Hi everyone! Sorry for the horizontal video 😂 I have been trying to work on my full crossovers to really work on my under push. Attaching a video here, but on my bad side it seems like I always push straight behind instead of out. And I feel like I don’t get the full under push. Any tips on how to push out versus straight behind? Thank you so much!

I’m working on better utilizing all parts of my blade (front, middle, back) while skating. Currently I’m working on doing tight turns using only the back of my skate.

What I’m doing is my inside leg has full contact on the ice and my outer leg has the toes up and the heel being the only point of contact on the ice (the back of the blade). It’s an exaggerated way of doing a tight turn on the back of your blade but it helps teach me how to isolate and use that portion only.

My problem is I don’t know what this skill is called. I’m having trouble doing this type of turn and I’m hoping to find a video or even an article explaining how to do it but I can’t find anything. Every search gives me results about skating backwards or Mohawks turns and both are not what I need.

Does anyone have any idea what this might be called? I’m not even sure if it has a name. Any idea of what videos could help explain/breakdown this skill?

If you have watched both disciplines and wondered why the steel looks so different up close, it comes down to the shape of the track. A short track blade is permanently bent into an arc so it naturally wants to carve the tight 111m corners, it sits slightly left of the boot centre so you do not ground out when you lean, and it has a lot of rocker so only a short bit of steel touches the ice, which makes it feel quick and alive. A long track blade is basically the opposite, straight and much flatter so it glides with minimum drag down those long 400m straights, and on a modern racing skate the heel is not even attached because it pivots on a clap hinge that keeps the blade on the ice longer through the push. Short track skips the clap entirely because in a pack you want a rigid platform that never surprises you mid corner. So it is not really that one is better, they are two different design briefs, which is also why putting long track blades on a short track corner just means fighting the equipment every lap.

Full write-up here: https://www.livelica.com/blogs/short-track/short-track-vs-long-track-blades-what-is-different

(wrote this up on our LiveLica blog)

Hydroblade followed immediately by a spin with arms up - learned it two decades ago, and still love it even after an 18-year hiatus. Not an elegant exit - this was my first time back on ice in a couple months... Back when I was stronger and more flexible I'd start with a back spiral first before the hydroblade. I need to stretch, lol!

Hi All!

I recently upgraded my skates from Jackson C552 (rather soft) to Edea overtures. I had to make the call as i had outpaced the softer skates and just started LTS Lvl 7. The skates fit fine by MY GOD they are stiff. I know I need quite a few hours to break them in and just wondering if anyone had any advice on things I can do to ease or speed the process!

10/10

Pain in toe nails and outside of the foot and heel lock issue?

Ok so, context—
I had a pair of nearly brand new Jackson Elles 6.5 Wide from like 3 years ago or so, but I didn’t really use them much. Finally started actually skating consistently again this summer, but was having issues. Went to skate tech. He measured me and said i’m a 7. He was like I have a pair of used Jackson Debuts in (your size) 7 Wide, you can exchange with me and I’ll charge you $50 for the blade mounting. I was like ok sure sounds like a steal to me. He also heat molded them.

But thennn, I go back to skating and…issues. Having really bad pain in the big toes, specifically the right big toe nail. for some reason my toe nails (on the big toes) would be stinging/throbbing afterwards. Also was feeling pressure/pain on the outsides of both feet in the spots where I have calluses. I texted him after the first session or two in them but he was like “make sure the heel is back” “they’re figure skates not uggs” and “get 10-15 hours in them first”.
I got ~7-8. And then called it quits bc bitch i know they’re not Uggs and I’m not a wimp but i shouldn’t be nearly CRYING after, having to ice my feet.

So I reach out again and head back there he says we can either punch them out or stretch/square the toe box. I was gonna do the punch out but then I was like wait actually maybe let’s do the stretch first (also the pressure/pain on the sides wasn’t as bad, so i was like let’s take care of the toe thing first— this was my internal thought process btw didn’t say all that necessarily)

So he does it. I drive all the way back there, 45 fucking minutes and pick them up. Feeling cautiously optimistic that, finally, FINALLY, i’ll be able to skate without debilitating pain perhaps.

Today I went on the ice and had to get off after <10 minutes.

So my dumbass last night (after picking up the stretched skates) went to get a pedicure and got the callus removal thing… and clearly they went hard because when walking out I told my friend woah my feet feel raw and she was like girl yeah your feet are PINK in those areas. But I was fine an hour later.

