Learning how to ice skate?! UPDATE: Been on the ice :-)

[aimee-lou]

Right, I'm going for it. Seeing as first my husband and my 4yo and now my 19mo can all handle themselves on the ice, I'm risking being left behind, so I'm booking lessons.

However - I've never been on an ice rink in my life....well not in skates anyway! I'm petrified. I'm not the most co-ordinated of people, and I know I'm going to make a complete pigs ear of the whole thing. I know everyone falls over, but this is me. I get injured just looking at sporting equipment!

So, in the spirit of BnB, does anyone have any tips or advice for a complete novice like me. I'm unsure which skates to wear, whether or not to try before I start my lessons to get out without anyone with me, or should I ask hubby to come/one of his team-mates to help me? I'm not very good at being taught by people I know. I get very nervous and tend to tense up as I'm worried about disappointing people (silly, I'm 30 so shouldn't think like that but it's hard-wired).

I'm definitely taking the lessons (will book as soon as I can spare the £60) but my god, I'm seriously scared

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

You mean like casual ice skating ? I have never thought about it.... It's just something you do. I think some people have better balance than others though, and lessons are likely a good idea if you are planning on doing this alot ?

I have never had a lesson though, so you might find it easier than you think ? I thought it would be a nightmare, but the trick is just to not fall over My OH on the other hand, spends the entire time walking around clutching the side, if he lets go even for a second he falls on his butt!


My pet peeve though is the nasty ugly hockey player type skates they give you to loan. big bulky things that are too heavy to lift

good luck i'm sure you'll be twirling around in no time

 

[Ruby2013]

I would just go to a free skate session with your husband or some friends and have a go. Just hire some skates. Stick close to edges for a little bit whilst u get a feel for it. Take things slowly and im sure you will be fine x

 

[dani_tinks]

How awesome, I'd love to learn to ice skate but the nearest rink that's open all year is Plymouth I think. Which is like over an hours drive away from me.
From what I can gather, you push into your knees when ice skating and that controls your balance. Good luck

 

[aimee-lou]

my husband took up skating last year. he's a natural as usual lol, and is now on a hockey team and has been on training camps and all sorts. Earl is competent enough now to get on and off the ice without help and can go around by himself. Edward loves it too and kicks and screams when you bring him off the ice. i just want to be able to do the average stuff. stay upright, turn, stop and get on and off lol. if i can do that smoothly then i'll be able to go on with the kids without making a fool of myself lol.

thanks for the advice everyone. i could do with thegetting someone to babysit so hubby and i could go without the boys. our nearest rink is peterborough which is over an hour away.

 

[Pandora11]

Relax on the ice, if you're stiff you'll more likely fall.
Don't wave you're arms around too much, or make sudden movements it'll knock you off balance.
Rest on the inside blade of the skate.
Lean forward slightly , don't stand up straight. (your head weighs more, less likely to fall backward!)
Take small 'steps', make small movements, it's all about balance. You see people frantically 'running' over the ice and they fall, when infact you barely have to lift your skate because you glide alot.

You push off on one foot and then glide and then you push off on the opposite foot and glide, look at it simply and then you'll get used to it and can get faster etc.

Relax your body and move gently and it'll be much less of a struggle.

Don't worry, me and DH are the clumsiest of people but i swear, we can both skate better than we can walk lol (i trip all the time).

If you're serious about skating try and buy a pair on ebay etc because half the problem in ice rinks is that they don't sharpen the blades often, even the best skaters have trouble when they have blunt blades. My old coach used to say that if you hired skates to ask for them from the back because the ones at the front are the ones that are contantly hired out and are reached for first. When the blades don't cut the ice it feels like standing on ice with shoes on (really slippery) it doesn't feel like that when your blades are shape enough, you can easily stand still and feel the resistences.

Next time you go to the rink, watch the good skaters feet, and how they move, watch their body language and where their arms etc are.

 

[aimee-lou]

thanks so much everyone.

next question - figure skates or hockey skates?

 

[Pandora11]

depends if you want a toe pick and plan on jumping around in the future?

I have hockey skates and they each have their pros and cons depending on what you want them for. Does your ice rink have a skate shop? If so i would go and try some on and see what you are comfortable in and then go buy from where ever you want to.

https://www.sportinglife360.com/ind...etween-hockey-skates-and-figure-skates-51715/

 

[aimee-lou]

depends if you want a toe pick and plan on jumping around in the future?

