Hi! I hope you’re all ok 
I’m looking for some advice. I’m currently on Skate Excellence Level 6 (done week 3 of level 6) and I skate around 2-3 hours a week (although since end of August this has dropped to about 0.5 - 1.5 hours).
I currently have the Soft Skate by Jackson GS180 ice skating boots.
I am finding aspects of level 6 difficult and want to get some off ice practice in to compensate for the lack of ice time I am currently able to get to improve. When searching I’ve decided to opt for the the off ice frames. I was looking at the Graf 500 which are said to be beginner/intermediate and I have been told Edea overturns provide better support for single jumps and axels off ice also offer. I have never attempted any sort of jump and I don’t think I am anywhere near doing that. Sometimes we practice spins and I can just about do a two foot spin with two turns very inconsistently!!! I can’t do any 1 foot spins or 1 foot turns etc accept a bad probably formed spiral in a straight line. I am very much a beginner so maybe the edeas are not for me?
During my search I think I may have realised my ice skates may not be good enough? Which is my second problem/plea for help!
Side note: I am finding backwards two foot three turns extremely hard when leaning on the back of the blade turning forward (hope that makes sense I am 100% no expert and am learning haha). I’m moving my top half of my body leaning back instead of leaning on the back of my blades (which may also be trash, it’s the ones that came with the boot and have no branding like I’ve seen you can get) but it feels as if I am and my feet should be moving to turn forward but instead they don’t lol.
The skates I have, I bought them from my local ice rink from the skate shop in there, all star hockey. I initially bought them on 10th February 2022 after passing skate excellence UK level 1 and I couldn’t take being in the rental skates any longer. I went to the skate shop and said I’m on this course, this level etc and they measured the length of my foot on the standard floor foot measurement like you get at Clark’s for example. They gave me those and said these are for beginners so I tried them on, the worker laced them up and then asked if they fit. I walked around and they seemed to fit fine, so I bought them. I am not so confident and I went into the store alone so I kind of didn’t ask if they had any other styles and just went with it because I was clueless anyway and just wanted skates (now I see may have been a mistake).
I don’t know if it’s the skates that are a problem and it is holding me back from progressing? I’m assuming the boots I have are very basic? Will they get me through the skate excel 1-8 levels? Do I need to upgrade?
I wasn’t expecting to replace my ice skates after 8.5 months when researching for the off ice skates. So if the conclusion is that I need new ice skates too, I can only purchase one at the moment, so would you recommend getting the ice skates first before buying the off ice or the other way round?
For reference I am 23 female, 163cm and 87kg.
If anyone could please help in anyway or have any advice I would really appreciate it as I’m a bit lost! Thank you
I’m looking for some advice. I’m currently on Skate Excellence Level 6 (done week 3 of level 6) and I skate around 2-3 hours a week (although since end of August this has dropped to about 0.5 - 1.5 hours).
I currently have the Soft Skate by Jackson GS180 ice skating boots.
I am finding aspects of level 6 difficult and want to get some off ice practice in to compensate for the lack of ice time I am currently able to get to improve. When searching I’ve decided to opt for the the off ice frames. I was looking at the Graf 500 which are said to be beginner/intermediate and I have been told Edea overturns provide better support for single jumps and axels off ice also offer. I have never attempted any sort of jump and I don’t think I am anywhere near doing that. Sometimes we practice spins and I can just about do a two foot spin with two turns very inconsistently!!! I can’t do any 1 foot spins or 1 foot turns etc accept a bad probably formed spiral in a straight line. I am very much a beginner so maybe the edeas are not for me?
During my search I think I may have realised my ice skates may not be good enough? Which is my second problem/plea for help!
Side note: I am finding backwards two foot three turns extremely hard when leaning on the back of the blade turning forward (hope that makes sense I am 100% no expert and am learning haha). I’m moving my top half of my body leaning back instead of leaning on the back of my blades (which may also be trash, it’s the ones that came with the boot and have no branding like I’ve seen you can get) but it feels as if I am and my feet should be moving to turn forward but instead they don’t lol.
The skates I have, I bought them from my local ice rink from the skate shop in there, all star hockey. I initially bought them on 10th February 2022 after passing skate excellence UK level 1 and I couldn’t take being in the rental skates any longer. I went to the skate shop and said I’m on this course, this level etc and they measured the length of my foot on the standard floor foot measurement like you get at Clark’s for example. They gave me those and said these are for beginners so I tried them on, the worker laced them up and then asked if they fit. I walked around and they seemed to fit fine, so I bought them. I am not so confident and I went into the store alone so I kind of didn’t ask if they had any other styles and just went with it because I was clueless anyway and just wanted skates (now I see may have been a mistake).
I don’t know if it’s the skates that are a problem and it is holding me back from progressing? I’m assuming the boots I have are very basic? Will they get me through the skate excel 1-8 levels? Do I need to upgrade?
I wasn’t expecting to replace my ice skates after 8.5 months when researching for the off ice skates. So if the conclusion is that I need new ice skates too, I can only purchase one at the moment, so would you recommend getting the ice skates first before buying the off ice or the other way round?
For reference I am 23 female, 163cm and 87kg.
If anyone could please help in anyway or have any advice I would really appreciate it as I’m a bit lost! Thank you
