halfway around the rink without falling, I asked him to just stop and stand for a few seconds. I noticed that even as he stood there his skates were sliding sideways. Hmmmm.....

I got him to the warming room and checked his blades. They had never been sharpened. No edges at all. Nada. 1/8" thick flat steel with no edges. 8O Mom didn't know and assumed they were ready to go when she bought them.

Fortunately, the pro shop would be open at the end of the session and mom was going to get them sharpened.

At least he'll be better prepared for his first lesson this Saturday.

[CanAmSk8ter]

Why the %^& don't skate companies (especially cheapo skate companies) say in big letters on the box that the skates need to be sharpened before use? They're lucky you were there to give them the heads-up before his lesson! I can't tell you how many times I've had a kid in a lesson sliding all over the place because the skates were never sharpened. They end up having to waste half the lesson going to get rentals because if they wait for a sharpening they'll miss the whole class. At big box stores, unless you're lucky and happen to be dealing with an employee who knows something about hockey, they're not going to tell you. Honestly, it's dangerous to have people skating on unsharpened skates- maybe someday someone will get hurt and sue and then they'll start informing people that they have to be sharpened first.

Of course, big box stores are about the worst place to buy skates anyway, but that's another whole thread...

[mary]

I think I did that once to my child. Got her new skates for Christmas. Poor thing. I didn't know they weren't sharped, she didn't know they weren't sharpened, and I don't think her coach noticed it either. I think she skated around like this for quite a while until I bought her new skates from a reputable place and they were sharpened there. The things we put our kids through! :giveup:

[jmp123]

at least the mom can get the skates sharpened!

I recently bought a public session pass to our local rink for $125 - my kids want to learn to skate a little. Last week my son was complaining about the rental skates - not only did they have no edges, they had no hollow! They were almost convex instead of concave! When I complained, I was told that they don't have equipment to sharpen them - they have to pay the pro shop and they can't afford it. If I had known this, I would never have bought the pass. Now I have to either buy him skates or find someone higher up to complain to.
I never thought to check the rental skates - most of the rinks I've skated at had their own equipment and took fairly good care of the skates. If I had known how bad they were, I would have gotten a pass at the new rink in the next town instead - they have brand new rental skates! I'm glad I signed them up for skating lessons at that rink and not ours.

[Elsy2]

Heard over the loudspeaker at the last public session..."Please don't walk on the concrete with your skates, it ruins the blades....Thank You."

I think I might consider those Jackson Softek recreational skates if I had another little skater that just wanted to skate for fun. My son wore those cheap Lake Placid plastic skates when he was 4-5 years old. They were better than rentals because we could keep them sharpened. After passing Basic 4, he told me "he knew how to skate" and wanted to move on to another sport. Whew! That was really a relief in the long run!

Now daughters Ultima blades were supposed to be skatable right out of the box. Not! They had to be sharpened.

[Aussie Willy]

One of the coaches at our rink was teaching a student one day who could not do anything on the skates which she had been able to do the week before. He asked to look at her blades and found that her father had taken it upon himself to sharpen her blades - TO A POINT (so they were convex)!!! He had actually ground of the hollow and edges with an angle grinder. Ruined a good pair of blades.

Moral of the story - never let a person who knows nothing about skating "sharpen" your blades.

[jmp123]

reminds me of a girl who showed up for skating lessons complaining that she had gotten rust on her blades - "Don't worry, I sanded them!"

[CanAmSk8ter]

I've recommended the Softek skates to a few parents of young beginners. The students I've had in them seem to do ok, and most importantly I've yet to hear a kid say they hurt. Decent support and a reasonably good blade- all a new skater really needs, and they outgrow them long before they're not enough skate anymore.

I just had a four-year-old girl in my class tonight (I was subbing) in her second day in a new pair of the lowest Riedells. Way stiffer than what she needs at this point, but they're still probably better than our never-sharpened rentals, and they're better than a flimsy pair from Wal-Mart. Mom had tied them way too tight, so we loosened them up (I showed her how to keep them tight at the instep and loose at the top) but the poor kid still couldn't really bend her knees at all. I told the mom to get a pair of guards and have her wear them at home, but these skates will most likely look brand new even when she outgrows them. I didn't ask where they got them, but I'm not convinced they were even the lowest level boot, they were that stiff. I really don't like the Riedells on kids that young simply because a thirty-five or forty pound kid isn't going to be able to break them in, so I'm thrilled to see the Softek ones on the market. Anyone know how small they're made?

[Lmarletto]

I just had a four-year-old girl in my class tonight (I was subbing) in her second day in a new pair of the lowest Riedells. Way stiffer than what she needs at this point, ....... but these skates will most likely look brand new even when she outgrows them. I didn't ask where they got them, but I'm not convinced they were even the lowest level boot, they were that stiff. I really don't like the Riedells on kids that young simply because a thirty-five or forty pound kid isn't going to be able to break them in, so I'm thrilled to see the Softek ones on the market. Anyone know how small they're made?

I know some very casual skating adults who love the Softek skates. Do they have a decent blade? I've heard they come as small as a toddler 7. That's the shoe size my daughter was wearing when she turned 3. She started in those plastic skates from LL Bean, but when she was 4 we got some Riedell 17's. Are they the lowest? I didn't think they were exceptionally stiff. She didn't come close to wearing them out before she outgrew them a year later though.

Two years later she's only in 21's. Her coach is of the opinion that too little skate (within reason) is better than too much until she starts working on double jumps.

