How to get into Ice Skating
After watching an ice skater effortless fly over top of an ice rink, or the accuracy and speed of a hockey player, you may find yourself wondering, ‘how can I do that’? Most of us have at least once in our lives attempted to mimic the graceful moves of a professional, whether it is on our first wobbly pair of borrowed skates or in our stockings across the kitchen tiles.
There are several places to follow through with this desire, as most indoor ice skating facilities also hold classes. Just make sure to register early since classes tend to fill up quickly. Google online for a nearby rink to locate a teacher, but before you book a ticket for the Olympics in Canada, you may want to think thoroughly about what you are getting into.
The very first thing that you will be faced with when you begin is falling down on the ice. This may seem out of order, but it is such a big concern for people when they begin skating that I thought it was worth mentioning first! When you begin, you may spend more time on the ice than on your skates, so make sure that you wear adequate padding and consider how cold the ice will be.
Although some Olympic figure skaters wear little more than a bathing suit, most instructors would recommend starting off with sweatpants and a sweater, remember you are on a block of ice, and thick socks and gloves would certainly not go a miss. Remember that it takes time to lace up ice skates so make sure that you get to your lesson early so that you don’t miss out on part while you are lacing up the skates. It is also highly recommended that girls pull their hair back into a pony tail or braid to keep it out of their faces whilst skating.
The first thing you need to learn is how to fall properly, so that you don’t get hurt or run over by other skaters passing by. The first thing to remember is that you are falling onto ice, not concrete, so you are going to slide instead of come to a dead stop. It’s actually a good thing, because once you learn to go limp and not fight it, you will be less likely to hurt yourself.
The most important thing to remember, once you get over the initial fear of the fall, is that it can not psych you out. Get up immediately, do not just sit there and fell sorry that you fell because, unless you got hurt by the fall, there’s still the chance that you can get hurt if you don’t get up. Besides, getting right back on your feet will come in handy if you perform as your deduction will be based on how big of a diversion from your routine the fall causes.
When you sign up for classes, skate rental is usually included with the cost of lessons, so don’t rush out and purchase skates right away. Take a minute to look over your skates and familiarize yourself with them. You will want to make sure that the borrowed skates fit well, not too tight and certainly not too loose, also that they don’t hurt your feet while you’re skating. Ice skates should fit like a good pair of shoes.
Most ice skates have a plastic cover for the blade while you are not on the ice, so make sure that you keep it in place so that you do not tear up the carpet at the arena. Make sure that you do not run your fingers along the skate blades, because they are very sharp. You may notice that at the front of the blade, there is a jagged ridge, called a toe pic, which is meant to be used as a brake. Until you learn to use the toe pic accurately, you can just glide to a stop, or turn your skates to the side to slow yourself down.
Start with little steps, moving one foot slowly in front of the other, to move yourself along the ice. A lot of people will start to get comfortable by first walking along the outer edge while holding onto the sides for support. Some rinks will have ice shoes, shoes that have no ridges on the bottom that would damage the ice, and you can start by just walking along the ice with those, before getting used to balancing on the skates if you are having trouble.
As with all new sports, it will take time to get used to standing on the thin blade, but once you are comfortable, it will be just like walking on the floor. Just remember to listen and always follow the instructions of your teacher. That is what they are there for. Another important thing to remember is to take your time and not get frustrated. You won’t be ready for competitions the second day. It may even take years to get to a level that is ready to compete. Remember that most ice skaters start very young, and spend hours a day on the rink. But, they all started exactly where you did, so don’t give up if it is something that you really want to do.
Don’t push yourself too far because you don’t want to end up injuring yourself and taking yourself out of the game. Show up for all of your lessons, normally between six and twelve weeks worth, and get the basics down before trying anything that you may not be ready for. After beginners lessons, you may have to locate a private instructor to continue, many of which will advertise at the rink that you have been practicing at. It will be a lot of work, a lot of tears, and a lot of bruises, but it can also be a lot of fun. If you are not enjoying it, then it is not worth it. Remember why you got started and have fun with it and you will be flying before you know it.
