Am I overbooting? EDEA Preludio or Overture | Golden Skate

Am I overbooting? EDEA Preludio or Overture

biscuitbarrel

Spectator
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Hi guys! I'm a 21 year old girl who just recently got into figure skating - I did intensive holiday courses as a kid, but my parents would never let me sacrifice my precious schooling/studying time for something like whirling around on the ice... now that I've moved out, I'm finally free to do what I want :biggrin:

I'm now doing a group course once a week, and I guess we'll be covering the Basic Skills from 3-8, although the programme description did say that depending on the level of the participants, we could also work on pirouettes and basic jumps. The first week we did backwards/forwards swizzles and backwards/forwards crossovers, as well as the 2-foot forwards to backwards turn. Sorry if I don't always get all the terminology right - I'm in Europe, and this programme doesn't seem to be following the Basic Skills programme very strictly either.

I intend to continue with private lessons after this group course ends, or maybe even start some in the next few weeks. There's about 15 people attending this class, and I feel like the instructor hasn't been able to pay much attention to all of us individually.

So here's my question: I'm looking into getting some ice skates that would last me from basic skills until I begin single jumps, if possible. I've done some research, and I think the EDEA Preludio would be best suited for me. However, the skate store here doesn't seem to sell them, instead only selling the Overture and up! If I got the Overture instead, would I be overbooting in those?

One thing that might be of note is that I probably have weak angles, as I've sprained my ankles several times as a kid while doing gymnastics and general tomfoolery, last time being my right ankle 2 years ago.

If anyone else has other skates to recommend, that would also be great. My budget is about €200 for the boot and blade. Thanks so much! :)
 

Myblade

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Well, I think it really depends on you. If you are on the larger side, I think that the Overtures would be OK. But your weak ankles might make it harder for you to break them in. Also, it depends on how much you skate a week and how long it takes you to progress. If you skate a lot, then breaking in a higher level boot would be easier. I suggest you first buy a beginner level skate, like the Riedell 133 diamonds or something close to that. You could ask around the rink if anybody has an old pair or something like that. Then, when you are more advanced, you could spend more on a more advanced boot.

What I did was I first bought the Riedell 113s, which were for recreational skaters. They lasted me all the way until Freestyle 1, which is the ISI version of Basic 8 I think. Then I spent around $300 US dollars on a pair of Jackson freestyles. I am currently in Pre-preliminary, and my pair of Freestyles are still going strong. BTW, I skated once a week for a hour in my Riedells, and now I am doing about 5-6 hours a week in my Freestyles. But it may be different for you because I am not an adult. It tends to be more ok for adults to buy boots higher than their level because most figure skates were designed and leveled with little kids in mind.Adults are heavier and have stronger feet so they need a stronger boot. This is my opinion on this matter, but I think you should go to your local pro shop and ask the pro there or ask your coach. Some adult skaters here may be able to give you better info than me, but I hope I helped!
 

yuzushenko

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 21, 2014
yeah the overtures will definitely be too stiff for you. you need to learn how to master the ankle and knee bend, but if the skates are too stiff (because they're made to support triples and quads) then a beginner skater might not be able to bend enough. they'll get accustomed to the stiff feeling, so they'll never attempt to truly bend deep. i dont know, that's my opinion at least. it's important to bend your ankles and knees in everything you do to develop good technique. i think you should start off with something much more basic (like up to single jumps maybe) and learn to break those boots in.

as for your weak ankles.. i think the simpler beginner boots will help you develop strong ankles more than a stiff concerto. with the concertos, they'll be so stiff that your foot will basically be in a cast. you won't rely on your own ankle strength for anything, and you'll just be relying on the stiffness. that will make your ankles weaker. you'll be learning fairly simple moves, and unless you're doing triples, you don't need that stiffness. in the end, over-booting will hamper your progress i believe. at least with the more beginner boots, you'll develop an ankle strength of your own.

i remember reading an old article about this problem, and the author said that back then they just had leather boots and the stiffness wasn't anywhere near the level of today's boots. yet skaters back then had really great edges and technique because those "weak" boots forced them to develop good ankle strength and bend.

anyways, concertos are definitely outside of your 200 euro budget. they'll probably be around 3.5 times that. and that's just for the boot. you would need to shell out for the blade too which by itself might cost 200 euros for a relatively inexpensive kind.
 

Loops

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 22, 2015
I agree with Yuzuskenko on overly stiff boots. But you also need to factor in your weight and strength. If you're a former gymnast you're likely stronger than the average beginning skater, and as an adult, the recommendations for beginner boots may not apply so much as they're geared to young scrawny kids. I don't know much about Edea's line so I'm not going to get into which model may or may not be best for you.

