Okay, I haven't been skating in a little while now. Partly because a nasty snowstorm played havoc with my ability to get places... partly because I didn't want to go on the weekend or Monday when kids were off from school and I wouldn't be able to do what I wanted because the rink would be crowded.
So I did have to take a few minutes to readjust and actually get used to skating again. Remind my body of how, exactly, to balance and take an edge properly. How to go backwards and do backwards crossovers properly. How to do a three-turn correctly. All that. I felt I was pretty much back to where I was after about 15 minutes, though.
I'd sort of been working on the spread-eagle position and, in fact, the spin a bit at home. Turns out wearing socks on a wooden floor gives you a lot of slipperiness and I could sort of simulate a spin. It doesn't simulate having the kind of sharp edge a skate has, though, so I wasn't as successful as I might have been. Again, I was teased by my mom for looking silly doing these things. Personally, I don't care if I look silly if it helps me get better - sometimes you just have to practice and look silly and damn the consequences! I didn't try a lot of spinning on the ice this time, though. I think I need to work a little more on my general fitness level and get back to regular exercise - most of my exercise recently has been shoveling snow. Meh. If I feel energetic and strong, the form feels better and it's easier to work on new things.
There were some kids (grade school or middle school age) out on the ice today, interestingly. One of the kids was trying to jump and do crazy stuff in his hockey skates and I commented that he needed figure skates for that kind of thing; he just said he didn't want to figure skate! Sure looked like that was what he was trying to do, though. Also added myself to their impromptu races at least once. I think I probably won, but I wasn't on the outside all the time so it's hard to tell. :p
Comments
. That means having both skates on the ice but angled slightly inwards, and pumping your feet in and out - see the link. It will help you get used to your edges.
5. STOPPING! Yeah, you will need to do this. I suggest, for a beginner, a snowplow stop: stopping by having your toes together and your ankles out, like a big v. This is probably the easiest stop to do. Also possible if you need to: stopping by banging into or catching the outer edge of the rink. Not elegant, but it can work. If you're having a hard time staying up, stick to the side of the rink and hold the edge.
6. We all fall, it's a part of the learning process. Remember, ice is much more forgiving than concrete, since you slide. But do prepare for a fall, especially your first time. Wear snow pants or some sort of heavy pant, or even knee pads and/or elbow pads.
7. Your skates should fit very snugly, especially around the ankle. They should also be tied fairly tight (again, especially around the ankle), but of course not so much that you cut off any circulation.
8. Have fun! And do tell me how it went and whether these tips were helpful.
