A question about the type of skates you can compete in.

[FSWer]

Say,I saw skates of all kinds as a prize on the Price is Right a few weeks ago,and was just wondering, I know you can't compete in skates bought at a Garage Sale. But does anyone know if you can compete in skates won off a Game Show?

[Ellyn]

Where you got the skates from is much less important than what kind of skates they are, what condition they were in when you got them, and what level you want to compete at.

I don't know what kind of skates might be given away on a game show, but my guess would be that they're a recreational model that can be bought at sports stores or department stores, intended to be used for public sessions or pond skating, not for figure skating.

There are probably some skaters competing in Basic Skills or low-level ISI competitions in these kinds of skates.

My niece learned to skate in used mid-level Reidells that my sister was lucky enough to find on sale for $3 at a garage sale. One of her group lesson teachers offered to buy them for $60.

Whoever had put those skates in with the rest of the stuff at that garage sale, at that price, probably didn't realize how much more that particular pair of used skates was worth compared to the average pair of used skates one might find lying around. I wouldn't recommend going to garage sales hoping to luck into a similar deal!