Accessory Review: Sk8Strong DVDs and Off-Ice Training Manual

Note from Ice Mom: All of my reviews are unpaid. All editorial content on Ice Mom is independent of advertising content.

Another note from Ice Mom: Lauren Downes, MSPT, and creator of Sk8Strong, has written a great response to this post. I've included it at the bottom of this post because I think all readers should see it. Thank you, Lauren.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know I’m cheap. However, if you’ve been involved with skating for any length of time, you’ll also know that cheap people have limited opportunities for that thrifty feel-good experience.

In the spirit of saving money on off-ice training, I purchased both the Sk8Strong Off-Ice Training for Figure Skaters Manual and the Developing the Youth Skater DVD last year. Physical therapist, off-ice trainer, and professional figure skating coach Lauren Downes, MSPT, developed the Sk8Strong program to help figure skaters accomplish off-ice training without having to employ a personal trainer. The Professional Skaters Association (PSA), which is the professional organization that certifies USFSA coaches and offers them professional development, has endorsed the Sk8Strong products. That’s a pretty big endorsement.

I’ve waited to write this review because I am a mom, not a fitness expert. So, to help me with the fitness part, I enlisted my fellow ice mom, physical therapist J.H. (Thank you, J.H.!)

Please note that Sk8Strong offers other products like a video analysis of the skater, individual skater assessments, seminars for clubs, paid membership to an online resource bank, and free databases of local off-ice trainers and nutritionists. This review doesn’t cover any of those additional offerings because I haven’t used any of those services.

Developing the Youth Skater DVD - $39.95

I bought the DVD that’s for low-level skaters, ages seven and up, but preliminary and lower. Sk8Strong also has videos for The Competitive Skater, Adult Training, The Ultimate Dynamic Warmup, and Core Stability Training.

The Developing the Youth Skater DVD comes with an insert that lists the exercises, repetitions and sets, and progression for a young or low-level skater. The video has three circuits of exercises, 25-40 minutes each. Each of the 27 exercise demonstrations lasts about a half minute, more or less.

Physical therapist J.H. said that overall the video had a good variety of exercises and the exercises were some of her own daughters’ favorites.

J.H. had some favorites, too, especially the demonstration of the advanced version of the lunge. She also liked the ITY exercise, the single leg bridge, the reach pull, the diagonal ball reach, the toe taps, the push up, the lateral step down, the single leg dead lift, the plyo off box, and the 2-foot squat jumps. The reach-pull, she said, would be great to work on jump rotation.

“Very good form is demonstrated on the video,” J.H. said. “The demonstrator is spine-neutral with good ab control, good alignment of leg, which means that the knee is in line with the hip or ankle.”

However, J.H. cautions users that some of the exercises like the crab walk, the crab alternating leg, and the crab bridge wouldn’t be for skaters with shoulder laxity or problems. She also said that the hip abduction exercises were very basic and that skaters could skip them, especially if they’re short on time.

She also wants skaters to make sure that they move from the shoulder blade first when they do the ITY and Rowing exercises.

“It’s a good beginner program,” J.H. said. “But I’d like to see more plyometrics. It would probably be helpful to the skater to have a professional watch them complete the program to give feedback on proper form.”

From a mom’s point of view, I have to say I’m disappointed in the video. I mean, I know the exercises and the circuits are helpful and the demonstrator is terrific, but the video isn’t user friendly.

Here’s what I mean: the video demonstrator performs the exercises in each circuit in sequence, but the demonstrations don’t last as long as it takes for a skater to do the number of repetitions and sets.

In other words, it’s not like a regular exercise video where the living room athlete can sweat with the professionals on TV in real time. Instead, skaters need to find the circuit they’re working on, watch the demonstration of the exercise, pause the DVD, and then complete the reps. When skaters are done with that exercise, they grab the remote, push Play again, watch the next demonstration, pause the DVD, and complete the reps.

That’s not 7-year-old, beginner skater friendly. If your skater is that young, you’ll have to sit next to her the entire time and run the remote for her. My 14-year-old doesn’t like the DVD for that reason. The first time we went through it, she and I were really frustrated that we couldn’t do the exercises in the same time as the demonstrator – until we realized that we were supposed to do the watch-and-pause thing. Ice Girl would rather put on some aerobics or dance workout video where she can bop along with the folks in the studio instead of pause the player every 30 seconds.

Bottom line: The DVD is full of very sound information and practice; however, I don’t think I would buy the next video in the series. We just don’t use this one very much.

Sk8Strong Off-Ice Training for Figure Skaters Manual - $28.95 (downloadable version: $24.95)

I’ll tell you right off the bat: this one’s worth the $30 or so. Ice Girl uses the manual all the time.

The 38-page manual contains photos, descriptions, and progressions for each exercise in all of the Sk8Strong DVDs. It has articles about the importance of stretching, functional training vs. gym machines, what a skater needs to be successful, exercise circuits for each skater’s level, blank training logs, and a periodization chart. It also includes the breakdown of an Axel.

The exercise chapters are:

• Dynamic Warmup Exercises (includes muscle activation, mobility, traveling mobility, dynamic mobility, static stretching, and foam roll warm-ups.)
• Core Exercises
• Upper Body Exercises
• Lower Body Exercises
• Plyometrics

Physical therapist J.H. likes the binder, too. “The exercises with the foam roller are good and the periodization is very good,” she said. “You have to have different training all year round because you want to peak [in performance] when your competition is coming around.”

