New skates: advice for a teen?

[viamarkable]

I've been skating in Jackson's Evo skates for approximately a year and a half. This past summer I started getting back into lessons and very quickly advanced through jumps (starting from waltz, ending with flip, over the course of <2 months) but not spins.

I currently have waltz, salchow, toe, loop, and flip. However, I've noticed that when jumping (esp loop and flip), the tongue of my skate feels very weak and I can bend forward super easily. I've noticed creasing on the sides of the skate and jumping feels unsupported (boot not stiff maybe?). The last time I skated, taking off and landing sent pain up from ~ankle area to the side/upper middle of calf. might be a technique thing though I am not sure.
For spins, I struggle a lot of find the sweet spot. I'm not sure if this is a technique thing too, but it has kept me from being able to do a scratch spin for a long time.

I've been thinking about getting new skates, but I'm not sure what to go for or if I need to. Here's a bit abt me to provide more context:

age: 14.5 yrs
gender: F
weight: ~115lbs
height: 5'2.5

I don't skate as much as I did in the summer (school and other activities keep me super busy), but I want to make sure that there isn't pain when I skate and I feel support. I still take lessons, and want to keep advancing my skills. Jackson's have been the only boots I've worn before but I def will be going to a fitter for this. Any recs b4hand though? Any info is appreciated - I'd rather not walk blindly into a shop. Thank you!

 

[outside edge enjoyer]

Please please please don't do any more jumps in the Evos, they're for little kids! There is not enough support for you, you risk injury, and you shouldn't really have been sold them in the first place. The shooting pain up your leg thing you describe is very scary lol. So yes, please go to a fitter. If you provide this information, people with more boot knowledge than me will be able to point you in the right direction:

Foot shape (see here)
Foot width (and how wide is your heel in comparison to the front of your foot?)
Arch height (very high, high, medium, low, flat)
General location in the world (to be recommended a fitter).

Good luck and I hope you find some skates that suit your needs soon!

Also, the sweet spot thing is probably because Mark IV blades are extremely flat, and a blade like Coronation Ace or MK Pro will make spinning much easier.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Please stop jumping and go to a fitter ASAP.

 

[viamarkable]

Please please please don't do any more jumps in the Evos, they're for little kids! There is not enough support for you, you risk injury, and you shouldn't really have been sold them in the first place. The shooting pain up your leg thing you describe is very scary lol. So yes, please go to a fitter. If you provide this information, people with more boot knowledge than me will be able to point you in the right direction:

Foot shape (see here)
Foot width (and how wide is your heel in comparison to the front of your foot?)
Arch height (very high, high, medium, low, flat)
General location in the world (to be recommended a fitter).

Good luck and I hope you find some skates that suit your needs soon!

Also, the sweet spot thing is probably because Mark IV blades are extremely flat, and a blade like Coronation Ace or MK Pro will make spinning much easier.

Got it! Thanks

For foot shape, from your picture, I think my foot is like the egyptian shape, but less slanted - a combo of that and roman.
Foot width: avg-wide, leaning towards wide
Arch height: regular - tho I think it might be worth mentioning that the insoles of the Jacksons seem to have a gap towards the inside of my foot's arch, which does cause pain sometimes. Woudl that just be an insole thing?

I'm roughly in the middle of the pacific northwest (in USA), closer to the coast.

 

[silverlily1]

Got it! Thanks

For foot shape, from your picture, I think my foot is like the egyptian shape, but less slanted - a combo of that and roman.
Foot width: avg-wide, leaning towards wide
Arch height: regular - tho I think it might be worth mentioning that the insoles of the Jacksons seem to have a gap towards the inside of my foot's arch, which does cause pain sometimes. Woudl that just be an insole thing?

I'm roughly in the middle of the pacific northwest, closer to the coast.

In which country?

I don't have the boot recommendations for you (you will get them when the right person comes), but one more voice to urge you to never jump in those skates again. I had slightly better boots (but still not strong enough), they were less broken down, and I was doing easier jumps than you at the time, and STILL I broke my ankle. You need MUCH more support.

