Returning skater/equipment question | Golden Skate

Returning skater/equipment question

double_flip

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Hi folks. So I have recently started skating again with some regularity after quite a long break. When I stopped skating seriously I was working on double Axel and was on my second pair of Harlick Finalists with MK Vantage blades. I didn’t have the boots for very long before I stopped - the blades are about two years older - but they’re now about 14 years old. I’ve now been skating on a weekly basis for a month. Jumps through Axel are back and I am rotating doubles, but my edge quality on MIF patterns is terrible. This is consistent with my interests as a skater - I always loved jumping best - and I know some of this is just putting in the reps, but I am wondering how big a role the age of my equipment might play. I stored the skates properly during my time off, there is no visible breakdown and they’ve got a good sharpening, but I am aware technology has moved on considerably and also that I might be better served by something less stiff at this stage... If I decide to keep going with my “come back”, new skates are definitely on the horizon, but I’m curious if anyone’s been in a similar situation and what your experience was. Cheers!
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
I have been in a similar situation, although I had a major accident and reconstructive surgery to a leg, which severed a lot of nerves and necessitated relearning to walk, so it was nearly 20 years before I got back on the ice. At the time I had SP-Teri SuperTeri Deluxe and MK Dance blades. I hadn't had the dance blades long but had previously used MK Phantoms for both dance and freestyle.

I discovered that new boots were going to be necessary as I simply didn't need that tight a fit any longer, so changed my boots to Graf Dance (another seriously stiff boot, but that's what I like) after about 4 months. It was another 2 years before I reverted to my MK Phantoms and I so wish I'd done it sooner. My balance is very different now and I spent over 2 years feeling like I was going to just fall backwards. It wasn't a very happy 2 years.

My advice would be to ask a pro's advice on the boots and also take into consideration whether you're actually comfortable in them now. Feet can change a lot in that time. As to the blades, if you're happy with them and the sharpening is good, then maybe stay with them? It's not a blade I'm familiar with, so can't really advise what the current equivalent would be.

My next bit of advice is to ask Ic3Rabbit. She knows her stuff. (I'm hideously biased towards Phantoms! Even though I've always been a dancer.)
 
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