parabolic ? k-picks ? please talk about blades

[sk8b8]

Hi -

I am buying freestyle blades again after having been away from freestyle for a long time (doing ice dance), and now I see they have these new features "parabolic" and "k-pick" on the wilson/mk blades. Have any of you had experience with these features ? What do you think of them ?

I am also looking for any discussion at all about the different price levels - I don't expect to be jumping much more advanced than double loop - what do I gain by spending 500+ on a gold seal or gold star and/or what do I lose by buying a cheaper blade like professional, or majestic ? What about MK vision - why is this the only freestyle blade they offer without the k-pick option ?

Also my dance blades are presently Jackson Ultima Ascend and I love them - have any of you had experience with the Jackson Ultima Freestyle blades ?

basically I just want to hear everything anyone has to say about blades.

Thanks !!!

[skatin83]

r u talkin about k picks on figure skates. the things that r like teeth on the front.

[Kevin Callahan]

This is what I've been able to dig up:

http://www.netskate.com/icblfigrec.asp

Hope this helps, look like you can spend anywhere from $200 (which is about normal for good blades, if my research and coach are to be believed) to nearly $500 for blades that contain both parabolic design and k-pick.

[techskater]

K-picks are supposed to "fix" pick issues on jumps. Basically they are on the side of the ret of the toe picks and assist if you don't pick in straight to "grab" for your jumps. Some people swear by them. I know our own COSKATER64 has K Picks and loves them. They were developed by a coach who had a skater who kept skidding off his toe pick while working on triple toe loops.

Parabolics (and I have Phantom Parabolics) are supposed to "fix" edge and turn problems. I find them to have centered me more over the ball of my foot and my turns are a lot crisper than they were before (mostly talking brackets for the Intermediate MIF test) and they seem to compensate a bit for being slightly "off". The thing they've really done for me (and maybe it's a placebo effect, but I've heard others say it too) is improve my spins 100,000 times from what they were.

[coskater64]

Techskater is correct, I do love my k-picks. But, let me make sure to qualify this correctly, when I came back to skating 5 years ago I immediately started on a pattern 99 k-pick so I didn't remember how my other blades really faired when I skated as a teen 20 years prior. My current coach would have prefered I started w/ something other than a pattern 99 and then moved into that blade gradually she thought it was too much for me. As a kid I had Phantoms which I did like, finding blades that fit you depends on a lot of different variables. What works for me may not work for you, so take any advice w/ a grain of salt. I have friends who use the gold seal parabolics and love them others who also use different types of k-picks and like them. These blades tend to be for more "advanced skaters" think Juv FS and higher you have to have good control to get more out of them INMHO.

I also skate on a Wilson Dance blade which is one of the narrowest blade around and like all dance blades, short it has taken a while to get used to it and to learn how to use it to my advantage the 7' radius allows me to turn much quicker and the narrowness of the blade has helped my 3 turns in the waltzes.

So to sum it up...find out what you can, but if you are just beginning a cornation ace is a great blade. The phantom is a great blade and goes from mid-level to SR. You and only can determine how you use your blade good form and technique will allow you to get the most out of it. So that's it....

As an additional note: I am very tall 5'10 and slender, I am knock kneed and tend to miss my toe so the k pick has help my toe jumps, but I have also had to learn to be more accurate with my picking on my double jumps and not count on the k-pick to do it for me.

Okay, now I am done.

:lol:

[Mrs Redboots]

If I were you, I'd stick with what you know - so if you're happy with your Jackson dance blades, I'd get the equivalent freestyle blades.

But be guided by either your coach or your skate fitter, whichever knows the most about such things!

[sk8b8]

thanks everybody ! thanks to your advice, and some other chatting around my rink, I will probably go ahead and try the gold seal with the K-pick and parabolic. but, to techskater, and anyone else with parabolics, I have a few more questions -

question about parabolic: yeah, I had heard that turning was supposed to be easier (faster, crisper ... one guy said it took 10 years off his knees) - and that turns would now be done center-blade rather than front and back. Is that what you find ? Especially with brackets... and is it easier to do those consecutive bracket/back-3 things that used to be in intermediate MIF and are now in novice MIF ? I am so totally used to rocking/other-knee&ankle-movement-that-is-hard-to-describe-but-sure-is-a-lot-of-work to get to front or back of blade for turns that it is hard to imagine turning at center blade. I mean what if you want to deepen your edge more, center blade, and NOT turn or change radius at all ? Also rock-over type things, edge pulls etc - I wonder how that feels. could you please tell me a little more about how your edge work (turns vs. no turns) feels on the parabolics, relative to the parallel blades ? Also, how do edge jump takeoffs feel on them ? Interesting what you say about spins - that they are so much better - why do you think that is ?

well, now that I read one of you people's great ideas for how to make a kitchen earn what you gotta pay for it, I too want a good sheet of lineoleum, some clean socks, a small dinette set, and a HUGE doggie bowl.

[sunshinepointe]

Not to pop anyones bubble, but in my experience I didn't notice a bit of difference in the parabolic model. I think its largely psychological.

[Ramsey]

Not to pop anyones bubble, but in my experience I didn't notice a bit of difference in the parabolic model. I think its largely psychological.


With over forty years experience in mounting all types of blades, the feedback so far on "new parabolics" is:

They are actually hyperbolic...

The chrome relief facit appears to be wire brushed on - which makes a
truly smooth edge hard to achieve...

Approximately half of the skaters who have switched to them like the results,
and the other half find little or no difference...