J.H. is a stickler for form, though. When we looked over the plank positions, she went to the floor and demonstrated how it’s supposed to look. J.H. is very fit. The top of her body was in a straight line from her toes to her neck.

“The plank position photos [in the manual] show a rounded back,” J.H. said. “But the shoulder blades should be set, not shrugged. They should make a straight line from ankle to shoulders to hips. The butt shouldn’t be up and the arms are way up too high.”

She went on about butt position in the push-up photos, too, with more floor examples. “See?” she said as she demonstrated a push-up. “You have to keep on your toes. If you can’t keep that position on your toes, be on your knees. No butt up; that’s a cheat.”

J.H. did like the exercises that Downes chose for the manual. She thinks that skaters will find them fun and not at all boring. Many of the exercises use affordable gym equipment like the foam roller, medicine ball, phisio ball, and sport cords. At first I was put off about buying the extra equipment, but Ice Girl really likes using it. No idea why equipment makes off-ice more fun, but it does.

The manual includes several reports at the end and are included as examples of what membership Sk8Strong on the Web contains.

You know, I’m a good reader. I read all the time. I taught English and journalism for 10 years and I’m a professional writer. However, the one-page Skill Analysis, “The Breakdown of an Axel,” mystified me. I couldn’t figure out what I was reading, why I was reading it, and what use it would be to Ice Girl (although she did put a star at the top of the page).

The report contains sentences like: The iliopsoas lifts the thigh to achieve a proper ‘step-up,’ and the quadriceps assists with hip flexion and control of the knee.

Um. If you say so.

J.H. read it and said that the report made perfect sense to her, but she’s a physical therapist. She said that her daughters wouldn’t know what to do with the report and most coaches wouldn’t, either.

I did like the Sk8Strong Injury Report sample (again, something you’d receive as a paying member). “Ankle Sprains vs. Tendonitis” describes what each injury is and what to expect during recovery. I also liked “The Importance of Stretching.” The report explains why and where skaters should warm up before skating, what the muscles do, what can happen if skaters don’t warm up, what kind of stretching is the best, and how much a skater needs to stretch. Both reports were readable and useful.

The manual’s material is copyrighted and the photos are made up of very fine dots. I had thought about photocopying the manual for Ice Girl to use and lose so I’d be able to have a master copy. Photocopying doesn’t work well with the photos: they become muddy and hard to view. You shouldn’t photocopy it, anyway, beyond using it as a back-up.

Bottom line: This manual was definitely worth the $28-something. Ice Girl keeps it in the van (most of the time) and refers to it. The photos are small, but the positions are well documented and obvious. I like the text description of each exercise, the recommendations for skating ages/levels, and the periodization.

Recommendation from physical therapist J.H.: “It would be more helpful to the skater to use a professional trainer for an hour and then use the video and manual as a reference during home training. A trainer costs typically $60 – 90 per hour. The trainer will design a program and evaluate the skater so the trainer knows what the skater’s strengths and weaknesses are and can create a program that fits the individual.”

-----RESPONSE FROM LAUREN DOWNES OF SK8STRONG:-----

Hello, this is Lauren from Sk8Strong. Thank you icemom and JH for taking the time for the thorough review! I would like to address a few points you have made, as we expected these type of comments when creating the programs.

The DVDs were meant to be instructional, and not a workout video that you could follow along the reps and sets of each exercise. Each skater is different and progresses at a different pace, and may progress one exercise faster than another. Therefore, a 'follow along' video would not do justice to every skater; it would possibly lead a skater to doing exercise progressions that he or she is not ready for. Yes, it is more boring for the skater, yet it is safer. Initially, the skater will follow along and pause each exercise; as time goes on, he or she will become more comfortable with the program and be able to do it by memory to their own music, or whatever keeps their interest!

At the beginning of each DVD, Sk8Strong states that it is highly recommended that a skater meet with a qualified health professional to assure that the exercises are being performed correctly. Not everyone will listen to that advice, yet it is very important. Yes, a DVD cannot take place of a set of trained eyes. They were created as a reference for fitness professionals, parents and coaches to use as a guideline for an appropriate exercise program. We have received many positive and thankful comments from athletic trainers, personal trainers, and physical therapists around the globe. I have seen many coaches without fitness credentials holding off-ice classes that are not appropriate for skaters, and if they are going to hold these classes, my goal was to give them the proper education. Nothing will take place of a physical therapist or certified strength and conditioning specialist, but if everyone becomes more educated, that is my goal :).

Regarding specific exercises such as hip abduction, that is actually one of the most important exercises for a young skater to do! The hip abductors play a large role in single leg stability, which is necessary in the majority of skating moves. In about 75% of skaters I have evaluated, there is a very large weakness of this muscle groups. Weakness can lead to knee problems, and will also affect the forementioned skating moves. A young skater needs to master technique of the basic exercises first, and then move along to more difficult ones. The Compeititive Skater DVD significantly addresses this muscle group with advanced exercises. In the ITY exercise, we do instruct to lead the motion with the shoulder blades. The point made about the crab bridge exercises is right on point. Also, regarding the pictures in the manual of the prone plank; yes, the buttocks is a little too high. I did that to assure that skaters don't dip down too low and cause an arch in the lower back.

Regarding plyometrics, we include a full plyometric progression in the Competitive Skater DVD. We only include the 2 foot squat jumps and beginning plyos in the Youth DVD, because skaters that young don't have the strength and stability to do single leg and more advanced plyos with the correct stability and body mechanics. This is why they are included in the higher level DVD.

