Skate Weight? - fsf

[JimStanmore]

Coldfete
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Post Title: Skate Weight ?
Posted: 02-28-2007, 12:16 PM

At 70+ I have recently returned to ice skating after an absence of some 35 years. I sought out as much advice as possible on how to choose skates and eventually settled on Risport RF4 with the Ultima Mk IV blade not least because the boots seemed to be quite comfortable and were a reasonable price.

At first I expected some difficulty in 'getting back into the swing' but was totally unprepared for my dismal performance and lack of progress. Quite simply, after about ten hours ice time, I can just about stand up and struggle around a circuit or two. Today I was close to giving up but as a shot in the dark decided to have a go with hockey skates. Bingo! I found that I could balance easily and glide around the rink with little difficulty. The hockey skates feel like a natural extension of my legs and require much less effort to move than the RF4's.

The difference between the two sets of skates is so great that I have discussed the situation with some knowledgeable people to try and come up with an explanation (the RF4's have been checked for blade mounting, ROH etc. and are satisfactory). The only conclusion we can come up with is that the RF4's are just too heavy for me and inhibit leg and body movement compared with the hockey skates which are almost featherweight.

My intention is to continue with the hockey skates until I am confident in performing basic moves. I will then give the RF4' another go and if I experience the same difficulty I might well want to see if there are any lightweight figure skates available which I could try out.

I would welcome suggestions and advice from readers. 

Team Arthritis
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Posted: 02-28-2007, 12:32 PM

hey coldfeet, maybe I should change my nom de pen to numb toes, LOL.

I'm with you, I can't see why figure skates can't be made with the same lightweight materials as hockey skates. Tough decision but hey, skating is better than not skating. Hard to say what I'd do but I'd feel naked without my toepicks and would certainly bust my tailbone without a back blade. Go with what works buddy!
Lyle 

d b n y
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Posted: 02-28-2007, 12:42 PM

Welcome back! You're at my target age for quitting and switching to cross country skiing (I'm not quite 60), but I guess I'll have to rethink that now.
Graf boots are known for their light weight, so you could give them a try. Also, Paramount blades, which are new, are being touted for their light weight. 

Sessy
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Posted: 02-28-2007, 01:00 PM

First of all, hockey skates have different blades. Ice dance blades tend to be significantly more maneuvrable than the blades that are made for stable landings, and you probably won't be jumping, so it might make sense to try other blades... Also my old MK21 blades were very curved, had a very short contact surface with the ice, and were siiiiignificantly more maneuvrable than my current coronation ace blades.


Now for the rest of it, as somebody skating on risports, I've gotta say: risports have very hard boots that take longer to break in (then, afterwards, they also last longer), certainly longer than 10 hours of skating around. You're going to have to walk in them around the house for like a month before they're actually really skateable... At least, that's what everybody's saying and that's what I had to do with my risport etoiles, which are just under risport rf4.


Also: risports have very high boots. I'm jumping up to the lutz and I only fasten the 2 lower sets of hooks, not the 2 upper ones, to allow for knee bending! I know nobody who skates on risports who actually does up ALL the hooks, everybody leaves the upper set free at the very least, unless their risports are like 3-4 years old, then they start doing them up.

I'm going to suggest you try to walk around in them for quite a bit in the house with only the lower 2 sets of hooks fastened and then try to skate.


And you might wanna consider different blades. They make more of a difference to the way you skate than boots do, is my idea. 

Rusty Blades
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Posted: 02-28-2007, 01:23 PM

HEY COLDFETE! Welcome!!!!

Finally, someone who was off the ice as long as I was! I was off 36 years and returned last January at the age of 56. It took me 3 months to get all my forward edges, two more to even start backwards, and a couple more to have any sort of one-foot turns! (Mama always did say I was a little "slow"! ) At 13 months in, I am off to my first competition in a few weeks.

It is a humbling experience but worth every ache and bruise! We will look forward to your progress.

(If you are REALLY bored, I have been keeping a journal at http://www.geocities.com/diannebest - hopefully you progress will be quicker than mine!) 

Isk8NYC
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Posted: 02-28-2007, 01:45 PM

First, welcome to the board, Coldfete. (Great name, btw.)

Did you weigh the two different pairs of skates? I'd like to know what the weight difference would be between hockey and figure skates. Just curious.

Perhaps you couldn't get enough knee/ankle bend in the stiff new figure skates to really stroke and glide properly? Hockey skates are cut lower on the leg and (if they were borrowed) they had more give because they were already broken in.

