My Five Favorite Figure Skating Purchases

Like you, I spend a lot of money on ice, coaches, boots, blades, and figure skating accessories. Some purchases I love and some I couldn’t tell you under which van seat they’re hiding. The list below are five purchases that I don’t regret at all. Please realize that I’m not earning any money off this list. These are figure skating accessories that I’ve bought and I’m glad I did. In fact, a few I’ve bought over. And over. And over. Rhinestone zipper competition jacket. I bought this jacket from tidewaterice.com for a very reasonable price. It’s Ice Girl’s favorite jacket because it’s warm and it has cool bling. I could try to make it myself, but the zipper alone costs $20. By the time I purchase the fleece, I’ve almost paid for the jacket right there. Of course, I’d finish off the zipper ends better than this jacket’s zipper ends are done, but, hey. It’s a $34 jacket that I didn’t have to sew. It washes well, too. Champion cords. At first I couldn’t see the value in bungee cords for skates, but Ice Girl’s friend was selling her used pair, so I thought I’d purchase them for Ice Girl. As you’ll hear in this coming Wednesday’s Ask the Expert with Champion Cord inventor Shelia Thelen, the cords are for more than alignment while working on spirals. Skaters can use them for jumps, too. After Ice Girl lost her first pair, I bought her a second pair. We’re now on her third pair (thanks, Sheila). If you purchase these, the biggest problem you’ll have is making sure your skater doesn’t lose them or that the cords don’t mingle with other skaters’ cords and never return. Use a piece of fabric medical tape and wrap it near the clip end. Write your skater’s name on that tape and hope that the missing cords find their way home. You can buy them off the G2C website.

Today on Synchro Mom: Questioning Synchro Team Fees
Today on Ice Coach: Champion Cords for Figure Skaters
This week on Ask the Expert: PSA Master-rated coach and Champion Cords inventor Sheila Thelen

Züca bag. Ice Girl received her Züca two years ago and the frame is still holding up. Sure, it’s worn, but it still rolls. She’s on her third or fourth bag insert – I can’t keep up. Some she’s bought because she wanted a change, some she’s bought because she had torn the others. The frame runs about $100, the bags are about $35-40. It’s kind of heavy to lift in and out of the van, but I like that she can roll her gear into the rink instead of lugging it around on her back and causing back pain. We also have a Züca cooler that hooks on to the top of the seat and has Velcro straps to secure it to the bag’s handle. The cooler’s design could be improved with the installation of a timer that will alert the van driver that a two-week-old festering bag of yogurt and cheese is lurking in the backseat. F

leece blanket. It’s such an obvious purchase that I hardly give it another thought until I discover that someone has removed it from the van. The fleece blanket doesn’t have to be fancy; it doesn’t even have to be a blanket. You can purchase a yard and a half of just ordinary fleece fabric on sale from the fabric store, throw it in the washer, and call it your blanket. Heck, when these go on sale after Christmas, stock up! I use blankets on the bench seats, on my lap, over my skater, and around my shoulders. Butt pads. I have won the butt pad struggle. At first, Ice Girl did not want to wear butt pads because, well, they made her butt look big. Many skaters at our rink don’t wear them because their coach won’t let them wear the pads (that a whole other debate), so Ice Girl thought that they weren’t cool. Now, however, she loves the pads. We have both Waxel and compression shorts with pads. Ice Girl’s favorites are the compression shorts that come with pads to insert on both hips and at the tailbone. The compression shorts make sure that the pads stay in place and give the skater the feeling that her rear end isn’t enormous with the pads on. I think Ice Girl has more confidence to try a new jump while wearing the pads and, contrary to what she’d thought, they are barely noticeable. We bought the compression shorts and pads at my least favorite skate shop and paid $80 for them. You can buy them a lot cheaper – $55 – at Rainbo Sports.

Water bottles. Wait. This is the sixth thing. However, water bottles are really important. I know it’s terrible to buy the disposable plastic ones, but I recycle them. I also have an assortment of washable ones. Me, I always carry a plastic cup of iced tea, but I try hard to make sure Ice Girl has a water bottle, too. Well, parents? What item have you bought for your figure skater that you think was an outstanding purchase? What item did you think was a total waste of money? Let’s share! Do you have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board? Terrific! I need one for the first Friday in June. Do you have any topic ideas for a post you’d like to see? Do you want to write about something that you think other parents would find useful? Are you an expert? Do you want to appear on an Ask the Expert post some Wednesday? Terrific! E-mail me at icemom.diane@gmail.com Photo credits: Water bottle against sky: Muffet on Flickr.com Creative Commons Water bottle against black: Muffet on Flickr.com Creative Commons That’s the spot (dog): istoletetv on Flickr.com Creative Commons A Dog and his Bottled Water: Sister72 on Flickr.com Creative Commons

http://synchromom.net/2010/05/questioning-synchro-team-fees/ Questioning Synchro Team Fees | Synchro Mom