Again, thanks for taking the time to write a review. We listen to all criticism, positive or negative, and use that feedback to better our programs. Our goal was to provide the skating community with safe, effective programs to better skaters' ability and performance, prevent injury, and educate everyone involved with a skaters' training.

Lauren Downes MSPT

Sk8Strong Inc.

Have you bought any Sk8Strong materials? What did you think of the program? Please add your experiences in the comments so everyone can benefit.

Update: From reader Anonymous/Sk8rmom who is a trainer and a mom (good, long, informative comment - you should read the whole thing): I have to agree with JH. Thank you for promoting the idea of actually going to a person rather than to learn ONLY from the manual or DVDs. As a Personal Trainer who works with skaters, I can't emphasize enough how much getting expert advice specific to your child's age, maturity, physical and mental needs, and their athletic goals and stage is priceless! Our children are growing and changing daily, it's important to take that into consideration. [...] I have not seen the DVDs, but had considered purchasing them as a resource. I probably will, but as a mom, I would not let the TV be my child's trainer. I could see recreational adults or older teens using them as such. No doubt they are good resources. However, there is no substitute for the personal touch.

Update: From reader Anonymous: I agree 100 % that the hip abductors are one of the MOST important muscle groups for any athlete, and weakness contributes to a variety of overuse injuries of the lower extremity. However, I feel there are more functional ways to get at the hip abductors than the side lying exercise described. This may be a good way in the beginning to isolate the muscle so that the skater knows what the contraction of this muscle feel like, but it does not integrate it into a weight bearing activity and simulate how the muscle is used in skating. I prefer exercises such as step downs and lunges that incorporate the entire LE.

Update: From reader C.D. via e-mail to icemom.diane@gmail.com: We ordered Sk8strong because my daughter wanted to start doing some off-ice conditioning, and our rink doesn't offer anything geared towards lower level skaters (and the classes they do offer happen at times when my daughter is in school). I wanted to be sure she got some instruction as to proper form, but wasn't willing to commit to private conditioning training (yet), so Sk8strong (the beginning skater version) seemed to fit the bill. Having reviewed it with my daughter a few times, the exercises are, indeed, appropriate and to my non-expert eye, appear to model good form. But the pacing is not quite right--they jump right from exercise to exercise, and run through them a bit too quickly. Maybe my daughter will be able to keep up after gets used to the exercises and the sequence, but for now, we have been using the pause button on the DVD player to let her watch the example, then do the exercise at her own pace. (IceMom suggested that we should get the book/binder that goes along with the set, which probably would have been helpful, but my husband placed the order and thought that was too expensive, so at least for now the watch/pause system will work for us.) Overall, I am not sorry I spent the money to order this as an educational piece to teach my daughter some new exercises and proper form, but I am not sure how well it will hold my daughter's attention long term.

Do you have a question for Ice Mom and/or the Advisory Board? Do you have an idea for a post? Are you an expert and you want to write a guest post? Great! E-mail Ice Mom at icemom.diane@gmail.com

Accessory Review: The Stick

Thanks to  J.C.U. for recommending this to Ice Girl.

A few months back, Ice Girl was having trouble with her right hamstring. A gal in the rink locker room recommended The Stick.

The Stick is just that – a stick. It has a semi-rigid plastic core with big, flat plastic beads along its length and two handles on either end. The construction is simple and I predict that it will be tough to destroy it with normal and even harsh use.

Ice Girl uses The Stick to roll out her muscles, especially where she has pain. When she reaches a pain point, she rolls it back and forth over that spot to relax it. The Stick can also be used to warm up muscles, too, but Ice Girl does more traditional warm-ups instead.

I’m not a physical therapist or any kind of medical professional, so you shouldn’t take this as medical advice. It’s anecdotal. However, Ice Girl says The Stick works. We took The Stick to a doctor’s appointment, a sports medicine doctor’s appointment, and a physical therapy appointment. All three health professionals said that The Stick was great and the physical therapist said she owns one.

I ordered Ice Girls’ Stick online and the Travel Stick set me back about $35, including shipping. You can really go nuts and buy a wide range of Stick sizes and packages and spend over $100. I thought that I’d spend the least amount of money on the smallest stick and have Ice Girl try it out first. The Travel Stick is small enough to fit in her skate bag and works quite well. She has no idea that there are other Stick models and I’d like to keep it that way – this Stick was pricey enough, thanks.

Bottom line: I recommend The Stick, especially if your skater is having pain in hard-to reach areas. I know it works because Ice Girl willingly totes it around and uses it without any prompting. I’ve even caught her using it while watching t.v.

Update: From reader Anonymous: If you don't need to take it with you, a ball (volley, basket, tennis) will work well at home too. I guess you could take a tennis ball with you LOL.

Update: From reader Anonymous: I'm a physical therapist and also a skating mom. Tennis ball in a very long stocking works pretty much the same way. In my therapy clinic, we give away used tennis ball for self massage. It has to be a used one. The new one is too stiff and hard for massage.

Thank You, Axels, Loops, and Spins!

Thank you, Aaron, of Axels, Loops, and Spins,  for the $100 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card. Ice Girl won the $100 Labor Day weekend in an Axels, Loops, and Spins contest and she went shopping on Sunday.

As you can see from the mock Charlie’s Angels photo (left), Ice Girl bought a super warm zip-up fleece jacket from The North Face and the pair of Under Armour gloves she’s had her heart set on.

Ice Girl plans to wear the fleece jacket for teaching Learn to Skate. She says she’ll wear the gloves all the time.

