Throughout this forum there are many opinions expressed about the weight of boots (heavy / light) but rarely do any of the contributors state actual weights. May I respectfully suggest that this leaves readers somewhat in the dark because it is impossible to take an objective view in the absence of figures. Perhaps future contributors to the subject would consider stating the size and weight of their boots in order to give us, the readers, a better appreciation of the subject.

I have Jackson Competitors Girls size 3, with an Ultima Mirage blade. The set weighs 3.5 lbs. I've always considered them to be heavy, because before these I used recreational skates that probably weighed a pound.


(Edit: Thanks Clarice, I forgot that this included blade weight, as I don't really consider them to be seperate things!)

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

If you want this information, you'd probably be best getting it from the manufacturers, or actually weighing boots at a pro shop. I've never weighed my boots, but if I did, it would include the weight of the blades, so if I were trying to compare my experience to somebody else's, I'd need to know what kind of blades they have, too. The combination my daughter is using now is significantly lighter than her old one, partly due to a boot change, but also because she switched to a much lighter blade.

Just out of curiosity, I just weighed one of mine. This is a size 7 1/2 A-B Jackson Elite Supreme with a 10" Ultima Freestyle blade. It weighed 2.6 pounds. My daughter has the same boot, but a Paramount blade. They're at the rink, so I can't weigh them now, but maybe I can later.

This is so wierd because I just weighed my boots last night to get an idea of what ankle weights to buy in order to build up back strength for nice high spirals!!

Including the blade my size 5 1/2 Risport RF3's with MK professional blades weigh about 1.25kg or 2.8lbs.

__________________
"Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves" - Captain Jack Harkness

I think the weight variations are caused more by the choice of blade and boot size, so I'm not sure how useful this will be, but here goes:

Jackson Freestyles w/ Mark IV blades: Girls Size 3=2lbs. Ladies Size 8.5=3lbs.

Custom Klingbeil's (appx Ladies size 9, wide width) with 10" Gold Seal blades=3lbs.
(Gold Seals are very heavy because they have a solid soleplate, plus these are medium-strength Freestyle boots.)

Circa-2001 Custom Klingbeil's (appx Ladies size 9, wide width) with 10" Pattern 99 blades=2.5 lbs.
(Lighter blade plus these were "Instructor's Boots" with special foam for warmth.)

*** ALL MY WEIGHTS WERE PER BOOT/BLADE, NOT FOR THE PAIR ***

Most stock ankle weights are 3lbs, although some come with removal weight sleeves to let you adjust the weight as you desire. If you wear them while skating or jogging, be very careful because they will slide up and down a bit, throwing your balance off. I used to use children's mitten clips as stirrups for that reason, with leg warmers on top. Kept them from sliding around.

If you really feel that your skates are too heavy, using ankle weights off ice is a great idea that will help by strengthening your legs. Spiral positions, leg lifts to the side and front are all good exercises. Do some stretches and hold the raised position for a minute or two to get the most benefit. Shake out the muscle if it starts to twitch.

__________________

When I was in PT for my knee, I had to do some exercises with ankle weights. So befor I actually had a chance to go to the store and buy them, I used to just put my skate on and do my leg raises and such with it on. I figured it was a similar idea.

Are these weights individual boots or boot set? I'm interested because the weight for the girls size 3 difffers quite a bit (either way) from the weight of my competitors- and it's only one "level" difference.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

The weights I gave were for a single boot & blade combination, not for a pair. Nothing scientific - I put one skate on the bathroom scale, which is NOT metric. LOL

That's my point: we're comparing apples and oranges. Your boots are the same size andbrand, but they're different boots and blades. The Competitors are higher-level skates than the Freestyles, so I would expect them to weigh more due to additional padding and internal support. The blades are better, so I would expect them to have a different steel combination than the Mark IV's, resulting in a stronger and heavier blade.

Additionally, manufacturers regularly revise their models, adding lightweight foam or more support/leather. It's pretty hard to compare old skates to new ones. I once bought a pair of Riedell Gold Stars off the internet and was astonished to find they were pretty much "pond skates" because they were at least ten years old. The newer Gold Stars are really strong because Riedell upgraded their line and discontinued the old ones.

__________________