# Equipment in Depth · Figure Skating Level 8: Expert

Figure Skating · Level 8: Expert · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/figure-skating/level-8/equipment-in-depth/)

Equipment in Depth in Figure Skating (Level 8: Expert) on Insporta: 20 sourced facts behind 2 tests. Covers: boot and blade as a pair.

Matching boot and blade, blade sizing and mounting.

## Test 1: Boot and blade as a pair

- The guide's four factors are the skating discipline, the skating level, the measurements and personal preference. (Source: Riedell, Boot & Blade Guide: 4 Factors for the Perfect Match)
- Ice dance and synchronized skaters are told to pick boots and blades made for their discipline. (Source: Riedell, Boot & Blade Guide: 4 Factors for the Perfect Match)
- Blades for advanced skaters have a larger toe pick, for higher jumps, faster spins and intricate footwork. (Source: Riedell, Boot & Blade Guide: 4 Factors for the Perfect Match)
- The guide quotes Rainbo Sports: a blade a quarter inch shorter than the heel-to-toe sole measurement. (Source: Riedell, Boot & Blade Guide: 4 Factors for the Perfect Match)
- Boots should support the ankle for stability but let the foot move enough to control the edges and weight. (Source: Riedell, Boot & Blade Guide: 4 Factors for the Perfect Match)
- Edea measures blades in inches: thirds for starter blades and quarters for high-level blades. (Source: Edea, Blade mounting (edeaskates.com))
- Edea's soles are shaped so that they need a slightly shorter blade size than traditional boots. (Source: Edea, Blade mounting (edeaskates.com))
- Discipline first, then level, then measurements, and finally the pairing that feels best. (Source: Riedell, Boot & Blade Guide: 4 Factors for the Perfect Match)
- The sole is measured in inches, the blade is a quarter inch shorter, and a technician makes the final adjustments. (Source: Riedell, Boot & Blade Guide: 4 Factors for the Perfect Match)
- B's blade is a quarter inch shorter than the sole. A is longer, C a full inch shorter, D the same length. (Source: Riedell, Boot & Blade Guide: 4 Factors for the Perfect Match)

## Test 2: Mounting the blade

- He uses the widest part of the heel and the ball of the boot, marks the centre of each and joins them with a straight edge. (Source: Fred Bartick (skate technician), Mounting Blades, iCoachSkating)
- It is the part of the blade engaging the ice that should be centred; the plates may sit slightly differently. (Source: Fred Bartick (skate technician), Mounting Blades, iCoachSkating)
- Some skaters need a special mounting, but most do well with the standard centre mount. (Source: Fred Bartick (skate technician), Mounting Blades, iCoachSkating)
- Slotted holes allow a temporary mounting for final positioning and testing on the ice before the permanent mount. (Source: Fred Bartick (skate technician), Mounting Blades, iCoachSkating)
- Unused fresh sole helps if the mount must change later or holes strip, which is more common in leather soles. (Source: Fred Bartick (skate technician), Mounting Blades, iCoachSkating)
- Edea's guidance: the rocker with the ball of the foot and the centre of the heel blade with the heel. (Source: Edea, Blade mounting (edeaskates.com))
- Edea insists on its own supplied screws, with a high-low double helix thread and flattened tips. (Source: Edea, Blade mounting (edeaskates.com))
- Centres and line first, a temporary mount on the slots, an on-ice test, then the permanent mount. (Source: Fred Bartick (skate technician), Mounting Blades, iCoachSkating)
- The technician checks the alignment, the security of the hardware and the evenness of the edges. (Source: Edea, Blade mounting (edeaskates.com))
- A's blade lies along the dashed line. B and D sit off to one side, C is angled across it. (Source: Fred Bartick (skate technician), Mounting Blades, iCoachSkating)

Sources: Riedell, Boot & Blade Guide and Testing Structure; Edea, Blade mounting; Fred Bartick, Mounting Blades; Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 1.1-1.3 and 4; U.S. Figure Skating, Adult Testing; ISU, Grand Prix explained (2026); Skate Canada, 2026-27 Grand Prix guide; ISU Constitution and General Regulations. Original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Eligibility, entries and age rules belong to General Rules.

Take the tests: https://insporta.app/try?utm_source=book&utm_medium=referral