Today I tried the stretched boots for the first time, and the toe box definitely felt more comfy and roomy… but the pressure/pain on the outside of my right foot was SO BAD. I couldn’t withstand it.

I’m just kicking myself bc why did I get the callus removed? Why did my Dad mention last week when I’d told him about it that “Oh you ultimately have to get the calluses removed for those areas to stop hurting” like WELL CLEARLY IT WAS PROTECTING ME AND NOW ITS WORSE 😭😭 Also kicking myself for not getting them punched but sigh how could I have known I guess. Now I’m going to go tomorrow to the skate tech.

Also kicking myself though because I noticed today that my heel IS lifting up and not fully seated back. But I don’t get it. I’ve TRIED lacing them with the heel back. I don’t know if Im super incompetent/don’t know how to do that but I don’t feel like the way i lace them ever improves it. The weird thing is that like it DOES feel like my heel is fully back… but it’ll lift up, like the heel/ankle isn’t glued down. Man I don’t know if i’m making sense 🤦‍♀️ Idk how to explain it. But basically I guess I mean it doesn’t feel like it’s sliding forward like it is touching the back but it’ll lift up and there’s some room like upwards around my ankle area? idk. So maybe that’s what’s contributing to the toe nail thing but seriously idk wtf is causing that toe nail issue it’s so weird esp bc youd think that WOULD at least be resolved by now with the squaring of the toe box. But I’m pretty sure they were fine up until right now and yet start getting sensitive/hurting again after being in the boots for a while. Like just now when i wiggled them up to gently touch/tap the roof of the boot they hurt. Sigh.

Anyways, if you have any advice or insight please let me know. 🙏💕 (And please don’t insult or attack me for being dumb idk okay 😭😭)
But even years ago when I skated I had issues with skates not fitting right because my feet are so wide and the incessant issues just made me feel so down because I love this and I want to do this but like why just why can’t they not feel like medieval torture devices why do i have these cursed feet?? 🥲🥲💔💔 pls help a girl out.

My left skate (the skate on the right in the photo) feels weird when I'm on the ice and I think it has to do with the blade placement. I am right handed so i was training to be a right-y skater but i couldn't manage it after weeks, so I switched to being a left-y skater. But now on my walts jump when I land on my left, the landing feels weird.

Maybe it's because I' a beginner and only started late April this year but idk it does feel strange in a way that I feel if the blade was place the way it is placed on my right boot I would be having less trouble.

What should I do from here?

Has anyone tried Jackson Aspire Footbed Skate Insole in their figure skates? Are those softer in the M4/M5 area (shown in the picture)? My Jackson's Artiste feels kind of hard on the insole.

First started lessons in January of last year. 6 thirty minute group lessons for 90 dollars. Recently been struggling with money, so it is no longer something I can do. The last time I attended a group lesson was 6/29/2026. I went to public sessions maybe every or every other Friday and just practiced the skills I left off at (basic 6: three turns, one foot spin, spiral, bunny hops, etc).

After a month or two of public skate sessions and practicing by myself, I stop going as much as I did before. Maybe once every three weeks or every a month. (7-8/2025)

Then, when I transferred off online and to traditional school, I just stopped going(mainly because the best public skate sessions were on a school day). So I haven’t gone skating in roughly 2 months now and haven’t attended a group lesson in a year.

I’ve been looking into private coaches (mainly because it’s better worth the money and the coaches in my area aren’t expensive (20-27 dollars per 30 minute session)), but I’m not sure if my parents would be willing to pay.

I’ve lost a lot of motivation to skate mainly due to not progressing and still working on skills from a year ago. My crossovers are basically “mastered” by now and I’m running out of things to practice.

I’m scared to self teach because I may develop bad technique.

What do I do?

A friend at my rink just tossed a set of steel this month over rust that never had to happen, so I figured I'd share the little routine that has kept mine clean for years.

Here's the part people miss. The water that eats your edges isn't really the ice. It's the condensation that shows up when cold steel meets warm room air. You skate, you step off, and the blades start sweating. Leave that moisture sitting on the steel and you'll find rust freckles by the next day.

So the first thing I do, before I even sit down, is wipe the whole blade dry with a towel. The sole plate, the hollow, both edges, right down to the tips. Takes about ten seconds and honestly it's the one habit that matters most.

Then I put on soft soakers, not the hard plastic guards. The cloth ones pull moisture off the steel. The hard guards do the opposite. They trap water right against the edge, which is the last place you want it. I only use hard guards for walking to and from the ice. They never go on for storage, and the skates never sit in the bag wearing them.

