Equipment and Skates

General Information for Pre-CanSkate, CanSkate and Juniors

Good equipment is important for comfort and safety, as well as ensuring effective progress. All skaters should have their own skates, preferably fitted by a skate shop or by a qualified skate dealer. Leather boots with firm support around the ankle and properly sharpened blades are essential.  The boots should be fitted with one pair of socks and there needs to be room to move the toes, but the foot should not slide. The heel must fit firmly and should not be able to move up and down.  Moulded boots are often too stiff and inflexible and are not recommended once a skater has progressed past the Stage 4 Badge. 

**Important**
A good fit in a pair of quality used boots is far better than a pair of
lower quality new boots even for the beginner skater.

Each child will need:

• Skates (see notes below about proper fit and selection).
• A properly fitted and adjusted CSA Approved hockey helmet (REQUIRED as per Club Policy).
• Warm mitts and warm clothing (snow pants are recommend for the beginner skater).
• If they find they are too warm, then sweat suits, sweaters and warm mitts are okay.
• Skating dresses for the girls are acceptable but 2 pair of warm tights, mitts and a sweater should still be worn.

What to look for when buying skates:

• Have your child put both skates on and leave the laces very loose. 
• Open up the tongue of the skate as far as it will go.   
• Slides your child’s foot forward in the boot and ensure that the toes are still flat. 
• The child should stand up and bends his/her knees until they are standing about ¼ of the way down.
• Measure the clearance with your middle finger turned sideways inside the boot at the back of the heel.
• There should be one generous finger’s width between the heel and the back of the boot on both feet.
• When buying skates with riveted blades, turn the skates over and check for any serious misalignment of the blade. 
• Have your child walk/stand for several minutes in the tied up skates to ensure that no part of the skate rubs painfully against the foot and to check that the ankles are not dropping to either side.
• The skate should feel comfortable.

How to tie skates properly

• Ensure the skate guards are on the skates.
• Tie laces comfortably over the toes and on the lower part of the foot.
• Tie snugly over the ankle and instep.
• Skates should fit snugly around the ankle and heel with some room for movement of the toes.
• Allow for a small amount of movement at the top so the child’s knee can bend easily.
• Do not wrap any extra lace around the boot.  Cross lace it back down the hooks.  Cut the lace if it is really too long.

Sharpening of skates

• All newly purchase skates must be sharpened.
• All skates need sharpening approximately every 20-25 hours depending on usage and care. It is very difficult to learn to skate on dull blades.
• Real figure skates need a special type of sharpening that is not available at arenas. See the section ‘Where to Buy Skates’.

Looking after your skates

• Guards protect the skate blade from dulling and should be worn while walking on all surfaces. It is not recommended to walk outside due to the possibility of gravel getting into the guards and damaging the blade.
• Do not walk on cemented areas as this can seriously damage the blades.
• Dry the blades and the sole plate completely with a cloth after skating.
• The blades need to be clean and free of any rust, nicks and ridges. Blades should be cleaned and dried thoroughly after each session to prevent rusting.
• Do not store skates with skate guards on.  Always remove guards before storing skates to prevent rust and allow boots and blades to air after each use.

Where to Buy New and Used Figure Skates

Figure Skating Boutique           
6174 Yonge Street                   
Toronto, Ontario M2M 3X1        
Telephone: (416) 225-1377       
website: skatingboutique.com

The Skater’s Edge
16610 Bayview Ave. (just south of Mulock)
Newmarket, Ontario  L3X 1X3
Telephone:  905-898-1969

Also check the Stouffville Skating Club’s Notice Board.  There are often very good used skates for sale at reasonable prices.

Figure Skate Sharpening

Jake’s Figure Skate Sharpening
14 Essex Ave.
Thornhill, Ontario   L3T 3Z1    
Telephone:  (905)  889-3276

Figure Skating Boutique
6174 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario M2M 3X1
Telephone: (416) 225-1377

Where to Buy Recreational Skates and CSA Approved Hockey Helmets

Boyds Sports
21 Ringwood Drive
Stouffville, Ontario   L4A 8C1
Telephone:  (905) 640-6657