I recently bought a pair of Riedell Gold Medallion (found a pair on eBay for $160, in the box, brand new- amazing, right?)
From what I found, I can use it up to axel, maybe some doubles? My old skates were White Ribbons 112 and they made my whole foot hurt when I started learning scratch spin and higher waltz jumps, so I decided I needed a more advanced boot, the Ribbons were rated for Basic 6 and I'm in Freeskate 2.. my mom told me my beginner skates were fine for me (...right) so I was the one paying for new skates. Therefore, they HAVE to last at least 1 1/2 years so I have enough time to scrape up $500 or so for the next, more advanced, double jump boot. If only my mother spent as much on skating as she does on horses (She can spend eighteen hundred- yes, nearly two thousand- on a horse who is only going to be used as a trail riding horse- yet, she can't spend more than $70 on skates, and tunes me out when I lecture her on how I will break my ankle in skates that don't have enough support.)

Well I'm rambling so I'll get to my point. What level will the Gold Medallions last to? I weigh 110 pounds and skate 2 times, 4 hours per week. I'm about to start doing single jumps and so far have been working on scratch, sit, and back spins. I don't know if I'm a hard or light skater- it's not like I pound landings or anything? But in 1 and a half years I expect to have landed my axel and perhaps be working on double salchow or toe, can the skates support doubles? Very tiny doubles, I can be sure of.

Oh and when should I put Coronation Ace blades on? Freeskate 2-3 skater, should I put them on now or wait till around Freeskate 5-6? I've recently ordered the blades, and have already been skating in the new boots/stock blades for nearly two months, so I've adjusted to the bigger toepick already. And how long will they last for my level? I've read that you should upgrade CorAces when you begin double lutz and double axel??

Thanks in advance, answer all my questions please!

Hi there! I'm not much help with that specific pair of boots, but a good rule of thumb is to just pay attention to how your foot feels and to keep on eye on the creases that will form at the ankles of the boots. A small crease is good - it means the skates are broken in and in good shape. After a while, that crease will grow, which means the boots are getting broken down and won't provide as much support. A year and a half may be pushing it if you start jumping more or start skating more often. I'm not sure how old you are, but if your feet are still growing, you may outgrow the skates before they break down. If you think the boot is breaking down, show it to a coach. He/she should be able to tell you when it's time for new boots.

About Coronation Ace blades: I think I first got those blades when I started working on ISI FS 2 or 3 (which is toe loop, salchow, upright spins). They're really good blades for single jumps, and some doubles. Most people I know move up to Pattern 99 or something similar once they've got a double or two.

I know skaters that have landed through double lutz and passed Senior Moves on Coronation Ace.

I don't know anything about the Gold Medallion boots, though.

I think you need to get a skating coach to talk to your mom about how you're risking your ankles using boots that clearly does not have enough support.

And I was using Gold Medallion boots for about 2.5 years and working all the way to sals on those boots. When I started working on loops, the boot technician clearly said I needed up upgrade my boots and blade to something more appropriate or risk screwing up my ankles. Initially though I went to a Bronze Star (he suggested Silver Stars but they were CEMENT BLOCKS for me...) I am currently in custom Harlick with orthotics and WOW!!! Fits like snug (but not cement block snug) slippers!!!

I personally have MK Pros so I can say much about Coronation Aces. One of my skating coaches does recommend them for her beginning FS (as in ISI FS 1 and above) skaters though.

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

My daughter just turned 10 and her pair of Gold Medallions has lasted nearly 2 years with a Coronation Ace blade. Luckily for me, her feet don't grow very quickly!!! She is landing through axel. She is 80 pounds and skates 4 hours a week. We're moving up to a Bronze Star w/Cor Ace now as the skates are finally getting too tight.

I thought those boots were great!

Were the skates still in good condition when she outgrew? She does weigh less than me, yet, 2 years is a pretty good life. My feet aren't growing anymore.. I don't think so, anyway.
Sounds like I should put CorAces on anytime soon. I think I should probably put them on before I begin single loop, so I won't have to adjust to the landing of a different blade right when I am learning?

The boots are in very good shape with no creases. The Coronation Ace blade has been good with holding sharpenings for quite a while. I got them on ebay for $200 and were new (the daughter gave up skating right after they got them). They were my favorite ebay purchase.

A couple of things, the first slightly on a tangent - 2 times 4 hours a week seems a bit unbalanced. Why so long?

The Coronation Aces are nice blades. They will do you up to the end of your doubles and into a double axel. What are you using right now? You will still find a transition when you put the Aces on, as they will affect all of your skating if there is a change, regardless of whether or not you are jumping.

