#1
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I cannot belive my luck: new skates
So i'm sure most people here are aware of my "need new skates" drama. My skates have been too narrow in the toes and generally cause me to lose all feeling and lately have been turning my big toe completely white.
BUT everything else about them is perfect, and I'm so scared to buy new ones because it's a LOT of money- and well, what if they don't work? My coach called me to tell me he had a used pair of Jackson Freestyle skates for $50. I was in competitors so it seemed like a step down. I go to try them on: they are competitors. It's the exact same skate I have, but in a D width, where i have a B. I tried them on- they kind of feel the same, then I skated in them. The boot feels really nice. The right one actually feels a little short, but the width is better. The skates are really beat up, but still have all their support and no creases, just lots of cuts from what looks like backspins and jumps. The blades have a teeny bit of rust on the side- but it looks the same as my current blades, so I don't think it affects them. BUT the blade is different- at first, I can barely stroke, it's such a difference. After about 10 minutes I did tenative turns, spins and a waltz jump. The skates aren't 100% better, but they are a lot better. I decide I'm going to take them. I look at the blade- to see what it is. Hmmm? That name looks familiar. That's a way "better" blade than what I have. So I ask my coach- do you think this blade will work for me? He tells me it's a huge upgrade, but it shouldn't hinder me, and should really make everything even better once I get used to it. So, after checking to make sure $50 was really the price, it seemed to good to be true. I wrote a check and brought the skates home. Then I looked up the price of the blades. The Gold Seals on my new skates usually sell for over $500. Yep- I now have Gold Seals.
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-Jessi What I need is a montage... Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009) |
#2
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Holy cow!!! that is a great deal!!!!! Not only used Competitors for $50, but Gold Seals too!!! Someone is definitely looking out for you.
How would you compare the fit in the heel between the B and D width? I ordered some Competitors in D width due to my wide feet, but I'm afraid my heel might slip. Is there a huge difference in the sizes? |
#3
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My coach tells me that the toe width is what's important. Padding and tighter lacing can fix the heel. Don't know how true that is though.
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-Jessi What I need is a montage... Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009) |
#4
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I'm not convinced you got such a good deal - I guess for $50, you don't really lose much, and if these skates last you a few months and give you time to save up money for new skates, then fine. But Jacksons are a wide boot, and if your heel slipped in the B widths, it will slip even more in D widths. When you start jumping in them, you will really notice the difference. And as for the blades, I don't know what blades you had before, but if you're like most people and started with a 7' rocker, this is a big adjustment - Gold Seals are 8', which means spinning will be much harder. Plus, someone at your level does not need that blade - elite skaters (Sasha Cohen, for example) wear Gold Seals. If I were you, I'd have your old blades mounted on your new skates. In addition to the blades being beyond your level, they are also a serious mismatch with the boots - generally, you want the boot and blade to be designed for the same level of skating.
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Terri C is a Bronze lady! Gold Moves, here I come! |
#5
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Well for $50 it's definetly worth a try. I can't get split widths- as they are non-returnable, so it's either too narrow in the front or too wide in the back. The too narrow in the front was a HUGE problem. I'll see what I can do with too wide in back. I know I don't need gold seals at all, which is why I'd never pay for them- honestly I was a bit hesitant about going up to a Protege because the Mirage worked fine, and it seemed silly to spend the money- but my coach said it shouldn't hinder any progress, and he thinks they'll work fine for me. The blade I have now is an Ultima Mirage and it's an 8' radius , so that's the same. (Although radius can refer to two things- right? Maybe I'm wrong with that) I'm keeping my old boot/blade set- so I can mix match whichever components work. And if my heel really does slip too much and i have to go back to the boot that was causing me to lose feeling in my feet, well I can keep the wide boot for teaching- that will be 2 more hours a week that I can feel my feet! And if they absolutely don't work- I'm sure I can resell them for at least the $50.
