I'm not supposed to be here as I'm not a skater, but please be patient. I have read every post I can find on skates and blades in an attempt to educate myself prior to purchasing new skates for my daughter. She is too young to post so here I am posting for her with what is hopefully a quick question.

Background:

My daughter is 5 years old is has been skating for the past year in Jackson Mystiques. She has gone from basic forward and backward learn to skate stuff to working on a loop jump and sit spin and talking about a camel spin (but I haven't seen anything that actually looks like a camel spin!) She is also continuing to work on her spirals, bunny hops, waltz jumps, shoot the duck, salchow and toe loop. I guess this, along with the edges and stroking, is all the basic stuff she will continue with for the next few years.

She will outgrow her current Jackson Mystiques in the next 3 to 4 months. From what I have read on other posts I think she will be fine in Jacksons - they seem to fit her well and are comfortable. I do not require her to have skates beyond her ability, but at the same time, I don't want to be paying for lessons and having her equipment hold her back.

Question:

Would another pair of Mystiques last her for the next 10 to 12 months or should I be looking at the Competitor series? If I go to the Competitor series my options are:

Classique with Ultima Mark IV blade
Freestyle with Ultima Mark IV blade (Heat moldable)
Competitor with Ultima Mirage blade (Heat moldable)

I will talk to her coach and our pro shop, but I just want to have done some research so I can ask the right questions.

Thanks in advance for your help!

(I have no idea how to start a thread so if the powers that be would like to move this post elsewhere, feel free.)

You would be best advised to talk to your daughter's teacher, to see whether another pair of Mystiques would be fine at this stage (I expect so), or whether they'd recommend that she upgrade. She might also do better in Coronation Ace blades at this stage, but again, be guided by her teacher.

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Mrs Redboots
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Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

My guess would be the Mystiques will be fine, given she's only 5 & therefore very lightweight. Not like she's really pounding them down, right?

When you decide which skates to buy you may want to check out the various used skate lists or your local rinks. Used skates are good for little kids as the kids tend to outgrow the skates long before they break them down. After your daughter gets use to her new skates you may also want to the old ones for sale.

I wanted to also suggest looking at second hand skates... Children grow so quickly, you can often find used children skates that are barely broken in!

Also, for your own daughter's skates, you might consider taping them... Then when she outgrows them, you will be able to get the best price for them since they won't have any scuff marks or tears in the leather.

I skated in rentals for the first year or so I was skating (as a child around age 7), and competed in two competitions in them -- not that I recommend that since rentals are awful.

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I think the Mystiques will be fine for her for awhile longer. I had Classiques and it took me about 6 months until they were broken in (I'm 16 and average weight). They were a lot stronger than I'd anticipated! Mystiques should be good until she's ready to learn an axel, I think. Good Luck!

Hey, I've had a pair of Mystiques before!

Like Magz says, they'd probably last up to her axel, but as your daughter's working on loops now, you'd need another upgrade once you've started doubles. I'd suggest Freestyles or Competitors.

Mystiques should be fine.

For an older kid I'd agree with you- but not for a 5 year old. You can't suggest by level only, it has to go by height/weight too. If for a, say...12 year old average weight/height skater, the Competitors are recommended for doubles, then a 5 year old would need one or two levels of boot below that, because otherwise they'd be too stiff. A boot that is too stiff can create many injuries, especially at that age when bones are still forming. They can grow in crooked, tendons can get irritated, bunions can form, overall, bad news. Ask her coach, but as a general rule, I would think that whatever she is in is fine until she graduates to doubles (which if she's working on loops might be about a year or two, depending on how much she skates and how quickly she learns), and at that point I'd look at Freestyles. Competitors should wait til she's a little older, at least ten I'd say.

This is all approximate...I don't know your daughters' height/weight/technique, but they're ballparks. Good luck.

I have had my now 6 yo in jackson freestyles now for two years.She is small, maybe 40lbs, and is working on her axle prep, and perfecting her sitspin, camel spin.She has a Mk pro blade.
I dont think it would say leave her in her current boot, I think that is more for LTS kids. You can get a Jackson boot with a blade for 150.00
Also depends on if she is skating twice a week, for an hour, or daily for 2 plus hours.You can work on a jump or spin at that age and it still takes a year or more to be good enough for a program.If she is doing her loop/loop over and over, she needs a better boot.
HTh
edited...
all I can find about that boot is its for beginners, very entry level.I would put her in a freestyle boot.

Ahh... I see. Thanks for filling me in!

I dont think the boot she is in is for even single jumps.Its a rec skate, made for skaters who skate once a month.She does need some support if she is doing any jumps at all.Even a 5 or 6 year old doing singles needs support and the jackson freestyle would be fine for her.
If in doubt, ask her group teacher or coach

http://www.skate-buys.com/icefigeq.html

No, I used* to have Mystiques, back when I was in Pre-Alpha. I now have Competitors, which, as Stardust pointed out, might be too stiff, but so far, they're suiting me just fine.

