Website Review: SkatersLandingTV.com

SkatersLandingTV.com is operated by Chris Bartlett, who owns four brick-and-mortar Skaters Landing figure skating shops in the Northeastern U.S. as well as SkatersLanding.com, the shops’ online presence. Unlike the shops, Chris isn’t trying to sell you anything at SkatersLandingTV.com. He’s trying to educate you, which is a goal I really like. Of course, it’s soft promotion for Skaters Landing, too, but the main concept behind the site is educating consumers.

Chris explains in his first video (bottom of Video Archive I) that an article in the coaches’ Professional Skaters Association magazine was the inspiration for the site. Chris said that PSA Executive Director Jimmie Santee wrote in his “Twisted Metal” article that the quality of figure skaters’ equipment isn’t consistent and many skaters’ performance issues aren’t from poor technique, but from equipment problems. Chris is an equipment specialist, so he set out to show us figure skating parents just what we’re buying and what to look for.

What you’ll find: Chris has created nearly 40 videos that, for the most part, educate consumers about their most important equipment: their skates. He has two archives of YouTube videos on the site that date back to December of 2009. His original goal was to produce one video each day, but that’s a pretty tall order. As a viewer, Chris’s sporadic posting schedule doesn’t bother me because I really like the education I’ve received from most of his videos. Some of his topics are:

Video Archive I (20 videos): Blade basics, toe picks, how a skate technician fits boots, how to lace skates, sharpening skates (I’ve included those videos on this page), safety equipment like padding and helmets, and comparing different skate brands.

Video Archive II (16 videos so far): Skate laces, Silipos gel sleeves, group lessons, punching out boots, and remounting blades. He also has some videos of clothing and a clothing manufacturer factory tour.

SkatersLandingTV.com - Sharpening 101 Video

Quality of the video: I’m sure lightning is going to strike me down for reviewing his video quality because I’m still experimenting with my audio quality in my Ask the Expert interviews. However, visitors who are expecting a lot of polish, two-camera work, and editing are going to be disappointed. As I mentioned, the education I received makes me so happy, that I’m very willing to overlook any production issues like camera wiggle, poor up-close focus, and phones ringing/answering machines.

Wednesday on Ask the Expert:

Chris Bartlett of Skaters Landing - Figure Skate Blade Sharpening

Today on Rinkformation:

IceCoach.net: Information on Figure Skating Blades

SynchroMom.net: Synch Blade Sharpening

What I like: Chris is showing figure skating equipment purchasers things they probably didn’t know. You can watch a skater being fit for boots. You can watch Chris sharpen a blade. He explains what the hollow of the blade is and how you can test for a good boot fit. I haven’t watched every video, but I’ve learned something new each time I’ve watched one.

Chris is knowledgeable and really good at explaining figure skating equipment for non-figure skaters. I like that he makes topics understandable without assuming that I have no brains at all. He’s articulate and personable. Watching him isn’t awkward or boring. I get the sense that he’s a genuinely nice guy who really knows his stuff. I also like that he’s not trying to hard sell me and convince me to purchase a certain boot or blade, but leaves those decisions up to me.

This service is so outstanding that I’m willing to overlook what I don’t like.

SkatersLandingTV.com – The Sharpening Process

What I don’t like: The navigation is clunky. If you’re looking for a video about lacing skates, you’ll have to browse through each video archive to find it. It’s not searchable, which isn’t a big problem since the site is new and doesn’t have a ton of videos. However, as the site expands, viewers will want to look for videos according to the more intuitive topic method rather than video archive I and II. I’m sure that this is something Chris and his team realize.

I’m also not fond of the clothing videos. As a site visitor, I’m much more inclined to overlook the soft promotion of Skaters Landing and its products if I’m learning something that I can’t find anywhere else. However, the fashion videos are of two figure skater volunteers (nice girls, I’m sure) who are modeling the clothing while a store manager explains the clothing colors and features. A few others are about a specific line of clothing. Although Chris isn’t telling me to go to his site and buy the clothing right away, these have a more sales-y feel and, as a viewer, I feel like I’m watching an infomercial rather than attending a class. I suppose it’s helpful for viewers who don’t have a local skate shop to view the clothing on the skaters themselves, but it would have been better for the skaters to talk about their likes and dislikes of the clothing and compare different brands.