Your goals are good, but, remember, they are goals; you may not have your jumps that fast, and you may have some faster. Plus, you've got all of that good skating stuff to master, like edges, turns, and so on.

The most important - and I too am rambling - point is to talk to your coach in terms of equipment and goals. Your coach will be able to point you in the right direction for boots and blades; training time; goals etc. They can also be quite good at intervening with parents who don't "get it" in terms of equipment needs.

I agree with those who say to talk to your coach(es). The boots may not hold up through axels, although this does tend to be a very individual thing.

The most important thing, though, is: DO THEY FIT?? And do they fit really well? Because if they do not, that is also risking injury. It would be wise to speak with a knowledgeable boot fitter as well (although this is difficult to do for those of us out in the middle of nowhere).

(BTW, Riedell recently revamped its line. . . the whole "medallion" line has been crunched into one model, all the "stars" are now in one model, if I remember correctly.)

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"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

The best thing would be to talk to your coach and have him/her look at your boots to make sure they have proper fit and support. Your coach should reccomend that you go stiffer or stick with the same boot as your skating progresses and the boots break in and eventually start to break down and it's time for a new pair. Once you're in a boot that fits properly and is in the right "range" for what you're working on and your height/weight, it comes down to a matter of personal preference. Some people can skate on boots that are not as stiff, or are not as hard on their skates and they can keep them for quite a while, others (myself included) are stiff skate people.

There are kids at my rink working on axels who are in gold medallions, other kids at that level are in 1310 boots.

As for the blades, that's another thing that comes down to preference, but those will get you far. At your level especially, there is no reason to be shelling out for more expensive blades. I have a friend who is testing international level dances on Coronation Ace blades.

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2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Well, I have an hour group lesson on Thursday, then half hour lunch break, then two hours of public skating. Then on Saturday I have two half hour group lessons, totalling four hours for the week. It is terribly unbalanced, isn't it?

Club 2000 came with the Medallions, and I've adjusted to them pretty quickly. I don't know what level they are for, but they are obviously a higher level stock blade than the ones on the White Ribbons because the toepick is bigger.

I went down half a size actually when I bought these. They have a wonderful snug, secure fit though they crunched my toes a bit at first, they stretched out as I broke them in. Strange for a stock boot to fit so well.. I must have the perfect Riedell foot They've been eating away at my ankles due to the huge leap from soft Ribbons to stiff boots, but I've ordered gel things to alleviate that.
They're heat-moldable, though I was very afraid to put them in the oven, what if I passed out and they sat in there for hours..? so I used a hairdryer which worked nicely on select spots.
One of the reasons I specifically chose to buy Medallions is because I could find them on clearance price and save maybe thirty bucks (though I ended up saving over a hundred!) I thought Bronze Star might be pushing the limit on how much stiffness I could take, plus, they were too much money.

I'm gonna be screwed if they don't hold through axels. If that happens.. backup plan.. sell all my worldly possessions, or perhaps have my coach give my mother a serious talking-to about equipment (though that could backfire and cause my mother to decide to stop taking me to lessons, because of the lack of good skates.. that sounds like something she would do.)

Did they really need those 1310s, or did they just overpay?

Well, I've already ordered the blades, so too late, but I plan on just having them sit around until I really need them. But I don't want to have spent so much and then I've only used half the sharpenings when the boot breaks down, and have to mount it on a new boot. I might end up buying two sets of CorAces if I'm only doing low level doubles/single axel when the current pair wears out. Some people have recommended Comets, but no way can I spin on an 8.5 rocker.

You did say you'd ordered the Coro Aces already, right? Because those are a couple of hundred dollars on their own ... on top of the boots ... which I see are around $200 or so these days on clearout (although I've seen them cheaper). Club 2000 is a real entry level blade, BTW; what is weird is that the boot/blade for the Gold Medallions is a different combo, these must have been put together by whoever bought them.

Figure skating is expensive. Skates are only part of it. If you don't have parents willing to finance it, you will have to do it yourself. Moving on to axels and such, you'll likely need more than group lessons - and more than twice a week at that, but, that's just my opinion, other opinions will differ. Figure out what you can afford yourself (part time job maybe?) - figure out what you can expect from your parents. Budget accordingly.

Remember also that next time you buy boots, they may cost more. Start putting away, say, $20 a month in a savings account so you have money saved up for that future purchase. In a year, that's $240 towards your next pair, which will help with the financial impact. Budgeting is invaluable to survival in this sport!

1310's may suit some who are doing single axels, as it will depend on the height, weight and skating style of the skater. Some of those kids with doubles may be overbooted in the Gold Medallion! It is so personal to the skater.

Comets have their fans (my coach included). They are just a different approach, and, yup, people spin on them quite well!