I have hockey skates and they each have their pros and cons depending on what you want them for. Does your ice rink have a skate shop? If so i would go and try some on and see what you are comfortable in and then go buy from where ever you want to.

https://www.sportinglife360.com/ind...etween-hockey-skates-and-figure-skates-51715/

Unfortunately no it doesn't - well actually it's fortunately as otherwise I'd never see my husband . I don't see myself jumping around, but I'm only small and having see the hockey skates in my size they are still pretty chunky. I think you're right though....go and try some on. I hae funny shaped feet at the best of times lol.

Thanks for the wonderful advice. I'm currently planning/hoping to get across to the rink with just my hubby, and a borrowed set of sharp hockey skates (from hubby's club kit) and to see how I get on. Not sure when this will happen but I'm provisionally booked onto my course to start March 2nd, so before then.

Nervous but excited.

 

[Natsku]

I'd go for the figure skates, I find it much easier to stop in them as you can use the toes, plus if you panic and need to get to the edge but can't skate then you can walk on your toes to the edge.

Start off by the edge (or by holding someone's hand, that might be better if you can trust them to go at a slow steady pace) and keep your weight slightly forward.

Good luck! You'll love it! I shall be teaching Maria this year (if she lets me) - can't wait!

 

[aimee-lou]

I'd go for the figure skates, I find it much easier to stop in them as you can use the toes, plus if you panic and need to get to the edge but can't skate then you can walk on your toes to the edge.

Start off by the edge (or by holding someone's hand, that might be better if you can trust them to go at a slow steady pace) and keep your weight slightly forward.

Good luck! You'll love it! I shall be teaching Maria this year (if she lets me) - can't wait!

Earl started just after he turned 3 (so just a year ago which is mad! lol) and he is doing really well. He can now basically do everything for himself including getting on and off. He needs to master stopping, but at the moment he doesn't go very fast so it's not an issue lol.

Thanks for the advice. I was eyeing up some figure skates online so will be trying some on when we next hit a shop lol. They're a lot more 'me' lol.

 

[TTCabundle]

No advice but just wanted to say good luck, it sounds like so much fun! Don't be nervous, I'm the clumsiest person ever but I can ice skate, its much easier than it looks ! One thing I can say, don't think too much about falling because it makes you much more likely to fall, as I found out have fun! x

 

[Beckettshades]

I had no idea how close we lived :/ weird!

I prefer to have a toe pick but I think it's personal preference. As others have said- I'm so clumsy in real life but I'm actually pretty graceful on ice so I hope it goes well for you!

 

[Lucasmum]

I have no advice other than go for it, my 7 year old has been skating since he was 3 and playing ice hockey since he was 4 I cant even stand up

Oooohhhhh I do have some advice wrap up warm Peterborough ice rink is one of the coldest I have ever been to, was there last week and it wasnt any warmer despite my complaints from being there a few weeks previous

 

[aimee-lou]

I have no advice other than go for it, my 7 year old has been skating since he was 3 and playing ice hockey since he was 4 I cant even stand up

Oooohhhhh I do have some advice wrap up warm Peterborough ice rink is one of the coldest I have ever been to, was there last week and it wasnt any warmer despite my complaints from being there a few weeks previous

Yeah it's freezing in there! We go quite a lot for various things (hubby's games, toddler sessions, family sessions, after-school skates lol) and that's where hubby trains too. Chelmsford is nowhere near as bad but then again hubby always complains that the ice isn't as good there! lol

I am so doing this! I just need to find the £180 to do it now (£60 for lessons, then £20 each week for fuel ) and then I'll need skates, and a new coat lol

How 'good' is your LO or was your LO when he started hockey? Earl is getting better but I see the little ones doing their hockey training on a Wed night and they are like little NHL players! lol.

 

[aimee-lou]

I had no idea how close we lived :/ weird!

I prefer to have a toe pick but I think it's personal preference. As others have said- I'm so clumsy in real life but I'm actually pretty graceful on ice so I hope it goes well for you!

Where are you?

