finally bit the bullet and bought new blades
i've been skating in coronation aces for like 4 years. the ones i was using were slightly too short and most certainly too "low" for my level
i had been planning on getting ultima freestyles because a coach was going to give them to me at cost, but it seemed that I was never going to get them (we spoke in october).

I decided on paramount 420s. I drove out to Anaheim to get them and have them mounted. My dad was giving me a hard time, asking me why I couldn't get them closer to home. I kept telling him that there was only one place that was close that stocked them, but I didn't trust them to mount my blades. He didn't believe my until I handed my skates over to the guy at USA skates who said "Wow, whoever mounted these did not do a very good job. He used the wrong screws for one..."

I LOVE these blades. I was really really nervous about switching, mostly because of the rocker (switching from a 7' to an 8'). well, that was not a problem at all. My coronation aces were so old that they are actually flatter than my new ones.

One of the major selling points of these blades is their lightness. I didn't really believe that the blades could make that much of a difference in the weight. Boy was I wrong! I went to do a spiral, and it was like my leg flew up! It felt like I wasn't even wearing skates!

I was able to jump and spin in them right away. It took me a few times to actually try an axel (i was terrified of catching my toe-pick), but when I did, it flew. It also took a bit for me to orient myself properly to do a good double loop, but again, once I DID the jump, it flew). I figured I wasn't going to be able to spin (although now I realize that there difference in the two blades when it comes to rockers was insignificant), but those were fine too. Someone even commented on how fast my spins were.

These blades live up to all the hype. They really are as light as people make them sound. Also, they apparently hold a sharpening for a really long time (80 hours according to the website). This is great for me, as I like my blades really sharp.

I paid $420, which puts them on the lower end of the price spectrum for advanced freestyle blades. I didn't get them in any color, just chrome. It would have been cool to get colored ones, but I think I'd feel too silly. So yeah, I just thought I'd share my experience since these seem to be the new "it" blades.

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Hi!

It's really great to hear that you are so happy with these new blades and they are appropriate for an advanced skating level! I always thought that the blade is crucial for double jumps and very good spins...

Accidentally, I was looking for blades yesterday, too. I have to change my boots (graf edmonton special) since they are broken, and I am also thinking of trying new blades - actually going from phantoms to gold seals.
However, since yesterday, I am really confused. This is the story: A couple of weeks ago I went to the skating shop in the rink to sharpen my blades and told the guy that I am thinking of changing. He said that I should definitevely get parabolic blades, since EVERYONE (he emphasized) is getting them now. However, going to the other shop yesterday - it is a really good one (the people there actually fit Stephane Lambiel) - the guy there told me not to even think of getting parabolic blades. He says that no elite skaters are skating on them and it is only for people with bad technique that want to get away with it. He also said the following important thing: that these blades are sharpened with the same wheels as the normal ones, and, thus, the curve fades after a while.
Now I don't know what to do. Both of them are experienced skate fitters (however, the second one is more known) and they have so different opinions.
Oh, also the second guy said that going from phantoms to gold seals will be difficult.
If anybody can help me clarify this issue, I would be grateful!

ibreakhearts66...

After you've worn them for a while can you post an update at let me know about how many hours you skated in them until you felt that you need a sharpening.

I have had the paramount 420's since about January and I still find that I have to sharpen almost as often as I used to with my old G4 blades. So I am curious as to whether it is due to the blade, or possibly the person who sharpens them. Maybe I just need to ask for them even sharper than what he is currently doing? I too love super super sharp blades.

But yes I LOVE LOVE LOVE the blades - I have the blue ones and I also had all of my jumps and spins the first day I had them on. I hope you enjoy them as much as me.

And of course if anyone else currently has these blades I would be interested in hearing how often you sharpen them.

Thanks!

Please update us on how you like them as you've worn them more.

I remember there was quite an uproar in a thread about these blades awhile back. An entertaining read for sure.

Now it seems like they are all over the place- tons of elite skaters in them, and it's getting more common to see them at the lower levels too. There are a few people at our rink in them- though I'm not sure where they get them sharpened, as I've heard you need special equipment for them.

Now that they've released new colors I really really want hot pink blades, alas, even their low level blade is too much money and blade for me... (And I'm not sure synchro would be fond of me having strange blades- though I did see one team at ISI Nationals that had everyone in silver blades but one girl in gold blades... so one in pink wouldn't be too bad, right?)

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I've had my paramounts since the beginning of February and have yet to sharpen them. I tend to be really lax about getting my freestyle skates sharpened, but I can tell when they need sharpened (I just don't bother!) I skate every day and they are definitely showing absolutely no signs of becoming dull.

I absolutely love mine! I switched from Gold Seals (which I had been using for a decade), and honestly, the switch from the Gold Seals to Paramounts was far easier than a switch between two pairs of Gold Seals (since Gold Seals all vary so tremendously).

Verena, no one skates in parabolics anymore. They really only make a difference if you have very long blades -- so if you're really tall/have big feet, they might help a little on turns, but that's really it. I know some well-regarded coaches had switched all their students to parabolics the year they came out, and they all switched back the year after.

I also heard from my skate sharpening guy that parabolics have to be sharpened a certain way and with special equipment. But I'm very interested in these phantom blades. Unfortunately I just bought new Pattern 99's.

Thanks for these clarifications! This is really very helpful - nobody had told me that parabolic blades were a fashion but they have failed or that they don't really have any effect for normal-sized blades!
Oh, and the phantoms are really great - I have been always happy with them. I would recommend them for sure!

That's wonderful! My skating buddy uses them and says they definitely hold a sharpening much longer than her old Gold Seals. She credits them with helping her hold her edges on the very hard ice we had to skate on at Sectionals this year.

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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

Verena, good for you! You're a far more accomplished skater than I (still struggling with singles) and yet you chose to make a major change not only in your blade, but also your blade length. It's posts like yours that give less-experienced skaters the courage to tweak equipment when they must.

A few months ago I went down an entire size in a boot and got my first "real" blades, a set of Coronation Aces that are significantly shorter than my Ultima Mirages. It's taken months to get accustomed, but it's been worth it.