When buying skates, the most important thing is the fit of the boot. Different companies have different lasts, and you may very well find that the Edea's don't fit you at all, but Risport (or Wifa, or Jackson or Belatti) might. You absolutely need to go and try them on. Then you'll also get an idea for the stiffness. If you can bend your knees to your toes without lifting your heels, then you should be OK. If you're talking Euros, then I'm guessing you're in Continental Europe somewhere? You may have the added challenge of finding a skate shop. I know here in France, pretty much all of my co-skaters order their skates online, and pretty much all of them are in boots that are too large (which although more comfortable, adversely affects their skating). I drove to Paris to get skates 3 years ago, and may try a shop I recently discovered in Lyon (which for me, is even further than Paris but the guy was more knowledgeable than the Parisian store). So be prepared to make a mini-vacation out of the skate buying experience if you have to. Getting boots that fit (then punched out where needed to perfect that fit) is going to make your skating experience 100x better. Oh, and they all hurt, so be prepared for that.
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Remember that most lower level boots are intended for young skaters who weigh less than a 21-year old, so if the Overture is for single jumps through axel, they are probably about right for an adult doing basic skating and everything up to the lower level single jumps. Try them on, and if they fit your feet comfortably and you can bend deeply in them--so that your knees are farther forward than your toes--then they should be fine. You never need side-to-side flexibility in the ankles of your boots; you just need to be able to bend your knees/ankles and point your feet somewhat (forward flexion). Just be warned that Edeas run narrow and don't fit everyone's feet. If they feel even a little bit snug in the front of your foot, they will never "break in" or get more comfortable because they are not leather. If they are tight in the instep or ball of the foot, you can expect your circulation to be cut off, as well as arch cramps and eventually bunions. Try on several different brands so you know what a good fit feels like.
 
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uhh

Medalist
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
I moved onto Overtures as my 2nd pair of skates after skating for two years. They are a very good boot, but I think I would have struggled to cope with them as my first pair - not because of the stiffness but because there's more room between the top of the tongue & the ankle. You have to be really confident with your knee & ankle bend to manage it.

I started out on Graf 500s which worked very well for me & took me through doing single jumps. It's within your price range, but as with all things skating, its hard to recommend a specific brand because the most important thing is who the boot fits your foot. Graf, Risport & Jackson will all have entry level boots suitable for your needs, the best thing to do is get to a skate shop & try boots on as much as possible.
 

biscuitbarrel

Spectator
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Hey everybody, thanks for your responses! They were really helpful. Gave me a lot to think about.

@Myblade: I'm not too large - if it helps, I'm about 50kg. I guess that would make it harder to break them in, but I've also heard that EDEAs have barely any break-in time, so that would be okay. The local pro shop closes really early and its difficult for me to get there before they shut, and I've asked my coach but she says she's skated in Risport since forever and can't speak for any other brands. However, she did say that she'll ask around the skating club for people in my size who are selling their old skates, so hopefully that turns up some leads :)

@yuzushenko I think you might have confused the Overtures with the Concertos :) haha. The Overtures are rated for single jumps until the Axel, and the Preludio (which I think would fit me the best) is rated for basic skills up to the beginning of single jumps. I've looked at blades too, and I'm probably going to stick with the €60 blades (MK 21 or Ultima Mirage).
 

biscuitbarrel

Spectator
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
@Loops: Oh, I'll definitely be trying them on before I buy them at a pro shop :) these are the first skates I'm buying, so the advice of a professional will be invaluable, especially if they're able to tailor it to my feet. I live in a fairly big city in Germany, but I might travel to Berlin to buy my skates - the shop there is a little more expensive, but they have their own little built-in artificial ice rink so I can really try the skates out, hahaha.
 

biscuitbarrel

Spectator
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
@vlaurend - oh crap, does that mean I'll be underbooting if I get something rated exactly for what I'm doing now? I weigh 50kg, so I'm no child, but I'm not exactly the size of the average adult either lol. Thanks so so much for the advice on bending and fit, BTW :D

@uhh - are you currently using Overtures for single jumps? Unfortunately the shop near me seems only to have the Graf Arosa and Splendid :/
 

yuzushenko

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 21, 2014
Hey everybody, thanks for your responses! They were really helpful. Gave me a lot to think about.

