Jackson Elle or Jackson Freestyle?!?!

[Sashi]

Hey All -

Thank you for letting me join the GS forum I am in need of help!

Age - 27
Petite
Height - 4’11
Weight - a little under 8 stone or 112lbs
Feet size - UK3

I have been skating since I was 15 (recreational/ for fun)
I am wanting to get into figure skating, eventually taking lessons & getting a coach. I have never owned a pair of figure skates or ever skated in a pair before.
I have always wore hockey skates (Bauer)

I am interested in getting either -
Jackson Elle with the fitted mirage blade.
Jackson Freestyle with the fitted Aspire XP blade.

My reasoning behind these are that I have tried other branded figure skates for example Edea & I hated the fit of them. The shops by me do not offer the wide variety of brands for me to try & I prefer the tight support around the ankle. I have been to the shop & been fitted & Jackson’s are the brand I am opting for.

I want a boot which I am able to progress in which will hold up when I am learning the moves & techniques which come with figure skating.
I understand these won’t last me a lifetime but I want to invest in a strong good boot/ blade to be able to progress in which won’t hinder me.

Aesthetically the boots look the same. The only difference is the stiffness rating the Jackson Elle is a rating of 30/35 & the Jackson Freestyle is a rating of 40/45.
I would heat mould them regardless.

The worries I have are that when I was speaking to the shop which was advising me on the figure skates I am interested in have told me that the aspire XP blade is an advanced blade which comes with an aggressive pick & said that that specific pick is for better spins & is a cross cut for height when jumping etc and upon reading many many articles/ advice a lot of people have said that the blade is not great for spinning, the rocker is hard to balance on & the ‘sweet spot’ is extremely small & generally all round not great blade.
I have also read on the Jackson website that the aspire XP is for beginners.

I was told Jackson Elle with mirage blades are only good for single jumps & Jackson freestyle with aspire XP blades are only good for double Jumps.
(I am in no rush to jump but I don’t want to purchase a pair of boots which will not hold up. I have added my weight & height at the top of this post if that makes any difference to boot/blades with jumps)

Metal wise I have been told the aspire XP is made of better steel than the mirage.
I would look after whatever pair of skates I purchased & keep them kept correctly In order for blade longevity.

I don’t know much about the mirage blade other than it is a straight cut blade.
I have read both blades aren’t the best but I am not wanting to purchase boot & blade separately at this current stage / time.

Are the aspire XP blade pick closer to the ice than the mirage blade?

Are they harder to use because of the cross cut instead of straight cut picks?
I understand I am going to fall regardless. I just don’t know what to invest in & what would be the right choice for me.

The price different is £15GBP from the Elle to the Freestyle which I don’t mind paying.

Please could you all offer your advice on what I should do. What you recommend. Your own history with the boot/blades.
Any information would be greatly appreciated because I am really in two minds about which to choose!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

If you've been fitted properly by a specialised and experienced fitter of figure skates*, and Jackson are the best brand for your feet, then I'd say to pick the Freestyle over the Elle.

The Aspire XP are a decent basic blade which will take you happily through the Skate UK or Skate Excellence levels. Once past those, you can look at Coronation Ace or MK Professional blades to take you further, but those don't come as a set with boots. Don't get hung up about straight vs cross-cut toe picks and believe me when I say that "aggressive" toe picks only appear when you hit MK Phantom or John Wilson Pattern 99 level! Aspire are absolutely fine for you right now and you can always swap them out for Aces or Pros if you need to later.

* In the UK, I currently only recommend Everglides in Gosport and Alison Holden at Al's Skate Shop in Blackpool. Feel free to PM me if you want to know why or discuss other places. Most of my skaters go to Everglides and I also go there; despite having decades of experience, I now get fitted properly every time. I also have skaters who go to Alison in Blackpool and she's also a good fitter.

 

[Sashi]

Thank you for your advice & information.

I’ll definitely take it on board!

 

[kinari]

Hey All -

Thank you for letting me join the GS forum I am in need of help!

Age - 27
Petite
Height - 4’11
Weight - a little under 8 stone or 112lbs
Feet size - UK3

I have been skating since I was 15 (recreational/ for fun)
I am wanting to get into figure skating, eventually taking lessons & getting a coach. I have never owned a pair of figure skates or ever skated in a pair before.
I have always wore hockey skates (Bauer)

I am interested in getting either -
Jackson Elle with the fitted mirage blade.
Jackson Freestyle with the fitted Aspire XP blade.