 

[Lucasmum]

I have no advice other than go for it, my 7 year old has been skating since he was 3 and playing ice hockey since he was 4 I cant even stand up

Oooohhhhh I do have some advice wrap up warm Peterborough ice rink is one of the coldest I have ever been to, was there last week and it wasnt any warmer despite my complaints from being there a few weeks previous

Yeah it's freezing in there! We go quite a lot for various things (hubby's games, toddler sessions, family sessions, after-school skates lol) and that's where hubby trains too. Chelmsford is nowhere near as bad but then again hubby always complains that the ice isn't as good there! lol

I am so doing this! I just need to find the £180 to do it now (£60 for lessons, then £20 each week for fuel ) and then I'll need skates, and a new coat lol

How 'good' is your LO or was your LO when he started hockey? Earl is getting better but I see the little ones doing their hockey training on a Wed night and they are like little NHL players! lol.

Yeah a lot of people complain about our ice being thin usually, looks OK to me lol

Lucas (I'm biased) he is amazing on the ice but then again it amazes me that the little ones can zip about like they do especially in all that padding, he taught himself to skate at 3 it sounds sad put like that but it wasnt a case of theres the ice go, we did try and wobble round with him and he must have realised that it would be easier if he learnt himself lol, we were actually at Gillingham ice rink (a place you never want to go, its cold factor is the same as Peterborough but its so wet there as well) and a under 10's coach spotted him in a public session and asked him to train with them but it was to far each week for us to go, so we went back to Chelmsford who always said he was to young and begged for a chance to join and it went from there.

Whats the team your hubby plays for I may have seen him play if he has come to Chelmsford for a match

There is another Under 10's game on the 22nd Feb in Peterborough which we will be at

 

[lhancock90]

I'd love to be bale to iceskate but i'm a complete clutz!

 

[aimee-lou]

I have no advice other than go for it, my 7 year old has been skating since he was 3 and playing ice hockey since he was 4 I cant even stand up

Oooohhhhh I do have some advice wrap up warm Peterborough ice rink is one of the coldest I have ever been to, was there last week and it wasnt any warmer despite my complaints from being there a few weeks previous

Yeah it's freezing in there! We go quite a lot for various things (hubby's games, toddler sessions, family sessions, after-school skates lol) and that's where hubby trains too. Chelmsford is nowhere near as bad but then again hubby always complains that the ice isn't as good there! lol

I am so doing this! I just need to find the £180 to do it now (£60 for lessons, then £20 each week for fuel ) and then I'll need skates, and a new coat lol

How 'good' is your LO or was your LO when he started hockey? Earl is getting better but I see the little ones doing their hockey training on a Wed night and they are like little NHL players! lol.

Yeah a lot of people complain about our ice being thin usually, looks OK to me lol

Lucas (I'm biased) he is amazing on the ice but then again it amazes me that the little ones can zip about like they do especially in all that padding, he taught himself to skate at 3 it sounds sad put like that but it wasnt a case of theres the ice go, we did try and wobble round with him and he must have realised that it would be easier if he learnt himself lol, we were actually at Gillingham ice rink (a place you never want to go, its cold factor is the same as Peterborough but its so wet there as well) and a under 10's coach spotted him in a public session and asked him to train with them but it was to far each week for us to go, so we went back to Chelmsford who always said he was to young and begged for a chance to join and it went from there.

Whats the team your hubby plays for I may have seen him play if he has come to Chelmsford for a match

There is another Under 10's game on the 22nd Feb in Peterborough which we will be at

He plays for UEA Avalanche (he's a 3rd year biology student) and they played, is it the Mischiefs? I'm not sure. It's their 'up and coming' team as UEA are a challenge team only at the mo as I think they only have 3 players who have been skating (not playing, skating! lol) more than 2 seasons!

Thanks for the reply. It's something we're definitely going to look into for the future. Earl is only just 4 though....have some time yet lol.

Oh and the 22nd I think my hubby and his team have training at 10.15pm that night. Could be crossing paths! lol

 

[Lucasmum]

Yeah its the Mischief's or misfits as I call them, its made up of ex players coaches parents rink staff and a few other odds and sods

At 4 its a great age for Earl to start, Peterborough have a great attitude to the kids playing they have 2 under 10 teams as do Chelmsford so we play them quite a lot during the season they have no set rhyme or reason on what team the kids go on (sounds like disorganized chaos) but it really works for them they give all the kids the same opportunity no matter of age size and experience I really love their attitude for that

Peterborough is the academy I would move to if Chelmsford ever was to disappear thats how much I rate them!

If you are going to be about that day I think the kids game starts at about 4.15ish come along and let him watch see if he likes the idea of it I will more than happily have a coffee and a gab about it with you