Note also that if your feet are still growing (or even not, if boot designs change or if you change boot manufacturer) - the CoroAces may not fit the new boots regardless. As for life time of a blade ... we get at least 2 years out of blades, often 3 or more, but, we have an excellent sharpener.

I'm always doing stuff like trimming trees and washing trucks to earn money from my parents, and my family gives me quite a bit of money for my birthday which I shall save all of it, with willpower.
I turn 14 in three months, at which age I can legally work in a business. I've already figured out a cost plan for skates, private lessons, and a car in two years- but providing that I work 18 hours a week on minimum wage (40 hours in the summer, but the way I did it, I just put in 18 hours for the whole year, it was too complicated to put in 40 hour weeks randomly), and the results were surprising. I'd have more than enough to do one private lesson per week ($32/half hour), put away $600 or more per year for skates, and still have over $4500 left over to put away for a car.

The only catch? Very few businesses actually hire 14-year-olds. I went on a job site once and only about three out of ten hirers would even hire a 16 year old, let alone a 14 year old. Shall I change my birth date?
Too bad I wasn't born ten years earlier, when the local Publix hired 14-year-olds to be baggers and shelf stockers. Oh, and when the economy wasn't failing, and when adults weren't using up all of the teenager's jobs.

Really very ridiculous, back in the old days, 14 yr olds were certainly allowed to work more than 18 hours on school week.. pshh! All 14-year-olds worked back then, nowadays they laze around and get "allowance" from their parents.. Do you think a story about an aspiring freestyle skater who is struggling to pay for equipment would soften a business-owner who's hiring?

I think managers are always impressed by go-getters of any age, but the law is the law. If you lie about your age, you'll probably be dismissed when you get caught. Some states require "working papers" for young people, so ask at your advisors' office about the application paperwork.

The economy sucks and a lot of people are out of work, so be cautious about making remarks like that so casually. The manager might be a victim of layoffs, doing this job to pay bills and put food on the table for his/her families. (BTW, many adults on this board are in/have been in similar circumstances, so show a little empathy, please.)

Check the local seasonal places, like ice and ice cream shops. They usually hire seasonally, and are more inclined to hire teens.

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Employment laws vary from state to state and also the industry. The ice skating rink closest to me hires 14 and 15 year olds, but I know some require you to be 16. You may want to begin pursuing babysitting opportunities. Some people will "hire" you even now if they think you are responsible enough to watch their children for a couple hours.

It doesn't hurt to ask at various stores/restaurants/businesses about their employment rules. If they tell you "16 minimum," you'll be able to focus your search elsewhere.

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More on employment:

If your area has an agricultural community, you may be able to work even before 14. The federal minimum for agricultural work is 12, but some states require you to be older. For example, in Oregon, you can pick berries with parental permission when you are 9 (no joke! on US Department of Labor's website).

Does your mom house her horses at a barn where you could help out for a little cash? Do you live in Tennessee, Alabama, or South Carolina? (Determined by the 18 hour per week work maximum and Publix locations.) I have family in all three states, so I could maybe ask if they may know something that can help you.

Yes, I was one of those "adults" and despite what you think, the adults aren't taking those summer jobs away from you... because they weren't any to take!!! It was quite scary not having a job for 8 months last year -- was VERY worried I was not gonna be able to pay property taxes, mortgage, etc. and I would be out in the streets. Imagine what would happen if your mom lost her job? She would become one of those adults that have to take a job that could have gone to you so you would have a roof over your head.

It's a VERY ROUGH year last year and this year! I doubt you will start seeing true signs of recovery 'til at least 2012. Right now I'm seeing just glimpses of hope, which is definitely better than nothing.

I would also try doing a Google for "summer jobs for kids" in your city. Maybe they may have programs to place you at a job. But yeah, the fact that you're 14 may be a problem. I know if you were in my neck of the woods, there are places in Chinatown that hire kids and pay "under the table." But the hourly rates are bad.

__________________
Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Dairy Queen used to hire at 14. Not sure if they still do, but that was a popular job among my friends at that age. I started working at my local rink when I was 14. This might be an option for you, especially if you know the rink owner or manager, or are friendly with the employees. Sometimes kids who volunteer to help out with the tots classes get free practice ice in return. You might also try "mom & pop" type places, where the owners know either you or your family. If you have any family friends or relatives who work at doctor's offices or the like, they might hire to you come in and do filing once or twice a week.

