Off-Ice Jumps

[AmalieWaltz]

Hello everyone. I've never done that many off ice jumps because I think they can be dangerous....I've heard of several people rolling their ankles, resulting in injury. But now that I am working on the Axel, I think I need to really be doing these off ice to have any hope of ever landing them on the ice. Do you have any suggestions on how to do this safely? I've just been using my running shoes but I'd like to have something on my foot that will provide some more support for my ankles so that hopefully I will keep from rolling them. I've looked at using hiking boots but the good ones that are stiff enough to provide ankle support are going to be a lot of money. I've also looked at basketball shoes and even gymnastics shoes that are used for tumbling and they're not that great as far as the ankle support. I thought about using an ankle brace with my tennis shoes but was afraid that might restrict the motion of the ankle too much.

I mentioned all of this to a hockey friend and she suggested using my old pair of skate boots to jump off ice! I have a pair I no longer use because I switched brands but it still has plenty of stiffness and support. I thought the idea seemed totally crazy at first but the more I think about it, the more I'm thinking maybe it might work. My old boots, since they're nowhere near broken down, would support my ankle sufficiently without restricting it's movement too much. Plus having these on my feet would better simulate what an on-ice jump would feel like than wearing street shoes would. I'd never do this with the blades on them, I know that would be super dangerous! This pair no longer has blades mounted on them and I can fill the holes where the blades were so that it'll be a smooth surface on the bottom. What do you guys think? Is it a crazy idea or would it be a safer way to do off-ice jumps? Or would this be risky? My friend thinks it'll work but since she's never jumped in skates, she's definitely not an expert. Any thoughts? Thank you.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hello everyone. I've never done that many off ice jumps because I think they can be dangerous....I've heard of several people rolling their ankles, resulting in injury. But now that I am working on the Axel, I think I need to really be doing these off ice to have any hope of ever landing them on the ice. Do you have any suggestions on how to do this safely? I've just been using my running shoes but I'd like to have something on my foot that will provide some more support for my ankles so that hopefully I will keep from rolling them. I've looked at using hiking boots but the good ones that are stiff enough to provide ankle support are going to be a lot of money. I've also looked at basketball shoes and even gymnastics shoes that are used for tumbling and they're not that great as far as the ankle support. I thought about using an ankle brace with my tennis shoes but was afraid that might restrict the motion of the ankle too much.

I mentioned all of this to a hockey friend and she suggested using my old pair of skate boots to jump off ice! I have a pair I no longer use because I switched brands but it still has plenty of stiffness and support. I thought the idea seemed totally crazy at first but the more I think about it, the more I'm thinking maybe it might work. My old boots, since they're nowhere near broken down, would support my ankle sufficiently without restricting it's movement too much. Plus having these on my feet would better simulate what an on-ice jump would feel like than wearing street shoes would. I'd never do this with the blades on them, I know that would be super dangerous! This pair no longer has blades mounted on them and I can fill the holes where the blades were so that it'll be a smooth surface on the bottom. What do you guys think? Is it a crazy idea or would it be a safer way to do off-ice jumps? Or would this be risky? My friend thinks it'll work but since she's never jumped in skates, she's definitely not an expert. Any thoughts? Thank you.

Stay jumping in regular running shoes. You are going to majorly hurt yourself doing anything else, especially the old skate boot idea, there is no way that would land and work right with the way skating boots are shaped on the bottoms and slick, also, don't try any hiking boots, or anything else.
Also, don't listen to hockey people about figure skates/skating LOL.

 

[kolyadafan2002]

Tennis shoes tend to have a lot of grip and I found it difficult to jump and rotate feet at the same time.

Running shoes are what most people use, but some have special impact absorbance shoes as well which I can really recommend.

Also make sure your knees bend directly over toes, and check if you need orthotics if that's not the case.

 

[gliese]

Running shoes are what most people wear.

 

[AmalieWaltz]

Stay jumping in regular running shoes. You are going to majorly hurt yourself doing anything else, especially the old skate boot idea, there is no way that would land and work right with the way skating boots are shaped on the bottoms and slick, also, don't try any hiking boots, or anything else.
Also, don't listen to hockey people about figure skates/skating LOL.

Ok I'll definitely forget the boot idea. Lol, yes I should've known not to take figure skate advice from a hockey player! Thank you. .

 

[AmalieWaltz]

Tennis shoes tend to have a lot of grip and I found it difficult to jump and rotate feet at the same time.

Running shoes are what most people use, but some have special impact absorbance shoes as well which I can really recommend.

Also make sure your knees bend directly over toes, and check if you need orthotics if that's not the case.

Great advice! Thank you.

 

[AmalieWaltz]

Running shoes are what most people wear.

Ok that's good to know. I've got a couple of pairs of running shoes I can use. Thank you.

 

[treblemakerem]

Get fitted for running shoes. You want shoes that are right for your feet (pronation etc). A lot of people don’t realize that the best shoe for one person isn’t the best for everyone (just like skates). Having the right kind can prevent injuries. I also would recommend doing an off ice lesson with your coach to make sure you are doing the right form.

 

[AmalieWaltz]

Get fitted for running shoes. You want shoes that are right for your feet (pronation etc). A lot of people don’t realize that the best shoe for one person isn’t the best for everyone (just like skates). Having the right kind can prevent injuries. I also would recommend doing an off ice lesson with your coach to make sure you are doing the right form.

That's a good idea, I should probably do that, I wasn't fitted for the running shoes I've got now. I have done some off ice practice sessions with my coach and that was definitely valuable. Thank you for your help.

 

[silver.blades]

Also consider the surface that you're doing the off-ice jumps on. If you have access to a sprung dance floor this is ideal since it will cushion the landings a little and not be as hard on your joints. Avoid unforgiving surfaces like concrete if you can.

 

[AmalieWaltz]

Also consider the surface that you're doing the off-ice jumps on. If you have access to a sprung dance floor this is ideal since it will cushion the landings a little and not be as hard on your joints. Avoid unforgiving surfaces like concrete if you can.

That is good advice. Thank you.