Up to this point in my skating, I think the best decision made is to switch to my current rink for lessons, else I could have frustrated myself enough to give up regular skating.
The best investment is, cough cough, the gel pads! Last night while attempting to enter backspin from 3-turn I landed directly on the right knee cap. Was expecting some pain because of the speed I went down, but amazingly felt nothing AT ALL.
I am curious what everyone thinks on this one. The decision to skate is presumed one of the best, LOL~

My best investment has been my knee pads from under armour as well as my skating pants (though I got those for xmas...).

My best investment and the best decision ever in my life and the greatest thing I've done for myself (the list goes on) is my new skates and blades. As I have said many times before in other threads, the skates have made all the difference in my jumps & spins. I was doing waltz jumps 2 inches off the ice three months ago, and now I'm landing flips, floaty waltz jumps 3 feet off the ice, and attempting lutz.

A non money related decision was the decision to just try a full flip (as encouraged by a coach- not my private coach actually), so then I fell accidentally, was a bit shocked, then I fell three thousand times more on the flip, and my fear of falling is suddenly gone. Just like that. Poof.

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Right Brain: In the distant future, I will land all of the doubles.
Left Brain: HAHAHAHAHA
Left Brain: You can't even do a backspin.
Right Brain: ...

figurekb on YouTube.

If I want to be sentimental and gushy and all, my best investment are my coaches!!!

But since I'm NOT .... I am gonna say my custom purple skates with orthotics! Made ALL the difference in my being able to skate well, helped in my not having further shin injuries, and they are a conversation starter!!!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Skates and blades are important, as is good coaching, but it is all worth nothing if you break your knee cap, so I am with you, jjane45, I LOVE my SkatingSafe gel knee pads!

I also got a really big whack on the knee and felt absolutely nothing, didn't even develop a bruise later on. I was skating faster than I had ever done, in my lesson, working on that little extra push you see elite skaters do if you watch closely, and caught my toe pick on F crossovers. I really went flying right onto one knee. That's when I realized those pads are worth their weight in gold.

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I agree with Jazz. My coach. Been with him for 17 years!

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

PURPLE SKATES!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Pictures please!!! I'd love to see these!!!!

My custom skates are great but they wouldn't be worth anything w/o great coaching.

Kay

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Visit my figure skating journal
http://www.skatejournal.com/

Having private lessons, increasing amount of private lessons and buying my custom Klingbeil boots and proper blades. All those made a huge difference.

After around 2.5 years of spinning my wheels with an "accessible" lower-coach, the best decision I ever made was getting over my fear and working with the "advanced" coach. I progressed so much in just a year and learned so much I can't find enough ice time to practice everything I can do now.

Best investment/decision was as a kid, giving up freestyle to focus on synchro (still called precision back then) and all the time and money spent pursuing that sport. I never would have had the opportunities I had through my old team if I had just stuck with singles--the national medals, being part of Team USA and getting sent to compete internationally, the many, many friends I've made. It influenced where I went to college and then grad school. And I probably would not be here as an adult skater doing freestyle again if I had never met Stormy (through synchro), who nudged me to do my first ANs, where I competed dance but got hooked and figured I could do freestyle, too.

Without synchro, I probably would have walked away from skating in middle or high school and never come back.

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2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Best decision, not a skating decision at all. Doctor had me get orthopedic insoles for my shoes, the referral letter said to take all the shoes and boots into which I wanted the orthopedic soles to fit. Sooo... I took my skates to the lady who makes them and said, "nevermind the other footwear, I can buy new, just make them so they'll fit into my skates". She was kinda like at that but she did it.

Man, what a difference!

Like everyone else says, a good coach is a big factor. My best decision there was in knowing when to switch coaches, and then to walk away from lessons altogether cos it wasn't fun anymore.

And boots & blades. For me it was buying Jackson Proflex boots & Ultima matrix Freestyle blades. I can curse & swear about them as much as I like, and both are discontinued (in the model I got). Can't jump in the darn things, but I can do things I'd ever done before, but they have helped my footwork immeasurably.

Here's another fantastic investment decision: gel ankle sleeves ! These things really help!

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Katz

Saved by Synchro!
I was over it, now I'm into it again !

I agree with others that the best investment I have made for my skating was my coach. I kinda' happened upon her when I returned to skating and, as they say, the rest is history.

But, I would also say that the best decision I made was coming back. I didn't REALLY skate for about 9 years because of school and work and lack of money. But, about 3 years ago I decided that I wanted to do something other than work, so I decided to start skating again and that was probably the best thing I have done.

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Skating Dreams

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike

My best investments are a good coach, skates that fit and blades that aren't warped. =-)

teresa

Your wish...

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!