Best investment (decision) for your skating?

[jjane45]

Up to this point in my skating, I think the best decision made is to switch to my current rink for lessons, else I could have frustrated myself enough to give up regular skating.
The best investment is, cough cough, the gel pads! Last night while attempting to enter backspin from 3-turn I landed directly on the right knee cap. Was expecting some pain because of the speed I went down, but amazingly felt nothing AT ALL.
I am curious what everyone thinks on this one. The decision to skate is presumed one of the best, LOL~

[davincisoprano1]

My best investment has been my knee pads from under armour :) as well as my skating pants (though I got those for xmas...).

[icestalker]

My best investment and the best decision ever in my life and the greatest thing I've done for myself (the list goes on) is my new skates and blades. As I have said many times before in other threads, the skates have made all the difference in my jumps & spins. I was doing waltz jumps 2 inches off the ice three months ago, and now I'm landing flips, floaty waltz jumps 3 feet off the ice, and attempting lutz.

A non money related decision was the decision to just try a full flip (as encouraged by a coach- not my private coach actually), so then I fell accidentally, was a bit shocked, then I fell three thousand times more on the flip, and my fear of falling is suddenly gone. Just like that. Poof.

[jazzpants]

If I want to be sentimental and gushy and all, my best investment are my coaches!!!

But since I'm NOT :twisted:.... I am gonna say my custom purple skates with orthotics! Made ALL the difference in my being able to skate well, helped in my not having further shin injuries, and they are a conversation starter!!! :bow:

[dbny]

Skates and blades are important, as is good coaching, but it is all worth nothing if you break your knee cap, so I am with you, jjane45, I LOVE my SkatingSafe gel knee pads!

I also got a really big whack on the knee and felt absolutely nothing, didn't even develop a bruise later on. I was skating faster than I had ever done, in my lesson, working on that little extra push you see elite skaters do if you watch closely, and caught my toe pick on F crossovers. I really went flying right onto one knee. That's when I realized those pads are worth their weight in gold.

[flo]

I agree with Jazz. My coach. Been with him for 17 years!

[davincisoprano1]

If I want to be sentimental and gushy and all, my best investment are my coaches!!!

But since I'm NOT :twisted:.... I am gonna say my custom purple skates with orthotics! Made ALL the difference in my being able to skate well, helped in my not having further shin injuries, and they are a conversation starter!!! :bow:

PURPLE SKATES!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Pictures please!!! I'd love to see these!!!!

[kayskate]

My custom skates are great but they wouldn't be worth anything w/o great coaching.

Kay

[hanca]

Having private lessons, increasing amount of private lessons and buying my custom Klingbeil boots and proper blades. All those made a huge difference.

[drskater]

After around 2.5 years of spinning my wheels with an "accessible" lower-coach, the best decision I ever made was getting over my fear and working with the "advanced" coach. I progressed so much in just a year and learned so much I can't find enough ice time to practice everything I can do now.

[RachelSk8er]

Best investment/decision was as a kid, giving up freestyle to focus on synchro (still called precision back then) and all the time and money spent pursuing that sport. I never would have had the opportunities I had through my old team if I had just stuck with singles--the national medals, being part of Team USA and getting sent to compete internationally, the many, many friends I've made. It influenced where I went to college and then grad school. And I probably would not be here as an adult skater doing freestyle again if I had never met Stormy (through synchro), who nudged me to do my first ANs, where I competed dance but got hooked and figured I could do freestyle, too.

Without synchro, I probably would have walked away from skating in middle or high school and never come back.

[Sessy]

Best decision, not a skating decision at all. Doctor had me get orthopedic insoles for my shoes, the referral letter said to take all the shoes and boots into which I wanted the orthopedic soles to fit. Sooo... I took my skates to the lady who makes them and said, "nevermind the other footwear, I can buy new, just make them so they'll fit into my skates". She was kinda like :lol::lol::lol: at that but she did it.

Man, what a difference!

[katz in boots]

Like everyone else says, a good coach is a big factor. My best decision there was in knowing when to switch coaches, and then to walk away from lessons altogether cos it wasn't fun anymore.

And boots & blades. For me it was buying Jackson Proflex boots & Ultima matrix Freestyle blades. I can curse & swear about them as much as I like, and both are discontinued (in the model I got). Can't jump in the darn things, but I can do things I'd ever done before, but they have helped my footwork immeasurably.

Here's another fantastic investment decision: gel ankle sleeves ! These things really help!

[Kim to the Max]

I agree with others that the best investment I have made for my skating was my coach. I kinda' happened upon her when I returned to skating and, as they say, the rest is history.

But, I would also say that the best decision I made was coming back. I didn't REALLY skate for about 9 years because of school and work and lack of money. But, about 3 years ago I decided that I wanted to do something other than work, so I decided to start skating again and that was probably the best thing I have done.

[teresa]

My best investments are a good coach, skates that fit and blades that aren't warped. =-)

teresa

[jazzpants]

PURPLE SKATES!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Pictures please!!! I'd love to see these!!!!
Your wish... ;)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/41/82292520_81befb7ac4.jpg