What are figure skater essentials? When I first bought my children ice skates, I was a bit lost trying to determine what else I should\u00a0provide for them. After asking their coaches and other skater-parents an annoying number of questions over a couple of months, I was able to piece together what my new figure skaters really needed. It would have been nice, though, if I’d had all of\u00a0that information when I was first\u00a0 looking at buying skates.<\/p>\n
So without further ado, here’s SkaterDad.com’s top ten essentials for\u00a0new figure skaters.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n For each of the essentials I listed above, here’s a bit more detail and some links to more information.<\/p>\n This is really the most important of the figure skater essentials. I know it sounds silly, but if you are going to buy ice skates, make sure they are suitable for the stature of the child and the level of their skating.<\/p>\n Link<\/strong>: Renting Skates versus Buying Skates (SkaterDad.com)<\/a><\/p>\n Perhaps counter-intuitively, figure skaters tend to wear thin socks (maybe trouser socks for women, and thin dress socks for men). Some figure skaters even go barefoot, which should reaffirm that a thick sock is neither desirable, nor a requirement for figure skating. Soft rental skates are far more tolerant of thick socks, but when you buy your own skates, thick socks tend to go out the window.<\/p>\n As figure skater essentials go, this one is pretty critical. No matter how carefully you dry your blades when you come off the ice, the metal is so cold that moisture will condense on it for a while after you finish skating. The simple equation is Water + Blades = Rust. In my opinion, soakers are a non-negotiable item.<\/p>\n Link<\/strong>: Soakers: Why Are They Necessary? (SkaterDad.com)<\/a><\/p>\n Cheap, colorful, and they save your blades from getting ruined when you need to walk off ice or off the ice rink rubber surfaces. Buy them. Love them. Bring them with you.<\/p>\n Link<\/strong>: What Are Blade Guards? (SkaterDad.com)<\/a><\/p>\n Don’t be under any illusion that it will be ok to bring your new figure skates back and forth to the ice rink in the cardboard box in which they were originally packaged. Trust me, I tried, and a) the box is bulky and inconvenient; b) it won’t last very long before the “handle” (i.e. hand hold) breaks; and c) there’s not much room in there for the other things you need to bring with you.<\/p>\n You do not\u2013under any circumstances\u2013have to splash for the ~$170 Zuca skate bag with the flashing LED lights in the wheels. I know the other (mostly) girls have them and they are indeed super cool, and your child will undoubtedly think that you are the most awesome parent in the whole world ever, EVER. The bags I bought for my children cost around $15 each; my kids still talk to me. Of course, if you can find somebody selling a used Zuca for $30, well, that’s a different question.<\/p>\nBreakdown of the Figure Skater Essentials<\/h1>\n
1. Appropriate\u00a0Ice Skates<\/h2>\n
2. Thin Socks<\/h2>\n
3. Soakers<\/h2>\n
4. Blade Guards<\/h2>\n
5. A Bag<\/h2>\n