[...] How the West Was Won: A reader sent her tips with a request for this post after a discussion that was held at World’s by several sync moms in the stands. Her team from the Western states always had “hidden costs” that would pop up after every season. She writes, ” In no way did the we feel the coaches, who controlled all fees and managed the money were cheating us, but we had questions concerning these added fees.” Some of the additional fees were: music finding fee, accounting and paper handling/ distribution/stamps/ and driving time to and from the rink. They formed a sync committee with a treasurer and transfered all funds from coach control to a committee approved program. Yes, the coaches were upset at first, but in the end fees were diminished. Their travel expenses were reduced (group rates), the committee now handles all emails to parents and paperwork, they added fundraising programs, chose to sell their sync dresses to other teams after competitions and parental imput was added. She firmly believes these actions saved their sync program and as she put it, “the coaches needed to get over it as there wouldn’t be anyone to coach if these practices continued.” Today on Ice Mom: My Five Favorite Figure Skating Purchases [...]
SuperSkater

Those are all good, I think we have all those except the pads, my daughter won't wear them. We bought one $40 thin gel like knee pad when she was learning her axel and she used it a few times, then never again. (Really need to remember to take it to our club's next resale!) Another good purchase I don't regret is my daughter's Chloe Noel practice pants. Though expensive ($50 to $70) they are made out of wonderful fabric & they wash well. Also they actually fit may daughter right which is hard to find – she has long legs & most skating pants are too big around her waist once they fit in the leg. We too used our rhinstone zipper black fleece competition jacket for a few years – & then resold it on Ebay for nearly what I paid new – overall a very good investment! :~) Suddenly at 14 she doesn't want anything sparkly on her jackets though, beware of teens changing tastes – I wasted money & time applying about $20 or so worth of crystals onto a white fleece jacket that she refuses to wear, it will probably end up on Ebay! And at first I resisted the Zuca bag but it has been nice, mostly because you can sit on it at a crowded competition & because they can't fit as much into it as a rolling suitcase. (i.e. they can't “junk” it up as much!) I would encourage people to spring for the padded seat too, it makes the bag look much nicer & it's better for sitting on. Ours is about 2 or 3 years old, the frame has held up but is not in perfect shape, it's a little hard to get the handle down & we are finally ordering a new insert. We've only ever had the one insert but it now has a 2 to 3 inch tear in the back (not sure from what) and the mesh pockets are pretty torn up. (I've actually never washed it – just sprayed it out with Febreeze and/or wiped it off with Lysol wipes occasionally.) I had the front top flap embroidered with may daughter's name (above the word Zuca) & a pair of ice skates (below Zuca). Since my daughter has a common 1st name we had her last name emboidered on the back of the seat cover too. (FYI all this embroidery was a bit pricey! Has it done at a store in our mall.) Also another money saver is to get competition dresses on Ebay – there are two sellers I love there – you can get a custom dress for as little as $100. (I get nothing for recommending these people, just trying to be helpful!) One seller's Ebay name is Wonderland0559 another is skating-on-ice – they both have great dresses for great prices for someone like me who doesn't sew. I have gotten great dresses for as little as $50 – and at the rink people rave over them and think I paid at least $200+. Unless your skater is going to Sectionals and/or Nationals I think it's crazy to have to get some $500 dress – IMO. At last years Upper Great Lakes Regionals I saw at least a dozen girls in dresses from the Ebay seller Wonderland0559 – she is getting quite popular. I guess this post isn't about saving money on comp dresses but just wanted to throw that out there! :~) Also- at the end of the winter stock up on gloves when they are on clearance – my skater goes through them, either she loses them or gets holes in them. We are in need of a new pair now… stores have gloves in May right? (Haha, NO they don't… see, I should have stocked up last winter!) :~)
mama helada

I must admit, the Zuca bag is on my top 5 list as well… although, I didn't buy it. My husband (who grew up extremely poor and teased because of it) went out and bought it for our daughter the minute he saw all the other skaters running around with those bags because he didn't want her to get teased. (for the record, that wasn't happening…)

As the one who is the primary when it comes to running my daughter to skating practice, I LOVE this bag. DD is still young enough that she needs help getting her skates tied. The Zuca has saved my back! I love being able to sit down as I help get her skates tied and not have to spend all my time all hunched over with pain shooting up my back and down my legs.

