Synchro blade suggestions and reviews? Skatescience or Ultima Finesse?

[Poodlemoney]

Does anyone have feedback about the various synchro blades out there on the market? I am very interested in the skatescience synchro blade, but I am also considering the Ultima Finesse and the MK Vision synchro as well. I do adult synchro and dance - don't really ever jump. I've skated on the same coronation ace blades for 10+ years, but I am getting new boots and need new blades too and I am just ready to make a change. Thank you!

[fsk8r]

I like the Ultima Synchro blade which they've stopped doing so probably will switch to the Finesse when I need new ones.

But as another suggestion, if you're happy with your Aces, perhaps consider Coronation Dance it keeps the same rocker and toe pick but just a shorter blade (which is helpful for dance and synchro).

[Loops]

Fsk8r took the words right out of my mouth. A lot of the dancers at my rink that use dance blades are on the cordance. They are happy. I'm on the vision synchro. I like the rocker (but I came off of mk profs, that were admittedly super flat). I went with the VS because I do only dance and synchro at the moment, was curious about shorter blades and couldn't beat the price point. They're fine.  But I do find myself jumping just enough to be annoyed by the angled drag pick....and the really large top pick, while nice for toe jumps does leave larger holes in the ice than my dance club is used too. So that is something to bear in mind, especially if you think you might find yourself competing solo dance and doing pivots and half jumps.  I like the pick on the cordance better, or at least it looks like a pick I'd like better!

One girl on my team has the ultima finesse, and they look good too. She's doing just fine in them.

[Poodlemoney]

Thank you both for your advice. I think I would like to get a synchro blade this time around. How do you guys feel about the "scratchiness" of the toepicks when you're skating backwards or doing footwork? I tend to get a bit scratchy (when I get nervous LOL) and wondered if the drag pick or overall toe pick really does stay out of the way a bit more with the synchro models?
Also how long did it take you to get accustomed to the shorter tail? I'm a bit nervous about that too, but I think it will be best for me in the long run.

[fsk8r]

I skate free as well so don't worry about toepicks.

The ultima synchro toe pick is about the same as the Ultima Legacy toepick. It needs to be. Synchro skates have to be able to perform jumps up to Axel at elite level.

I've also never had a problem with the shorter blades as you should have your weight through the ball of your foot so you don't really ever go near the tail. These days I tend to have more problems in the legacys as I forget they're "longer". (I skate on both reguarly depending on what I'm practicing).

You won't fix scratchiness going backwards switching blades. That's unfortunately down to kneebend which does have a tendency to disappear when you're nervous.

[Loops]

The angled drag on the Vision Synchro is a little out of the way you might be very happy with it.  It won't however magically reduce your scratchiness....that, as Fsk8r said, is down to knee bend and posture.  But it did take me a bit to get used to braking going backwards, using the age old method of scratching with my toes.  I thought the angled pick would keep me honest and get me to stop doing that (since it is not the best technique in the world), and perhaps it has, but it didn't take me long to become expert at it again 

The short blades were never an issue even at the beginning.  Having a proper spin rocker (my old blades were 25+ years old and flaaaaat) was more of an adjustment.  The only time I notice them now is on on forward power pulls; and that's all about my lack of proper technique.  I fall off the back of my blades with exactly the same frequency as I did with my Profs (I have special skills).....So no worries there, at least in my experience.

My only complaint about the blades, and what is getting me to switch back to freestyle blades is that as I mentioned in the prior post I do jump just enough, and have lost enough technique to be bothered by that drag pick.  It IS out of the way, and I have missed it on waltz jumps, especially on take offs, although as long as I think about pointing my toe and bending ye olde knee, it's fine.  When I was trying my axel a few months ago it wasn't an issue.  Mostly.  My coaches do NOT like the ginormous Pattern 99 toe rake profile though.  At my rink we do half jumps (although not in synchro...my adult team isn't up for that), and that top pick puts decent holes in our brittle hockey ice, even with just a little teeny tap.  We won't even talk about pivots. My club is exclusively dance and synchro; they aren't used to seeing real divots put in by skaters doing doubles and triples.  So I get shouted at.  That's the other reason I'm switching back to freestyle blades, so I can get a nice cross cut pick without the ice axe at the top.  BUT if you're in a rink that's used to freestyle skaters, you won't have that issue.

I'd consider the Vision Synchros again if I were at a freestyle rink (because I wouldn't get shouted at, and could get lessons in jumping again...so improved technique), especially considering the unbeatable price point.