The bottom line: As I said, I think that the educational nature of most of the videos (about 75 percent) makes SkatersLandingTV.com a worthwhile use of part of a figure skating parent’s lunch hour. If you’re looking for a few 5- to 7-minute videos to go with your tuna on toast, Chris Bartlett’s site makes for a good side dish. You’ll be more educated when it’s time to buy your figure skater a new pair of boots or if you’re wondering how to evaluate a figure skate blade sharpening.

As always, all reviews on IceMom.net and all the Rinkformation sites (IceCoach.net, SynchroMom.net, and IceGirlBlog.net) are unpaid. All editorial content is independent from advertising content.

What do you think? Did you watch the sharpening videos? Did you learn anything? Is this a helpful website for the figure skating community or just another way to sell us stuff? Please share your opinions in the comments.

Brian Boitano

Have you heard? Brian Boitano, the 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist , will be my guest on Ask the Expert on June 30. He has a show on Food Network called What Would Brian Boitano Make? I’ve invited him to answer reader questions about what foods skaters can take to the rink and what they can eat before competition. Please send your questions for Boitano in advance – deadline is June 16. E-mail Ice Mom at icemom.diane@gmail.com.

Annely from Germany

The Forte International Exchange Association German figure skating exchange student is again looking for a home with a figure skating family. Annely is a 16-year-old non-smoking figure skater from Berlin who isn’t choosy about where she is in the U.S., except that she’d like to continue her figure skating training. Annely has studied six years of English and some French. At home in Berlin, she has an older and younger sister as well as pets, so she’s no stranger to kids and dogs. If you’re interested, e-mail me and I’ll send you her profile and student essay: icemom.diane@gmail.com

Photo and video credits:

The screenshot at the top and both YouTube videos come from SkatersLandingTV.com. Used with permission.

Brian Boitano’s photo is courtesy of Food Network. Used with permission.

Annely’s photo comes from Forte International Exchange Association. Used with permission.

http://synchromom.net/2010/06/sync-blade-sharpening/ Synch Blade Sharpening | Synchro Mom

[...] Information on Figure Skating Blades IceMom.net: Website Review: SkatersLandingTV.com Other bits of advice: Our sync coaches also wanted me to express a few blade care tidbits as well. [...]
http://icecoach.net/2010/06/14/information-on-figure-skating-blades/ Information on Figure Skating Blades | icecoach.net

[...] IceMom.net: Website Review: SkatersLandingTV.com [...]
guest

I cannot view any videos from the office but does the video of skate lacing by any chance show how one is supposed to use the “tongue lace bar” (the double hook thingy on the tongue of the skate, which is supposed to keep the tongue from twisting)?

My daughter just got new skates (Riedell 91's) that have one of those center hook thingys and we cannot figure out how to lace them so as to get the benefit of this feature. (Don't ask why we did not get a “lesson” on this when we picked up the skates…let's just say that I was not the parent who took her to pick them up, and her other parent has that gene that prevents a man from asking for directions). Even her coach doesn't seem to know what to do.

Do the laces go from the lower hook to/around the center hook thingy then back to the next hook on the same side they started from? That's how we've been doing it, but then the lace seems almost too short (can just barely make a bow). Or is there some way that the laces just “catch” on the center hook thingy on their way accross to the other side?

Can anyone help?
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

Hey, guest. I just went to SkatersLandingTV.com to view the two skate lacing videos that are on it. Neither shows the tong lace bar.

