Tips on ice skating anyone?

hey guys and girls! i wanna take up ice skating! i know im 15 and its kinda late to decide this but any tips on ice skating?

Tips on ice skating anyone?
Yes of course,Okay, Beginning Skater, you’ve laced up your skates and are ready to get on the ice and have fun. But, wait, before you do, take a couple of extra minutes to warm up. This is important for ALL skaters, regardless of their level.





For the Beginning Skater, here are some special warm-ups to allow you to become accustomed to the task of balancing on those 1/8” wide steel blades.








These exercises can be done anywhere on the rubber matting in the rink.











Note: The black or dark-colored rubber matting that’s around the rink and near the skate rental counter is there to protect the blades. DO NOT WALK ON CONCRETE IN ICE SKATES! Whether they’re rentals or your own, concrete will damage the blade.








For the initial part of your off ice warm up, just walk around a small area, feeling what it’s like to maneuver around in figure skates.








Question: What are those funny looking claws on the front of the blade?





Answer: Toepicks. All figure skating blades have them. They’re designed to assist you with your jumps and spins. When skating backwards, you stop with them. The only thing you need to know about the toepick at this stage is to keep from tripping over it. That’s why good balance is essential.








Squats: the Best Warm-Up You Can Do





Stand up straight, arms in front of you, feet hip distance apart. This enables you to find your center of balance. Squat slightly. Just a tiny bit, to get you used to lowering your center of gravity. Do this about 3 or 4 times.








Next, squat further, not all the way down, but until you really feel your knees are bending. Here’s a skating secret: if you can’t bend your knees, you can’t skate! The stronger your knees are, the better of a skater you’ll be. Again, do the more advanced squats a few times. You will probably find yourself putting a lot of weight on the toepick. Finally, go down as far as you can.








Remember, your arms are out in front of you and you’re





looking straight ahead. You may fall, but so what, it’s just how this sport works. Falling happens to ALL skaters from beginners to Olympians. So here is the breakdown of the first off-ice warm up.





Level I Squat [slightly bent knees] 3 to 4 times





Level II Squat [fairly well bent knees] 3 to 4 times





Level III Squat [fully bent knees] 2 to 3 times





If you’re unable to do the Level III Squat, don’t worry. It’s not necessary for everyone and if you’re not in the best physical shape then refrain from trying.








Almost Ready to Skate!





Before you step onto the ice, please observe the rules of the rink. These rules are usually posted throughout the rink and are usually standardized. No food and beverages are allowed on the ice for obvious reasons. Skate in the same direction as the other skaters, which is often in the counter-clockwise direction. Many rinks have a Reverse Skate and this allows people to strengthen their other side, or for the skater who’s naturally inclined to be a clockwise skater, to feel at home for a few minutes! Other rules revolve around not smoking, no fighting, cursing or horseplay and rules of courtesy towards others.








Playing ‘Crack the Whip’ is not tolerated in most rinks, nor will groups of skaters be allowed to hold hands or link arms. Two or three skaters are certainly allowed to do this, especially if a more experienced skater is being of assistance.








The first rule you’ll observe is to watch the entrance and make sure there is no one in your way. In a crowded session this is even more important.


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Skating Exercises


Finally! You’re on that frozen surface and it’s SLIPPERY! Especially if it’s the start of a session and the ice has just been resurfaced and there can be a few puddles. This is where you have to be extra careful. If you’re a Nervous Nellie, then wait a few minutes until the ice is dry. Otherwise, stay near the barrier of the rink and get your balance.








Here you’ll want to bend your knees like in a Level I Squat. You might hold onto the barrier, or stay near it.











Starting to Skate:





You’re ready to go and nothing’s happening. Or else you’re slipping and sliding and those blades are going every which way but the right way!








Like the squatting exercise, you want your feet to be hip distance apart and both of your blades facing the same direction. For example, if a skating coach came up behind you and began pushing you then there would be no problem; you’d be that much in alignment. If you’re not taking lessons then no one will push you—except for you. Stay focused, breathe deeply and now’s the time to use those inside edges.








Your blade has 3 Edges.





1. The FLAT. This is what you’ll use when standing on the ice. It’s the entire center length of the blade.





2. The INSIDE EDGE. When looking down at your blades, the inside edge is the part closest to your big toe and runs the length of the blade. Should you relax your ankles and assume a pigeon-toed position, you’ll be on your inside edge.





