new blades

[cutiesk8r43]

hey
I got new blades and I haven't tried them out yet on the ice. I was wondering what to expect on the ice, is it harder to skate?
thanx in advance :)
~cutie ;)

[vintagefreak]

It can be different so when you go out for the first time, be careful and take it slowly. The picks could be more prominent, causing you to catch and fall forward. The edges will probably feel different and they will be freshly sharpened so that will make them feel weird, too. Just take it slow, build up your confidence. I'd just stroke around and try small things, such as 3 turns, mohawks, etc. and gradually add more. I've found that usually in one practice I can get used to new blades, so just expect to focus on getting used to them instead of actually practicing things you've learned for the day with the new blades. Hope this helps.

[*IceDancer1419*]

Yeah personally it took me a couple of sessions (2, maybe?) to get used to my new blades... but then, I was also in new boots that were well fit for the first time, so that probably added to it. It does feel a little odd at first, but I'm sure you'll "figure them out" in time and then they'll be just fine! :)

Out of curiousity... what kind of blade? What did you switch from? What boot do you have? lol I'm a skate freak ;)

[cutiesk8r43]

Out of curiousity... what kind of blade? What did you switch from? What boot do you have? lol I'm a skate freak ;)

um. Im not sure I'd have to look, my boots are Reidels(I think thats how you spell it) and are bronze star.

[yorkie]

I wouldnt say its 'harder' I would say its more different. Just be carefully! The first thing I did was put my toe pick in and fall flat over :oops: very funny. Take it slowly and dont be as stupid as me and try doing things before your used to them. Just remember to watch out for those toe's. It took me about 2 session to get used to mine, I did start doing spirals and 3 turns and just basic skating towards the end of my first session. But the key thing is just to take it slowly and be careful.

Hannah. x

[icedancer2]

You may notice a lot of things that are different in new blades. I usually notice the rocker.

It really depends on what you are doing.

I like getting new blades but the subtle differences between blades can be daunting!!

Have fun!!

[*IceDancer1419*]

Well, if you ever check the blades, I'd be curious to know! :)

If you have a rocker change, or a toepick change (ie a bigger one now, etc) it'll make a difference, and will take a bit of skating around to get used to. Nothing major, though. Should be fine!

I switched from very basic Wilson Excel blades, w/o much of a rocker or much of a toepick, with nice long freestyle heels, to Ultima Synchro blades with a different rocker, bigger toepick (though it's created to not scratch too much), and itty bitty heel, and I did fine :P :lol: :D ;) Took me a bit to get a spin down again, but it was ok. I had new boots too. So, yeah. :D

[icedancer2]

Even if you buy the exact same make of blade there can be a difference -- due to individual manufacturing issues, plus wearing blades that have been sharpened a bunch of times is a lot different than wearing the new blades -- the sharpening changes the rocker over time (I don't think you can avoid it) and you get used to it as you go along.

[luna_skater]

I got new blades last year about this time. They were the same model I had before (Ultima Synchro), but the company had made some improvements to the blade, such as adding a bit more length at the back, and changing the pick slightly. The biggest difference I noticed was the rocker...I actually had one again! My old blades were horribly worn down; there was practically no rocker left. I'd say it took me a session or two to get used to them, and then they were fine.

[diagetus]

If you're going from rental skates, like I did, the toe picks are going to be rough. You're likely to trip over them at first and will be tempted to push off them. I went from rentals to MK Double Stars. I also want to add that the mounting of the blade to your Riedell boot can make a difference. I've seen people skating on rentals and they didn't notice that the boot was bending inwards and the blade was angling out. When I got my new boots and blades I definitely felt like I was right over the top of the blade and well balanced. So the transition shouldn't be all bad.

[Madama Metroka]

What are the best blades for an adult beginner who has only really been on the ice a couple of times?

[Cactus Bill]

Most of the blades out there are good, I think the poor ones are off the market. You probably won't want to go with the really pricey ones though, nor with blades with a toe pick that will carve your heart out! A good blade won't hold you back though, and you won't feel the need to upgrade as soon as you otherwise might want to. I would stick with a good blade with a 7' rocker...flatter and you give up some maneuverability (but gain speed). Later on you might want to try a flatter blade once you have some time under your belt.

I've got Coronation Aces (the Parabolics, which are supposed to help both your turns and straight skating)(go figure...but I actually find they do what they say they are supposed to) They are by John Wilson, but MK also offers them on many of their blades as well. Check out their websites and I would choose a blade that's a freestyle design. Should be a good choice for a beginner.

Also, ask your coach or instructor...he or she is a good resource, so use them!

[stardust skies]

For someone who has only been on the ice a couple of times, I would recommend a blade that comes attached with a boot. Too much blade CAN in fact hold you back. There's much more edge control required than a true beginner can handle, as well as too much speed with too little push- you'll never learn to do it yourself, and you'll never be able to control the speed. I would suggest Riedells because I am a lifetime Riedell customer- the Silver Star boots come with...I believe...double star blades, or club 2000 blades, I don't know. I certainly don't remember skating in these, but I know I had Riedell boots and blades that came pre-attached, and they served me through learn to skate and some single jumps and one foot spins when I was little. This should last you a couple of years, at which point you'll probably be ready for stronger boots, and Coronation Ace or MK Professional blades. But in my opinion, it's too soon for those. Others will probably disagree, but I guess I am a traditionalist, and I just notice that a lot of people on here get way too much blade for their level. I think it might be attributed to the fact that since an adult's foot doesn't grow anymore, it could be justifiable to "invest" in a more advanced blade to the future. I think that is about as bad an idea as the mom who buys skates two sizes too big for her kid to grow into. I think the blade is the most important piece of equipment you've got, and you need to get what you need right now, not what you'll need next year. There's next year for that.