My reasoning behind these are that I have tried other branded figure skates for example Edea & I hated the fit of them. The shops by me do not offer the wide variety of brands for me to try & I prefer the tight support around the ankle. I have been to the shop & been fitted & Jackson’s are the brand I am opting for.

I want a boot which I am able to progress in which will hold up when I am learning the moves & techniques which come with figure skating.
I understand these won’t last me a lifetime but I want to invest in a strong good boot/ blade to be able to progress in which won’t hinder me.

Aesthetically the boots look the same. The only difference is the stiffness rating the Jackson Elle is a rating of 30/35 & the Jackson Freestyle is a rating of 40/45.
I would heat mould them regardless.

The worries I have are that when I was speaking to the shop which was advising me on the figure skates I am interested in have told me that the aspire XP blade is an advanced blade which comes with an aggressive pick & said that that specific pick is for better spins & is a cross cut for height when jumping etc and upon reading many many articles/ advice a lot of people have said that the blade is not great for spinning, the rocker is hard to balance on & the ‘sweet spot’ is extremely small & generally all round not great blade.
I have also read on the Jackson website that the aspire XP is for beginners.

I was told Jackson Elle with mirage blades are only good for single jumps & Jackson freestyle with aspire XP blades are only good for double Jumps.
(I am in no rush to jump but I don’t want to purchase a pair of boots which will not hold up. I have added my weight & height at the top of this post if that makes any difference to boot/blades with jumps)

Metal wise I have been told the aspire XP is made of better steel than the mirage.
I would look after whatever pair of skates I purchased & keep them kept correctly In order for blade longevity.

I don’t know much about the mirage blade other than it is a straight cut blade.
I have read both blades aren’t the best but I am not wanting to purchase boot & blade separately at this current stage / time.

Are the aspire XP blade pick closer to the ice than the mirage blade?

Are they harder to use because of the cross cut instead of straight cut picks?
I understand I am going to fall regardless. I just don’t know what to invest in & what would be the right choice for me.

The price different is £15GBP from the Elle to the Freestyle which I don’t mind paying.

Please could you all offer your advice on what I should do. What you recommend. Your own history with the boot/blades.
Any information would be greatly appreciated because I am really in two minds about which to choose!

Hey there! I hope you're doing well <3
First of all, make sure you consult with your skate fitter before making any decisions. They know what's best for your feet and for your progress
For me, I started off in Jackson Freestyle with Aspire XP blades even when I didn't know how to spin or jump, but later I made use of them by moving up the levels. In my experience, Jackson Freestyle is good if you feel like you want to move up in skating (such as testing, joining group lessons, etc.) and I think Jackson Freestyle can suit a skater up to FS 5-6 (if above 80 pounds-- here's the link: https://jacksonskate.com/pages/jacksonskates) or up to prejuvenile MITF (I think)
If you plan to just stay beginner level though and not really interested in learning spins, jumps, or basic testing, then the Jackson Elle skate would fit you better My friend has Jackson Elle and she was able to learn up to the scratch spin and beginning sit spin, while I have Jackson Freestyle with Aspire XP blades and I'm on preliminary free skate.
(This is just my advice though, I'm not an expert on boots and blades but I know a little about Jackson skates considering I have one)

TLDR; If you wanna progress in skating, get Jackson Freestyle (it will suit you up to an amount of levels). If you rather just learn for fun, get Jackson Elle. But always consult ur skate fitter
~

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hey there! I hope you're doing well <3
First of all, make sure you consult with your skate fitter before making any decisions. They know what's best for your feet and for your progress
For me, I started off in Jackson Freestyle with Aspire XP blades even when I didn't know how to spin or jump, but later I made use of them by moving up the levels. In my experience, Jackson Freestyle is good if you feel like you want to move up in skating (such as testing, joining group lessons, etc.) and I think Jackson Freestyle can suit a skater up to FS 5-6 (if above 80 pounds-- here's the link: https://jacksonskate.com/pages/jacksonskates) or up to prejuvenile MITF (I think)
If you plan to just stay beginner level though and not really interested in learning spins, jumps, or basic testing, then the Jackson Elle skate would fit you better My friend has Jackson Elle and she was able to learn up to the scratch spin and beginning sit spin, while I have Jackson Freestyle with Aspire XP blades and I'm on preliminary free skate.
(This is just my advice though, I'm not an expert on boots and blades but I know a little about Jackson skates considering I have one)

