Which skates and radius of blade hollow to choose for my situation | Golden Skate

Which skates and radius of blade hollow to choose for my situation

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
Hi there,

I know people probably ask a lot about this, but I'm struggling with choosing the right skates + blade hollowing radius for my situation so maybe you can give some specific advice.

I've done some research, but I'm not sure whether I should follow a conventional guide because there are some problems I face.

Background facts:
- 27 female
- Have had flat feet all my life and generally a big and wide foot (43 EU)
- Usually women's shoes don't fit + are to narrow in width
- Ganglionic cysts on both outside ankles (one symptomless, one of them tends to swell up and hurt a bit so need to go easy on this sometimes, but also need better skates! Current ones are crap)
- Current weight 100kg/220lbs at 1.80m/5,9" height (I'm on a long-term change of lifestyle for about 1 year now, dieting currently, down from 120kg, aiming for 90kg)

Skating level:
- Been skating in my teens for several years
- Never got proper techniques taught so started taking group lessons now, watching loads of videos, reading up on skating techniques and equipment, doing off-ice training etc.
- Teacher says I can easily do Skate UK Level 4 in the next 3 weeks and then move up further.

Current goals:
- Brush up my basic techniques further at a pace that's good for my body
- Avoid jumping until I've lost some more kilos (which might take a few months as I'm not starving myself and focussing on healthy changes, incl. muscle build which takes it's time..)
- Get some solid, but not budget-destroying ice skates (between 100-180 GBP is fine)
- Find the right radius of the blade for me

My assumptions:
- Get boots with medium stiffness as I'm not an absolute beginner anymore and quite tall/heavy and need more ankle support?
- Go for a slightly bigger radius than normal
Do you think I should get my blades fitted or does it suffice to just buy them pre-built as I'm still somewhat a beginner?

I was thinking of something like this - Riedell 119Blk Emerald Black for men
[link removed as I got banned temporarily for having a link in my first post :( ]
It says "support level 25" and that's what this site recommends for adult/beginner skaters that try to advance further, but unsure if that's trustworthy.


Regarding the radius - I asked my icerink to sharpen my blade with a larger edge radius and I think they've done a 5/8" which seems to be okay for me, but unsure how I can figure this out on my own, to confirm. The blade doesn't feel like it slips away, and I seem to have enough grip to do most things, but will I need more grip soon (=smaller radius, right?) with loosing weight and possibly doing more complex things?

Am I going into the right direction with this or am I completely off the commendable road?^^ Please advise - any tips are highly appreciated!

Cheers
Snorlax
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
With all of your factors: I would look into a Riedell boot since your foot is wider and you have issues, but there is no way you are getting away with a 25 stiffness rating.
Your weight and height etc is going to require a higher stiffness than is usually recommended for someone at your level. And with all those factors you may need a semi-custom boot. And then a blade separate.

Also, if your basic skills were not properly learned, I would not be attempting jumps, especially with all the other factors you listed plus the wrong boots for you currently. I would hate seeing you injure yourself.
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
@Ic3Rabbit:

Thanks so much for all the input, this is super helpful! :thumbsup:

Regarding the jumps - don't worry! :D I just mentioned it because I feel that many people seem to have it set as their ultimate goals, but I'm taking it easy. I'm not old but also not a teen so I'm just doing what I can do safely. If that means no jumps (as in: "never"), I'm absolutely fine with it :)

I'll try to find boots with a higher stiffness rating then. Trying to find out what the ends of the scale are at the moment :D
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
@Ic3Rabbit:

Thanks so much for all the input, this is super helpful! :thumbsup:

Regarding the jumps - don't worry! :D I just mentioned it because I feel that many people seem to have it set as their ultimate goals, but I'm taking it easy. I'm not old but also not a teen so I'm just doing what I can do safely. If that means no jumps (as in: "never"), I'm absolutely fine with it :)

I'll try to find boots with a higher stiffness rating then. Trying to find out what the ends of the scale are at the moment :D

You need to go see a figure skate fitter pro. Not someone at the rink that deals with hockey mostly. The fitter pro will take measurements and tracings of your foot and recommend a brand and boot for your specific needs then.

Personally, for your current weight I’d put you in nothing lower than a 60 stiffness. But please see a skate fitting pro and see what they have to say. Good luck!
 

