Finding the Right Skates

Kevin Reynolds, the Canadian National silver medalist and reigning quad king (he landed two quads in a short program and three in a long program in one competition, srsly), has withdrawn from Skate Canada because of "ill-fitting" skates.

Your skates are like your spirit animal or your Harry Potter wand, they mold and guide you as much as you mold and guide them. One can't just slap on any pair of skates and expect that your feet will feel the same underneath you. It doesn't work like that.

Getting a new pair of skates is no walk skate in the park. It's something every skater has to do. Skates take a beating and wear down, and eventually become unsafe to use if they deteriorate too much. New skates are often extremely expensive, stiff as a board, and painful to wear. When you try them out for the first time on the ice, it can be like learning how to skate all over again. So I can understand why this guy, who does dangerous high-level stuff, might be picky about his skates.

On the other hand, it seems like he may be too picky about his skates. According to the Globe & Mail piece, he went through 9 pairs last year and 4 this year, many of them custom-fit (which runs thousands of dollars per pair, btw). I think I've only ever had 5 pairs of skates in my entire life. I've been through the breaking-in process, endured weeks of painful and stunted skating. And I survived. So part of me just wants to grab this kid by the shoulders and say, "suck it up, cupcake!"

I hope Cinderella here finds the "right" pair of skates soon.