Sorry about that, didn't really mean it in a negative way, just meant to say that a lot of jobs that used to be 90% teenager- cashier, hostess, etc., you see a lot of adults applying for these jobs now. My dad lost his job last year and though he found another job in the same line of work as he had done before (yes, I know how extremely rare that is now, to get the same high paying position at another company), we did suffer for quite a few months, though I was lucky enough to keep going to skating because my grandmother offered to help out. He's barely home but he's lucky to have found a job in the first place, my mother's salary wasn't going to uphold us for long.
Of course, I wouldn't say anything to managers, it would bite, wouldn't it?
I would feel guilty if I had taken a job to pay skating expenses, versus an adult who was feeding their kids (sigh.)

Hmm, lots of cow farms, etc. in my area. I live in Florida actually, but there are many Publixes here. And I think there's a DQ around here somewhere. We have our own little property actually that houses Mom's two horses and my horse (though she didn't spend nearly as much on mine as she did on hers. In fact mine was about the price of a good pair of skates, ironic, right?)
I've looked into petsitting horses before, because some owners want people to ride & exercise their horse, but I gave up after I saw all the adults listing on Craigslist, and they had their own transportation, were licensed/bonded/insured etc., I knew I wouldn't stand a chance. I don't think I can get insurance till I'm 18. It was the same for babysitting too, lots of adults who had extensive nannying experience and were insured/licensed and could also babysit in their own home, whereas when I asked my mom she said absolutely no strange little kids in the house.

I did think of working at the rink, but unfortunately my rink is half an hour away, is an hour away from my mom's work, and 15 minutes away from my dad's work though he can't be depended on, he's always zooming all over the state or off running errands for work. I could get to the rink if somebody drove me to the nearby bus stop. I don't know if I'm quite good enough to teach anything but maybe Basic 1-4, actually. It was quite embarrassing last week to discover that I had lost my clockwise mohawk, RFO 3turn and LFI3turn, just because I hardly use them..
I'd be a bit embarrassed to ask the skating director about coaching in LTS groups.. because the director is my coach. (sigh.) I currently teach my mother, though of course she doesn't pay, she repays me by letting me public-skate every week. I have a little scenario in mind where I teach my mother the basics then she decides to enroll in adult classes (unlikely), and the director/my coach realizes what a good coach I am! (again, unlikely.) My future career, is of course, coaching. I'm rather fascinated by it.

That's what I'm afraid of- there won't be any jobs, not even for the adults! And any half-smart manager would choose an adult over a kid who can only work 18 hours on school weeks. My city actually has one of the worst unemployment rates in the US, which of course further erases my chances.

My parents tried to shelter me, though I demanded to know what was going on with mortgage payments and all that stuff. If we did end up on the street, we have so many family members, somebody would take us in, so we always take comfort in that.
The sort of job my mom has now is in fact exactly that sort of job, the kind that laid-off adults apply for, she's worked for the same store in various positions for 30 years and people are always telling her what a great store manager she would be and she always says "I would hate the hours!"

I think there's a program in my city like that, though I don't remember the specifics of it. And this summer will go by before my birthday (early August), so it'll have to be next summer if I find a summer job.

Dairy Queen cannot hire 14 year olds.

14 year olds can do chores and chore-type work, but they can't legally get a "job." You will never see a business handing out pay checks to a 14 year old, nor will you see a 14 year old on their payroll. I'm sure in some industries the law is broken and people are paid in cash. That is risky/illegal, for all but the most fringe cases. Having a 9 year old out in the field picking berries is, IMO, dangrous. (IMO)

Looking for a job at age 14 is a waste of time, IMO.

Any sane business would hire a decent adult candidate over a 16 year old. Adults have a whole host of advantages over a high school student, and can often bring something to the table beyond what the child can. An adult, for instance, can (and often will) often have a resume with references from which you can [generally] gouge experience and dependability.

That's generally speaking, but from my experience it seems to be fairly accurate.

A 16 year old skater (or any type of serious athlete) in high school is almost as terrible a candidate for a job as you can get. It's a scheduling nightmare and the person can be gone for days at a time. This is especially true for the fast-food industry (i.e. Dairy Queen), which thrives on volatile shift scheduling.

Manager: Anyone want to work the Saturday 2pm shift?
Skater: See y'all monday. Wish me well at competition!
CoWorker_1:
CoWorker_2:

Those aren't teenager jobs. They're actually quite unfriendly to teenagers, especially teenagers doing any types of serious sports training. If a 16 year old is in high school, the amount of hours they can work (and which shifts they can work) is regulated. That makes them an even less attractive candidate. Pile skating on top of school, and you become borderline unhireable.

College students have the advantage of scheduling their classes around work, if needed. They can take classes at 7am and in the evening if needed, and they don't spend nearly as much time per day in school (something they also have complete control over - half time, full time, or below half time if needed). Even then, it's hard to wing it, and many serious skaters often forego college for a while while they train. Training + Job + School is hard as hell to manage, even for school-sponsored sports (like football, basketball, etc.).