I tell you, the gloves are nice: they’re that same ColdGear dry fabric that UA uses for their Cold Gear running tights. However, I’ve resisted buying them: they’re $30. It’s not bad, but think about it: $30 for one glove? Sure, they’re a pair now, but Ice Girl’s going to lose one of them soon… I’m resisting starting a betting pool on the date that she’ll lose one of the gloves. Don’t tempt me. Well, if I were running a pool, which I’m not, my money’s on September 25, the first day of the Madison Open.

Anyway, if you haven’t checked out Aaron’s fantastic blog, Axels, Loops, and Spins, you should. He’s my go-to guy for all that’s happening in haute figure skating.

Update, 9/29/09: I so lost the non-bet. Ice Girl still has her fabulous Under Armour gloves. She waved them at me in a taunting fashion yesterday at the rink. Very smug, Ice Girl.

How-to: Break in New Figure Skating Boots

Oh, how I love this tip.

My favorite skate tech, Renee at Rainbo Sports, recommends that skaters break in their new figure skating boots by vacuuming the house.

This isn’t just a cheap ploy to encourage your kid to work off the cost of the new boots; it’s legit. It also has the bonus of making me smile when I have to blast the TV’s volume to drown out the Hoover. *Bliss*

Vacuuming helps break in the skates, Renee said, because the movements are similar to ice skating. The figure skater walks forward and backward while vacuuming. She bends her knees to vacuum under the sofa. These steps help to break in the new boots – and the carpet’s clean, too.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Put hard skate guards on the blades.


2. Lace the boots up to the third hook, not all the way up to the top or fourth hook.


3. Set the timer for 10 – 15 minutes.


4. Vacuum.


5. Stop when the timer rings.


6. Unlace the skates and take them off.


7. Wiggle toes and feet.


8. Lace ’em back up and drag the vacuum into the family room.


9. Set the timer.


10. Vacuum.


11. Repeat until the house is clean!

The lacing/unlacing/wiggling steps are really important. These steps will help the skater break in the new boot and prevent blisters, too. Renee recommends that skaters who are breaking their boots in on the ice do lots of stroking and spinning. Hold off on jumping until the third or fourth day with the new boots. When skaters start to jump, they should focus on waltz jumps first. Again, when breaking in the boots, the lacing/unlacing/wiggling steps every 10 – 15 minutes are not a waste of ice time – they’re necessary to breaking in the boot and preventing blisters.

Renee cautions against other methods of breaking-in skates. I hesitate to list the rites and rituals skaters perform when they buy new boots because I’m worried folks will try these methods on their own boots. Let’s just say this: new figure skating boots are a huge purchase for most of us. Talk to your skate tech before you put anything in the boot besides a foot or a sock.

In other posts, I’ve also recommended Silipos Gel Sleeves to help figure skaters with the break-in process. A pair will set you back $30, but I’d rather pay the $30 than a) hear my skater whine and b) waste $500 or more on boots she’ll never use.

What works for you? Feel free to fill the comments area with ideas that figure skaters can use to break-in their boots.

Accessory Review: Figure Skating Tights

This post is for the newbie ice mom who sends her daughter to skate in the same tights that she wears to Sunday services. Hey. We were all that mom.

Buy warm. Purchase Danskin, Mondor, or GK tights, not L’eggs or Hanes. Some of these tights are like sweaters for skaters’ legs and they’re durable, too.

Buy footless. You can choose from footed, footless, and over-the-boot tights. Here’s why I buy the footless tights:

1. Your skater will blow out the toes on the footed tights. That’s $15 down the drain.
2. The sweater tights bunch up in the boots and cause blisters.
3. The over-the-boot tights will look good only as long as they’re in the package. The minute you put those puppies on, they have holes. Everywhere. That’s $25 down the drain. Of course, if your skater’s coach insists on over-the-boot tights, buy one pair and keep it for competitions.

Buy nylon trouser socks. Have your skater wear these on her feet. Replace ‘em as needed.

You can find these at stores like Target and Wal-mart. I buy the tan ones that come three to a package for $5 – 7. Ice Girl likes the thickest ones I can find. Make sure they’re like thick tights, not real socks. The object of the game is to have the skater’s foot move smoothly against the boot and have the boot absorb sweat, not the sock. You want the sock smooth so your skater doesn’t get blisters.

Buy one pair for competitions. Buy a nice pair of tights just for competitions and keep it in your skater’s garment bag. These shouldn’t be the heavy sweater variety, but a smoother tight that looks nice for competitions and only competitions.

Buy a spare pair. I hide Ice Girl’s spare pair of tights in the bottom of her competition hair bag – the one with the sock donut and lacquer hair spray. The spare pair is still sealed in its package, but it’s there for emergencies.

Update: Here's a such a great tip for holes in over-the-boot tights that I'm just in awe. Thanks for your comment, Anony.:  If your skater puts a hold in them at a competition. PUT A FLESH COLORED BANDAID ON HER BOOT WHERE THE HOLE SITS. Instant Fix and no will ever know.

Update: This smart tip makes it less painful to spend money on those stupid over-the-boot tights that Ice Girl loves. Thank you for your thrifty tip, Ju-Li. You are a genius. I bow to your superior knowledge and cheapness: Here's a tip for those who have "over the boot" tights with holes in them... This is what I do : I cut off the "over the boot" part, and simply put an elastic at the bottom, this makes a new pair of footless tights. My way of making them last long.

Review: Blinkerz hard blade guards

You like the look of this beauty? Try buying eight of them for those darn Blinkerz blade guards – you know the ones: they have flashing LED lights.