A pause to get appropriate skates is far better than 6-8 weeks in a cast followed by physiotherapy.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hi @viamarkable and welcome! I'm going to say from the info you've given stay with Jackson or try Risport. I wouldn't have you try other brands.
You would be okay with a Jackson Debut. Risport you should look at the Electra.

Pair them with traditional version of MK Professional or John Wilson Coronation Ace blades and you should be good to go!
Good luck!



ETA: Stay out of your current Evos. They are not strong enough for you and you will get injured.

 

[viamarkable]

You would be okay with a Jackson Debut. Risport you should look at the Electra.

Pair them with traditional version of MK Professional or John Wilson Coronation Ace blades and you should be good to go!

I talked to a fitter and a coach recently - both recommended that I go with the Jackson Freestyle set. I was wondering, aside from cost, what are the differences between the Freestyle and Debut? Would I be overbooting/blading in the Debut and another blade? Or is the Freestyle not enough?

Thank you!

 

[silverlily1]

I talked to a fitter and a coach recently - both recommended that I go with the Jackson Freestyle set. I was wondering, aside from cost, what are the differences between the Freestyle and Debut? Would I be overbooting/blading in the Debut and another blade? Or is the Freestyle not enough?

Thank you!

Jackson Fit Guide

Jackson Ultima Fit Guide

jacksonultima.com

Here's the Jackson chart. As you can see, at 115 lb you should be looking at the first chart, in the 115 lb category (1st page). Though at the bottom it does list that someone over 60 lb doing single jumps could look at the Freestyle boot and blade combo, you're quite a bit more than 60 lb, so the boots aren't going to last you a long time at that level. If you manage to get through all your single jumps as quickly as you've gotten through the ones you have, you'll be under-booted for any higher skills.

I can also tell you that the difference between the blade (Aspire XP) on the Freestyle and the blades you can buy separately (especially the John Wilson and MK ones) is night and day. Jackson blades have very shallow rockers unless you start looking at the individual higher level blades. Yes, you've been managing okay on a low level Jackson blade, but as you mentioned, you don't have your spins, and a better rocker makes a huge difference to spins and turns. You have no idea until you've tried and gotten used to the better blade what it can do for you.

So yes, you could get the Freestyles. But they may break down quickly, may quickly not be enough for your skill level, and have a blade on them that won't be helping you to progress.

How is a coach recommending Jackson without measuring and assessing your foot to know it's a good fit for your foot shape? Hopefully the fitter sells more than one brand and you have tried multiple brands on to see what fits best. You want figure skates to be a tight fit (should feel quite tight and constricted when you first put it on until you kick your heel back, tie the skate, and stand up - at which point it shouldn't be constricting, just very snug), but also not pushing your foot into a shape it isn't.

 

[bostonskaterguy86]

I talked to a fitter and a coach recently - both recommended that I go with the Jackson Freestyle set. I was wondering, aside from cost, what are the differences between the Freestyle and Debut? Would I be overbooting/blading in the Debut and another blade? Or is the Freestyle not enough?

Thank you!

I wear the Debut currently, myself!

Most of the differences between the Freestyle and the Debut boil down to the fact that they're from different product lines. The Freestyle is at the top of Jackson's "Fusion" line of boot-and-blade sets, which also includes the Evo and the Elle. The Debut is part of the mid-range "2000" series of boots, which also includes the Flex, the Entre, and the Premiere.

The 2000 series boots come with a lot of little, more "premium" features that the Fusion line doesn't have. These include an upgraded microfiber lining with better padding, and the Duraguard cut-resistant material on the front of the boot. These features make the 2000 series better for more advanced skaters than the Fusion series - especially the better padding, which is more comfortable for longer lessons and practice sessions.

