Hi guys, I have just signed up to the forum.

I am 18 and am just starting to learn to figure skate. I have ordered some ice skates, the brand is Roces... are these any good? I thought I thought I would get them as they were the cheapest and I didn't want to spend to much on a pair of skates incase I couldn't get the nack of skating.
I can go around without falling over.

Was wondering if anyone could give me any advice on how to look after the ice skates and any advice or tips on how to ice skate, e.g. go backwards and stop.

Hope to speak to you all soon!
Lauren

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Figure skating is a mixture of art and sport.

Welcome!

I've never heard of Roces. Definitely not a name brand.

Cheap skates are usually not good for figure skating, but you might be okay using them in the beginning just to skate around the rink. Most people replace the cheap beginner skates after a few months because they find they hurt, lack support or prevent them from doing turns, spins and jumps correctly. Riedell, Jackson, Graf, GAM, and Risport are good brands of figure skates. Don't buy the bottom of the line - this is the only piece of equipment needed for this sport. Since you've probably stopped growing, skates are a great investment that will last a while.

There are some good sticky threads here on caring for skates http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=20328

If you look on YouTube, there are a some videos with keywords like "How to Ice Skate" and "Beginning Figure Skating" that are helpful.

Your best bet is to invest in group lessons. Your rink should have a brochure online or near the front desk. They're reasonably priced and provide some great social opportunities to mingle with other skaters and coaches.

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Welcome

I think Roces is a sporting goods brand. It'll be okay to use just for skating around in circles, but if you want to start learning two foot spins and turns done on one foot, you'll want to buy an 'expensive' brand like Riedell or Jackson. You have to shell out between $60-100 for a good pair of beginner skates.

The cheap ones break down quickly when used for anything other than skating around, don't have sufficient ankle support/comfort, and the blades don't have a proper rocker, which is the curvature of the blade that spins/turns are done on.

You can use the Roces to decide if you like skating, then if you would like to start doing lessons and advance, that would be a good time to buy the Riedells or Jacksons (there's other good brands too, like Risport, Harlick, etc., but Riedell and Jackson both have very good lines of beginner skates.)

Most important thing to learn how to skate... bend your knees!
To stop, push the blades out to the side, with toes pointing in. Like this(ignore the periods):
./ . \ <- stopping
..|| <- skating

Backwards is tricky. Beginners usually start with wiggling backwards. You bend your knees, keep feet close together, and wiggle your hips and shoulders. If you're lucky, you'll start moving backward.

The sticky threads will give you lots of information, but the most important thing is to dry off the skates and blades after skating.

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Right Brain: In the distant future, I will land all of the doubles.
Left Brain: HAHAHAHAHA
Left Brain: You can't even do a backspin.
Right Brain: ...

figurekb on YouTube.

Thank you
yeh I am going to invest in some decent skates once i get used to ice skating etc....
Thank you for the advice on how to look after them and the links to threads about them etc...
My little sis is also starting to learn ( she wants to cause i am hehe, like my lil twin lol) But she managed to pick a pair of risports up for £25 on ebay, so they'll do her. But i definately will invest in a good pair.

Thanks again

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Figure skating is a mixture of art and sport.

When I started taking lessons, I included my niece. A semi-private was the same cost as a private and she was interested.
She's eight years younger, but we were both starting out so it was fine. She was a good practice partner too - she would push me and tell me everything I did wrong! Little dictator lol. I loved watching her skate and improve.

That's great that your sister has good skates. You should keep an eye out for some good skates for yourself, you might get a bargain that you can't pass up. Good skates really do make learning easier and protect the skater from injury.

Ask the pro shop to measure you and make sure they check the width. (They may charge a small fee) That way, you'll know the correct size. Oh, btw, Riedell, Jackson, Risport, etc. have different measuring tools - if you have to pay for the measuring, have them give you all the sizes by brand. Don't forget to write them down!

A lot of people will sell used skates at this time of the year - check out our Trading Post section. There are tips and websites.


You should have both pairs of skates sharpened if you haven't already done so. The "factory sharpenings" are usually crude. Skating is much easier with sharp, even blades.

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