1111bm

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
A friend of mine just developed a ganglion cyst on one of her ankles (it's not her first one in that area).
She bought thin silicon pads, the ones used to work with and apply fake lashes, apparently :shrug:. Like this I guess:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/65/86/e4/6586e40262de576d6a021329ad117e1c.jpg

She cut a hole into them, the size of her cyst, put the pad on her ankle, so that it was surrounding her cyst with none of the silicone covering the cyst itself, obviously, because you don't want any extra layer on your cyst, putting even more pressure on it.

This worked quite well in taking away most of the pressure on her cyst from the boot and took care of any discomfort for her, although the pad would sometimes move around a little and she'd have to readjust it and retie her skates more frequently.

I also think her boots are already punched out in the ankle area, because she has prominent ankle bones as it is. So she had enough 'extra room' for that extra silicone layer.

But she has only tried this once, so we don't know yet how it's gonna work out in the longterm.
 

bostonskaterguy86

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Country
United-States
In terms of boots and budget - both Jackson and Riedell have both recently discontinued/updated a few models that you might be able to nab on clearance! I have Jackson Debuts that are usually a $400USD boot, and my tech was able to get the previous year’s model for $220 because it had a leather sole instead of the new synthetic Fusion sole. This is another big advantage to going to a reputable fitter - my tech is an official Jackson dealer so she’s sometimes able to get amazing deals like this. (I’m a little ways off from needing new boots, but I’m thinking of asking her if she can look into getting me a pair of last year’s discontinued version of the men’s Premiere for a good price, so they’re ready to go when I need them!).
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
Thanks for all the useful tips! Will try that trick with the pad + cutting it out around the prominent area where the cyst is.

@ Ic3Rabbit: I've now tried to find a figure skate fitter in my area via Google (I live in the Edinburgh area), but I get the feeling that the icerink may be my best bet after all. I'm too clueless to really judge how good they are, but they have at least a figure skating academy and seem to offer (figure) skate fitting service with measures etc.

The next bigger icerink would be in Glasgow, so will have a look to see if there are better/more reputable skate fitters available!
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Thanks for all the useful tips! Will try that trick with the pad + cutting it out around the prominent area where the cyst is.

@ Ic3Rabbit: I've now tried to find a figure skate fitter in my area via Google (I live in the Edinburgh area), but I get the feeling that the icerink may be my best bet after all. I'm too clueless to really judge how good they are, but they have at least a figure skating academy and seem to offer (figure) skate fitting service with measures etc.

The next bigger icerink would be in Glasgow, so will have a look to see if there are better/more reputable skate fitters available!

Just be very careful and sure that they are expert fitters in figure skates. Many say they are at rinks and then they don't have a clue when it comes to anything but hockey skates. Also, be very very careful when it comes to getting blades sharpened, make sure they definitely have someone that sharpens only or mostly figure skate blades and knows what they are doing. Because the wrong person who sharpens hockey blades can quickly and easily ruin your figure skate blades and you are out alot of $!
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
Are there any major differences/issues I can lookout for when inspecting my blade? I had my blade sharpened before at this rink so maybe I can still see/assess whether they did at least an okay job or not.

I tried to do the test with putting a coin or something flat on the blade to see if the edges are leveled equally, but I struggled to see if there was a difference.

You seem to have a wealth of experience and good tips so grateful for anything that helps a newbie out! :)
 

Bill S

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
United-States
A coin is too short to make a good judgement of level edges in most cases. Try a longer piece of wood, thick plastic, or something else.

I carry a 4 inch (100 mm) long piece of hardboard in my skate bag to check the blades of others. I have an even better tool when I sharpen blades, but it works on the same principle.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
^ That and also make sure they didn't mess up your rocker "curve" and toe picks. They should never sharpen all the way to the toe pick.
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
Thanks for all the useful tips! Will try that trick with the pad + cutting it out around the prominent area where the cyst is.

@ Ic3Rabbit: I've now tried to find a figure skate fitter in my area via Google (I live in the Edinburgh area), but I get the feeling that the ice rink may be my best bet after all. I'm too clueless to really judge how good they are, but they have at least a figure skating academy and seem to offer (figure) skate fitting service with measures etc.

The next bigger ice rink would be in Glasgow, so will have a look to see if there are better/more reputable skate fitters available!

If you use Facebook, you could try asking in the UK Adult Ice Skating group. People in there are friendly and usually know the right person to go to for boots/blades/sharpening, etc. (I'm pretty useless as I'm based in Cornwall!)
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
^ That and also make sure they didn't mess up your rocker "curve" and toe picks. They should never sharpen all the way to the toe pick.

