Beginning Skating Tips | Golden Skate

Beginning Skating Tips

pianistliz

On the Ice
Joined
May 19, 2019
I've only been ice skating a handful of times and that was a while ago (just skated around the rink, didn't try any moves), but I'm going skating in a couple weeks with my husband, who's even more of a beginner. Now that I've really gotten into the figure skating fandom, I'm thinking of trying a couple basic moves (no jumps, just things like stroking, gliding, swizzles, etc). I'm a professional pianist and kind of an anxious person, so I'm a little paranoid about falling and breaking my wrist or something. Any tips for how not to fall/decrease risk of hurting my arms/hands?
 

Nimyue

On the Ice
Joined
May 15, 2018
you can wear wrist and knee pads. I'd also recommend a helmet if you're very new.

Also, you know you can get a coach for learning the basics. Joining an Adult LTS is probably more cost effective if that's an option. But figure skating coaches will start with the basics also!
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
In Learn to Skate Basic / Adult 1, the following are gone over off-ice on the rubber matting first:

A basic skill for trying to prevent a fall: if you start to feel off-balance, bend forward and put your hands on your knees. "Hands on knees and freeze!"
If you absolutely feel like you will fall, the goal is to not fall backwards on the head. Try to reach toward one side and fall on the most padded part of your body (the side of the butt).

You can wear wrist guards to help lessen the risk of injuring hands and wrists. Also wear gloves because if you do fall your hands won't slide on the ice when you get up.

Stroking, gliding and swizzles are good beginner moves. Have fun!
 

bunnybarista

If I risk it all, could you break my fall?~
On the Ice
Joined
May 27, 2018
you can wear wrist and knee pads. I'd also recommend a helmet if you're very new.

Also, you know you can get a coach for learning the basics. Joining an Adult LTS is probably more cost effective if that's an option. But figure skating coaches will start with the basics also!

Agreed. Joining a group class, or even getting a private coach, is a big step in being safe on the ice - they will teach you how to fall, things to look out for, and generally help you feel comfortable and minimize risk.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
In addition to the protective gear others have mentioned, there are elbow pads, hip pads, and tailbone pads. Also, you mentioned that you are a newbie. Are you using rental skates? If so, you can greatly reduce the risk of injury by ditching rental skates pronto monto and buying your own skates (ask the skating director, coaches, and advanced skaters for referrals to competent fitters; don't just automatically default to the rink shop if there is one).
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
In Learn to Skate Basic / Adult 1, the following are gone over off-ice on the rubber matting first:

A basic skill for trying to prevent a fall: if you start to feel off-balance, bend forward and put your hands on your knees. "Hands on knees and freeze!"
If you absolutely feel like you will fall, the goal is to not fall backwards on the head. Try to reach toward one side and fall on the most padded part of your body (the side of the butt).

You can wear wrist guards to help lessen the risk of injuring hands and wrists. Also wear gloves because if you do fall your hands won't slide on the ice when you get up.

Stroking, gliding and swizzles are good beginner moves. Have fun!

THIS! All of this.

I'm a professional harpist as well as a tailor and seamstress, so these days my paid work involves my hands. I have only ever bruised and/or grazed my hands and I've taken some big falls over the years. (We won't talk about the skating accident that put paid to me coaching - and walking - for a long time! My hands were completely unaffected. :laugh: Panic not, I relearned to walk and can now skate again, too.)

Other than Sandra's excellent advice above, I'd say that there are a few things to try to remember when you get on the ice:-

1. Everybody falls over and it usually doesn't hurt anywhere near as much as you think it will, if at all. Ice is (usually) smooth and therefore you slide, which takes away much of the thump and sting.

2. There are no sharks under the ice. Well, there might be but the ice is really thick, so they can't get you. :biggrin:

3. Breathe. Breathe again. Keep breathing. It might sound silly but I've taught more than one beginner who was so uptight/terrified that they literally forgot to breathe. I swear one almost started going blue. I ended up adding "breathe" into sequences of movements for her, ie "Bend, push, stretch the free leg behind, rise up on the skating knee, breathe, feet together..."

4. If you can join a Learn To Skate class, you'll get far more out of the experience than trying to go it alone, or even with a one to one coach, as much of the joy of skating as an adult comes from the social side of it. Skating friends are the best.

Enjoy! (And breathe.)
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
4. If you can join a Learn To Skate class, you'll get far more out of the experience than trying to go it alone, or even with a one to one coach, as much of the joy of skating as an adult comes from the social side of it. Skating friends are the best.
This of course depends strongly on the specific class or private coach. At the rinks (US) that I skate at, there typically aren't enough adult skaters to justify multiple adult Learn-To-Skate classes, sorted by experience level. As a result, adult students with a wide range of experience levels often get lumped into a single class; hardly a satisfactory arrangement. Also, students have no say over the class instructor, and there can be random instructors over the course of the program. With a private coach, you're free to fire her if she's not satisfactory; and, if your coach can't make a particular lesson, you can simply skip that lesson and don't pay, or agree to accept a substitute (some coaches have backup arrangements with other coaches) ... but you can't be forced to pay for a random substitute you don't agree to.
 
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