Ice Grandma recently bought Ice Girl a pair of those cool, flashing Blinkerz blade guards for about $25. We all know that I’m way too cheap to buy them myself; I’d prefer to spend $9 - $13 on the plain ol’ plastic variety blade guard and toss the remaining $13 at the ice. But Ice Grandma loves the sparkle and so does Ice Girl.

Flashing. These puppies flash, which is great when Ice Girl is walking, but rotten when she’s not. A car ride with the Blinkerz will cause them to flash almost constantly, which wears down the batteries and the driver’s nerves. Ice Dad kept thinking he could see a police car’s flashing lights in his rear view mirror, but it was just those guards.

Batteries. The pair of guards takes eight CR2032 batteries; that’s two in each half. Our batteries lasted maybe two weeks. Order them online from batterybob.com and you can get a package of 10 for $14. Buy them at Walgreen’s and you can spend $20 for eight. Can you hear my wallet’s silent scream?

Weight. Geez, these guards are heavy. Nearly every time Ice Girl wears them, that’s what she says.

Quality. Something fell off the battery compartment when I removed it from the guard. Removing the battery compartment is pretty easy if you have a tiny screwdriver and you can keep track of the microscopic screws. However, a piece of something fell off when I removed a battery compartment. It looked a lot like a bit of hot glue. Other battery compartments had the hot glue in tact, but this bit just fell off. I shrugged, replaced the batteries, and hoped the stupid things would still flash. They do, but I worry that the lump of glue was necessary for…something.

Performance. They protect the blade just like their cheaper, non-flashing cousins.

Bottom line: Would I buy these again? Nope. Yeah, they’re cool, but they’re costly – not just up-front, but in long-term maintenance, too (unless your dad is Battery Bob). If you’re Ice Girl, though, you’re going to have to resign yourself to non-flashing, heavy guards. No way is Ice Mom shelling out $13 – 20 for batteries every two weeks.

Review: Chinese Figure Skating Dresses on eBay

Ice Girl’s friend, Ice Friend, has bought two figure skating dresses from China via eBay. Both were less than $50 each, including shipping, both arrived in about a week, and both fit well.

New Exclusive Figure Skating Dress (217-3). That’s the one in blue with the colorful appliqué and trailing ribbons. $24.99 plus $23.00 shipping. Includes a matching scrunchie. Sizes vary from tiny to big; use online size chart or send measurements according to instructions.

Seller: ice-dress0010, eBay member since December 2, 2004. As of this writing: 1448 sales, 99.8% positive feedback.

Fit: the dress fits Ice Friend well.

Quality: the dress is lined and well made with lots of crystals outlining each sewn-on applique. One of the bottom ribbons fell off last weekend, but a quick tack down with a needle and thread repaired it. It’s not the sort of problem that comes from poor construction, but rather it comes from use. The construction is good.

New custom figure skating/competition ice dress C04. That’s the red and black one with the appliqué. $8.00 plus $25 shipping. Sizes vary from tiny to big; use online size chart or send measurements according to instructions.

Seller: yibei_shop, eBay member since April 18, 2005. As of this writing: 431 sales, 100% positive feedback.

Fit: the dress fits Ice Friend well.

Quality: the appliqué started to separate from the rest of the dress, so Ice Friend used super glue on it. I know, I know. I offered to stitch it for her, but I don’t think my needle can make it through there anymore. The quality isn’t bad, but it’s not fabulous, either.

Bottom line: Would I buy one? Yep. You know me: I’m cheap. $50 for a dress with crystals? You can’t sew one at home and put crystals on it for that. By the time you purchase the fabric, pattern, and thread, you’re at $50 without crystals.

The quality that I saw was pretty good, with the exception of the separating appliqué. I tell you: I’ve seen worse sewing in a local dance/skate dress shop than these two dresses.

Don't worry: I'm still going to sew Ice Girl's competition dresses. But for a practice dress? You bet. And if you don't sew, this is a great option.

Update: From reader Skater's Mom: Ordered first dress. It was a little too small, but it was ok to wear one time for a competition. Ordered second dress a size bigger to make sure its not small -- and it was way too small. Emailed the seller, they asked if I could sell the dress and purchase another dress from them.



I will never buy from them again -- will still to American seller instead.

Update: A size problem from reader Cathy: We did try ordering a dress from China, but not a big success....the dress is on the small side (wearable, but not without a lot of complaining from my skater), even though we ordered 2 sizes larger than I thought my daughter needed based on size charts...and they are throwing up lots of excuses for why we should just keep it (ie the $25 shipping on the $25 dress), so I imagine that will end up being donated to the silent auction at the skate club!

Battle of the Athletic Tights: Cheap C9 or Pricey Under Armour?

Ice Girl loves to wear stretchy, fitted lycra tights on the ice. You know, the kind of tights runners wear. She wears them like tight-fitting pants, not under a practice skirt or dress, but as pants.

If you’ve read this blog for any period of time, you know that I am cheap, cheap, cheap. I looked at the $60 price tag on the Under Armour Cold Gear Tornado Tights and had to sit down before I passed out.

I found Champion C9 pants (top) at Target for less than half the cost of the Under Armour (bottom) – just $24.99 for the Champion C9 Running Tights. That’s what Ice Girl has been wearing for over six months with no complaints.

However, two weeks ago, Ice Grandma, that softee, bought Ice Girl a pair of the Under Armour pants, which gives me a great opportunity to compare the two.