TLDR; If you wanna progress in skating, get Jackson Freestyle (it will suit you up to an amount of levels). If you rather just learn for fun, get Jackson Elle. But always consult ur skate fitter
~

Even if they're learning "for fun" Elle is NOT a good suggestion, it will not be stiff enough for skater.

 

[High Carbon]

Hey All -

Thank you for letting me join the GS forum I am in need of help!

Age - 27
Petite
Height - 4’11
Weight - a little under 8 stone or 112lbs
Feet size - UK3

I have been skating since I was 15 (recreational/ for fun)
I am wanting to get into figure skating, eventually taking lessons & getting a coach. I have never owned a pair of figure skates or ever skated in a pair before.
I have always wore hockey skates (Bauer)

I am interested in getting either -
Jackson Elle with the fitted mirage blade.
Jackson Freestyle with the fitted Aspire XP blade.

My reasoning behind these are that I have tried other branded figure skates for example Edea & I hated the fit of them. The shops by me do not offer the wide variety of brands for me to try & I prefer the tight support around the ankle. I have been to the shop & been fitted & Jackson’s are the brand I am opting for.

I want a boot which I am able to progress in which will hold up when I am learning the moves & techniques which come with figure skating.
I understand these won’t last me a lifetime but I want to invest in a strong good boot/ blade to be able to progress in which won’t hinder me.

Aesthetically the boots look the same. The only difference is the stiffness rating the Jackson Elle is a rating of 30/35 & the Jackson Freestyle is a rating of 40/45.
I would heat mould them regardless.

The worries I have are that when I was speaking to the shop which was advising me on the figure skates I am interested in have told me that the aspire XP blade is an advanced blade which comes with an aggressive pick & said that that specific pick is for better spins & is a cross cut for height when jumping etc and upon reading many many articles/ advice a lot of people have said that the blade is not great for spinning, the rocker is hard to balance on & the ‘sweet spot’ is extremely small & generally all round not great blade.
I have also read on the Jackson website that the aspire XP is for beginners.

I was told Jackson Elle with mirage blades are only good for single jumps & Jackson freestyle with aspire XP blades are only good for double Jumps.
(I am in no rush to jump but I don’t want to purchase a pair of boots which will not hold up. I have added my weight & height at the top of this post if that makes any difference to boot/blades with jumps)

Metal wise I have been told the aspire XP is made of better steel than the mirage.
I would look after whatever pair of skates I purchased & keep them kept correctly In order for blade longevity.

I don’t know much about the mirage blade other than it is a straight cut blade.
I have read both blades aren’t the best but I am not wanting to purchase boot & blade separately at this current stage / time.

Are the aspire XP blade pick closer to the ice than the mirage blade?

Are they harder to use because of the cross cut instead of straight cut picks?
I understand I am going to fall regardless. I just don’t know what to invest in & what would be the right choice for me.

The price different is £15GBP from the Elle to the Freestyle which I don’t mind paying.

Please could you all offer your advice on what I should do. What you recommend. Your own history with the boot/blades.
Any information would be greatly appreciated because I am really in two minds about which to choose!

Hello there, and welcome! Between the two I would suggest the Freestyles, especially with only a 15 pound difference. The blade you should be able to adapt to, and if for whatever reason you can still order a Mirage by itself and have that mounted if you wanted to work up to the Aspire XP. The difference in steel quality shouldn't affect you much, but yes with proper care the metal would be perfectly fine. But the Freestyles will last longer for you as well. If they're too stiff at first you can easily just not lace up to the last hook and only utilize the first 3 hooks to give you some more ankle bend. The Aspires should be perfectly suitable to learn singles on still. I believe the primary difference between the blades is the cross cut versus the straight cut, in which the cross cut would just simple help with better vertical launch. All of these reasons is why I would suggest the Freestyle over the Elle
Hope this helps!