Long post - sorry!

OK, here's the background: I have an 8yo DD who's average weight (30kg) and height (135cm), and who is a relative beginner, now skating semi-seriously for about a year. She has one 30-min private a week with a junior coach, and practises for about 2 hours a week. She has a decent waltz jump CCW and one-foot spin both ways, and rather nice spirals. She still needs plenty of work on stroking, crossovers, mohawks, turns etc, etc.

She is currently in Risport Lasers (bought secondhand - I believe that the Laser model is now called RF4), and only wears tights or knee-hi's in her boots. She's complaining that they're getting too tight. I removed the laces completely and had her push her foot as far to the front as it would easily go, and I could still see daylight down the back of the heel, so I'm guessing the boots are not too short. However, they do look much too tight across the foot, right from the toes to the midfoot, and that's where she says they are tight.

I took her to the local sports shop - our pro shop closed years ago - and tried her in the Jackson Mystique skates (the only non-Risport figure skates they keep). These fit her really well because they're generally wider and rounder (rather than pointier) around the toes.

When I tried to work out which other lower-level Jackson models might be available, the bunny at the shop had no idea that Jackson even makes anything other than the Mystique (the few skates they do sell are mostly for hockey), so there was no help to be had there. I asked DD's coach, who said that she honestly does not know - most of her kids skate in Risports and that's the brand she's familiar with (no surprise as that's also the brand most commonly available here).

My own coach's lightweight 11yo daughter, who's sometimes landing double axels, is wearing Freestyles (with Gold Seal blades, forsooth!), as are a couple of members of our adult synchro team, so I'm guessing they're too stiff for my DD, and I'd be looking for the next one down from Freestyle.

I looked on the Jackson website, and came across the following 4 models which I gather are all below Competitor: Freestyle, Classique, Mystique and Artiste. However, I can't work out which is which in terms of boot rigidity. Does anyone have any idea of the model order?

Thanks!

Pretty sure you have them in the right order. Lowest support would be Artiste. Mystique seems a popular boot here (in Hobart) for skaters who are just starting to take it seriously and they seem to take them through the single jumps; waltz. toe-loop, salchows.

Classique I believe is next up, but rarely seen. I seem to recall these were a recommended boot for adults who were moving up from recreational, so it makes sense they are stiffer than Mystiques. Not sure if they come with a basic blade already attached.

Most people here seem to go straight from Mystiques into Freestyles, or even Competitors, depending on their progress/size/weight etc. Those working on axels and doubles here are in Competitors, or above.

Hope that's of some help.

__________________
Karen

I skate - therefore I am

We love Freestyles here at our rink. You're right on the rigidity progression. The main reason why they jump to the Freestyle is that you can put a blade on it ... but even the stock blade isn't too bad. If you want, they can order it boot only, which cuts down on cost, wasted blade, and excessive holes in the sold.

the annoying thing is that there is no male Competitor boot, and the jump from Freestyle to Elite is huge. Elite is quite a bit more rigid. grumble.

DS is landing doubles and axels, working on Sr Bronze and Juvie test (weighs about 95 pounds). Our coach likes to underboot as much as is safe, esp. with the kids, but, I know other coaches would be moving him out of the Freestyle to a stiffer boot. They took my DD out of Freestyle and moved her to a softer boot, because she couldn't flex the Freestyle and it was causing issues with her skating due to lack of kneebend (she's light, and had a power problem). They're only now looking at putting her back in the Freestyle (she's working on axel and double salchow) because she's getting down in her knees.

Baby skater is in the Classique, but, we had it broken down for her by the skate fitter so that she could flex it. When they are thistleweight ... you do what you can.

What you can do, which looks quite weird: have the boot heated (they're heatmoldable) by your skate fitter. Put it on. Have the kid do deep knee bends while the boot is on. Repeat a few times. That makes the boot more flexible very quickly.

(now, all of you who disagree with my Freestyle stuff, please don't jump on me ... this is just what works for our family).