This blog is a collection of my thoughts and experiences from ten years as a skate dad. For those of you sitting with your jackets in the bleachers, first I salute you, but second I want to give you an honest sense of what you are in for and what to expect. Ice skating is both a trying and a glorious sport, but it doesn't happen without the special group of folks who cheer, support, and console the participants. This is dedicated to you.


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

- boots


This may seem peculiar for a participant to realize, but after watching skating for six or seven years the habits of my gaze settle directly onto your feet. I still admire your competition dress for the first 30 seconds or so, and during your program my eyes float around to graceful arm movements, a smile, a flash of rhinestones, or a spray of imagination.

But for 70% of your program (when watching in person) I am mostly interested in the interface between your blades and the ice. That is really where you express all of your suave athleticism. Hence, directly at the periphery of my focus: your boots.

For a competition I suppose you really have only two options with respect to your boots: either wear the tights down over them or keep them polished white.

Those other little boot tricks: gold blades? Boot glitter? No thanks -- frankly it's too distracting.

Yeah I know you spend a lot of effort on you hair, your dress, and your makeup. But while you're on ice the old time audience members mostly focus on your skates. It's really bad form to show off the scuffs. Polish or tights over, please.

(repost)

Posted by Jeff Chapman at 5:00 PM
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 29, 2012 at 4:45 PM

    Agreed! And if you are using over-the-boot tights please make sure they cover the boot completely. No bits o'boot poking through here and there. It's distracting. Bottom ine: it is possible to skate without costume, but impossible to skate without your boots. Show them a little respect.

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  2. UnknownOctober 31, 2012 at 2:03 PM

    Jeff you have touched on one of my bug bears here. Boots for me are polished white, full stop. I abhor over-the-boot tights. I find them juvenile and unprofessional. I adore the elegant lines of Michelle Kwan and Ashley Wagner, the white boot-sporting elite.
    I even wrote a post on how to keep your skates looking good for the longest possible time (I hope you don't mind my posting the link? http://www.figureskatingadvice.com/2012/06/4-things-you-can-do-to-keep-your-boots.html).

    Great post, keep 'em coming!

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  3. Jeff ChapmanNovember 1, 2012 at 7:00 AM

    Great comments! Here's a link to Gigi's good article as well (for clicking and bots to spider).

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  4. AnonymousNovember 1, 2012 at 2:41 PM

    yeah would be nice, except hard to keep your training skates (also used in competition) clean and spotless. it takes effort and energy. Unfortunately, effort and energy is not what people have at 5am. Perhaps ladies should adopt men's black skates. Dude's skates hide all blemishes.

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