Worth a try, with or without the "K-picks".

Ramsey

[icecatepairs]

Ok ..I'll keep it short and to the point as best i can...


in 2001 i got gold seal k picks...my coaches saw then and said right away..".you are going to get injured in those blades we don't like them. The extra pick is dangerous. " k picks were new on the market at the time.

In 2001 i broke my right leg on an attempted 2/1 sal.


i recovered and skated again. My coaches still hated the blade but they were expensive and fairly new, and actually was used tho the weight up front.

in 2002 i did an axel. It was not in the learning process. i had two in my program the previous season. the toe pick of my left blade got caught down and under the ice as i landed still crossed. The force of my right leg hitting my left leg was too much. i broke my left leg in a few places. it was a longer harder recovery and i still remember the slow motion hell of thinking that i needed to pick up my foot as i was falling put realizing that i could not because i pulled but there was ice over the top of my blade. it was a long 3 seconds as i new what was coming.

while i was in crutches ....i ordered regular gold seals. when they came i took the old k picks off and gave them to my coach to give away . i didn't want 50 cents for them.

sorry to scare you. but thats my story and my opinion on k :evil: picks. they are top heavy and i hate them. but not every one thinks so. i think another gold skater who has made championship gold the last few years had them too...for one week and got rid of them.

[coskater64]

Well, I've been in Champ gold 2x and I have k picks, I've had them for 5 years and really had no troubles w/ them. But once again, when I came back to skating that is what I started with so I know, no other blade, I've never had an incident like iceskatepairs, but...it's different for everyone. What works for one might not work for another, the world can say they stink but if it works for me, I'll stick to it. So as with everything take my advice w/ a grain of salt, they are expensive and if you aren't doing doubles/triples then you really don't need them. My coach always teases me about having to much skate...especially when I was wearing a custom harlick w/ a pattern 99 k pick as a silver lady, it was excessive...and it's only a little better currently.

Such is life, :D

[icecatepairs]

coskater is right ...its different for everyone....i dind't mean to push my opinion on anyone.. :oops: just reporting. the thing about this sport that sucks is that its too expensive to even try something new sometimes. there is no ;30 day money back gurantee...so if we drop $500 and don't like the boot or blade we suck it up or try to sell it for half the price on ebay.. :frus: .they depreciate more than cars!!! good luck and let us know what you decide to do. :D

[MichTheSkater]

I have Pattern 99. Before i had willson. When i had willson my toe jumps were very bad.. When i swiched to pattern 99 blades i was landing Lutzs,toes, and flips in no time.! :D

[sk8b8]

icecatepairs said "skates ...they depreciate more than cars!!!"

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no sh** - and cost about that much too, or, cost as much car as I can afford after paying for skating

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thanks for all this diverse input. that is TERRIBLE about icecatepairs broken leg - Definitely I would like to be able to land on crossed legs from time to time and not pay such a price.

still haven't decided - will let you know what I choose when I do.

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for the record, a comment on dance blades : (someone mentioned that they skate on MK dance blades). I will just say that now that I have skated on both MK dance and on Ultimata Ascend dance, I have found the following difference between the two : the ultimata ascend feel a little clunkier but are also surprisingly stable. That is, if you are a little off in a position and you want to adjust - pull or push a hip or a knee or an ankle or something - it is easier to make the ultimas stay there for you and let you do it. The MK's , being more sensitive and responsive, are more likely to wiggle right along with you - rock or change curve or depth a little or whatever - giving you the punishment you deserve. Now that I am used to the ascend I am loathe to give up this new "cheat" advantage that they give me. The reason I bought them was that a few people had said that they could jump in them (Ultimas have more toe pick than MK's and are a little wider) - up through about double loop. I wanted to get back to jumping, but didn't want to have to deal with two different pairs of skates - 1 for dance, 1 for fs - so I thought, great, Ultimas can be my compromise. But now that I have them, I have tried jumping and I really don't like the way they feel on the takeoffs. The pick feels a little slidy on toe loops and on edge jumps it is hard to get any spring from the front rocker to toe pick. I feel like I do an incredible amount of work for no height. I vaguely remember jumping in fs blades to be way easier.

anyway, for what it is worth - for any of you who are interested in differences between different brands of dance blades.

[Skate@Delaware]

If I were you, I'd stick with what you know - so if you're happy with your Jackson dance blades, I'd get the equivalent freestyle blades.

But be guided by either your coach or your skate fitter, whichever knows the most about such things!
And if you have a coach that ALWAYS recommends the same exact blade, no matter what your skill level, wants, desires, age, etc?

No matter what, this coach always recommends Coronation Comets....and although I have them and love them, I don't feel they would be a good choice for my husband (but, then again, maybe I'm wrong-so help me out here). He has been skating two years and has just got mohawks, 3-turns, crossovers, etc. He has decided that dance is the way to go and is looking at getting dance boots, and is looking for blade recommendations. He is about 5'10" and about 280 pounds. He is a pretty heavy guy but fairly determined. He doesn't think he will be doing anything beyond maybe a waltz jump or so (because of his weight and the adult "fear of jumping" thing). He does want to spin, though! He recently got a 5-revolution scratch.

The only problem I have with my blades is when I get sloppy and/or lazy and don't pick correctly (doh!) or place my weight right when going backwards (scritch-scratch!)

[Mrs Redboots]

Coronation Dance are a good basic dance blade and will probably suit your husband; he certainly won't need anything with more welly than Coronation Ace or one of the more modern equivalents for some time to come.