Coronation Ace - Standard vs Revolution? | Golden Skate

Coronation Ace - Standard vs Revolution?

SmallAminal

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
My son is currently in the standard model of Coronation Ace, which is appropriate for his level (and was recommended by the coach).

I was reading somewhere about common skating injuries and that overly heavy skates can contribute to some injuries. One article suggested that skates should weigh no more than 5 percent of the skater's body weight (tough to achieve for little kids).

Given that my son is only 50 lbs, I was wondering if exploring the Coronation Ace Revolution made sense for his next skates, since they are lighter. From the John Wilson website, it didn't sound like they were intended for more "advanced" skaters than the standard model, but did offer weight reduction and more durability. This might also mean less sharpening (and its a long drive to do the sharpening for us) - in the end, this could save enough in time and gas to offset the additional expense of the more expensive blade. Right now, we have to sharpen around 16-18 hours because of all the nicks (and yes, we are religious about guard use).

Does anyone have experience in switching from the standard model to the "Revolution" model? Is it really that much lighter and can you get more skating time in between sharpening? Is there any difference in how the blade works with the boot (the sole plates look very different from what I can see on the John Wilson website).

I also couldn't tell if the Revolution model was a "parallel" blade or "tapered and side honed" because the comparison chart says "parallel" but elsewhere on the website says "tapered and side honed". Does anyone know which one it is? Are there any challenges with the tapered and side honed style of blade, especially with sharpening or general care?

I am not interesting in getting something fancy and spending extra money just for the sake of it, but if there is a real benefit in terms of weight reduction and saving time and money overall, I'm willing to consider it for our next pair, even if my son seems to be good in the regular Coronation Ace.

We are (hopefully) a few months out from needing new skates, but wanted to start thinking about this before. If anyone has experience or input, I would appreciate it.

Thanks!
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
My son is currently in the standard model of Coronation Ace, which is appropriate for his level (and was recommended by the coach).

I was reading somewhere about common skating injuries and that overly heavy skates can contribute to some injuries. One article suggested that skates should weigh no more than 5 percent of the skater's body weight (tough to achieve for little kids).

Given that my son is only 50 lbs, I was wondering if exploring the Coronation Ace Revolution made sense for his next skates, since they are lighter. From the John Wilson website, it didn't sound like they were intended for more "advanced" skaters than the standard model, but did offer weight reduction and more durability. This might also mean less sharpening (and its a long drive to do the sharpening for us) - in the end, this could save enough in time and gas to offset the additional expense of the more expensive blade. Right now, we have to sharpen around 16-18 hours because of all the nicks (and yes, we are religious about guard use).

Does anyone have experience in switching from the standard model to the "Revolution" model? Is it really that much lighter and can you get more skating time in between sharpening? Is there any difference in how the blade works with the boot (the sole plates look very different from what I can see on the John Wilson website).

I also couldn't tell if the Revolution model was a "parallel" blade or "tapered and side honed" because the comparison chart says "parallel" but elsewhere on the website says "tapered and side honed". Does anyone know which one it is? Are there any challenges with the tapered and side honed style of blade, especially with sharpening or general care?

I am not interesting in getting something fancy and spending extra money just for the sake of it, but if there is a real benefit in terms of weight reduction and saving time and money overall, I'm willing to consider it for our next pair, even if my son seems to be good in the regular Coronation Ace.

We are (hopefully) a few months out from needing new skates, but wanted to start thinking about this before. If anyone has experience or input, I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

Hi @SmallAminal. I switched to JW Gold Seal revolutions several years ago after skating on regular MK Gold Star blades for most of my advanced skating career. I have to say that I was skeptical at first about the Revolution (parabolic) blades, but once I had them properly mounted by my skate pro, I fell in love with how different they felt. They are very lightweight since they are carbon composite and due the the fly weight and the cushioning it really makes jumps a breeze and a lot less painful at times (constant pounding and friction during jumps). I don't know much about the Coronation Ace's since they are a lower blade than I require but I can tell you that if you are looking for a lighter weight blade, this might be your answer. Also, because they are parabolic they help to center your weight and help with stability, I have found this to be very true to the claims. They are also more flexible and durable than standard blades of the same type. I'm fairly sure than the Coronation Ace's are side honed and also crosscut picks, as to where the regular CA blade is parallel instead of side-honed.

I hope I was able to help you in some way. If you have anymore questions feel free to PM me. :)
 

concorde

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
If your concern is weight, I really don't think there is too much difference between 2 blades - maybe a couple of ounces.

When my daughter was your son's size, we hade problems with boots. Basically she was too light to break a boot and as a result, her legs could not bend which caused a sore back. So the issue was not the weight of the boot the but stiffness of the boot material. We found that purchasing used boots (model recommended by the coach) solved the problem.

Having a little skater is a challenge. The good news is they grow!
 

SmallAminal

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
Ic3Rabbit and concorde - thanks for your input.

Weight is only one consideration - I am also (selfishly) wondering if I will save time and perhaps $$$ in the long run by using a blade with carbon composite. I did see some suggestions in other forums that sharpeners will charge more for these kinds of blades vs. a "standard" blade, which may erode any savings.
 

concorde

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
With ice skating, whenever I try to go cheap, I may some $ in the very short term but in the long termer, it is more $$$. With a little skaters, you really need to focus on your child's current needs are, not what they might need in 6 months.

Since my daughter was about 5, we have been "lucky" to only need new boots and skates once a year. She tends to go up one full size in boots so blades cannot be recycled (if you go up only 0.5 boot size, then sometimes you can recycle a blade). If you are thinking get a more expensive blades now so you can re-use it with the next pair of skates, my experience that is probably a wrong assumption.

Little kids are really bad about putting on guards each time they get off the ice so their skaters tend to require more sharpening more frequently those of other skater. My duaghter never complains about dull blades - we (the parents) have to ask. But I know each skater is difference and my seems not worry them.

fyi - my daughter try Matrix Supremes one year and they did require less sharpening. She liked them due to the thickness since they did not cut her hand when she did a catch foot.
 
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