And as another poster mentioned, never having to worry about a lack of seating in a crowded arena is a big plus too.

The fleece blanket is also on my list, specifically the knotted blanket. With the double layer of fleece, you get the extra padding and the warmth – which is a definate plus for this freeze-baby in the arctic rink environment.

My absolute favorite skating purchase though has to be the skating dress I found at the secondhand store. < $5 and the only thing wrong with it was the broken elastic loop on the neck to go around the button closure – a very quick and easy fix – and now my icegirl has a very nice (and inexpensive… ok, I give… CHEAP!) outfit to wear to practice.
niuiceprincess

I agree with the Zuca. It is worth every penny! There is a rink across the street from my condo that I practice in sometimes (but my coach doesn't teach there so it is not my home rink) and since our condo complex has a long driveway, it is still kind of a pain especially if I were to lug my skating gear around in a regular duffel bag. I also like the different pockets so I know where everything is. If you haven't got one already, I do recommend the Zuca seat cushion (they sell it in Rainbo or I'm sure you can make one as well). It's nice and warm for the butt when the Zuca is your only seating option in a rink instead of the metal frame

I am also pleased with the skating pants by Seku. I have both the bootcut pants and the long and leggy pants. The bootcut is also good for off ice workouts and lounging around on weekends so it goes a long way. And they are still good for the ice because it doesn't roll up the leg when I do spirals or anything like that, and the flare isn't too much where it catches on the toe pick for loops and backspins (lesson learned with my Lululemon pants). I love the long and leggies because of how they look and also they are warm,a nd they make your legs look so long! The seku pants are pretty pricey but if you register on their site you get emails on when they have web sales so sometimes they go for 20%-50% off. I only buy during the sales because of this reason.
I bought champion cords last year but I'm ashamed to say I haven't had the guts to use them yet. I should at least use them for practicing spirals on ice. I'll be looking forward to what Shiela has to say about them on your upcoming Ask the Expert column. I do have the practice DVD that came with my purchase but let's just say I'm too freaked out to take them to the ice just yet
http://icecoach.net/2010/05/24/champion-cords-for-figure-skaters/ Champion Cords for Figure Skaters | icecoach.net

[...] The product is fun to use. Today on Synchro Mom: Questioning Synchro Team Fees Today on Ice Mom: My Five Favorite Figure Skating Purchases This week on Ask the Expert: PSA Master-rated coach and Champion Cords inventor Sheila Thelen The [...]
szuszu

This is not my tip, but one I think I found on ice-moms site that bears repeating: Endura Footed Tights by Bloch ($4.90 a pair). I bought a few pairs online to try on my daughter and we are still using the first pair. These things must be manufactured on Planet Krypton. They wear like iron. Wash, line dry and they are ready for the next days practice. I would buy more but seeing as the ones I have are lasting so long I don’t feel I have to!
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

I think Bec from Australia is responsible for this fabulous tip! Thanks for letting me know how well they worked!
Anonymous

Oh, yeah, for tights, I forgot – my daughter is very picky but she loves the Mondor Evolution, she wears footed ones always, even uner her pants & when wearing a dress wears both footed and over the boot. The over the boots get torn up fairly quick but we keep the slightly holely ones for practice & the newer ones separate for testing/competition. They are expensive though, I’ve found it’s cheaper to get them from http://www.skatebuys.com or http://www.tidewaterice.com – at least it was the last time I bought them, haven’t checked prices recently. Both of those websites are good for all things skating, tidewaterice usually had great prices on GK Elite practice dresses, which are now extict, GK no longer makes skating apparel. GK is one of the few brands that fit my daughter (long torso). Sounds like I should check out those Endura tights by Bloch though, nice & cheap! :~) Thanks for that info!
ElizaA

My DD is on her second set of color coordinated practice separates from JNS Skatewear. She got the practice pants with the pinstripe down the side in hot pink and the matching top and princess seamed jacket as Christmas presents from various relatives. They ended up supplying her with various separates like a vest and skirt. If there is a birthday coming up and someone wants a suggestion you just send them to the website and they can pick what they want. The cool thing is they always look coordinated and you can mix and match. It's amazing how put together she looks during practice. The separates look just as good the day she outgrows them as when they arrived.
La Hija Patinaje

