Am i too old to become a competitive skater? figure skate recommendations?

Question

I want to compete on the senior olympic level. i'm very dedicated and plan to skate alot everyday and take lessons 3 times a week. And i think i could make it. And for the skates what do you recommend for a alpha (isi) level skater for a person who plans to skate 6 days a week for 3 to 4 hours a day. thank you good luck to all skaters out there.

Answer 1

First realize that there are many many skaters who skate at a senior level, but very few that make it to the Olympics....no matter what their age is.  I didn't notice you mentioned your age in your question.  I think the most current Olympic level skater who started at a "late" age (11 years old) was Johnnie Weir.  Getting to the Olympics not only takes a lot of hard work, dedication and money, but it also takes mass quantities of natural talent.  You'll notice that some skaters have it and some have to work harder towards everything.  I don't know which category you fall into, but don't be disappointed if you don't make it to that level -- skate because you love it.  Sometimes you can skate until you turn blue, but improvement is slow....sometimes not.  Also lessons and skating every day (without including skates, costumes, club dues, testing fees, ice fees, competition fees, transportation fees, etc.) adds up quickly.  If you've got the money to do that, just be sure to plan wisely.  I started out and wanted to go to the Olympics too.  But you get hung up on things that you have a hard time with, fail a test here or there and get stuck in ruts.  Life sometimes gets in the way too.  Just be prepared that there will be a lot working against you and your goals.

As for skates, for an alpha level, I'd recommend a Riedell gold medallion for now.  A lot of beginning skaters are really happy with their Riedells, saying that they're very comfortable.  If you check Riedell's boot recommendation chart, the gold medallions should last you for your level on into the next few upcoming levels (riedellskates.com).

Good luck! :)

Answer 2

go to a figure skating store or pro shop and ask them theyll tell you everything

Answer 3

To answer your first question, no, 13 isn't too old to start skating. I started at 11 in Alpha, skating once a week, took a year off due to an injury, started skating again 3 months ago and now I'm in Freestyle 3 (I'm 14.) My friend started skating at 9 (not quite as late as 13, but still later than most start) and was in Freestyle 3 within a couple of months. She has gymnastics training which probably helped (with flexibility, conditioning, etc), but my point is that different people progress and learn at different rates.

While it is very possible to eventually reach the Senior level after starting late, you most likely won't reach it in time to compete in the Olympic track. However you can definitely compete before that (there are even competitions for USFSA Basic Levels and ISI Alpha-Delta skaters) and you can definitely compete outside of that. Many Senior level skaters compete in their twenties (and it will probably be that long before you would reach that level), and not just in the Olympics.

I would probably advise against skating quite that much yet to avoid burnout. Right now you should probably be skating about 3 days a week, maybe 4. How often you take lessons is usually decided by how much money you're willing to spend. Ideally if you're skating 3 days a week at your level you would have lessons 2 or 3 days a week, mostly private lessons. Often enough where you don't get bored, but not so much where you don't have time to practice alone.

I don't have any personal experience with these skates, but the Jackson Artiste figure skates (between $110 and $130) are designed for beginning skaters through the lower Freestyle levels.

Hope I helped. Good luck!