Risport RF3 boots + Coronation Ace blades

[peanutskates]

This has been my coach's recommendation, but I think since it is such an all-purpose boot and blade that it's her best guess.

Elements-wise, I'm doing:

Right now I'm working on single jumps (which I hope to be finishing by january 08) and spins (forward, backward/one foot, two foot)

but as I am putting my own money into new skates, I need them to last at least 2 years.

Has anyone got any other recommendations, or are these boots/blades fine?

[skatingdoris]

Hi peanutskates,

I think that this boot/blade combination would be a good choice. Of course correct me if i'm wrong:) but from what I can tell you are quite a slight 14 year old?

So in my opinion if the risport boots fit you well then they will be more than strong enough for you. They also have the advantage of being cheaper than most other boots!!

For comparisons sake - I have RF3's and i'm 5'9", 11 stone, and am working on my axel and beginning doubles, skating about 15 hours a week. Think i've had them about 10/11 months and they are well broken in, but nowhere near being broken down.

As for blades I have MK professionals, which are pretty much the same blade as the Coronation ace. These two are the most popular introductory freestyle blades, and if you get the c ace it will do you well all the way through your doubles.

Good luck in your search.

[froggy]

im working on singles, i'm 5'2 and slim build. i have the coronation ace and love them!

[peanutskates]

OK thanks :D

[Sessy]

I'm working on singles and the axel and I've got risport etoile and coronation ace. Now, risport etoile is far too soft for what I'm working on, wouldn't recommend repeating it to anybody I just did it as an interim solution, risport RF4 is usually what standard-sized more-or-less adult girls at our rink (like, size S to M and typical height of adult woman) who are working on axels are using, with coronation ace blades.

[peanutskates]

one of my skater friends has got the RF4's cuz her mum decided that she should move up one step at a time, even though her coach (who is my coach too) did recommend RF3's. But I think I'll go with the RF3's cuz I can't afford to be taking baby steps, and my coach did say that model...

[Sessy]

I'm working on singles and the axel and I've got risport etoile and coronation ace. Now, risport etoile is far too soft for what I'm working on, wouldn't recommend repeating it to anybody I just did it as an interim solution, risport RF4 is usually what standard-sized more-or-less adult girls at our rink (like, size S to M and typical height of adult woman) who are working on axels are using, with coronation ace blades.

Mind that risport takes a long time to break down - might wanna plan in advance shoe-wise.

[peanutskates]

ouch, how long??
(yesterday abovementioned skater friend was wincing in pain and moaning for half an hour in her RF4's...)
I usually skate for 2x 2 hour sessions each week. But I'm planning to put my guards on and walk around the house in the skates to speed up the process. Can you recommend a good amount of time to take each day to do that?

[kiwibabe]

Hi,

I have RF3Super and I'm working on my single jumps, 1 foot spin, back spin, sit spin etc. I think the RF3 super has more padding and is a bit stiffer than the RF3???? I have MK professional blades.

I haven't had any problems with my boots or blades they are great. My skates broke in really quickly.

[skatingdoris]

ouch, how long??
(yesterday abovementioned skater friend was wincing in pain and moaning for half an hour in her RF4's...)
I usually skate for 2x 2 hour sessions each week. But I'm planning to put my guards on and walk around the house in the skates to speed up the process. Can you recommend a good amount of time to take each day to do that?

You'll soon get bored of that!! i did. With the RF3's I wouldn't imagine that you'd be able to put up with wearing them in the house for more than half an hour - Ouch!!

My risport breaking in experience:
RF4's didn't really need to be broken in, found them quite comfy from the off. but it was a whole other story with the RF3's, they are really stiff and took forever to break in - gave me alot of pain and blisters for a fer months (still do now and again). for the first maybe 5 times i skated in them I had to take them off for ten minutes every 30 mins to hour.

Just a thought -
I know a few skaters about your age and size who wear RF4's. One of them is about the same level as me - bit better, the other two both have all their doubles solid (exc. 2axel). maybe the RF4 is worth considering:?: as you might find the RF3's slow your progress, if you are unable to bend your ankles in them.

[Caris]

Hey Peanutskates, have you thought about the RF2 instead, I started a thread the other day about getting boots and blades and someone suggested the RF2 was comfier than the RF3.

They do cost more, £155 for a junior boot which goes up to a 25.5 which is about a GB size 5 (thankfully I just fit into juniors still and am way past feet growing age so don't have to worry about that one!)

[Sessy]

'Bout a month the way you're skating, I'd say, well, if you were in rf4's. Not sure how long it will be in rf3's.

At least it's what girls at the rink did. But after that they last like 3-4 years, (or even longer, until you physically wear holes in them in the instance of a particularly skittish skating friend of mine who only does the team skating mumbo jumbo thing.)
Well as I've said, unless you try axels in etoiles or something like that this is, cuz then you break them down pretty fast. But those boots aren't made for jumping.

I think the etoiles broke in after hmmm 10 sessions or so, but then I wasn't jumping in them and they're much softer boots. Stiffness is entirely not compareable.

[peanutskates]

ok, so I'll try on the RF4's as well as the RF3's, but what is the difference with RF2's? Are they not meant to be stiffer?

