When I was skating as a teenager, it seemed like most skaters were in professionals or coronation ace's once they started freestyle (meaning out of basic levels and out of the entry level boots/blades) until they had an axel and started on doubles (in fact my coach flat out told me I couldn't move out of my professionals until I had a solid axel.. then I had that, and was too afraid to change boots/blades for almost another year!), then they moved to either phantoms or pattern 99's... you'd occasionally see someone with gold seals (easy to spot because of the solid sole plate), but they weren't quite as common as the others.
Now I see more and more skaters on Paramounts, and it's really difficult to tell at first glance which profile or blade level they have.
I have always skated on MK blades, so I am more familiar with them, but I started on double stars (which IMO are okay, but they're only $50 less than Professionals, and the professionals are definitely better - bigger toe picks for one, but the finish/quality seemed better too), skated on those for about a year, moved up to the professionals for a few years (and eventually turned those blades into figure blades and took patch lessons), and then Phantom Specials (which are the same blades I am still skating on)... I have never skated on anything but a 7' rocker and spins have always been my strength... I think it would be hard to skate on a bigger rocker if I were to change now.