[Isk8NYC]

This is a chronic problem, thanks for bringing it up. I don't have this issue with our current Pro Shop, they're very good at making sure the parents understand about sharpening, etc. They sharpen every pair at sales time, unless the parent asks otherwise. (Usually a time issue) But, many rinks don't pay attention to the rentals' sharpening, which is foolish considering the liability and potential loss of business. Skaters get frustrated and stop skating, thinking it's their ability not the unsharpened rentals.

Unfortunately, parents are often afraid that the Pro Shop prices will be too high, so they go to a sports retailer like Modells, Sports Authority, etc. and think they're getting a bargain. Those places DON'T have the ability to sharpen skates and (generally) the staff doesn't know enough to recommend a skate, let alone a sharpening. I've had students in the higher level Basic classes wearing the KMart Specials and frankly, they can't hold an edge or control a turn. Same frustration happens there.

Frankly, going to the Pro Shop is worth it in our case: I just had last year's skates stretched. The kids skates will now last a few extra months, which is a big savings.

[dbny]

I know some very casual skating adults who love the Softek skates. Do they have a decent blade? I've heard they come as small as a toddler 7. That's the shoe size my daughter was wearing when she turned 3. She started in those plastic skates from LL Bean, but when she was 4 we got some Riedell 17's. Are they the lowest? ...

The Softek has a figure style blade (teeth in the front and a tail in the back) that is fine for entry level skating. The thing I hate to see is new skaters in hockey skates or the hockey style blades on the plastic boots. They fall forwards, backwards, and can't get up on their own. Unless a kid has excellent ballance and some talent, it's very hard to learn in them.

The lowest Riedell model is #12, and I've found that they are fine when properly laced. The Softek is also on the stiff side for a tot, IMO. They make the Riedell entry level skate for adults also, model #112, but they are just not strong enough when the adult weighs over 100 pounds. I recommend the Jackson Mystique for beginning adults.

edited to add that tonight I found out that Softec also has models with a hockey style blade.

[mikawendy]

This thread reminds me of a girl, about 8 years old, whom I used to see in the higher level Basic Skills lessons. She was always dropped off at the rink in a limousine (!) but wore the horrid plastic rental skates with dull blades (!!!).

[luna_skater]

One of the coaches at our rink was teaching a student one day who could not do anything on the skates which she had been able to do the week before. He asked to look at her blades and found that her father had taken it upon himself to sharpen her blades - TO A POINT (so they were convex)!!! He had actually ground of the hollow and edges with an angle grinder. Ruined a good pair of blades.

Moral of the story - never let a person who knows nothing about skating "sharpen" your blades.

Oh. My. GOD. 8O I can't even imagine, lol!

[dbny]

I had a new student in my Basic 1 class tonight who was in those horrible vinyl skates. The poor thing could not do swizzles because the boots were totally collapsed. It was a wonder she could move at all, as her ankles were practically on the ice. I explained to her father afterwards, and wrote him a note about what kind of skates to get and where to find them (ran out of the How & Where To Buy Skates handout ).

[Aussie Willy]

The idea of a list of "Where and how to get skates" sounds like a great idea.

At our rink it is really word of mouth. But then the same goes for skating costumes and all those other type of necessities.

Even though I do the figure club newsletter and put some ads in, it would be a good idea to have reference booklet and website that refers to all the local suppliers and providers.

[dbny]

The idea of a list of "Where and how to get skates" sounds like a great idea.


After having an adorable little boy in my Snowplow 1 class yesterday who could not move without falling because he was in brand new hockey skates, I added a line in all caps: "DO NOT BUY HOCKEY SKATES FOR BEGINNERS. DO NOT BUY PLASTIC BOOTS." Even though the handout tells parents what kind of skates to buy, there are always a few who are swayed by some idiot salesperson into getting hockey skates.

[CanAmSk8ter]

When our learn-to-skate program starts again after the holidays I'm planning to ask if I can write up a one-page handout of things parents of new beginners should know. Since I'm almost always teaching the beginners I don't think anyone will object (I'm actually curious as to why no one did this before, but whatever). I'm going to make number one, "Before buying skates for your child, PLEASE discuss with an instructor where to shop and what to look for. The skates sold at stores like Target, Wal-Mart, Sports Authority, etc. are generally of very poor quality and will likely hinder your child's progress and enjoyment. Our instructors are familiar with local skate shops and can suggest retailers who are knowledgable about skating and will help you choose the right pair for your child based on his/her size, age, and level of ability. Please note that new skates will need to be sharpened before use. At a reputable shop this will likely be done for you, but it's always good to check."

Number two will definitely be that figure skates are a better choice for new beginners, even if the student just wears rentals for a month or so before switching to his/her own hockey skates.

[dbny]

From long experience, I highly recommend keeping your handout as brief as possible. The most important points tend to get lost in a long write up. Also, most instructors do not have time to discuss skates with parents, and many do not know where to get low end recreational skates or even which models are the best. You are welcome to copy my handout or pick from it as you wish:

" How and Where To Buy Skates
The skater should wear thin socks or tights when trying on skates and when skating. Skates are usually a size smaller than the street shoe size. Blades should be sharpened before skating the first time, and many stores will include a sharpening in the purchase price.

Recommended skates
Riedell - model 12 for children or 112 for adults (this is a narrow boot)
Jackson - Softec, Artiste, or Mystique

DO NOT BUY HOCKEY SKATES FOR BEGINNERS. DO NOT BUY PLASTIC BOOTS.

The following stores carry most of the recommended skates. Call first to be sure they have your size in stock.
(your list of stores with phones and addresses)"

[Aussie Willy]

I think I will start a new thread about guidelines and booklets. There is obviously so much information that you all have it is worthy of another thread.