I'm thinking about buying new boots soon, mine seem to be going. my question is, if i get a firmer pair, will it help with ankle stability? my right ankle is really loose, after having a grade 3 ankle sprain last year (completely tore through 2 ligaments, with a partial tear in the third). I know my boots are starting to go because they're not as secure as they used to be, but the stiffer the boot, the more ankle support there is?

i'm thinking about going up a level boot wise because my skating is improving, and if i can get some more support, it would be great.

i would need some new blades too because i took them to get sharpened today, and i think the lady ruined them. i took them to the pro shop at the rink, and then i got on the ice, i could hardly skate. so i may have to take them next week to the place by my house where i usually get them sharpened to see if they can fix them. if not, maybe i'll get new skates sooner than i thought.

edited to ask: has anyone bought skates from www.skate-buy.com? are they a trustworthy company? their prices seem to be cheaper than in a store. And if i wear riedell size 8 now, would i still be a size 8 in any pair of riedells, regardless of the model?

If you have weak ankles it's important to have good support but I can't stress enough the importance of getting the right pair and getting them fitted correctly. It's easy to be tempted to go for very hard boots but this isn't such a good idea either. When I broke my ankle on the ice I took my then boots to the skate fitter for punching out since they really hurt my ankle where it had been plated. I hadn't bought these boots from the fitter but from the rink shop and they were concrete hard. Even after four years of wear, there was very little crease in the ankle. The boot fitter hinted that this could well have contributed to my awful ankle injury and he re-fitted me with new boots appropriate for my level. It's so important to get the right boot for your height, weight and style of skating and of course the right fit as well.

Nicki

As far as your blades go, it could be that they are a little too sharp for you. I would take them back to the place that sharpened them and ask them to "stone" them a little bit to get that "bite" off of them (I think that's what they do).

It may take a couple of skates before you can skate in them. If they did indeed, "ruin" your blades, you have to let them know that also.

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You'll need to define what you mean by "ruin". For example, if your skate sharpener shaved off too much of the rocker and they are now flat behind the toepick instead of round, then you definitely have a problem. If that is the case, take them to an expert to see if there's enough rocker left to reshape them (an expert can shave off some of the bottom pick and re-shape a new rocker right behind it).

i guess that's what i get for going to a different place to get my skates sharpened. i've never had a problem before, even right after getting them sharpened. i tried doing some T-stops and things to try to get that bite out, but that didnt seem to help either.

I'm actually going to take a look at the rocker like doubletoe suggested, to see if htey are flat. I guess it;s a good thing that hanukkah (sp?) is coming up so at least i would have some money to get some new skates and blades if that were the case.

GO for new boots they hurt at first but they help you in the long run i kept the same skates for 3 years and i broke my ankle doing a walley(bought them new) they were jakeson top og the line ones the elit ones.. now i am back skating after over 3 months off. In a new pair of skate the elite + ones so far these 2 weeks have went well. so i think go 4 the new skates. it is criticail


marissa

What you need to do is learn what radius of hollow your blades are sharpened. Ask your regular pro shop this. This way, anywhere you go, you will know what to ask for when you get them sharpened. Typical radius of hollow numbers are 1/2 or 7/16, though there are others.