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-Jessi What I need is a montage... Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009) Last edited by Skittl1321; 11-20-2007 at 09:30 PM. |
#6
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Radius can indeed refer to two things. There is the radius of hollow, which is measured in fractions of an inch and describes the depth to which the blade is ground when sharpened, and there is the radius of rocker, which is the arc of which the bottom of the blade is a part. The way to keep from getting confused is to not used the word "radius" at all. Just use "hollow" and "rocker". You are using it to mean "rocker", and you are correct that since you haven't changed rockers, there should not be a lot of adjustment necessary. Changing hollow can also require adjustment, however. The Gold Seals may well have been sharpened to a 3/8" hollow, and you would feel that if you have been using 1/2". The blades would seem to bite more, and it would be easier to both hold a deep edge, and to catch an edge. Good luck with these skates, and congratulations on finding them and buying them!
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"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers." Barak Obama, 44th President of the United States of America
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#7
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I'm just so exicted to have the opportunity to try a good blade. I was thinking it would have a club 2000 or Mark IV or lower on it, because the girl I bought them from is actually a level lower than me. Guess her parents have a bit of expendable income! The only problem comes when I wear them down. Gold Seals will not be the next blade I buy! But after having skated in them, I can probably justify the $150-200 range blade better, rather than go back to Mirages!
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-Jessi What I need is a montage... Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009) |
#8
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Wow, if that doesn't prove there is an Angel of Figure Skating, I don't know what does...
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#9
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May cheap skates shine down upon us all!
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-Jessi What I need is a montage... Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009) |
#10
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What a great deal! My coach goes on and on about how great gold seals are and how they have the smoothest run of any blade she's ever seen. (She'll never get me to give up my Phantoms though!)
I used to have problems with my heels slipping, and I found that sticking a round make-up sponge under the insole in the heel of the skate really helped. It pushed my heel up and into the padding so that it didn't slip as much. Enjoy the new skates! |
#11
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That is a great deal. I went from Coronation Aces to Gold Seals and my skating improved a lot. The biggest improvement was in my spins. I found them easier to spin on, even though they have a larger radius.
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#12
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I skated on them yesterday for about 30 minutes. The boots feel much better on my toes- but my archs hurt a lot. The ice was horrible, and lots of people said their feet hurt, so it might have been that.
My spins are still not as good as they have been. But I don't think it's the radius, so much as the toe pick is different. I still need to find the right stop. My turns felt really good though, and just regular stroking felt so fast- even on horrible ice. My jumps are about as they were, but the toe jumps were really akward. I don't think I like the cross cut pick yet. Overall- I like them, I think these will work for $50- definetly don't squish my toes! but I won't buy them when I need new ones..
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-Jessi What I need is a montage... Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009) |
#13
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Wow! What a great deal. I'm glad they're working for you. They sound a LOT more comfortable than your old skates.
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#14
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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics |
#15
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I can't believe your luck either. My Gold Seals cost me almost 600 bones and you got a pair for 50 bux???? Wow!!! Hats off to you!!! Your coach is right!!! It took about a week to get used to but I noticed an immediate difference in my backspin. I switched from Ultimas to Gold Seals almost 8 months ago and I'm convinced that I don't want to wear another blade. They are really great for spins and still provide good stability in jump landings. The toepicks aren't enormous like Patterns and you can get some really deep edges on these things. No wonder most of the elite skaters use these now. The only warning I can give about Gold Seals is that it may be tough to center your spins initially because the sweet spot on these blades is so huge. The first week all of my spins were traveling cross country. LOL Congrats on the awesome skates. BlackManSkating
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Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice Goals Pass my Silver Moves Test Finish Choreography for Silver Program Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz Work on Double Axel and Rockers Speed up back Camel |
#16
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BlackManSkating
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Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice Goals Pass my Silver Moves Test Finish Choreography for Silver Program Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz Work on Double Axel and Rockers Speed up back Camel |
#17
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I've been skating for fourteen years, so I've been through 12-15 pairs of skates, and each and every time my arches hurt when breaking them in. Heck, even if I took a week or two off the ice, my arches hurt (and these are custom klingbeils with orthodics which feet my feet perfectly!). Remember that if they're not as broken in as your old skates, you shouldn't be tying them as tightly. It might be the ice, but if it happens again try retying your skates and loosening them a little (just below the ankle).
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#18
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__________________
-Jessi What I need is a montage... Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009) |
#19
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WHAT??? THE ZAMBONI IS BROKEN AGAIN??? Man, I hate our zamboni...
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#20
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Anyway, your coach has it backwards. Make sure your heel fits correctly, or don't skate in them. |
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