Beginners:
Great for putting your skates on at home and then walking from the car into the rink. Also good for walking around the rink so you don't nick your blades and need more sharpenings. You will need to cut your guards to fit your blade length. Ask your skate shop or coach to do this or you can cut them to size at home with a sharp knife or tree branch pruner. And then you will need a screwdriver to put them together. One size fits all figure skates and available in a variety of colors. Tips: make sure you take them off before stepping on the ice. Lots of skaters have a horror story of stepping on the ice with their guards on. Rubber on ice does not work well and you will fall fast and hard. Also, you can not leave guards on your blades for an extended amount of time when you are off the ice as the blades will rust. Guards are strictly for walking and that's it. Guards come in a rainbow of colors.
Also known as soakers. These are to protect your blades when your skates are in your skating bag. They help prevent nicks to the blades and help whisk away moisture so your blades don't rust. Blade covers are not to be used when walking in your skates. These blade covers come in small, medium, and large sizes and in over 20 colors / patterns.
These blade covers are more fun and offer more protection from nicks to your blade when your skates are in your skating bag since there is significantly more padding to protect the blades. They also whisk away moisture so your blades don't rust. Blade covers are not to be used when walking in your skates. Many animals to choose from including bear, dog, cat, giraffe, hippo, monkey, snake, tiger, etc.
Riedell Opel - Youth Figure Skates - available in both black and white
Perfect skates for little girls who are trying out skating and learning the basics. Good ankle support so the blade is perpendicular to the ice when standing. Available in full sizes only. Little kids 9-13 and child 1-3. All medium width. (Advice: Don't go up in size for growing room. Get the proper size for good balance on the blade. The ball of the foot needs to be just back from the toepicks. If the boot is too big it will cause the skater to struggle since they can't get their weight forward enough to skate backwards properly and the boot will "buckle in" just below the ankle and not offer proper support.)
Riedell 110 Opal - Adult Figure Skates - available in both black and white
Perfect skates for ladies who are learning how to skate and want to be a recreational skater. Good ankle support so the blade is perpendicular to the ice when standing. Available in full sizes only. Women size 4-11. All medium width.
Riedell's skate sizing guide is here. This will help you select the right size skate. Then watch this 2:30 video here that will guide you through the process of sizing the skater's feet. There are other
A few notes about proper skate care: you need to let the skate footbed dry out between skating sessions so you should take your skates out of your closed skating bag when you get home so they can completely air dry. Secondly, you should never leave skates in extreme temperatures in your car, especially overnight. Frozen cold ice skates will make your feet turn cold and numb much quicker and make you very uncomfortable. And hot skates don't fit right when you put them on. I've found that hot skates also make my feet cramp almost immediately.
Here
is an instructional video from Learn to Skate USA (a subset of US Figure Skating) that shows you how to properly tie your skates. This is universal for all brands of figure skates.
Dr Scholl's Arch Support (no pic - sorry!)
Soft gel provides firm yet comfortable arch support to prevent arch pain; Works for all arch types including high arches. Slim design fits easily and comfortably in any shoe and won’t make shoes feel tight. Supports stay firmly in place but are removable without damaging shoes so you can re-use them in different shoes.
It's important you have on the same thickness sock every time you skate so there is consistence with how the boots feel. A sock or tights will also prevent blisters. These knee-high skating socks come in youth and adult sizes.
Gel Tubing Ankle Sleeve by Silipos
Sometimes ice skates hurt or give your foot a sore spot. This ankle sleeve is the most popular gel item as it covers the skater's ankle with a little soft protection. You can put this ankle sleeve on under or over your skating sock - whatever works for you. This sleeve comes very long and needs to be cut in 1/2 or 1/3 size pieces. A sleeve can also be used to give elbows a little extra protection. Silipos also makes small tubes to give individual toes or fingers (for example: spins where the skater pulls their blade to their head) protection. These sleeves can be washed.