Totally agree with this list! But instead of purchasing butt pads – I took an old gardening kneeler pad that we weren't using anymore (the soft kind that have a bit of flexibility are the best) and cut it into two pieces. The beauty in this is that you get two uses for your otherwise unusable kneeler pad, plus you can cut them into whatever size and shape that works best for you, and kneeler pads are often much thicker that traditional store-bought butt pads. Plus, its significantly cheaper than purchasing!
sf

Super Skater. My daughter had problems with the handle on her Zuca bag and we called Zuca and they sent us a replacement handle. I suggest that you call Zuca customer service and explain to them the problem with your frame and they will probably send you a new one at a nominal cost.
SuperSkater

Thanks for the info SF, I will have to check that out. I thought the frame had a lifetime warranty…
invisiblesk8r129A

I always like to wear 2 pairs of tights for competition – it keeps my legs warmer and I don't feel as stiff, but then I do end up going through more tights that way… Thanks for the links! A lot of the dance supply stores in the area have closed and the prices are much cheaper than the skate supply stores in my area. It is also hard to find some adult sizes in the different colors (as in, over the foot black – we needed them for adults for a show competition).
SuperSkater

Yes, it can be hard to get Adult sizes sometimes! My daughter is 14 but she is nearly 5'7″ so she has been in adult sizes for a long time, since skating things are made so tiny she wears Adult Mediums or Large now. In GK Elite practice dresses she need an Adult Large or Extra Large. I used to be able to get practice dresses very cheap on Ebay, now it is much harder, you rarely see anything above an adult small size listed there. I guess I am glad she switched to practicing mostly in pants….
Ann

I remember my husband bought my daughter the Zuca bag. I couldn't believe he spent that much money. This was before the bags were really popular. It has lasted for the past 3 years.
Anonymous

I wanted to get the zuca but people said that it is a waste of money because it doesn't have that much space and that you end up bringing extra bags to competitions. I was just about to buy it but then a coach at my rink told me that it was just a total waste and that I was only basically buying a rolling chair. Then she said that I should save my money for ice time instead of just a chair with wheels.
What are the good things about zucas? When I asked some of my friends that skate they just said that they are cute and you can sit on them (we have plenty of benches to sit on). Is the zuca bag something I should ask for my birthday or should I just stay put with my Transpack?
invisiblesk8r129A

I had similar questions about the Zuca. It doesn't seem like there is that much storage space. I wonder if it would be possible to fit 2 pairs of (adult sized) skates in the bag? Right now I am using a rolling suitcase that fits 2 pairs of skates, diagram manuals, tools and emergency spare parts, extra gloves, and a towel. I have had it for about 3 years, and it has held up very well, I think it was originally $40 (I have seen cheaper bags, but I wanted something that would have decent quality and durability).

I also have a transpack-like bag that I use if I need to travel with only one pair of skates (it was a free promotional item I got with a pair of boots). I like that bag because it is easy to air out the skates while they are in the bag and it has a lot of storage capacity for travel (I went to a 3 day skate camp with one bag; it was great). I could see it being heavy for every-day use though, if you filled all of the available space.

I could understand the benefits of the Zuca with the replaceable cloth bag part, that it opens to the front while being upright could be great for crowded competition settings, and the double wheels look like they could be super convenient, but it just seems like a lot of money for a bag… I don't know; just my thoughts. Of course, I haven't used one, so I could be totally off the mark on this…
szuszu

The Zuca bag seems like a fun and functional accessory. I am new to skating, still I've seen many Zuca bags at our rink and have yet to see anyone using them as a seat! Like your friend said, get it because it's cute and it's your birthday (all valid reasons). If you are being purely pragmatic and are on a budget stick with your Transpack or a rolling suitcase.
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

nother good purchase I don't regret is my daughter's Chloe Noel practice pants. Though expensive ($50 to $70) they are made out of wonderful fabric & they wash well. Also they actually fit may daughter right which is hard to find – she has long legs & most skating pants are too big around her waist once they fit in the leg.

Ice Girl loves her Cloe Noel pants and jacket, too. I hope she gets around to writing a review of them soon. This whole homework thing is a drag.
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

Hey, SuperSkater. E-mail me, will you? I'd like you to write a review of your two favorite eBay sellers. That would help a ton of people out. If you want, I can call you and we can record it over the phone, too.

icemom.diane@gmail.com
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

It is expensive. I like the bag because Ice Girl doesn't wear out her back lugging her stuff around. It doesn't hold a ton of stuff, but I don't think that you want a bag that holds everything you own when you're just going to the rink for practice.

