On my skates (they're Jacksons), right below where the hooks start, the hole is ripping. Like the lace has pulled through the actuall hole and made it larger and now it's getting to the point where it's right near the stitching. This is happening on both my boots but only on the inside part of the boot (the instep side). Has anyone else had this problem? Is this the kind of problem that just can't be fixed and you've got to get new boots? Does anyone know a short term remedy, since I have a competition coming up in two weeks, so new boots right now isn't an option. I was planning on just pulling the lace out of those holes and skipping them so that the damage won't go any further. Any help?

Any competent shoemaker can fix this with a patch. I don't mean those franchise shoe places in a mall but someone who can still make shoes from scratch. Most skate repair shops know one, and hockey repair shops too, but you want someone expert in leather, not blades for this one. You could also call Jackson/Tournament sports if you're in the K-W area and see if they'll fix them there.