Cost. Champion C9 wins hands down. Ice Girl and I can buy two of these pairs of tights from Target and have money left over for a chai tea latte, hot cocoa, and one ginormous cookie to split from the in-store Starbucks. (Champion C9 = $24.99, Under Armour = $59.99; venti chai = $3.99, venti hot cocoa = $3.99, one cookie = $1.95)

Styling. I give a slight edge to Under Armour on styling because of their tights’ simplicity. Under Armour and C9 both have a color stripe on the side. The black C9 tights have a small bit of silver, but the black C9 tights with pink have a huge side stripe of pink. Under Armour is just a basic tight with nothing but a stripe; C9 has a bottom zipper from bottom hem to mid-thigh and a pocket in the back at the waistband.

Some of the zipper pulls have broken off Ice Girl’s C9 tights, but it’s not very annoying to Ice Girl; she can still zip the bottoms with her nimble little fingers. She likes the back pocket in the C9 pants so she can put a couple of bucks in there for the pop machine. An online reviewer said that the zipper in the C9 tights rubbed against her leg and caused her leg to bleed, but Ice Girl has never complained about the zipper at all.

Fit. No clear winner here. Ice Girl likes the fit equally on both pairs.

Warmth. No clear winner. Champion C9 ad copy claims that its fabric speeds evaporation and keeps an athlete warm. Under Armour claims dry warmth, too. Ice Girl hasn’t noticed that one is warmer than the other. She’s worn them both in the coldest rink she skates in and they are both good.

Durability. Slight edge to Under Armour. Some of the zipper pulls on the Champion C9 tights have broken off, but the lycra remains stretchy and resilient even after lots of careless washing and over-drying. Under Armour doesn’t have the zipper, so it has no pulls to lose, which is why I think it has a slight durability edge.

The bottom line. I'm cheap and Under Armour's pricey. I also have a thing for venti chai lattes, so for my $60, I'll take two pair of the Champion C9 tights and a venti chai latte to go.

Stretching towards Biellmann: the Maxiflex tool

When Ice Girl competed at Skate Milwaukee in July, I was really surprised at how many girls at limited beginner level were hauling their feet above their heads. They weren’t completing a Biellmann spin yet, but I was impressed.

Ice Girl is a gymnastics dropout. She wasn’t fabulous, but she wasn’t horrible, either. However, between gymnastics and figure skating, Ice Girl hadn’t done much stretching at all.

She’s been working on it, though, so I bought her this Maxiflex. We’ve hung it over our front door and Ice Girl uses it while watching Nickelodeon or Disney Channel and/or talking on the phone.

The principle is this: hang the end with the knob on the outside of the door and let the cords trail to the inside. The cord forks. One fork holds the skater’s foot in a harness, the other helps a skater yank her foot higher and higher.

The Maxiflex should come with a brochure when you buy it. In fact a bit of the brochure is part of the Maxiflex photo that I posted. Heavy on photos and light on text, you can get the general idea of what the stretching tool does in the brochure. Beware! In search of a bargain, the first Maxiflex I bought was off of eBay and it was cheap - $20. No brochure, though, so I had a tangle of cords and no clue what to do with them.

The Maxiflex will set you back $25-$35 bucks online, not including shipping. It’s lightweight, though, so shipping shouldn’t be too bad.

Ice Girl hasn’t achieved the Biellmann yet, but she’s doing it incrementally, which is good. I can see a kid forcing her leg way up too soon and not working up to the level of flexibility she needs. To make sure Ice Girl didn't hurt herself while super-stretching, I brought the Maxiflex to the rink one night. Ice Coach gave Ice Girl advice that I, Ice Mom, couldn’t give (well, couldn’t give and be believed.)

Rating: 3.5/4 stars. I think the Maxiflex itself is a good product, but the brochure is not fabulous. The tangle of cords can be intimidating at first, but the results from working with the product are good. If you don't have one and your figure skater wants that Biellmann, I'd pop the $30-ish for it.

accessory review: spin trainers

I've been putting off this review of figure skating spin trainers, or rotation trainers, because I was waiting for my refund for the "Ultimate Rotation Trainer with Resistance Cords" and the $15 DVD that I ordered from a vendor.

I was interested in purchasing a spinner or spin trainer for Ice Girl because in late March she became so dizzy spinning on the ice that she fell and whacked her head. Through her tears she pleaded me to let her back on the ice, but there was no way she was going anywhere but to Urgent Care. The bonk was loud and every coach came to check on her. Are you kidding? Put her back on the ice? Someone would revoke my mother-of-the-year card. Nope. I took that kid to the doctor to make sure she didn't have a concussion. She didn't.

Coaches, with their sympathy and ice packs, told me that a spin trainer would help ice girl become more comfortable with spinning and she would be less dizzy and less prone to bonking her head on the ice (it's a terrible sound, I tell you.) That night I surfed the web to find a spin trainer for Ice Girl.

I surfed and found an ultimate rotation trainer with cords. I have no idea what the cords were for, but the endorsements looked good, it came with a brochure, and I could buy a DVD. The whole bit set me back $85, but I wanted my baby to spin safely, right? And it was ultimate, so it had to be twice as better at the traditional model that cost half as much.

The package arrived in a timely fashion, but here are the reasons I returned the item:

1. The brochure/instructions were mainly for the rotation trainer that isn't ultimate. That is to say, the trainer that has no cords attached. Yeah. Not really helpful since letting the cords trail on the floor doesn't allow the rotation trainer to move.
2. The cords don't come off, so there's not use trying to use it as a traditional spinner.
3. The DVD quality was terrible. I don't know what wind tunnel they used to complete the voice over, but $15 is way too much to pay for a DVD that was painful to listen to.
4. The DVD wasn't about the ultimate trainer with cords. Not helpful at all.
5. The rotation trainer was plastic and slid on the floor, which I thought was pretty unsafe.