Okay, I've had another look at my blades and it seemed like they weren't sharpening the area between the toepick + the most prominent part of the blade so that's hopefully a good sign.

I think I might get my current (cheap) blades sharpened again before I can finish my research on new boots + afford those, so I'll try to examine my blades before and after to see how well they did with keeping the curve/distances and the sharpening in general.

If they messed it up, it wouldn't be much of a loss and it can hopefully give me some insight in how well they are doing!

If you use Facebook, you could try asking in the UK Adult Ice Skating group.

Thanks for the this recommendation, I will definitely take a look at that group! :thumbsup:

People in there are friendly and usually know the right person to go to for boots/blades/sharpening, etc. (I'm pretty useless as I'm based in Cornwall!)
Speaking of friendliness, thanks to all responders in this thread, I really appreciate that you take your time answering my newbie questions and that you're taking my post serious! Rare thing to see on the internet! :luv17:
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
Snorlax, I used to skate at Murrayfield until about a year or two ago. Unfortunately there just isn't a good skate fitter anywhere in the Edinburgh area - the nearest places would be Dundee (I had a bad experience getting fitted for overly large skates, but at least the fact that many senior British ladies train there ought to help) or Whitley Bay (they run the Icebox Skating online shop). If you ever happen to be on a trip down south to London or thereabouts, you could also try Skate Cat in Bletchley. My brother (an adult beginner just learning to jump) got fitted there and is quite satisfied with his skates. If you're lucky and don't have feet that grow bony bumps everywhere unlike me, these places should meet your needs.

At Murrayfield there is a specific rink staff member who many of the figure skaters prefer for sharpening their blades. The situation got a bit tricky though, last I heard (PM for more details if interested). I've also heard about a very good skate sharpener in Queensferry, although I haven't gone myself. There is a sizeable group of adult skaters in Murrayfield who are very friendly and helpful with advice - I'd suggest getting to know some of them if you see them around!
 
Last edited:

Ducky

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
If you use Facebook, you could try asking in the UK Adult Ice Skating group. People in there are friendly and usually know the right person to go to for boots/blades/sharpening, etc. (I'm pretty useless as I'm based in Cornwall!)

I would reach out to the Murrayfield Ice Skating Club directly with your question about where the majority of their skaters go for sharpenings and skate fittings.

I did something similar over Christmas break when I brought my skates back home with me and had no clue about where I could get them sharpened and reached out to one of the collegiate clubs in the area about where their skaters go.
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
MISC and the Murrayfield Skating Academy are actually two separate (but slightly overlapping) entities. Add in rink management and things get complicated... Basically, their club organisation doesn't function the same way as it does in the US or Canada. Based on the several years I spent skating there, I think your best bet at communication is the old-school way (i.e. approach a coach or serious skater in person) rather than email. Also, opinions will differ between individuals.
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
Woah, I didn't expect so many people to know about Murrayfield! .

I've tried to get a hold of the coaches there, but it's quite difficult because they usually have sessions with clients/students so don't want to interrupt.

I've managed to get acquainted with a few skaters now but I'll continue to ask around and maybe get some more info and maybe even make some friends.
All these answers on here already helped me significantly as well, so thanks again!

I hope that the boot fitting service isn't super expensive. I still need to consider what fits into my budget, but at this point anything is probably better than the skates I currently have.
FYI: It's these ones (hope it's okay to put the link in? https://www.grindhouse.eu/shop/schlittschuhe/powerslide-classic-men-ice-skate.html )
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Woah, I didn't expect so many people to know about Murrayfield! .

I've tried to get a hold of the coaches there, but it's quite difficult because they usually have sessions with clients/students so don't want to interrupt.

I've managed to get acquainted with a few skaters now but I'll continue to ask around and maybe get some more info and maybe even make some friends.
All these answers on here already helped me significantly as well, so thanks again!

I hope that the boot fitting service isn't super expensive. I still need to consider what fits into my budget, but at this point anything is probably better than the skates I currently have.
FYI: It's these ones (hope it's okay to put the link in? https://www.grindhouse.eu/shop/schlittschuhe/powerslide-classic-men-ice-skate.html )

Using a figure skating pro fitter to help you try boots and to measure you costs nothing until you choose your boot.
 
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