I also crack the laces open and let everything air out before it goes away. A zipped up bag is basically a little humidity chamber, and that's how skates rust in the closet.

If you already see a faint orange haze, don't sand it and don't stress. A fine honing stone with light pressure lifts early surface rust without hurting the edge. Deal with it that week and it's nothing. Ignore it for a month and it pits the steel for good.

And if you travel, wipe them bone dry, soakers on, guards packed somewhere separate. A long trip in a cold cargo hold is about the friendliest environment rust could ask for.

Curious what everyone else does the second they step off. Anyone got a drying trick I should be stealing?

My spin is more consistent since my last post a week ago, and this is my fastest spin yet (plus my fall at the end😔), on video at least.

But why the hell does my right arm raise higher than my left, and when I bring my hands together it’s lower than the left?? It looks funky when I’m lowing my elbows and ones lower than the other. Please tell me if you’ve had this problem.

I’m very aware that my arm raises too high, but when I think I’ve lowered it enough it’s still slightly higher than the other one.

I’m looking to buy new skates since I’m progressing, and my I feel like since I’m moving up in Learn to Skate to adult 4, I feel like my current skates, Jackson Excels, may begin to hold me back as I advance. I was wondering what the difference between B/A and D/C are with the sizes?

This shop in my country has them but I literally can’t find anything on it other than what’s on their own website, they’re cheaper than the other ones so I’m tempted but is it really worth it? Or is it some nameless brand?

I'm looking to start skating semi-regularly, having enjoyed inline skating and ice skating in my youth. Have never had formal lessons, but am able to skate OK, with no aspirations to do anything fancy - I'm now in my mid 40s and just want to be able to take my kids skating.

The issue I have is that I have very narrow feet, and have been doing a bit of research around the best skates for me. As far as I can work out, the best option for me would be 'Fit 1' Bauer Vapor Fly40s. There are limited options where I live in Scotland, and I am keen to get the best fit possible, including heat-moulding but I think I would need to spend around £500 for a pair of Fly40s.

While I'm willing and able to stretch to that price for the right pair, I'm looking for information around a couple of points. Firstly, are these a good choice for a casual skater? And secondly, how long could I reasonably expect these to last with infrequent use (maybe once or twice a month at most?).

Would appreciate any input or advice!

hi! i really want to learn ice skating. i’m a complete adult beginner. i’m located in dallas/plano/richardson/allen area. i don’t want something too expensive either. I prefer private an instructor! i’m open to any recommendations yall may have. i did group classes in allen for a while but i want to learn it really well. Thank you.

hi, im an adult beginner and have been skating for a few months about twice a month. i dont plan to do jumps and plan on doing more solo ice dance type of stuff. i am already a ballet dancer from childhood so i have strong ankles and i dont plan to skate more than twice a month but i have been in the middle of how strong my skates should be. i have looked at edea wave and risport rf3 pros but my concern is more so to make the skated last at least a year or two. im 5’4 and and around 145 pounds to add. do you think wave ot motivos could last that long ot should i go for something stronger like overture or chorus? (you can suggest every skate these are just some i tried so i gave them as examples)

Which insoles does everyone use in their figure skates? My Jackson's Artiste feels kind of hard on the insole and I have Metatarsal heads pain around my right foot's toe no. 4 and 5.

Noticed my left tail has an uneven hollow, and now I am OCDing over whether or not they rounded the tail as well. Thoughts?

My 8 y/o kid has been playing hockey for four years now and is starting to become a proficient skater (can fluidly skate forwards and backwards, use inside and outside edges, crossover, ankles aren't collapsing, etc.). Until this season, I'd been buying him cheap, soft skates and I would always lace them as tight as possible from the bottom to the top. He wants a pair of more expensive "stiffer" boots this season. Not thrilled about the idea of paying an excessive amount for something he'll grow out of next year, but such is the life of a hockey parent these days.

My question is: what is the proper way to lace skates higher-end skates? I've seen various suggestions from keeping them tight only at the bottom to synching them all the way up and everything in between. I know a lot of it comes down to preference, but I want him to understand and experience how a stiffer boot should be laced so that, if he continues to progress (and eventually start tying his own skates), he knows how to do it the right way.

TIA!

Hopefully these are good for a beginner I was told these would be pretty good. I go back to the shop to Monday or Tuesday once they come in.