Little Mr. Axel

So there's a boy who skates every Saturday, and last week he told me he had his Axel.

So, I told my coach "He has his axel," I nodded to the boy, "I think that's great."

My coach has been a big supporter of this kid and helped him get his first real boots, but she snorted and rolled her eyes. 

At the end of my lesson, she had him check my left spin, and when he just looked polite, she told me, "Now spin the other way."

So I did, and very nicely too. But my coach had something up her sleeve.

The kid looked at her

Where my coach is going with that, no idea. I know to push back and just not ask questions. What happens on freestyle, stays on freestyle.

When I Get A Compliment

A 9 year old in Freeskate 5 says:

"You're Very Graceful on the Ice"

Kids these days, they have much better manners than when I was a child. 

Superfitting your Skates: Insoles

 I had a revelation at LTS tonight, So this works down to a point of useful information.

I've written previously, about how you can double your insoles to get a too wide skate to fit, or how I like to tweak Superfeet Yellow skating insoles to act as  homemade orthotics.

 I'm still a fan of superfeet insoles, but my needs have changed.

Due to the bunion-bone spur from hell, I now need more space in the toebox of my right foot, to get both my foot and my toes spacers in the boot at the same time. This means I need thinner insoles than my sturdy Superfeet.

Now you know why I.NEED.MORE.SPACE

So I opened my magic skate bag, secure in the knowledge that I would have some insoles, or pieces of insoles in there. And I did. I had 1 and a half pair leather insoles that had come out of my Harlicks or Jacksons, never worn.

 The Magic Skate Bag.

After I struggled getting the Superfeet out of my boots, I struggled to get the leather insoles in, and then my feet with the toe spacers.  THEN I GOT ON THE ICE!

With the new thin leather insoles I could finally feel my edges right down to the edge.

 I've heard of people who skated in bare feet (an experiment I'm not willing to try) and I finally  understand why that appeals to some. The sturdy Superfeet that I could make into orthotics, muted my sense of what was going on under my boots.

Will it make my skating better? Mmmm...I don't know. But as an interesting experience, it was revelatory. I look forward to a couple of more times on the ice to see what happens!! Maybe it will improve my skating

(I still have to pad a couple of spots in my boots, I have a thin lacebite pad I'm going to cut up. And my right foot needs a little tweaking in the counter, But I've had worse.)