Risport for Adults

[mangoz]

Hi, I'm an adult skater. 165cm and 55kg. I'm currently in RF3, and beginning working on 1A. I've been in my current skates for 1.5 years, and it seems that my right boot starts to crease around ankles. I skate ~5 hours a week. I start to have hard times tying my right boot also. Sometimes I have to retie after I skate for 5min. My right foot is also slightly smaller and I'm in B width.

For my next pair, I'm not sure if i should move to a more stiff model or stay with RF3? I'm not quite sure how long the boots should last for people like me. I think my current pair will only last 2 years tops. Thanks!

 

[emilinkaa]

Hi, I'm an adult skater. 165cm and 55kg. I'm currently in RF3, and beginning working on 1A. I've been in my current skates for 1.5 years, and it seems that my right boot starts to crease around ankles. I skate ~5 hours a week. I start to have hard times tying my right boot also. Sometimes I have to retie after I skate for 5min. My right foot is also slightly smaller and I'm in B width.

For my next pair, I'm not sure if i should move to a more stiff model or stay with RF3? I'm not quite sure how long the boots should last for people like me. I think my current pair will only last 2 years tops. Thanks!

I just got RF3 Pros, my fitter said that depending on the # of jumps I do, and my ice time (similar to yours), my boots would last 2-3 years. That said, I figure they'll last 18-24 months because I always break mine down fast in the ankle.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Stay with the RF3. That's absolutely right for your level and ice time. A year and a half is about right for them to last at your level. Stiffer boots are likely to adversely affect your knee and ankle bend and skating.

 

[mangoz]

thanks. I just thought they would last longer lol.

I just got RF3 Pros, my fitter said that depending on the # of jumps I do, and my ice time (similar to yours), my boots would last 2-3 years. That said, I figure they'll last 18-24 months because I always break mine down fast in the ankle.

 

[mangoz]

Stay with the RF3. That's absolutely right for your level and ice time. A year and a half is about right for them to last at your level. Stiffer boots are likely to adversely affect your knee and ankle bend and skating.

thanks. yea, i didn't find them stiff on day one to be honest. They were quite comfortable since the beginning, no break in time, but that's probably good for me. I hope they would last longer, -> 3 years.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

thanks. yea, i didn't find them stiff on day one to be honest. They were quite comfortable since the beginning, no break in time, but that's probably good for me. I hope they would last longer, -> 3 years.

Put it this way, the people who wear boots for longer than 3 years either don't skate very much, mostly coach rather than actively skate or are overbooted. Competitive skaters tend to go through at least one pair a year. It's not a cheap sport.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Put it this way, the people who wear boots for longer than 3 years either don't skate very much, mostly coach rather than actively skate or are overbooted. Competitive skaters tend to go through at least one pair a year. It's not a cheap sport.

Exactly. I would go through 2 pairs of very stiff boots each season.

 

[mangoz]

Put it this way, the people who wear boots for longer than 3 years either don't skate very much, mostly coach rather than actively skate or are overbooted. Competitive skaters tend to go through at least one pair a year. It's not a cheap sport.

Thanks. Just curious, how long do the blades last?

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Thanks. Just curious, how long do the blades last?

How long is a piece of string?

Usually longer than properly fitted boots but it's dependent on how often you have them sharpened. People who skate fewer hours and/or less aggressively find that their blades last longer than those who are in regular training. I'd say that it's an average of 20-30 hours of skating between sharpenings. I have never given myself a headache trying to work out how long a pair of blades lasts me. Like my boots, when they're done, they're done and I weep quietly for my bank account as I purchase new ones.

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

thanks. yea, i didn't find them stiff on day one to be honest. They were quite comfortable since the beginning, no break in time, but that's probably good for me. I hope they would last longer, -> 3 years.

I'm not a professional but I do skate a lot, usually 5 times a week but sometimes 6 times a week. Skates last 1 year or less (my previous pair lasted 10 months) for me, and that seems to be common amongst my friends at the rink. I've never seen someone wearing the same boots for 3 years.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I'm not a professional but I do skate a lot, usually 5 times a week but sometimes 6 times a week. Skates last 1 year or less (my previous pair lasted 10 months) for me, and that seems to be common amongst my friends at the rink. I've never seen someone wearing the same boots for 3 years.

You skate alot for a non-competitive track skater.

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

You skate alot for a non-competitive track skater.

My rink coach mates and I compete in local Japanese competitions! The coaches like us to train a lot

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

My rink coach mates and I compete in local Japanese competitions! The coaches like us to train a lot

I still think it's excessive for your skating level but

 

[treblemakerem]

I still think it's excessive for your skating level but

This is a weird comment. It's not "excessive" if you enjoy it. Some people skate for fun, not just for competition. I skate as much as possible because skating makes me happy.

