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Best Boots and Blades Awards of 2004 - Page 3

© Dr. Marie Miczak

Pros - Break-in period: minimal. I'd say about 8 hours of skating after heat molding. Best features are the soft sueded interior, deep forward flex notches and rolled collar. Graf's signature three piece tongue stays put and is the ultimate in comfort. Cons - Absolutely none. You'll need to keep up with SnoSealing them twice monthly. Who's wearing them? Nearly everyone. Just look for the three lines on the back of the boot. Shizuka Arakawa, Alexei Yagudin, Julia Sebestyen, Irina Slutskya, Emanuel Shandu, David Pelletier.

3rd Place...Riedell HLS 1500. Riedell took a major step forward in putting together this top level boot. Features I appreciate about this boot is Riedell's anti-rotational tongue lace bar but where they really made strides was with their flex notch design and ribbed forefoot flex lines. I used these for advanced freestyle classes and never had a problem. They were comfortable, warm and very light to jump in. If you stand with both feet together and your toes point from each other, you have the classic "Riedell foot". This boot is quite streamlined and allows you to really feel the ice.

Pros - Break-in period: moderate. I had to have these heat molded at least twice. After that, about 10 hours on the ice to feel totally broken in. Cons - None really. Who's wearing them? Johnny Weir, Kurt Browning

Best Boot Change-Klingbeil. These boots are bomb-proof but known to be heavier than most other brands. Well, not any more! Don and Bill Klingbeil have come up with a lighter material which still gives support but with less weight. Other additions include inserts for more forward flexibility. My daughter began using Klingbeil's softer S-2's this year and for the first time, she is getting through her lessons without having to stop due to boot discomfort. Her ankles are also straight and because of Klingbeil's signature extra lacing button, she's able to get more forward flex and knee bend which is so critical to developing proper technique.

Who's Wearing Klingbeils? My daughter, Sasha Cohen, Sarah Hughes, Timothy Goebel

Most Honorable Mention...Gam's Renassiance Boots. I've only just began testing these boots and they are not yet broken in. Gam has stepped forward with a bold new design which I am looking forward to testing this season. Now for the blades.

Best Blades Awards for 2004

1st Place for Best Blade....Graf Diamond Blades. 8 foot rocker which tends to be more stable a high speeds. Smooth side honed blade is a work of art but backs up it's elegant line with performance. Ultra smooth gliding with total control.

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