Plus, they might feel very different when I first try them on in the shop to when I start skating. How should a boot feel in the shop if it is to be comfortable on the ice some weeks later?

[peanutskates]

please can someone explain the differences between RF2, 3 and 4? and how should a boot feel in the shop if it is going to be comfortable later? Thank you!

[Sessy]

I think RF2 is actually heat moldable while the RF 3 and 4 aren't, rf3 is stiffer than the RF4 and about how it feels - I've no idea, but you shouldn't be dying in the boots in the first place. Could be that meanwhile RF3 is heat modable too.

[Tiggerwoos]

I have the equivalent of the RF2's which were Super Dimante at the time and they were extremely painful and took about 3 months of blisters to break in as they were so hard.

Another thing to bear in mind is that Risports generally fit very narrow feet, which is why I went for them.

Why not have a word with your coach to see what they recommend........ that's what I did.

[Sessy]

That's the reason I went for them as well, however they turned out to be too narrow at the heel for me.

Starting from rf3 or rf2 they do come in different widths, but risport as a whole is a very narrow skate, even their C (largest one I think) width is too narrow for many, many people. It DOESNT get better or wear out or something, if it's not comfortable, it will only get worse in time, if it's too narrow, you can't skate in it.

Try Edea if you think Risport is too narrow. Edea is made by the same guys Risport is, but it's a different boot entirely, it's made for wide feet.

[peanutskates]

hold on, hold on, I told my coach that my feet were WIDE and she recommended risport!!!

[Sessy]

That makes NO sense... I don't exclude the possibility that Risport is wider than some American brands of skates, but in terms of European-produced boots, they're among the narrowest if not THE narrowest. We really only have Graf, Wifa, Edea and now Jacksons in the Netherlands so I can only compare to those, but those all are wider than Risport is. Although Jacksons not by much, maybe a millimetre or so. I've been told Wifa boots are good for children mainly, so that leaves Graf, Jacksons and Edea. I know from somebody who found the widest Risport RF4 size too small that she was fine in Graf, I know some people who were great in Edea who weren't fine in the widest Risport RF4, Jacksons is fairly new here in the Netherlands, I think I'll be the first at our rink to order them so I can't say much about that except that trying them on, they felt a little wider than my risports and the shop guy said we might have to order a smaller width (even though that was a middle size I was trying on) - so they do come in larger widths than risport comes in apparently. Jacksons however have far more room at the heel than Risport does.

[Evelina]

I skate in exactly that, RF3s and Coronation Ace. I have the spins up to camel and the backspin, I am also starting to work on doubles and the axel. I also have very wide feet which often causes me problems bying normal shoes. I've been skating in these since March 06 and while they take a while to break in, for me it was about 2 weeks skating 5 days a week, once I've broken them in they've been great. No blisters, no need for bungapads, no problems at all. According to one of my coaches I will be looking to get new boots soon but from what she says that's more to do with the amount of skating I do. I think the RF3s are supposed to last you through doubles.

Hope this helps!

[peanutskates]

Evelina, so the Risports aren't too narrow for you?

[Evelina]

No, the Risports are fine for me. I didn't realise they had a reputation for being narrow when I got them, I just followed my coache's suggestion. I have since heard from a few skaters that they are supposidly narrow but I am not inclined to believe that based on my own experience.

My suggestion to you is go to a shop and try some on. Remember they are skateing boots so they won't be comfortable as they won't be broken in, but see how they feel. Also with regards to walking around the house to break skates in, I would advise you against that. I have read from a few sources that it is actually a hinderance as the gait cycle in walking is very different from that in skating. As a result not only will it not help you but you will be breaking the boots in in the wrong way. I am inclined to believe that as I have had gait analysis done on me due to a lack of prioproception in my left ankle so I know a little bit about it.

Hope this helps!

[Sessy]

You probably have the largest width size then, Eve.

[Lenny2]

If you want comfort, go for a Graf skate. Virtually no break-in period. Choose the model depending on your weight and skating ability. If you are small and doing up to doubles, the Richmond is fine for you. If you are heavier or working on double axels and higher, the Edmonton would be better. And, any size skater could go into the F-4000, which is the hinged model. It actually does not "hinge" (nothing like the Jackson hinge)--it is simply a two-piece construction, sewn together. It is supposed to provide more flexibility, although we don't see that it really does. My skater is on her second pair of the F-4000, and they have been great (novice level, working on double axel and triple salchow). No blisters, no break-in. She was in Harlick before for many years and, although she liked them, she had developed calcium deposits (big bumps) on the inside of her arches. These are gone now. We have been very satisfied with the Grafs.

[zzzzzz]

8OMy daughter skates in an RF2 and she has very wide feet but narrow heels. She has a c width and we had the toe box stretched a bit and they fit very well. They are easy to measure because the length in cm is the size. She had Graf Edmontons before the Risports and they were difficult to fit, extremely narrow in the widest fit available and horrifically uncomfortable. Risports are well made and an excellent skate. The best thing to do is to try on as many skates as you can find in your size or close to your size. Everyone's feet are different and the only way to know which ones will be comfortable for you is to try different skates on. FYI Risports even come in a D width special order.http://www.skatingforums.com/images/smilies/eek.gifhttp://www.skatingforums.com/images/smilies/lol.gif