By the way, those stiff, heavy boots may feel comfortable for the first week, but then your ankle bones make indentations through all that nice padding and ooooh BOY is it a different story, LOL!

I agree w/ the gang on this, mostly because I made the "to stiff boot" mistake and let me tell you--it is very painful and can be expensive and stop you from skating until you get it fixed. It is also a good idea to go softer at first to build up your ankle strength, you should also work on stroking (x'overs), cross rolls and smoothness. Posture is key in skating and while a lot of people like to rush through things and say look at me I'm a XXX level skater, there is a lot of difference between meeting the minimum standard for a level and excelling beyond that standard.

Should you ever have a chance to watch adult skaters look carefully at Bronze, Silver and Gold skaters. What are the differences between the skaters is it just the jumps and spins? Of course not, there is an issue of quality of skating, if you want to skate gold in five years realize you will be skating under the New Judging System, this system rewards ease and finess in skating good jumps that are clean, solid spins w/ good positions and the ability to change edges w/in that spin. Footwork above 3 turns, twizzles, rockers, choctaws turning both CW/ CCW--- this is a lot to do.

So in wrapping up good luck with your goal, go to a good fitter for skates, don't get killer strong boots, get comfortable boots a Cornation Ace blade or similar model is a good blade through Axel and doubles.

Remember to have fun, it is a beautiful sport and one to be enjoyed.

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Yeps, I had my boot for 3 years now, it still hurts for the first 5 minutes I wear and skate on it

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Tim David's Website

Stiff boots are not comfortable? My coach told me to get
Sp Teri CL(Are they stiff for me?), and I am doing things from intermediate level, but I can only do inside and outside forward edges. Does it mean I should not get the boots???

I have two coach, one was doing Fs 1 with me in the summer, but he went for a holiday, so when I came to England I didn't know how to do any footwork. I started with another coach here, she taught me forward edges, but also I am doing the intermediate jumps and spins(Fs 4). This christmas I am leaving England for the holiday, my coach told me to get Sp Teri CL, and
I am taking lessons with the coach at my hometown, he would not know I am doing Fs 4 though. My question is, should I get the boots or not? I need to get a new pair anyway, because my skates are too small for me.

I think it depends on the skater. Everyone figured Graf Edmontons would be way to stiff for me, when I was first starting to skate a year ago, but as it turns out, I wanted strong support and I appreciate the skates for that - the stiffness level suits me very well (especially now that I've progressed quite a bit). I'm sure they're not as stiff as SP Teri KT2/3's, but they're up there anyways - Graf doesn't make a stiffer boot.

The boots turned out to be a mistake because the heels have separated from the boots, but not for the stiffness. And Graf is supposed to be replacing the boots any day now as the heel issue was a manufacturing defect according to them, so we'll see.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

For what it's worth, Grafs are the softest boots on the market. I for one, never said Graf would be too stiff for you (if I did I must have been smoking something..), I don't think Grafs would be too stiff for anybody. Even the stiffest Graf is still softer than most mid-level SP Teri, Harlick, or Riedell boot. They are just very soft boots, which, despite their terrible quality, is what attracts skaters about them in the first place. No break-in period. And little longevity, which is, if I recall, why I was against them for you (or anyone). Sp Teri boots are a total different story.

Agreed, SP Teri boots go a lot stiffer.

I don't recall if *you* said that (probably not), but several people did at the time. It's actually a good thing that I ended up with the Grafs, because what I wanted at the time were SP Teri Super Teris. While less stiff than KT2/3's, those would probably have been way too stiff for me and possibly caused more injury (definitely more frustration). Much as I dislike the problems with the Grafs, the stiffness level is quite appropriate for my level. Now if I ever get trained up and start doing axels/doubles, that will be a different story. But that will probably be about when the replacement set of Grafs I'm getting will be worn out anyways. Time will tell.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Grafs actually do come stronger. Its called double strength. Senior male skaters that I know (including my brother at one point) used Graf extra strength or double strength.

I'm still pleased as punch with my grafs though I will be switching to custom Jacksons next year only because I can get a good deal and they are customs which makes it a bonus