Suggestions for skates for 10yo?

[aussieskater]

DD is 10 yo, tall and slim, and pretty light on boots as she's a beginner freestyle skater: upright spins, basic consecutive edges, 3-turns, mohawks, waltz jump.  At Coach's suggestion, she was promoted from Jackson Artiste (stiffness 25) to Jackson Freestyle (stiffness 45) in the last round of skate buying, and she's currently wearing Jackson Freestyle size ladies 6.5C (following after her mother in the BigFoot stakes.)  Her current skates were purchased just before the new Jackson Elle range became available, and were the widest we could get at the time without going overboard in stiffness.

Her skates still fit and should do for a few months yet (fingers crossed!), but getting skates down here is difficult and expensive, so I generally start looking around for options for larger boots once I think she has about 6 months left in the current pair.  We have tried her in as many other brands as I can find locally (pro shops are a rarity here), and of the boots we were able to try on, the Jacksons are clearly the best fit for her foot, so I'd prefer to stick with them.

She's done really well in the Freestyles, and Coach wants her to stay with the same stiffness when time comes for a larger pair.  I'd happily put her in a larger pair of the Freestyles, but the problem is that the Freestyles only come up to a C width, and she could really use the D.  The two "lower" Jackson models which come in a D width are Elle (at 35, a step lower in stiffness than the Freestyle) and Competitor (at 55, a step higher - on the Jackons site, the Competitor women's sizes are rated to axel.  Not happening here!)

What would you do?  Step down or step up?  Comments or suggestions?

Thanks everyone.

[sarahspins]

Have you checked with Jackson to see if the Freestyles are available in a D width?  I may be wrong but I thought any of the all leather boots were available in widths wider than stock as well as combination widths.

[retired]

I *think* Jackson does a D in Freestyle on special order.  Check with the dealer.  Otherwise, the Competitor D would work, it's really not a whole lot more stiffy.   Jackson does do complete custom once you get past D, again a good dealer can manage this.

Best thing that ever happened to us was to make acquaintance with a skater two years older than ours, we bought all of her boots as she outgrew them, she had the same style feet. 

[aussieskater]

Thanks for the help guys.  Great suggesion to ask if I can get the Freestyles in D - I didn't think of that!

The Jackson website says Freestyle are A-B-C and Elle are B-C-D.  I'm just thankful my DD doesn't need past D width - custom boots are way too expensive for a child who will grow out of them quickly!

[sarahspins]

What's on the Jackson website isn't necessarily all that is available - unless you get a full custom they just consider it a modification.  Getting a non-stock width may not even incur an extra charge (a split width always does, but I'm not sure about just going up one width from stock).

My Elite Supremes say "custom" on the box (with my name too) but they are not full customs.. they are considered modified stock boots, since they were ordered in the width I needed (E ball, B heel), no other changes.  I don't think my previous box said custom on it, but they were made to the same size, just a different model.