Good luck!

[batikat]

yep I agree with Stardust Skies - get a blade for a beginner level and look to getting better ones in a few years. I started with a boot and blade combo which I think were basic Risport + club 2000's and the whole lot was second hand so no break in pain and cost less than £30 ($50ish) for the lot. That gave me time to think about whether I really wanted to continue skating (yes, yes, yes!) whether I'd do dance or Free or both and to talk to other skaters about boots and blades so when I went to buy a decent boot after a couple of years I knew what I wanted. I've seen so many people waste their money on a boot or blade that is too advanced and then really struggle or end up paying out to get another set of boot/blades that they can actually use. A young skater at our rink had parents who wanted him to have the best so paid out for Gold Seal blades when he had only just got his single jumps down and not yet an axel. He couldn't cope with them and they had to buy another set.

Most people here seem to start out on club 2000's or equivalent and then go to Coronation Ace, MK professional or John Watts classic. Often coaches have their favourites so it's wise to ask your coach.

[Mrs Redboots]

What are the best blades for an adult beginner who has only really been on the ice a couple of times?Probably, the blades that come with your skates. Buy a good beginner blade/boot combination, and have them carefully fitted by someone who knows what they're doing. In six months, upgrade to Coronation Ace blades.

[Casey]

Well I'm going to have to disagree somewhat with the low-end blade recommendation made by stardust and others...noting that I do not have nearly the experience so take my words with a grain of salt.

Note I don't think they're wrong in saying that a lower-end blade will be sufficient for the time being - it probably will be.

However I do disagree with the statement that a higher-end blade will hold you back, unless it's a question of the rocker. A 7' rocker will almost certainly be easier.

I bought MK Gold Star blades (7' rocker, $400) 2 months after I started skating and have absolutely loved them since the beginning. As luck would have it, it was a waste of money because my boots have ended up being wrongly-fitted and are too large, and the blades I have will not fit on a smaller boot which means I get to replace them when I get new boots. :( The toepick is larger, but that is very easy to get used to, and helps with toe jumps. I can skate very fast and well in these blades. Overkill, maybe, but they certainly didn't hurt.

My rink rents out Riedell skates with factory-attached blades. Yesterday I went skating with a couple friends, and one of them happens to have the same size of feet as me. So after a while, we traded skates to see the difference. Though he only lasted about 30 minutes in my skates before his feet started getting sore (to be expected, they're stiff boots and not shaped for his feet), he liked them a lot more, and was able to actually do 3-turns on them which he couldn't do on the Riedells, and other things were easier. He didn't have much of a problem with the toepicks either. Meanwhile I had a very hard time in the Riedells, I could still skate fast, but they weren't as stable so I couldn't push it as far, and spinning was just plain impossible (gave up after a few really bad attempts). Jumps are also a lot harder, *especially* the landings, which I was not able to hold. One time in the past I managed to do a really lousy salchow and toe loop on rental skates, but I was too afraid of them to try yesterday - they just were too unstable and I nearly fell enough as it was...

Higher-end skates may be a overkill and a waste of money if you end up in my situation, but I do not think they're necessarily a bad idea. I would definitely agree that a beginner is going to to better with a 7' rocker though. I've also skated on Four Aces blades, which are identical to Coronation Aces but with a straight-cut toepick, and liked them too.

[cutiesk8r43]

I tried out my new blades and I was fine except it was hard to stop at first and since I got a bigger toe pick my jumps where bigger! (my coach was happy about that :) )since I got the whole big edge and everything the most improvment was my spins. My coach still made me work on axels, I guess she hasn't heard the term "taking it slow" :roll:
~cutie ;)

[samba]

I hope you dont mind me using this thread cutie, Glad you are pleased with your new blades.

I won a £50 voucher with my trophy at Bracknell last week, the voucher is for John Watts Skates, the managing director of which used to teach at my rink and later at Bracknell.

I havent been in contact with him for many years and besides I would prefer an unbiased view on these blades, is there anyone out there that has them or has used them, I'm tempted to have a go but even with the voucher they are a very expensive gamble.

Thanks
Grace

[Mrs Redboots]

Well, I went with John Watts Dance in my recent upgrade and absolutely ADORE them, now I'm used to them - and look how much better my skating has got since I had them! I rather wish Chris had been at Bracknell so I could have told him so.

Our Elite dancers tried them and hated them - but then, they are an intermediate-level dance blade, and they are used to MK Dance, which I really don't need yet.

I have no idea what the free skating blades are like, though.

[samba]

Thanks Annabel, you certainly are a good advert for them. What I could really do with is a pair that is good for both free and dance (not totally given up on the dance project yet) or maybe get a soft pair of boots and fit a pair of dance blades on them, I think my hard free boots ristrict my point slightly and yes I know the rest is mainly me, sigh. :roll:

Cheers
G