For competitions, we add a hair/makeup bag and a garment bag. I also bring a cooler for me and a couple of blankets. Yeah, it's a pain.
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

Really? They sent you a replacement handle? Sweet! I'm so calling them! Thanks! If I could give you 50 likes, I would!
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

I'm going to have to check this out, ElizaA! Listen, if you want to write a review of JNS Skatewear, consider this your invitation to write a guest post! E-mail me at icemom.diane@gmail.com
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

The seku pants are pretty pricey but if you register on their site you get emails on when they have web sales so sometimes they go for 20%-50% off. I only buy during the sales because of this reason.

Thanks for the heads up about the sales! I love a bargain!

Would you want to write a review of Seku clothing? Let me know! icemom.diane@gmail.com
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

My absolute favorite skating purchase though has to be the skating dress I found at the secondhand store. < $5 and the only thing wrong with it was the broken elastic loop on the neck to go around the button closure – a very quick and easy fix – and now my icegirl has a very nice (and inexpensive… ok, I give… CHEAP!) outfit to wear to practice.

Don't you love a good bargain? I bought a red used dress for Ice Girl at a competition – $10 – and she loved it!
niuiceprincess

For some reason the “Reply” button isn't working for me, but yes I would be honored to do reviews on the Se_ku products. I'll work on them this weekend. I'll also have someone take pics of me wearing the clothing with skates so people have a better idea of the pant lengths.
sk8rmomp

My IceBoy had had his zuca for about three years. It's held up well under tons of abuse. His skates are about a mens size 8.5, and I think he could get 3 skates into the bag, but not four LOL.

They make a carry on size for the airplane, that might be one to look into. It's not that much smaller in dimension. His old bag has tons of pockets inside and out. I think the newer bags have a little better set-up than the one he has. This was years ago, but we got a really great deal at Macy's online. There are probably good deals somewhere.

Last year at Regionals, the newest trend are the bright colored plastic carry-ons. I didn't really see any more room in them than the Zucas. Two huge skates and not much room for anything else. They are probably cheaper though. LOL

It is heavy, but goes up and down stairs easily either on wheels or being carried.
sk8rmomp

They're great for zuca bag races LOL.

The regular Zucas are not very good for traveling on the plane, but they do make a carry-on. If you invest in one, get one of those so that you can use it as a carry-on. The Zucas are convenient and pretty fun. The frame will last you for many many years, and if the bag wears out, you can get a new one and keep the old frame. There are lots of pockets so that you can keep your bag organized.

It's still more expensive than a bag, but so much fun. If you want one, go for it. My IceBoy asked for it for his birthday, and never regretted it.
Tia

actually, the inside compartment can seem small if you like order, but you will be amazed by how big it can be, I currently have in the inside compartment not including the pockets, my skates, a big can of hair spray, sparkle spray, a large bottle of hair gel, hair glue, and a green box about as big as a book but thicker. You can fit this and a change of clothes inside the main compartment alone, zuca also makes random bags that hook to your zuca that you can use if you feel there is no space, it also has LOTS of pockets that can be put to creative use. I LOVE my zuca and think it is plenty big. If you take like blankets, roll them up, and put them in the outside net pocket. It works well! I have everything I need to skate in that one bag for a competition. It is your decision though. You can look at someone you know who has one and decide for yourself if it is big enough. Maybe your friends just don’t like to cram it full of stuff?
Tia

actually, the inside compartment can seem small if you like order, but you will be amazed by how big it can be, I currently have in the inside compartment not including the pockets, my skates, a big can of hair spray, sparkle spray, a large bottle of hair gel, hair glue, and a green box about as big as a book but thicker. You can fit this and a change of clothes inside the main compartment alone, zuca also makes random bags that hook to your zuca that you can use if you feel there is no space, it also has LOTS of pockets that can be put to creative use. I LOVE my zuca and think it is plenty big. If you take like blankets, roll them up, and put them in the outside net pocket. It works well! I have everything I need to skate in that one bag for a competition. It is your decision though. You can look at someone you know who has one and decide for yourself if it is big enough. Maybe your friends just don't like to cram it full of stuff?
novice

At our skating resale store, most dresses are still $25, but I haunt our local thrift store. I have found a dress for $5, a skirt for less than that, and two dresses that are two large, but which I bought anyway, figuring either she will grow into them or else I can resell them for more than I paid. Look in the same area where they have swimsuits and gymnastic leotards.
Isabellem1998

I really want one of those Zuca bags. Pity the rink that I go to doesn’t have a skate shop…..