Skaters need a way to carry their skates and their skating gear to and from the ice rink. This is a great product as the skate storage compartments are partially mesh and therefore the skate's footbed can air out between skating sessions. This will make the skates last longer and not be stinky. This backpack is available in different colors and patterns.
Zuca bags are like a rolling suitcase are a great way to carry skates and skating gear to and from the ice rink. The biggest advantage with a Zuca bag is that you then have a seat to put on your skates since ice rinks are notorious for never having enough seating in the lobby area. Make sure you take your skates out at home so the footbeds have an opportunity to completely dry out in between skating sessions. Available in a variety of colors and patterns as well as limited editions.
Hillbilly Wrist Guard Gloves - Half Finger
A common concern is breaking a wrist while learning how to skate. This wrist guard will help give support in a fall. These gloves are also available as a full glove that covers your fingers if your rink is super cold. Available in small, medium, large and x-large.
Pair of Knee Pads - in tan or black
It's no fun to fall and hurt your knees. These knee pads should help give a little cushion in case of a fall forward. They can also work as elbow pads. They come in 5 sizes: x-small, small, medium, large, x-large.
Full90 Performance Soccer Headgear Premier
Concussions can happen on the ice. Although this is a soccer company, ice skaters have used this headgear and have really liked it. It's very lightweight and you often forget you have it on. Some skaters will wear an ear band over it and then people don't even realize you have 'head gear' on.
Concussions can happen on the ice. Although this is a soccer company, ice skaters have used this headgear and really like it. It breathes well and is very lightweight. It comes in 1 color and 2 different sizes.
Training:
Skaters need a small bag to take out to the boards to hold their guards, music, phone, gloves, water bottle, tissues, "lesson notebook" and pen, moves / ice dance or program patterns, etc. These bags come in a variety of colors.
Ice Skating Training Aid-Edea Spinner
Off-ice training tool to help skaters practice various positions, learn balance and find their center. Spinner will help to develop and train good skating posture, balance, orientation, and control in spins, both forward and backward, and with controlling the rotation of jumps as well as the landing position. It can also help train turns such as 3 turns, brackets, rockers and counters. Make sure your foot is mostly flat, not up on your toes, when you use the board to more closely mimic how you rotate in a skate boot. It works on any hard, smooth, clean surface and is available in a variety of designs.
Off-ice training tool to help skaters practice various positions, learn balance and find their center. Spinner will help to develop and train good skating posture, balance, orientation, and control in spins, both forward and backward, and with controlling the rotation of jumps as well as the landing position. It can also help train turns such as 3 turns, brackets, rockers and counters. Make sure your foot is mostly flat, not up on your toes, when you use the board to more closely mimic how you rotate in a skate boot. It works on any hard, smooth, clean surface. A very good YouTube tutorial video is here.
Ice skaters need flexibility. This tool is excellent in helping you target certain areas which are difficult to reach and stretch.
Chloe Noel Figure Skating Hip Pad
Skaters put a pad on their hip (or tailbone) under their dress, tights or skating pants and that holds it in place. Both sides of a pad are the same so you can use on either hip. Because they are removable you can wear it when needed (for example: learning a new jump or move) but take it off easily. Pads can be cut if you want to make it smaller or a different shape.
Ice Skating Padded Protective Shorts (no pic - sorry!)
These shorts can be worn over tights or leggings. Skaters feel more confident in trying new jumps and moves because the fear of getting hurt is diminished. These are available in child and adult sizes and in 2 colors.
Competition:
You need to check with your coach prior to the competition to see what their preference is regarding these products.
Footed tights are the easiest as you just put your skates on and you are ready to compete. Available in 3 colors and a variety of sizes.
Over The Boot Figure Skating Tights
These are great if your skates are dirty or scuffed. Make sure you have a sock on that's similar to what you are used to skating in. The skater will probably need help getting the tights fastened under the boot. Available in 3 colors and a variety of sizes.
Figure Skating Polar Fleece Fitted Jacket
A great jacket for warm-up. A variety of FUN designs for the back are in stock.
