From: fc03@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Frederick W. Chapman)
Newsgroups: rec.skate
Subject: Re: 8 figure skate recommendations/FAQ?
Date: 11 Apr 92 04:02:06 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University

Greetings to all rec.skate readers... ice, quad, and inline skaters alike!

This is my first post to the group.  (I have already had some very nice
e-mail correspondences with some of the regular contributors to this group.
In fact, I still owe mail to one or two people -- mercy snakes alive!  :-)


In article <92099.23142.J024330@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM>, J024330@LMSC5.IS.LM
SC.LOCKHEED.COM writes:
>When I skated competitively, I used custom Harlicks (San Carlos,CA).  They
>were very good boots, but quite expensive.  My blades were Strauss 5 star
>finalist.  Won a few gold medals in pairs with those skates.  The ISIA
>has endorsed SP-Teri as a good boot.
>
>Good luck in your search!
>Chris Colvin
>
>------------------------- Original Article -------------------------
>I'm considering buying my own skates because I'm getting tired of the
>variability in rental skates.  Does anyone have any recommendations on what I
>should look for?  Is there an FAQ somewhere for ice skating?
>
>--
>Antonio Querubin
>tony@mpg.phys.hawaii.edu / ah6bw@uhm.ampr.org / querubin@uhunix.bitnet


I would *strongly* discourage anyone from going from rental skates directly
to customs boots, such as Harlicks.  I am on my third pair of ice skates in
about four (?) years, and have had Reidell Silver Stars, Reidell Royals, and
Harlicks, in that order; I used rental skates for about one (?) year before
that.  Harlicks are excellent boots...

                                   B U T

... they have so much ankle support that I doubt that someone who is
accustomed to rental skates would have sufficiently strong technique, a deep
enough knee bend, etc. to break them in!!!  They are challenging enough for
strong skaters to break in, much less someone who is more or less a beginner.
I expect that the experience would be *so* frustrating and disappointing (not
to mention physically painful -- breaking in new skates is rarely a bundle of
joy for the feet) that it might extinguish the aspiring skater's interest
in the sport altogether, and that would be a great shame indeed.

Reidell Silver Stars or Gold Stars would be a much better choice for a first
ice skating boot for someone coming off from rental skates.  Once the skater
has built up enough strength that he or she *needs* the kind of support that
a Harlick provides (and the skater feels that the financial investment is
warranted by his or her level of interest in the sport), *then* I would
recommend a boot of the quality of a Harlick custom.

About blades...  The Coronation Ace is a good all-around blade (for
freestyle, figures, and dance).  The Pattern 99 is designed more for
freestyle (e.g., has a bigger toe pick).  I understand that there are also
blades designed especially for dance, though I don't know any by name.

Good luck,

Fred Chapman
The Skating Mathemusician

-- 

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