I spent 1-1/4 hours at the OSU ice rink in Columbus being fitted for new skates. Anthony (Tony) Habart is the fitter there.
First, the upshot:
I ordered two pairs of Riedell skates and two sets of blades.
1) I got Silver Stars and Aces to directly replace my current Gold Star/Coronation Ace skates. Tony said that the stiffness of the Silver Stars might exceed that of my 2007-model Gold Stars because of changes over time. But it should be close. I should feel comfortable in this combo.
2) I also ordered 2010 Fusion skates that have a shorter top to allow more forward/backward extension. I want to see if this helps with more knee bend in crossovers. I got MK Professional blades with the short 12" front rocker compared to the Ace's 27" front rocker. I also got my Jackson Synchro blades sharpened by Tony to 3/8" as another option when the boots arrive. I might also get some Skate Science Dance blades for a third option. Still thinking about that because they are thin dance blades and I can't sharpen them myself.
Some people have two cars. I will have two sets of skates. It's a bit indulgent for someone who is 69 years old, but what the heck.
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Now the backstory. I was a bit skeptical about the qualifications of the OSU fitter who replaced Duke, now retired. However, I learned that this fellow has been a figure skater since he was young, and has all his jumps including most doubles. He sometimes coaches too. He's a lefty, and spins CW, but he told me that he had a decent scratch, sit, and camel in the CCW direction too. He admitted that he never mastered the backspin in other than his native direction.
He's been in all sorts of boots and blades. Currently he's in Edea Concertos and Gold Seals. He never liked the Ice Fly. He's been in Graf, SP Teri, Riedell models including the Fusion that I was interested in (he brought out his pair to show me). His Fusions were equipped with Eclipse Pinnacle blades, Eclipse's version of Gold Seals.
In short, he won my trust as a fitter. My skepticism vanished after learning of his experiences.
Here's Tony...
Super nice guy!
The fitting room at OSU is nothing to write home about. They don't stock much, so most skates will be ordered from Riedell. Delivery time for men's skate orders is 3-4 weeks.
Tony brought out some samples of skates that were in stock to show their features. I
really liked the Riedell Aria with its leather lining, but I feared that it would be way too stiff for my needs. He agreed.
The woman's skate shown is a Silver Star, brought out for showing the heavily-padded linings. He said that they hold up well for most of his skaters, but gave no guarantee that they'd last 12 years like my old leather-lined Gold Stars. They have a LOT of padding inside, and he said that it will feel too tight until the padding sets a bit.
When he sharpened a pair of Jackson Synchro blades that I brought with me, he had the lightest touch on the Blademaster grinder.
He was continually checking for level edges as he went. I liked what I saw here.
It was a good day, and I'm really glad that I could pick his brains during my appointment.