The Debut is also, of course, a stiffer boot than the Freestyle. According to Jackson's support ratings, the Debut comes in at a 50, compared to the Freestyle's 45 (for comparison, the Evo you're in now is rated 25). It's worth noting that the support ratings can be a bit deceptive, though. The numerical rating isn't really measuring anything specific - they're just a way to show the approximate difference in support between two different boots. For example, the Debut is a 50 and the Evo is a 25, but that doesn't mean the Debut is exactly twice as stiff as the Evo!

Ultimately, I think the Debut is a better match for where you are with your skating than the Freestyle - they'll be more comfortable out of the box, and they'll last you longer.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I talked to a fitter and a coach recently - both recommended that I go with the Jackson Freestyle set. I was wondering, aside from cost, what are the differences between the Freestyle and Debut? Would I be overbooting/blading in the Debut and another blade? Or is the Freestyle not enough?

Thank you!

Debut is the stiffness you need, if you go with the freestyles, they won't be stiff enough and I worry about you going through them quickly and chance of injury.

Debut you can also get a separate blade which is much better quality than the one that comes with Freestyle.

 

[Diana Delafield]

If you can afford the Jackson Debut boot and a separate popular blade like the JW Coronation Ace or the MK Pro, you'll have the added advantage of then having a technician attach the blade where it best suits you on the sole. The higher quality of the boot + blade will serve you better for longer, and make learning easier and more enjoyable.

 

[viamarkable]

I worry about you going through them quickly and chance of injury.

I'm not sure if I had mentioned this before, but as I'm currently busy with school, I spend approx 1h on the ice each week. Not ideal, I know, but it is the best I can do. Some weeks when I'm on break, I skate a lot more though, but that is somewhat rare. Would that have any impact on how fast I go through the skates?

And to everyone who responded - thank you so much for your valuable input!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I'm not sure if I had mentioned this before, but as I'm currently busy with school, I spend approx 1h on the ice each week. Not ideal, I know, but it is the best I can do. Some weeks when I'm on break, I skate a lot more though, but that is somewhat rare. Would that have any impact on how fast I go through the skates?

And to everyone who responded - thank you so much for your valuable input!

Time on the ice isn't as much of a factor as all the other factors: Foot and any issues, height/weight and getting the proper stiffness of boot. B/c if one would buy a boot that isn't appropriate for their foot shape or issues, height/weight needs then they'll break down faster (if they're say not stiff enough for that individual's needs).

 

[samspaldi]

I've been skating in Jackson's Evo skates for approximately a year and a half. This past summer I started getting back into lessons and very quickly advanced through jumps (starting from waltz, ending with flip, over the course of <2 months) but not spins.

I currently have waltz, salchow, toe, loop, and flip. However, I've noticed that when jumping (esp loop and flip), the tongue of my skate feels very weak and I can bend forward super easily. I've noticed creasing on the sides of the skate and jumping feels unsupported (boot not stiff maybe?). The last time I skated, taking off and landing sent pain up from ~ankle area to the side/upper middle of calf. might be a technique thing though I am not sure.
For spins, I struggle a lot of find the sweet spot. I'm not sure if this is a technique thing too, but it has kept me from being able to do a scratch spin for a long time.

I've been thinking about getting new skates, but I'm not sure what to go for or if I need to. Here's a bit abt me to provide more context:

age: 14.5 yrs
gender: F
weight: ~115lbs
height: 5'2.5

I don't skate as much as I did in the summer (school and other activities keep me super busy), but I want to make sure that there isn't pain when I skate and I feel support. I still take lessons, and want to keep advancing my skills. Jackson's have been the only boots I've worn before but I def will be going to a fitter for this. Any recs b4hand though? Any info is appreciated - I'd rather not walk blindly into a shop. Thank you!

I don’t have any recommendations but I am in a very similar situation to you! My boots don’t have any visable creasing but they feel wobbly when landing. I am working on an axel in them rn but I only just figured out my sweet spot for my scratch spin more consistently yesterday! I have a lot of trouble with spins also! Good luck on finding new skates!!