Equipment

First and foremost, your child needs good skates. The kind of skates suitable for your child will depend on the program you're enrolling in, and on your child's size and strength. Some skate brands will be more suitable for your child than others. In general, we recommend that you do not buy molded (plastic) figure skates. They usually don't flex well enough through the ankle to allow a proper knee bend and range of motion. Ask one of the coaches to take a look at your child and recommend some options.
All skaters in the Kidskate and CanSkate programs are required to wear CSA approved hockey helmets.

How do I buy skates for my child?

There's no such thing as weak ankles, but there are plenty of skates on the market with weak ankle support! Look for thick, leather skates with generous ankle support. These will conform to the foot in time. The toes should be able to wiggle, the heel should fit snugly. Properly fitted skates are usually one size smaller than your normal shoe size. A thin acrylic blend sock or stocking allows the skate to have a snug fit that permits the toes to be relaxed in the toe box.

How should I take care of my child's skates?

One of the most important pieces of equipment to a skater is, not surprisingly...the skates. Taking good care of your child's skates helps their performance and ensures their safety on the ice.
Moisture should be wiped off the blades, soles, and leather uppers of skates after each skating session in order to prevent rusting, and to maintain the quality of the leather. Skates should be allowed to dry thoroughly when not in use (do not keep skates in a sealed bag between sessions).
A beeswax preparation can be applied periodically to help ‘waterproof’ leather soles (eg. Sno-Seal). Scuffs to leather uppers can be minimized by use of boot covers or removable tape (eg. SK8tape). Skate polish can be applied as needed to give a clean appearance to the boots but remove old polish and do not polish too often since this contributes to buildup.
Always have your child wear skate guards to protect his or her blades when walking on hard surfaces. Cloth blade covers should be used to protect blades when skates are not in use (remove the skate guards when skates are stored).Intervals between sharpenings are largely determined by personal preference. As a rule of thumb, blades can be sharpened after 25-30 hours of use. Always choose services from reputable technicians who are experienced at sharpening figure skates.