Graf skates/factory

[skatingmum2]

Hi
Does anybody know if the Graf factory closes for the summer holidays? My daughter's coach has an arrangement with them that they make my daughter a smaller size (stretched over the big toe to a half size bigger) and they have been great about doing this.

Her Graf Richmonds (bought last June and worn 6 days a week apart from during her injury in March/April) have now broken down quite badly and no longer supporting her ankles. Coach reckons she should stick to the Richmond because the Edmonton would be too heavy. She is working multiple double-doubles and has dabbled in double axel and due to start working this as well as triple toe. What do you guys think?

She is 13 1/2 and weighs about 110 pounds and 5 foot 6 1/2 tall....So slim but no longer the light little kid she used to be.

Does anybody know how to strap them in the interim? Her skating peers have always put loads and loads of very sticky stuff around the ankles which looks like a very in-efficient process to me as it seems like loads of the stuff which takes forever to get on and off.

If anybody has any skate ideas for kids with skinny ankles and comparitively wide forefoot please let me know. I'm worried they will be shut for weeks and weeks now. Last year (in desperation) we bought a pair of RF3 Risport skates - she found them very wide round the ankles. They still fit her perfectly and are almost new but she is refusing to wear them and wants Grafs.

[icefrog]

Get some duct tape and wrap a few times it around her ankles. Its a pain and the boots and laces will get sticky, but it really works.

[sarahspins]

Have you tried contacting graf to see if they are even closed right now?

[supra]

Why duct tape over plain sports tape or hockey tape? I know hockey tape is almost the same as sports tape, just less flexible, and it's cheap stuff. Duct tape I find quite irritating on the skin, it's not meant for skin.

This one lady during a random offhand conversation about figure skating, she said back in the days of the floppy boots, they'd put foam padding around the ankles, so it's possible if you can find a thick grade of padding and sorta wrap it around her ankles or shove it in the gaps? Probably a combo of foam pads/tape.

http://www.grafskates.com/411.0.html?&L=1 That's Graf's contact info for Graf Switzerland and Germany. Also gives Graf Canada, but Graf Canada's website (as far as I can tell) doesn't list anything for figure skating. So it could be a problem either on Graf Canada's end, or a problem on Graf Switzerland's end. But those are numbers you can call directly if need be.

[skatingmum2]

Thanks for the phone number. The website crashed several times last night - but - then I was trying to get the catalogue open! Will speak to coaches today about whether we go for Richmond again or whether she should try edmonton.

[icefrog]

Why duct tape over plain sports tape or hockey tape? I know hockey tape is almost the same as sports tape, just less flexible, and it's cheap stuff. Duct tape I find quite irritating on the skin, it's not meant for skin.

This one lady during a random offhand conversation about figure skating, she said back in the days of the floppy boots, they'd put foam padding around the ankles, so it's possible if you can find a thick grade of padding and sorta wrap it around her ankles or shove it in the gaps? Probably a combo of foam pads/tape.

http://www.grafskates.com/411.0.html?&L=1 That's Graf's contact info for Graf Switzerland and Germany. Also gives Graf Canada, but Graf Canada's website (as far as I can tell) doesn't list anything for figure skating. So it could be a problem either on Graf Canada's end, or a problem on Graf Switzerland's end. But those are numbers you can call directly if need be.

You don't wrap the tape around the actual ankle, the tape is wrapped around the ankle of the boot. Like around the laces three times it really helps, but it's only a temporary solution.

[skatingmum2]

I managed to phone the factory and the skates are here. Before the factory closed which is fantastic. Just waiting to get tests out the way and we will sort blades and have her break them in. Realise we're "under" booting her but will keep her in Richmond until she is regularly working on triples/double axel. Hope they last....