More skating clothing including matching pants/leggings, jackets and skirts available here. 😉
Books and DVDs:
Conditioning for Figure Skating
Well researched and well written book covering all aspects of an athlete who is figure skating. Comprehensive with detailed coverage of the physical preparation necessary from beginner to Olympic skaters. This book has more than 300 photos that illustrate proper warm-up drills, flexibility stretches, cool down routines, strength training exercises, jump and plyometric training programs, and endurance conditioning exercises for on-ice injury prevention. A periodization plan also helps skaters maximize their training potential through a competitive cycle.
The Complete Book of Figure Skating
This book is a wonderful, helpful reference for all figure skaters and coaches. There are many photos and step-by-step instructions provide information for learning turns, footwork, spins and jumps for both individual skaters and those who want to do pairs. There is also helpful information on choosing the right blade/skate, how to find a coach, warming up, music, costumes for programs, the different types of figure skating, fitness, strength, and more. While this book is written for skaters who have mastered the basics and want to learn the proper technique for spins and jumps, there is plenty of good information in here for beginners too.
Figure Skating: Championship Techniques
This book gives a comprehensive description of the basic and advanced spins, jumps (from single rotation to multi rotational) and of course the fundamentals of skating including edges, stroking, three turns and choctaws. There is plenty of skating jargon that is explained as well as descriptions of moves in the field, spin combinations and axel variations. Sometimes this book is very technical but there are excellent pictures and diagrams.
Mind-Body Conditioning For Competitive Figure Skaters
The author is an adult figure skater and ice dancer who found little information from coaches, books, and fellow skaters about creating efficient productive practices, preparing mentally and physically for skating and competing, and most of all off ice training and mental preparation. So she wrote this book to help young and mature skaters with the primary focus on skaters who intend to compete. It is extremely comprehensive and detailed and covers how to stay warmed up and focused during a competition, over coming fear, and the most productive ways practice for competition. This is a great introductory book for sports conditioning for figure skaters. Included is an off ice training cd with a yoga sequence for flexibility, focus and balance.
Choeleen lives what she says, walks thew walk not just talks the talk. She is a beautiful skater and is competing at the nation level as an Adult. This book is great for any level skater but especially for those who have trouble controlling their nerves. The companion CD is also a must. "I own a small skate shop and had a young lady who is a beautiful skater come in for new skates. We were talking about her upcoming competition and how she gets so nervous she doesn't skate well. I sold her my own spare copy and during the competition her mom called to say she had never skated so well!" The CD has a hypnotic rhythm that calms the inner being and instills confidence. The book has many exercises for developing confidence and control. A must for all skaters.
101 Ways To Be A Terrific Sports Parent: Making Athletics A Positive Experience For Your Child
Dr. Fish's book is truly outstanding. The way he breaks down the chapters allows you to cut through the clutter and find the sections that are most relevant to your situation. This book has brought families closer together. This has changed the attitude toward children and their athletics and has given a new outlook on being a positive sports parent. This is just an overall great guide for parents whether or not there's a problem or issue.
There are 66 fun and sometimes challenging puzzles to solve, all involving the popular sport of figure skating. Exercise your brain and get familiar with figure skating terms, the history of figure skating, and famous Olympic figure skaters, simply by doing these fun puzzles! This book also includes 50 trivia questions to test your knowledge and to learn more about the sport, the names of famous figure skating greats, and the history of figure skating.
Kids ages 8 and above and even adults will enjoy these puzzles and trivia questions. Younger kids will enjoy the word searches and scrambles while older kids and adults will enjoy the challenges that come from solving cryptograms.
Here’s a list of puzzles you’ll get: 20 Word Searches, 16 Word Matches (Can you match figure skating pairs? How about the skater with their country?), 10 Word Scrambles, 20 Cryptograms (If you like to break codes and ciphers, these challenging cryptograms are for you), 50 Trivia Questions: So you think you know figure skating? Test your figure skating knowledge and try to answer our trivia questions! AND BONUS: Go to our website and download free word searches from this book.
Figure skaters and fans of the sport will love this book and would make a thoughtful and unique gift.
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