So, I boxed the stuff back up and returned it priority mail the next day. This was early April. After several e-mails, I received my refund today, one day shy of a month since I'd received the product.

In the meantime, I purchased the traditional metal spinner that you see above. I think it set me back $35 or so, including shipping. It has a coating on both sides that give it a non-slip surface. It didn't come with a brochure and DVDs weren't an option.

Even though the traditional spinner doesn't have high-tech or low-tech instructions, I'm much happier with it than the other one. Ice Girl stores it under the T.V. stand upstairs and spins on it while watching programming that will rot her brain one day, I'm sure. Ice Girl did manage to cut her toe on one of the inside edges of the metal spinner. Let me tell you, you'd have to really work at it to cut yourself on the spinner, but Ice Girl has a gift.

Bottom line: Save your money and buy the traditional metal spin trainer. Maybe the rotation trainer folks will come up with better support materials or removable cords for their ultimate rotation trainer. For my money and time, I'm sticking with the plain ol' model.

Accessory review: PIC skates

I broke down and finally bought PIC frames and wheels and another pair of boots so Ice Girl can practice figure skating on the tennis courts two blocks away.

Before I get into my review, the two biggest things to consider: cost upfront and cost long-term. These puppies aren't cheap. But ice time isn't cheap, either. *sigh* That's why I popped for these.

Are they really like figure skates? Pretty much. The PIC skates you see above have a new boot that is the same as the ones she currently skates in. The PIC skates weigh a bit more than Ice Girl's figure skates. One Jackson Classique skate weighs 2 lbs, 2 oz. Her boot and PIC frame (as you see in the photo on the left) weigh about 3 lbs. They're a little heavier than figure skates, but they feel very similar, except for the wheels. When Ice Girl first used the PICs on Monday, the first thing she said was that the wheels were weird, as compared to the ice. They're a bit bouncy, like wheels should be. Her feet hurt a bit, too, but those were new boots she had on, so that's something that would happen with any new figure skate. I made her wear knee, elbow, and wrist pads, too. Initially they felt funny on her knees, but we all know that tennis courts have a harder surface than ice rinks. I don't actually care how funny those pads feel, Ice Girl, you put them on, kid, and you like them.

Can PICs really do all that figure skating stuff? When I cruised the PIC folks' website for the past, oh, two months, I kept staring at those people in the photo gallery. Wouldn't it be great, especially since Ice Girl is still early in her training and ice crazy, to send her up to the park with those? Well, it is great. They work fine in the basement, too, but our basement is a bit small. After skating on the PICs for maybe half an hour, Ice Girl could perform all the tricks she could on the ice, with the exception of a hockey stop.

What about the transition from PICs to ice figure skates? This is the one that had me really worried. When Ice Girl puts on plain ol' inline skates, she nearly falls on her face. Skating on the ice is even worse after an hour of plain ol' inlines. It's like she's never been on ice before. Yesterday afternoon, it rained, so Ice Girl couldn't go to the tennis courts. I threw her and the Zuca in the van. We drove to the Figure Skating Club's ice time so she could walk on. No problems. No problems! I tell you, I expected her to have to re-learn how to skate, but the transition from PICs to figure skates was seamless. Geez, I was relieved.

On the road. Initially, when I bought the skates, I thought I'd have Ice Girl just use them on smooth surfaces (tennis court, basement, school cafeteria), but that lasted, oh, maybe five minutes. The wheels are pretty tough and they survived the skate from the van to the tennis court. Replacing the wheels, which I'll have to do eventually, will set me back $32 plus shipping, so about $40. Not so bad.

Accessories. The PIC skate company sells a DVD for coaches. It's O.K., not fabulous; I probably wouldn't buy it again. The skaters are marvelous, but there's not much instruction given, just people performing various tricks. I understand why there's no instruction: these are skates for figure skaters who receive instruction. If you don't know how to do a jump or spin on figure skates, skip it on PIC skates.

They also sell a carrier for the skates, which I bought. (Geez, I bought the whole store.) The carrier is like a pair of blade covers for the wheels and the two covers attach with a removable piece of belting. The skater can sling the skates over her shoulder, one skate in front, one in back. The blade covers also act kind of like hard guards, but I don't think they'll last long if a skater wears them on the wheels. That's for getting from the house to the car, I think.

I bought the pink book about jumping and spinning on inline skates. The text is O.K., but the drawings are awful and distract from the writing. I haven't read very much of it and Ice Girl hasn't read any of it. I don't skate, but Ice Girl does. She did just fine without the book.

Assembly. I received the frames from Harmony Sports (the PIC skate people) and the boots from a different company. Harmony Sports' delivery was very fast; the other company lagged a week behind in their shipping. The instructions that come with the PIC skates are simplistic, but I managed to mount the boots successfully after a bit of cursing. The toughest part is aligning the frame from toe to heel on the boot. The diagram shows the toe pick at 1 1/8" from the boot toe. Geez. Measuring that was difficult. Once I installed one frame properly, I measured the spot on that frame and boot and drew it on the bottom of the other boot. Installing the second frame was much easier. The screws aren't steel, but I wish they were. It's kind of tough to get the screws in the frame without dropping them on the way. I have a magnetic screwdriver, but that didn't work with those screws. Set aside 30-45 minutes to install the frames. If you do it in less time, don't tell me because I'll want to throttle you.