I learned a new-old break in trick from a fellow coach, who used it when she skated about 15 years ago. She taught my DD's to stand by the wall, put their toepick above the plastic bottom bumper and keep the heel of the blade on the ice. Then, they'd press the knee forward, which helped crease the stiff skate. I wouldn't do it too often, but for the break-in period, it will probably help get that ankle/knee range increased quickly.

There are more break-in tips scattered around this site, if you use the SEARCH function. 

flo
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Posted: 02-28-2007, 03:12 PM

Welcome back.
Several bootmakers are offering lighter versions. Also, something you may wish to do is try some different brands of used skates. They will be broken in/not down and give you a chance to feel how they would after the horrid break in period. 

Ice Dancer
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Posted: 02-28-2007, 03:56 PM

Welcome to the board!

I am a tad younger than yourself, however I started skating last September and I have the same boots and blades.

I have found that wearing them around the house in guards work wonders. I wore them indoors before I even got on the ice with them, and it is only recently that I have tied up the laces with all the hooks. Something I have noticed with the RF4's though, if you hold out your leg while you are wearing them they really do feel like weights!

I really love these skates, and I am amazed at seeing folk in my lessons who bought skates at around the same time as me already breaking down. I have no creases whatever, although I do have a few faint marks on the tongues where I tie them, but the others have those too so thats irrelavant.

I can't skate in hockey skates, although I have only used hire ones so I can't give too much input on that area. When I have worn them I couldn't even move from the barrier, I just couldn't get on with them at all. In the figure hire skates I could, and when I got the RF4's I had a few lessons getting used to the different rocker (and sharp skates) and they've been great since.

A tip I picked up from one of my coaches yesterday, not sure if it will help, is if the skates are rubbing or hurting in a particular place, put bubble wrap in your sock in that place. It cushions the area, is cheap and apparantly works! 

icedancer2
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Posted: 02-28-2007, 04:17 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sessy 
Ice dance blades tend to be significantly more maneuvrable than the blades that are made for stable landings, and you probably won't be jumping, so it might make sense to try other blades...



While dance blades may be slightly more maneuverable than a longer freestyle blade, the shortness makes them actually more difficult to skate on for most people, especially at first, and I don't believe the weight difference is very significant at all.

Most dancers that have been skating for a long time are not interested in dance blades as they are less stable than a freestyle blade, especially if one has a tendency to lean backwards at all.

Welcome back to skating, coldfeet - I hope you come up with a solution that works for you soon!! 

Sessy
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Posted: 02-28-2007, 06:30 PM

Ice Dancer, I agree! Risports are INDESTRUCTABLE. People at our rink almost all wear risport and they wear them until the lunges eat through the leather on the sides of the boots which is only like after 4-5 years of intensive skating... Some have worn and jumped on theirs for 6+ years. 

Mrs Redboots
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Posted: 03-01-2007, 09:31 AM

Coldfete, welcome!

If you don't want to waste the Risports, do try the Paramount blades. They are a very great deal lighter than conventional blades, and come in funky colours, too (although you can get plain chrome, if you prefer!). I know a couple of skaters who use them, and are delighted with them, although I have heard they can be difficult to sharpen.

Icedancer, this may be a country/cultural thing, but certainly here, all our elite dancers wear MK Dance blades and wouldn't dream of wearing anything else, except those who wore John Watts dance and (like me) mourn their demise! They are not for beginners, though - beginner ice-dancers tend to wear Coronation Dance, these days, if they want a dedicated dance blade. I think we'll have to put the Husband in synchro blades to give him the best of both worlds, as he already has a flip jump, even in Coronation Dance! 

icedancer2
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Posted: 03-01-2007, 12:11 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs Redboots 
Icedancer, this may be a country/cultural thing, but certainly here, all our elite dancers wear MK Dance blades and wouldn't dream of wearing anything else, except those who wore John Watts dance and (like me) mourn their demise! They are not for beginners, though - beginner ice-dancers tend to wear Coronation Dance, these days, if they want a dedicated dance blade. I think we'll have to put the Husband in synchro blades to give him the best of both worlds, as he already has a flip jump, even in Coronation Dance!


I didn't mean the elite dancers - I mean, most of the adults that started skated before the dance blades were popular either don't like them or don't want to try them, feeling more comfortable in their freestyle blades - and many of them are VERY good dancers. I like the dance blades myself, but would never recommend them for coldfete - I think it would make it that much more difficult. Sorry for the confusion.