About Us

ASK MR. EDGE

February 2009

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.



First, congratulations to those athletes who competed at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Cleveland last month, and best of luck to those moving on to the World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles.

A reminder, in the next issue I will preview what's new in the skating industry and reveal my pick for the most impressionable product of the year. I know that you will be quite surprised with this one.

Now then, I have a two-part question from a young lady in New Jersey.

Q: Are spinners helpful for off-ice?
A: I understand that most skaters find them extremely helpful, provided they use them for just that purpose.

Q: What can help me improve my spins?
A: In general, the following can help in all areas of your skating:

  • Properly fitted boots – no room to spare in the length
  • Properly and regularly sharpened blades
  • Properly mounted blades
  • Proper size blades for your boots
  • Proper type of blade for the level of skating
  • Learning how to properly put on your skates
  • Lots of practice
  • A good spin coach
Our next question comes from a concerned mother in Dallas, Texas. Sofia has been online researching the Edea boot and the Paramount blade, but has come up with little to go on. Her concern is with a daughter, who is 8 years old, 47 pounds and 4 feet 7 inches tall. She's working on her Axel, double Salchow and double toe. Mom believes that lighter is better for jumping and spinning since her daughter is so petite.

A: I couldn't agree with her more. Why do you think baseball players warm up swinging bats with weights on them? The reason is to be able to swing faster. Take away the extra weight and performance is enhanced, not to mention endurance. Would anyone agree that a runner wearing ankle weights could run the same distance in the same amount of time?

The era of lightweight boots began about 10 years ago when Graf Hockey Company introduced its lightweight figure boot. The weight difference was so drastic that the boots became an overnight success, leaving other boot manufacturers no choice but to follow suit. Since then, everyone has gone lightweight, with Riedell leading the way in design innovation over the past two years.

The Edea boots on the other hand are used mainly by roller skaters, whose boots, plates and wheels combined are heavy. My best guess is they are almost twice as heavy as a pair of ice skates. No question that the Edea boot is the lightest boot on the market. However, there are many design flaws in the Edea boots that make it extremely difficult to mount and secure a figure blade to them.

Information on the Paramount blades can easily be found by doing a Google search on Paramount figure blades. They are the lightest and most accurately manufactured blade on the market.

Don't forget to read next month's column about what's new in the industry.

Mr. Edge

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.