Wear and tear on the toe pick. This is what you'll see in the second photo. That's the wear on the pick part of the skate from six hours of skating in the basement and at the tennis courts. The toe pick can be turned, but you have to use a screwdriver to do it. I love Ice Girl, but that kid strips screws. It's going to be a job for Ice Mom and Ice Dad to turn the picks, maybe once a week. I can live with that. Replacement picks run $1.95 from the PIC skate people, plus shipping. I just put in an order for 10. Those should get Ice Girl through the summer, I think.

**update** Turning that rubber toe pick is a pain in the rear. You need a screw driver and the two allen wrenches that come with the PIC skates to accomplish this feat. That toe pick is really jammed in the frame, so it helps to loosen or remove the first wheel when you rotate or replace these puppies. Allow 15-20 minutes and 5-7 curse words to complete the toe pick rotation.

Cost. Oooh. This isn't pretty. Ice Girl skates in starter skates, so the boots came with the blade. The new figure skates set me back about $150. The PIC frames and wheels set me back $147, including shipping. That's about $300. I knew this would be the cost and I did it anyway. Summer's coming and the hockey rink melts the ice in one rink and shuts down the big sheet for two weeks. Ice Girl is going to be spending a lot of hours up at the park, skating her heart out while Ice Mom and Ice Dad are at work. Ice time at the rink costs $10/hour. The tennis courts are free. I'll have those puppies paid for before school lets out for the summer.

Overall review: 4 out of 4 stars. It's not a perfect system. PIC skates are a bit different from figure skates and assembly is a pain, but Ice Girl loves them and refuses to take them off when she comes home from the park (it's O.K. as long as she doesn't attempt stairs). The amount of practice and enjoyment that Ice Girl is getting/will get from those skates is worth the $300 investment. Oh, and I bet I can unload the used assembly pretty easily once Ice Girl jumps up a boot size. That reduces my overall investment, too. Would I buy them again? Yep. In a heartbeat.

Accessory review: Silipos gel ankle sleeve

This Silipos gel sleeve isn't cheap. Rainbo Sports sells them for about $15. Why did I buy two of them? That's $30, Ice Mom!

I know, I know. I just dropped about $200 in the pro shop and then I went back for more. If you don't know already, breaking in new figure skates is often a painful process. Ice Girl's coach has scars from breaking in skates. Ice Girl is a notorius wuss. She thinks a paper cut is fatal. Ice Girl wouldn't last long enough to make scars.

After about 45 minutes of skating with the new figure skates, Ice Girl was crying for her old ones. I hardened my heart and took her back to the pro shop. The man in the shop suggested either a blister pad (cheap foam: 50 cents) or this gel sleeve ($15).

I know you think I'm nuts, but I went with the sleeve. I didn't just pay $150 for new skates so my daughter would put them in her new Zuca bag and hide them in the basement. No, no. She was going to sleep in those damn skates, I tell you.

I bought one sleeve, put a Band-aid on her popped blister, and had Ice Girl put on the sleeve. She laced up her skates and didn't want to leave the ice for hours. I am not kidding you. She was very, very comfortable in the new skates with the gel sleeve.

I thought I could get away with just buying one sleeve, but her other foot became red and painful. Two sleeves, happy kid, skates breaking in nicely.

Overall rating: four out of four stars. In other words, I don't regret my purchase (expensive, yes) one bit. Expensive, yes, but very practical. My $150 investment in new skates hasn't been wasted and Ice Girl still loves to skate instead of dreading it.

Accessory review: Zuca bags

Ice Girl is the luckiest girl in Madison, Wis. Last weekend we made the 90-mile trip east to the Pettit National Ice Arena and visited Rainbo Sports, inside the Pettit. Ice Girl got new skates and, just as we were about to leave the pro shop, Grandma showed up. Bless her.

Grandma popped for this fabulous Zuca bag for Ice Girl. The frame cost $100, the bag $45. Not cheap. However, this puppy is nearly indestructible. It weighs less than nine pounds (empty), but a 300-pound person can sit on the brown top. As a seat, it's sturdy and pretty comfy.

The front opens up like a miniature locker with pockets in the locker door (one big one that's the shape of the door, two smaller ones). The top of the locker has a mesh pocket, which is ideal for keeping small bits of clothing--gloves maybe? Also inside the locker is a long lanyard with a hook. I can see this as a useful place to hang a bit of clothes or keep a key safe.

On each side of the bag are the mesh pocket that you see in the photo, a large zippered pocket, and a small zippered pocket. Zuca says that the small pocket is perfect for a cell phone.

The frame is sturdy aluminum with a telescoping handle for pulling. It has four wheels on the rear of the frame, which I thought was kind of weird. Here's how it makes sense: that extra set of wheels is for lugging the Zuca upstairs. Clever. The bottom wheels have flashing multi-colored lights. According to the Zuca FAQ page, these lights never need new batteries. Something about generating electricity as the bag rolls.

Overall rating: four out of four stars. This bag is roomy and perfect for housing ice skates. It's lightweight, so Ice Girl can lift it in and out of the car herself. The wheels roll easily and the second set of wheels really helps to move the bag upstairs. I like that the bag is replaceable. I can picture the bag wearing out way before the frame does. The whimsical lights in the wheels make other kids' eyes glow green with envy. Very cool, very useful. Expensive, though.

Update. I forgot to mention the cool flashing wheels. They do not need batteries, these smart things. Just roll the bag and the internal wizardry creates the electricity to power the flashing lights. How cool is that?