Buying Skates online?

[aussieskater]

You are right - its not the skate price that's the killer - its getting them here! Do you know of an Australian place that we might source from?

You could also try asking Margaret Scott at Canterbury Rink (the main "pro" shop in Aus), Aussieskater and I both get our custom order Jackson's from her and she is fantastic:
http://www.iskate.com.au/
Again not sure about postage to NZ though.

I'd second - and third and fourth! - Jenny's suggestion of Margaret for fitting, but since you don't need fitting you could also think about trying Skaters Network.  They are physically right next to the Addlon group who I think are the Australian importers/distributors of Risport to Australia, and might actually be Addlon's retail arm.  I haven't bought skates from there (no way this foot could get anywhere near a Risport), but watched while a friend was being fitted, and was impressed at their service.  I don't know whether they'd post to NZ but maybe if you advertised it as "Eastern Australia"??  

https://www.skatersnetwork.com.au/default.aspx

[kiwiskater]

ROFL eastern Auz  :laugh3

Yeow - AU$399 comes out to $522NZ, what a shame - they would cost $450 here. The standard is actually 500 but what they did recently was put up all their prices by 10% and then offer a 10% discount if you joined their mailing list, cheeky eh?

[Query]

I comparison shop almost everything but boots. Since you don't have real experts, on-line makes a lot of sense.

If U.S. suppliers are usable,  I've happily used Rainbo Sports; but Dante Cozzi, Northern Ice and Dance, and others, may be cheaper.

For used stuff, anti-fungal spray and disinfectant, just in case?

Good luck!

What sports are big and semi-unique to NZ and/or Australia?

[kiwiskater]

What sports are big and semi-unique to NZ and/or Australia?

Thanks!

Sports - rugby, soccer & netball would probably be the top 3 sports played here - event though soccer has the highest number playing rugby is considered the national game - just ask the rugby nuts who went insane for the world cup for the last month held here!

[isakswings]

What a shame! but at least you have the advantage of being able to travel to somewhere to access what you need, fingers crossed for you that they don't go anywhere (unless its closer to you...)

Kinda... in the 4+ yrs my daughter has been skating, she has never been able to walk into a full service pro-shop. I know they exist, just not here. Play it Again Sports doesn't count because they only have low level equipment and can't fit her.  I didn't know the guy that works out of his home existed until the last comp dd was in. He had a booth there.  I honestly won't use him often since I can get her fit through the rink and that is a 5 minute ride instead of an hour and 1/2. We definitely have many more options then you guys do but it is definitely a pain to buy skates. I hope you find the perfect pair!

[Query]

BTW Skating, especially figure skating, is a "minority sport" in the U.S. too. Most most people either never do it, or only do it a few times in their life, without lessons. Someone told me more people skate in Canada, but most without lessons, especially figure skating lessons.

And most people in the U.S. or Canada are a few hundred miles or more from the nearest good skate technician (a half dozen to a dozen names keep coming up), and don't realize it.

If a country the size of NZ has (had?) even one good skate technician, you (would?) have many times as many per capita or per area as we do. Though NZ a few travel obstructions.

Which might be the problem - it takes at least a few hundred skaters willing to pay to support a good expert plus a shop that keeps in stock a good variety of high end skates. No wonder figure skating is dominated by a few countries.

[aussieskater]

BTW Skating, especially figure skating, is a "minority sport" in the U.S. too. Most most people either never do it, or only do it a few times in their life, without lessons.

"Minority sport" takes on a whole new meaning when you compare the populations of the countries we're talking about:  according to google (the font of all knowledge??), USA has over 307 million; New Zealand has fewer than 5 million.  I have to say NZ really punches above its weight, given how small its skating population is!!

And most people in the U.S. or Canada are a few hundred miles or more from the nearest good skate technician (a half dozen to a dozen names keep coming up), and don't realize it.

However, a skate tech (as with anything else) is good only by comparison to his or her peers.  My "good" tech might well be rated only average, or even worse than average, by comparison to US techs.

[kiwiskater]

"Minority sport" takes on a whole new meaning when you compare the populations of the countries we're talking about:  according to google (the font of all knowledge??), USA has over 307 million; New Zealand has fewer than 5 million.  I have to say NZ really punches above its weight, given how small its skating population is!!

Why thank you yes our skating population is very tiny! When you consider that there is a 2 rinks in the entire North island (run by the same people), if you then consult wiki you'll find that approx 1.3 million people live in my city - now how many people would you expect to participate in sports & then again in a very minor sport? People here aren't big on travel - I live 10mins from my rink, the other one is across the city about an hours drive (in good traffic) - you'd have to be really into the sport big time the travel that distance weekly or more.

However, a skate tech (as with anything else) is good only by comparison to his or her peers.  My "good" tech might well be rated only average, or even worse than average, by comparison to US techs.

There is no such thing as a fitter/skate tech here, all the skating services we get are based out of the rink, the people hired by this shop are no different than many other jobs - they hire about half a dozen young men in their 20's who are mad on hockey, and probably may have skated in a competitive team that would probably pale in comparison to the 'experts' you get somewhere like the US & Canada. We all know though that being a skater isn't enough to be good at skates & skate services, and if you are a hockey skater you probably know squat about figure skaters.

When I got my skates I was helped by the head coach of our rink, and when they went to take the factor grind off my blades she knew how to do it, but would she be an expert - I doubt it. She turned my skates over to the shop assistant & asked if he knew how to sharpen figure blades - the answer filled me with confidence (not) 'I think so'.

Like you say Aussie - you simply cannot compare the level of service we get here to what you get in places like the US, I'll swap my 'pro shop' for an average US one, see who comes out worse - I'd bet it would not me...

[icefrog]

Where do the top skaters at your rink get their blades and skates done? Is there someone working out of their home you could work with? Ask around sometimes the best people are found by word of mouth in places you would least expect.

[kiwiskater]

Good question! I will have to ask the right person - my coach doesn't know