But if this 5 yo is working on jumps, she isnt in pre alpha.

Thank you all for your help. Hearing different opinions will help me ask the right questions when we finally go to purchase. Just for information, my daughter is about 3' 8" and weighs about 50 lbs. Most people are surprised she weighs that much as she is very thin looking. She does, however, have the most amazing thigh muscles for a kid of her age. She skates three times per week (she would like to go to four, actually she would skate every day if I let her!) and each session is 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Her current boots look practically new and don't appear the least bit broken down. She has a really good knee bend but, with the exception of her waltz jump, still doesn't get a lot of height on her jumps. I do wonder about the quality of the blades as the Mystique are listed as recreational skates.

Thanks again, I'll let you all know what we end up with.

That is why she needs the Freestyle boot or another brand same level.A young child will rarely break down a boot before moving on.Those are rec skates.
I dont think she needs a boot like the competor right now, the main difference between the freestyle and the competor is the amount of padding.Also her spins will inprove greatly when she gets out of the boot she is in now.
If you check over on parents/coaches page, you will find a few threads talking about skates for small kids.We love jacksons but its not a right fit for all. My skaters next boot will be an Sp Terri.

[QUOTE=twokidsskatemom]Also her spins will inprove greatly when she gets out of the boot she is in now.

Interesting you should mention this. I would say that of all the skills she is working on she finds spins the most difficult. It could be that she is more inclined toward jumping than spinning and it may have nothing to do with the boot / blade (she is only 5 after all!), but I'll talk to her coach and the skate shop about whether or not a different boot / blade would help.

Thanks again.

http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=16925

Thanks for the link. I remember reading this thread at the time it was printed. We will definitely look at the Freestyles and I will ask the skate shop about Stardustskies concern about stiffness and growing bones. I am interested in why you (twokidsskatemom) switched the blades on the Freestyle or if anyone out there has used the stock blades that come with the Freestyle. From all I have read on this site there seems to be a consensus that Coronation Aces are the way to go. According to their site; however, they are a bit above my daughter's level. If I remember correctly Four Aces?? are indicated for her level.

We did use the blade that came with the fs boot when she was 4 and 5.It was fine for one foot spins/ beginning scratch, simple footwork.There isnt anything wrong with the blade that comes with it.
We did luck out into a used mk pro blade.Right now she is ISI 3/4 and could test USFSA but we are waiting till she can put her axle into a program before testing. She also ice dances, and will test dance before her moves/fs.Its not too much blade, its just fine and will be for awhile. She skates 2 hours or so a day, 5 days a week give or take.
I think if I had a 5 year old, I would not upgrade this blade, and wait till the next time.The blade that comes with it will be fine for the next 6/8 months or however long your daughter wears her skates. It seems like here its about 8 months, and she is in a size 1.She turned 6 in may and has had this skate since March.

Usage Guidelines:
for
4 aces




ISI


Freestyle Test 4
Freestyle Test 5
Freestyle Test 6

USFSA
Freestyle 5
Freestyle 6

Skate Canada
Preliminary Freestyle, Preliminary Dances
Jr Bronze Freestyle, Jr Bronze Dances
Sr Bronze Freestyle, Sr Bronze Dances

what level is your daughter testing at? That seems like too much blade, the stock blade would be fine.


http://www.johnwilsonskates.com/blad...four-aces.html

In the UK, 4 Aces are generally used after Coronation Ace and before a high level Gold Seal. Coronation Ace are the blades that we would normally recommend a beginner to move in to when they are ready to move off the blades that come with the boots.

I wasn't going to reply because the internet is no substitute for an experienced skate fitter, but since I've been at the skate shop with one of the kids and I was looking at the Mystiques.

Ask your kid's coach about how he/she feels about the blades on the Mystiques. Depending on where your child is jump-wise, the toe picks on the blades that come with the Mystiques are not aggressive enough, the bottom pick is not very pronounced. You need picks for the loop, so maybe Freestyles are a better choice. Listen to your coach and your skate fitter and your child's feet.

edited to add: I read back and one of the complaints is not enough height on jumps. Having a more pronounced pick can help improve the bite on the jump take off, and would show an improvement on waltz's and toe loops.

[QUOTE=slusher]I wasn't going to reply because the internet is no substitute for an experienced skate fitter, but since I've been at the skate shop with one of the kids and I was looking at the Mystiques.

Ask your kid's coach about how he/she feels about the blades on the Mystiques. Depending on where your child is jump-wise, the toe picks on the blades that come with the Mystiques are not aggressive enough, the bottom pick is not very pronounced. You need picks for the loop, so maybe Freestyles are a better choice. Listen to your coach and your skate fitter and your child's feet


I agree with you, which is why those skates are rec skates.Nothing wrong with them, but rec skates are rec skates.Not Figure skaters skates

I'm hoping you agreed with the part about leave it up to the coach and the skate fitter. They can decide what a "recreational" skate is.