@Myblade: I'm not too large - if it helps, I'm about 50kg. I guess that would make it harder to break them in, but I've also heard that EDEAs have barely any break-in time, so that would be okay. The local pro shop closes really early and its difficult for me to get there before they shut, and I've asked my coach but she says she's skated in Risport since forever and can't speak for any other brands. However, she did say that she'll ask around the skating club for people in my size who are selling their old skates, so hopefully that turns up some leads :)

@yuzushenko I think you might have confused the Overtures with the Concertos :) haha. The Overtures are rated for single jumps until the Axel, and the Preludio (which I think would fit me the best) is rated for basic skills up to the beginning of single jumps. I've looked at blades too, and I'm probably going to stick with the €60 blades (MK 21 or Ultima Mirage).

oh, hahahha my bad! im so sorry! yeah in that case you're not overbooting at all lol
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
You never need side-to-side flexibility in the ankles of your boots;

I wouldn't go so far as to say "never". Right now I'm working on developing more polished back cross-overs. My coach keeps telling me to drop my ankle more on the leg that's to the rear. By "drop my ankle", she means a side-to-side flex, such that the side of the boot comes close to touching the ice. It's taken a lot of effort for me to do so; largely in part because my boots are very stiff with respect to side-to-side flex and I had to break them in in that direction.
 
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vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
I wouldn't go so far as to say "never". Right now I'm working on developing more polished back cross-overs. My coach keeps telling me to drop my ankle more on the leg that's to the rear. By "drop my ankle", she means a side-to-side flex, such that the side of the boot comes close to touching the ice. It's taken a lot of effort for me to do so; largely in part because my boots are very stiff with respect to side-to-side flex and I had to break them in in that direction.

Hmm, I guess I could see that, but if you have the right lean from the hips down, you don't require much lateral movement in the ankle/foot to put your blade in the correct position relative to the ice. The only times I've suffered from boots that were too stiff on the sides has been on outside spread eagles, where you actually lean against the outsides of your boots. Boots that are really hard and stiff at the top leave bruises where they dig into my legs right above the ankles. Once the boot tops soften a little, I stop getting bruises but there's still plenty of lateral stiffness at the ankles.
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
@vlaurend - oh crap, does that mean I'll be underbooting if I get something rated exactly for what I'm doing now? I weigh 50kg, so I'm no child, but I'm not exactly the size of the average adult either lol. Thanks so so much for the advice on bending and fit, BTW :D

@uhh - are you currently using Overtures for single jumps? Unfortunately the shop near me seems only to have the Graf Arosa and Splendid :/

At 50kg, I imagine you should be fine in either the Overture or the boot below that one. I weigh 51kg and wear boots that are much stiffer than that, but I am also a higher level skater. When I was at your level I wore boots meant for beginners through single jumps and then upgraded to stiffer boots once I had my first 3 single jumps. The worst that can happen is that you will need to buy new boots a little sooner if you buy the lower level boots (but the lower level boots are also cheaper, so it makes up for that).
 

EJSB

Spectator
Joined
Oct 17, 2020
Hi guys! I'm a 21 year old girl who just recently got into figure skating - I did intensive holiday courses as a kid, but my parents would never let me sacrifice my precious schooling/studying time for something like whirling around on the ice... now that I've moved out, I'm finally free to do what I want :biggrin:

I'm now doing a group course once a week, and I guess we'll be covering the Basic Skills from 3-8, although the programme description did say that depending on the level of the participants, we could also work on pirouettes and basic jumps. The first week we did backwards/forwards swizzles and backwards/forwards crossovers, as well as the 2-foot forwards to backwards turn. Sorry if I don't always get all the terminology right - I'm in Europe, and this programme doesn't seem to be following the Basic Skills programme very strictly either.

I intend to continue with private lessons after this group course ends, or maybe even start some in the next few weeks. There's about 15 people attending this class, and I feel like the instructor hasn't been able to pay much attention to all of us individually.

So here's my question: I'm looking into getting some ice skates that would last me from basic skills until I begin single jumps, if possible. I've done some research, and I think the EDEA Preludio would be best suited for me. However, the skate store here doesn't seem to sell them, instead only selling the Overture and up! If I got the Overture instead, would I be overbooting in those?

One thing that might be of note is that I probably have weak angles, as I've sprained my ankles several times as a kid while doing gymnastics and general tomfoolery, last time being my right ankle 2 years ago.

If anyone else has other skates to recommend, that would also be great. My budget is about €200 for the boot and blade. Thanks so much! :)
Wondering which you ended up buying. My daughter is just like you! 50 kilos, and is looking at the Edea Preludio vs the Motivo. She is about the same level as what you mentioned in your post. Did you buy the Preludio?
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Wondering which you ended up buying. My daughter is just like you! 50 kilos, and is looking at the Edea Preludio vs the Motivo. She is about the same level as what you mentioned in your post. Did you buy the Preludio?
This thread is 5 years old and the poster is no longer here. You'd be better off starting your own thread and asking one of us.
 
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