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

It's 5 or 6 times a week but only from 13:15 to 16:30.We share the rink with the neighborhood's hockey team who mainly trains there every morning and sometimes other hockey teams go to train as well, so that leaves us only 3 hours and 15 minutes of practice (from 16:45 to 19:30 another skating club uses it), which is quite a short practice, compared to daily 8-10hr I did in ballet. We arrive earlier to warm up and enter the ice at 13:15 (there's about 6 sometimes 7 of us who practice the full time that is allocated to us). I've heard the coaches complaining of some who don't train enough, but never that any of us trains too much. Yes, of course I skate because I highly love it/enjoy it, but consistent practice is good for improvement, yes? And it's not just for fun, I'm very competitive as well
Yes, we can always agree to disagree, have good fun discussion even with opposite views. I'm always interested in hearing others views, opinions and experiences, which not necessarily implies that I will agree, but discussing is interesting.
I might not be elite or even high level, but I'm under supervision of 2 coaches, there are many adults only competitions & shows around here that I enjoy participating and doing my best to have a good skate and not embarass my coaches

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

It's 5 or 6 times a week but only from 13:15 to 16:30.We share the rink with the neighborhood's hockey team who mainly trains there every morning and sometimes other hockey teams go to train as well, so that leaves us only 3 hours and 15 minutes of practice (from 16:45 to 19:30 another skating club uses it), which is quite a short practice, compared to daily 8-10hr I did in ballet. We arrive earlier to warm up and enter the ice at 13:15 (there's about 6 sometimes 7 of us who practice the full time that is allocated to us). I've heard the coaches complaining of some who don't train enough, but never that any of us trains too much. Yes, of course I skate because I highly love it/enjoy it, but consistent practice is good for improvement, yes? And it's not just for fun, I'm very competitive as well
Yes, we can always agree to disagree, have good fun discussion even with opposite views. I'm always interested in hearing others views, opinions and experiences, which not necessarily implies that I will agree, but discussing is interesting.
I might not be elite or even high level, but I'm under supervision of 2 coaches, there are many adults only competitions & shows around here that I enjoy participating and doing my best to have a good skate and not embarass my coaches

I've been fine with your posts. I didn't write about the agree to disagree towards you.

Thank you for explaining how things are for you and how you skate/train. That is great. Enjoy!

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

Thank you @Ic3Rabbit <3

The only constructive criticism I have to my own training, and is not only me, yeah? Even the coaches are aware and wish it was different, is the lack of off ice training. I would absolutely love and think it's most important to have coach supervised, proper off ice training, but these are on ice coaches, they do know the problem, they advice exercises to do off ice, but they know it'd be excellent if we had off ice specialized coaches like other countries have. Here they have, but for small kids, et them jumping from early age, but you grow up, it's gone.
Personally I try my best to keep a stretching routine (heavily ballet influenced since it's what I grew up doing) and my before entering the ice warm ups are the longest from everyone, but still, our training is very on ice only oriented.
Mao Asada said her new rink which opens next year (very close to my home and to my rink) will have off ice facilities, and hopefully our coaches are Ok we train there. I know I will want to!

This big post to go to your point of risk of injuries, which out of control physical activity can cause. Based on previous experience, I feel that having the proper conditioning, strenghtening and stretching reduces the risk of injury. Yes, we try to toughen up pains and injuries, but it's best to avoid them, yes?

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Thank you @Ic3Rabbit <3

The only constructive criticism I have to my own training, and is not only me, yeah? Even the coaches are aware and wish it was different, is the lack of off ice training. I would absolutely love and think it's most important to have coach supervised, proper off ice training, but these are on ice coaches, they do know the problem, they advice exercises to do off ice, but they know it'd be excellent if we had off ice specialized coaches like other countries have. Here they have, but for small kids, et them jumping from early age, but you grow up, it's gone.
Personally I try my best to keep a stretching routine (heavily ballet influenced since it's what I grew up doing) and my before entering the ice warm ups are the longest from everyone, but still, our training is very on ice only oriented.
Mao Asada said her new rink which opens next year (very close to my home and to my rink) will have off ice facilities, and hopefully our coaches are Ok we train there. I know I will want to!

This big post to go to your point of risk of injuries, which out of control physical activity can cause. Based on previous experience, I feel that having the proper conditioning, strenghtening and stretching reduces the risk of injury. Yes, we try to toughen up pains and injuries, but it's best to avoid them, yes?

Yes, regarding injury. But injury can come from anywhere in this sport. Training, not training, off-ice, on-ice, over-training, under-training, wrong skates/blades, etc. There are so many ways LOL.

 

[tstop4me]

It's 5 or 6 times a week but only from 13:15 to 16:30.

<<Emphasis added>> When I first read this, I was totally puzzled. Only from 13:15 to 16:30? That's 3 hrs and 15 min! (I had been expecting you to write that your sessions were 1 hr or so.)

Then when I read on, I was totally floored:

... so that leaves us only 3 hours and 15 minutes of practice (from 16:45 to 19:30 another skating club uses it), which is quite a short practice, compared to daily 8-10hr I did in ballet.

<<Emphasis added>> I'm thoroughly envious of your stamina.

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

Yes, regarding injury. But injury can come from anywhere in this sport. Training, not training, off-ice, on-ice, over-training, under-training, wrong skates/blades, etc. There are so many ways LOL.

Point very much taken!