Is the Legacy 8 too much blade for a beginner?

[masterblaster]

After two false starts with two pairs of skates and a skate shop that had no time for me, ever, I had a really excellent fitting at a little shop in another town, and they are ordering in the Jackson Freestyle Fusion (with the attached Aspire XP blade) and an Edea Chorus boot for me.

I suspect I will choose the Chorus due to my foot and ankle shape, but I also like the Freestyle. If I end up in the Chorus, I will need a blade, and I am considering the Ultima Legacy 8 (with the fancy looking cutouts.)

I'm currently on Mirages, and I'm still very much a beginner. At the earliest, I may start adult freestyle lessons in the fall or winter. Would the Legacy 8 be too much blade at this stage?

[mystery905]

I have Chorus boots as well, and have the Legacy 7's which I love.

I did have the Matix Legacy before (8' rocker), but didn't like their lower maneuverability compared to the 7' rocker.

The 8' may work out for you because you do get more stability on the ice, but I swear by the 7's especially when learning 3 turns, spins, etc.

[masterblaster]

Thank you! I've never used a 7' rocker and was hoping to avoid the adjustment by just going for the 8' blade.

My biggest worry is that i will lose 1/2" of blade length by switching from my current Gams to Edea, and my second biggest worry is that maybe the blade itself is too advanced for me, since I'm around LTS level 4. Any thoughts on whether it's okay to upgrade to an intermediate blade now, or better to wait?

[Loops]

So I'm not a particularly accomplished skater (pre-silver dances, 2nd test and Juvenile Free with an axel and inconsistent 2S back in the day), but I've been doing it a long time.  As an adult, I've been curious, and tried out different blades.  Here's my take for what it's worth.

I grew up on CorAce and Profs.  My last blades as a kid were Profs.  When I came back to skating, I switched to short blades (vision Synchro).  I the length, or lack thereof, didn't bother me.  And tbh I don't know if a 1/2" difference in size translates to a 1/2" difference in runner length.  BTW- the Edea boots have a higher heel (which is why they require shorter blades).  THAT you'll notice, because it will push you more onto the front of your foot.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, a lot of people like it, just giving you a heads up.

I've also tried 8' rockers (the Ultima Supreme).  I didn't notice the difference in the back of the blade (where the 8' is). Nor did I notice the side honing (which is what I was most curious about).  My take home= I am not skilled enough to need those minute differences.

I personally notice spin rockers most of all.  The geometries are different on each blade, but haven't met one yet that I find unusable (except on some MarkIV's I tried....).  Spin rockers have a tendency to flatten out over time with machine sharpenings, so that's mostly what I feel/have to learn when I get new blades.  My guess is that's what you'll notice too- it's the most pronounced curvature on the blade, and right under the ball of your foot.

Fwiw I have also discovered I am picky about toepicks....far more than I am about 7'or 8' rockers.

As for moving to an intro-competition blade.  I would say do it.  When I was a kid, as soon as we were out of rentals we were on MK Profs or CorAces (MK and Wilson were the only brands at the time). With the exception of financial reasons, I don't see why that would change for adults.   I think you'll appreciate having a decent spin rocker.  I honestly wouldn't sweat the 7'or 8' rocker.

[masterblaster]

Thank you, that's really helpful. I don't know why this decision has me so neurotic, but it really does. I have heard that tons of kids move to intermediate blades either right away or straight out of rec skates, so it's good to know that can apply to me too.

My previous skates, which I had for my first steps on the ice and through LTS 1-3 were Jackson Elle Fusions, and I preferred the higher heel, so I'm hoping that will hold true for the Edeas.

[masterblaster]

Update for anyone looking for this info in the future: i tried my new skates tonight for the first time and I loved them, blade and all. The Edea Chorus boot was super comfortable for me, light, flexible, and supportive. I have flat, wideish feet with square toes. i had less arch pain than i experienced with my old skates (Jackson and Gam) even without orthotic inserts. And i had no issues with the Legacy 8 blade, no toepick tripping, no wobbling or lack of stability despite losing 1/2" of blade length due to the shorter boot. Very impressed for a first outing. Spin rocker did feel better placed for my foot, and i think it will make turns easier.

[MCsAngel2]

Update for anyone looking for this info in the future: i tried my new skates tonight for the first time and I loved them, blade and all. The Edea Chorus boot was super comfortable for me, light, flexible, and supportive. I have flat, wideish feet with square toes. i had less arch pain than i experienced with my old skates (Jackson and Gam) even without orthotic inserts. And i had no issues with the Legacy 8 blade, no toepick tripping, no wobbling or lack of stability despite losing 1/2" of blade length due to the shorter boot. Very impressed for a first outing. Spin rocker did feel better placed for my foot, and i think it will make turns easier.

What did you think of the Jackson Freestyle? Were both stock boots that you tried on, or did you need semi customs or modifications? I'm really interested in the subject for older adult skaters, since apparently our feet change a lot as we age and adults can have a lot of specific needs to make their boots fit correctly. While I'm still breaking in my brand new Jackson Debut Fusions, I'm already thinking about what I might get next time. Same for blades. Probably  Coronation Ace or MAYBE even Gold Seals.

[masterblaster]

I really wanted to like the Freestyle, but it felt less comfortable in the toe than the Edea Chorus. It makes no sense since theoretically Jackson should fit my foot shape better, but it really did not. I got a much better heel lock in the Chorus as well. Both stock boots, no modifications. The Freestyle is a nice boot and good quality, and has that stiffer feel around the ankle, whereas the Chorus is more flexible.

Good luck if you move to a more advanced blade. I did eventually trip on my toepicks, so that was a bit of an adjustment coming from the Mirage. Still prefer the feel of the spin rocker but i don't know if that's purely the blade, or where the shorter sole and higher heel of the boot places my weight, but I'll take it. The basic turns I'm working on feel notably easier.

[Casey]

Interesting thread, because I had Gold Star blades (7' rocker) before Gold Seals (8'), but the Gold Stars were 3/4" longer as my boots were poorly fitted.  That meant the spin rocker was too far forward on them.  I enjoyed the Gold Stars a lot, but also enjoyed the Gold Seals when I switched - one of the main reasons was because I could spin so much better.  I'm somewhat tempted to get Gold Stars again, as those are the blades I learned the most on and frankly had the most fun with.  But I'm really hesitant about going back to a 7' rocker after getting used to the 8'.  I also see loads of people using Gold Seals while Gold Stars seem to be a rare choice.  I'm just really curious how they would feel in the proper length with the spin rocker correctly placed under the ball of my foot...  *pulls some more hair out*...

[masterblaster]

maybe you can find a used pair of gold stars in the right size to try out!