Tell you what: I'll e-mail Chris and see if he has time to respond. I don't think Ice Girl's skates have this thing on them, either, so I have no idea.
Silver Blades

Yes. You take the left lace go around the right side of the bar and then back to the next hook up on the left side. Repeat on the right side.
Silver Blades

This is a great resource. I've watched some of the technical videos posted by Rainbo Sports which are helpful also. Pay close attention to the sharpening video I had a pair of brand new blades ruined by a bad sharpening. It took me a while but I figured out that he flattened out my rocker which was why I could no longer spin. I never went back there. This equipment is too expensive to leave to bad skate techs.
synchmomto2

My dd has been totally struggling with her skate fit- the boots are too stiff IMO, she is 90 lbs and in the 2nd to highest level Jackson– she ended up with not only a tremendous number of blisters (for a long time) but also the start of a stress fracture in her heel- we now only lace them up to the 2nd hooks, but then the tongue keeps wanting to pop out. UGH.
Silver Blades

I am probably in the same boot and I am 200+ pounds and it is too stiff for me!! I'm not happy with them. My totally awesome skate tech says that the next line of boots are going to be softer. Lots of skaters are complaining that their boots are too stiff.

However, if she is getting blisters then something is moving. I had to add custom orthotics to stop my heel from moving. I could also control my boot better once I had better arch support. Jacksons have no arch support in them. I also had the edges of the tongues ground down. I'm much happier with them after the boot surgery but I still have to wear ankle gellies because the seams in the tongue literally rub my legs raw.
synchmomto2

Oh yes, they were too large as well, so we too put an orthotic in there to take up some space, that did take care of the blisters. I am not happy with these at all, but she is only 9 years old, she is up to double lutz (but still only 90 lbs- not quite 5 ft tall)- and growing fast, so she is living with it for now, she is bound to outgrow them soon.
Silver Blades

Photos are on the way
Dearlove

Thanks Silver Blades! That seemed the most logical way to make the thing useful to “hold” the tongue in place, but I am glad to have the confirmation, since my 9 year old skater seems to believe that her mom doesn't know ANYTHING about skating!
Lynne

My son has been in the Jackson 2012 series for the past 2.5 years. The last time we got him fitted for boots, he was kept in the lower boot even though he is working on his doubles. He’s 11 and about 75 lbs. The rule of thumb, off the USFS website, is that Boot Weight/Skater Weight X 100 should be no more than 5. So for a child who weighs 90 lbs, both her boots together should weigh 4.5 lbs max.

Sorry your daughter has had to deal with all that pain. Nexcare makes a waterproof tape that comes in a roll ( 1 inch X 5 yards) that is somewhat cushiony. My son has used that to prevent blisters where his boots rub. The nice thing is you cut it to fit and then throw out the pieces after skating. A roll costs less than $4.00 at Target.
Lynne

My son has been in the Jackson 2012 series for the past 2.5 years. The last time we got him fitted for boots, he was kept in the lower boot even though he is working on his doubles. He's 11 and about 75 lbs. The rule of thumb, off the USFS website, is that Boot Weight/Skater Weight X 100 should be no more than 5. So for a child who weighs 90 lbs, both her boots together should weigh 4.5 lbs max.

Sorry your daughter has had to deal with all that pain. Nexcare makes a waterproof tape that comes in a roll ( 1 inch X 5 yards) that is somewhat cushiony. My son has used that to prevent blisters where his boots rub. The nice thing is you cut it to fit and then throw out the pieces after skating. A roll costs less than $4.00 at Target.
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

Here are the photos that Silver Blades sent today. They show how she laces her skates with that metal thing on the boot’s tongue.

http://icemom.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/laces-2-PD.jpg

http://icemom.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/laces-up-close-PD.jpg
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

Here are the photos that Silver Blades sent today. They show how she laces her skates with that metal thing on the boot's tongue.

http://icemom.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/la...

http://icemom.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/la...
http://icemom.net/2010/06/ask-the-expert-chris-bartlett-talks-about-figure-skate-blade-sharpening-2.html Ask the Expert: Chris Bartlett Talks about Figure Skate Blade Sharpening | Ice Mom.net

[...] Chris Bartlett is the founder and owner of Skaters Landing, which is a figure skate retail chain of four brick-and-mortar shops on the U.S. East Coast as well as an online shop, SkatersLanding.com. Skaters Landing also has SkatersLandingTV.com, a site with informational videos about skate sharpening, boot fitting, lacing skates, and other equipment issues. You can read my review of that website here. [...]