Advanced Skaters Where to Start on Blades
There are now a ton of blade options available to skaters these days with more blade options coming out regularly. Most coaches have their favorites that they use for their skaters. Most coaches do something similar to starting skaters off with the MK Coronation Ace, then moving skaters on to Pattern 99, then finally onto either a MK Phantom, Phantom Special, or Gold Seal. John Wilson has similar blades in their line.
Paramount is a fairly new blade line but should also be considered in the decision process. The blades are computer generated so each blade is the same within a specific line and even cross line. This is something that JW and MK can’t do since each blade is hand made. One of the nice things about the Paramount line is the fact that they are 30% lighter then tradition JW and MK blades. They come with a chassis system made from aerospace aluminum. The blade runners are made from a much harder carbon metal. In the mid-level and high end blades skaters are getting 90-120 hours of training time in before having to sharpen them. Additional blade runner can be purchased and kept a side. When one set of runners need to be sharpened skaters can send them to be sharpened and use the spare set and when those get dull they can swap them out just as before. This way it ensures the skater to always have a freshly sharpened pair of runners ready when needed.
Skaters and coaches should not count Jackson out in the blade category. They produce both traditional blades as well as their Matrix System which is similar to the Paramount blade line. Both Paramount and Matrix are available in distinctive color options.
Lets talk a minute about the traditional line Jackson has called the Jackson Ultima. They make blades that are virtually identical to blades found in the JW and MK lines. Think of it this way. When you go to Walmart and get Tylenol you will see the brand name Tylenol then right beside it you will see the Equate Brand. Same active ingredients just 30% on average cheaper then the brand name. Same thing with the Jackson Ultima line. These blades are usually about 30% cheaper. So skaters looking for something comparable to a Pattern 99 can choose the Ultima Elite UB 105. With the economy being the way it is everyone is worried about price from gas for your car on up. This is one line I always send parents and coaches to because it saved parents a little money on traditional blades. The extra money they save can be used on more lessons and so forth.
We are more then happy to talk with both coaches and parents about blade options available and get the right blade for your skater. Feel free to contact us anytime that’s what we’re here for.