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ASK MR. EDGE
August/September 2004
Mr. Edge is a qualified skate technician with years and years of experience. He can answer your questions on boots, blades and foot problems related to your equipment. Questions will be answered in SKATING magazine and later posted on the web site.
Summertime is once again coming to a close and with it goes the nice warm weather. Soon to come are the cool autumn breezes, followed by the cold and snow of winter. Ah, but alas, spring and summer will once again return next year!
Other than that, how is everything else going with everyone?
During the past several months there have been a lot of readers asking for my recommendation on boots and blades. Therefore, I thought I might take some time, or for that matter maybe a lot of time, and do a quick review of MY personal boot and blade choices for various levels of skating. I'm sure that many of you should be growing out of, or looking to upgrade your boots and blades before long, so I thought now might be a good time to write about it. In a rather brief outline form, here we go!
Q: What boots and blades do you recommend?
A: Basic Skills Kids: I like both the Riedell 21 model and Jackson Artiste with blade attached.
Beginning Freestyle: Riedell Boot Models—21 for smaller children size 1 and under; 101 for skaters 70–95 lbs.; 30/300 for skaters 80–110 lbs.
Children and adult sizes: Jackson Boot Models—Freestyle for skaters 70–120 lbs., up to and including adult sizes; Competitor for skaters 120–140 lbs., up to and including adult sizes.
Blade Note:
How to answer the question—which is the best blade for me? Figure skaters are influenced in many ways about their blade choice by what top skaters are using, coaches' recommendations, pro shop availability, cost, etc. To be able to say without hesitation that you will skate at your peak performance in a particular blade is just not totally true.
The only way to honestly answer that question is to skate on several different blades for a few days before choosing one. However, that is not to say that you will not skate well with one blade as opposed to another, it just may take you a little bit longer to perfect a particular jump or spin.
Beginning Freestyle Blades: MK Club 2000, MK Double Star, Wilson Jubilee, Wilson Majestic, Ultima Mirage
Intermediate Freestyle: Riedell Boot Models—30 for skaters 60–90 lbs.; Silver Star for skaters 90–125 lbs.
Harlick Boot Models—Competitor for skaters 80–110 lbs.; Competitor Plus for skaters 105–125 lbs.
Jackson Boot Models—Competitor for skaters 90–120 lbs.; 2700 for skaters 115–145 lbs.
Klingbeil Boot Models—Stock S-1 Stiffness for skaters 80–115 lbs.; Stock S-2 Stiffness for skaters 120–135 lbs.
SP-Teri—Pro Teri for skaters 90–120 lbs.; Super Teri for skaters 115–145.
Intermediate Freestyle Blades: MK Professional standard or K-pick; MK Vision; Wilson Coronation Ace standard or K-pick; Wilson Coronation Comet standard or K-pick; Ultima Protégé; Ultima Legacy
Hi-Test Freestyle Boots: Riedell Boot Models—HLS 1500 for skater's 125 lbs and over.
Harlick Boot Models—Competitor Plus for skaters 75–110 lbs.; Hi-Tester for skaters 95–120 lbs.
Klingbeil Boot Models—S-3 Stiffness for skaters 125 lbs. and over.
Jackson Boot Models—3500 Elite Plus for skaters over 15 lbs.
SP-Teri Boot Models—Pro Teri for skaters 80–110 lbs.; Super Teri for skaters 110–130 lbs.; KT 2 for skaters over 120 lbs. who prefer a softer boot; KT 3 for skaters over 130 lbs. who prefer a stiffer boot.
Hi-Test Freestyle Blades: MK Phantom standard or K-pick; Wilson Pattern 99 standard or K-pick; Wilson Gold Seal; Shadow; Ultima Elite; Ultima Freestyle
Custom Boots:
Skaters at any level of skating will benefit in one way or another from custom boots. However, at the beginning and intermediate freestyle levels they're not always practical unless the shape or configuration of the foot warrants it. Of course, you can always buy a custom boot if current options you'd prefer to have added on aren't available on stock boots.
PLEASE NOTE: There are many different combinations of boots and blades—the above choices are MY personal favorites. Also, keep in mind that every skater will have different needs based upon the following: level of skating, amount of time spent on the ice, skate size, width, overall shape of foot, and most importantly, the parents' budget.
Well friends, it's time once again to say so long for another month. Till next time.
Mr. Edge and all related elements are property of Arena Sports & Consulting Services, Inc. ©2013. Send your questions to Mr. Edge via mail (Ask Mr. Edge, SKATING magazine, 20 First Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80906); FAX (719) 635-9548 or e-mail them online.
The opinions of Mr. Edge are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Figure Skating or SKATING magazine. Remember, if you have problems with your feet, check with a doctor – the problem may very well be with your boot, but it could be more serious. Check with your local pro shop for more information about boots and blades.