3. The OUTSIDE EDGE. When looking down at your blades, the outside edge is the part closest to your little toe and runs the length of the blade. Stiffen your ankles and splay your feet like a duck and you’ll get a sense of the outside edge.








To skate Forward Swizzles, you’ll be using your inside edges. This will enable you to feel what it’s like to GLIDE around the rink. Many people attempt to skate by walking around the rink. There’s little point to that as it exerts too much effort and no results.








To begin your Forward Swizzles:





1. Stand approximately one arm’s length distance from the barrier. It’ll be there if you need it but it’s better to avoid getting too close to it.





2. Keep your arms out to the side for balance. (Ideally, your arms should be extended out to the side so they’re at shoulder height. Your palms should face downwards, fingers extended. If you’re not able to achieve this arm position at first, don’t be concerned).





3. Allow your feet to go into the pigeon-toed position. BEND YOUR KNEES! For the first few minutes of skating it’s okay to look down at your feet. Soon you will stop doing this, as it’s a bad habit. But in the beginning you may do this, but remember it’s only temporary.





4. The gliding sensation will begin as soon as you allow your feet to separate. This begins the Swizzle. As soon as you’re about hip distance apart, you’ll bend your knees more and use those inside edges to get you back to that pigeon-toed position.





5. Swizzles leave a scalloped pattern on the ice. If you were to do them over one of the painted red hockey lines along the width of the rink, you’ll create scallops on either side of the line.





6. The more you bend your knees, the stronger and faster your Forward Swizzles will become.





After doing a few series of Swizzles, it’s time to look up and begin working on improving your posture. Proper posture is essential for figure skating. That means your shoulders are down, your back is straight and your chin is up. Even if you’re working on this first skating exercise you can still look and feel like a real skater.


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Figure skating is the third most popular television spectator sport after football and baseball, yet many fans do not know the meaning of basic terminology. In ice figure skating there are three kinds of items: spins, jumps and footwork. This is a brief overview of spinning.








Each spin has several attributes which define which spin it is. These attributes are: foot, direction the skate is travelling in, direction of rotation, and position. A spin may also be a edge spin, or a pivot spin. Several of these attributes are interconnected.











For example, the most basic of attributes is direction of rotation. This is either counter-clockwise (CCW) or clockwise (CW). Most skaters spin counter-clockwise. One notable exception is Todd Eldredge, who normally spins clockwise. Additionally, Michelle Kwan is famous for having learned to spin in both directions. This is a very difficult skill which very few skaters take the time to learn. The direction of spin determines which foot the spin is performed on. The CCW spinner performs the back spin on the right foot; the CW spinner performs the forward spin on the right foot.








“Forward” and “back” denotes the direction the foot appears to be going, but it is really a misnomer. Most spins performed are “pivot” spins. The skate pivots, or should pivot around a relatively small point on the ice. Technically, there is no edge to this spin. The skater is directly over his or her skate, there is no lean to either side. When the skater finishes the spin, the tracing from the blade should be no more than about two inches in diameter and should all be in one place. Some spins, however, are performed on a particular edge rather than on a pivot. These spins should have a tracing about four to six inches in diameter and the foot will have a notable direction of travel and a lean to one edge.








Spins can be performed in many different variations of position. There are three basic positions: the upright, the sit (or Jackson Haines) and the camel. In an upright spin, the skater is standing up. The knees are bent only enough to make the spin happen and even if the free leg (the one the skater is not standing on) is held high, the upper body is not bent over, it remains straight up and down. In a sit spin, the skaters skating leg is bent so that the level of the buttocks is below the skating leg’s knee. Very often, a skater will be unable to obtain an extremely low position in the sit spin and will execute what is called derogatorily “a squat spin.” In a camel spin, the free leg is held high and stretched out behind the skater. The upper part of t
Reply:Hey i'm 14 and i LOVE Figure Skating! It's seriously my passion. I've only been skating for a year and once you start you can't stop. My sister and i have taught eachother a ton of tricks, and we just signed up for lessons and we made it to the highest level of figure skating in less than a week. coming from a person who taught herself a one foot spin, backwards %26amp; forwards crossover, %26amp; a spiral, it's so much easier to just experiment with new things. Go on YouTube and watch professional skaters doing tricks and try to mimic them. Trust me it's much easier to teach yourself than lessons. I know what your thinking "why is she saying this i thought she said she took lessons" but, if i was gonna learn names of tricks, and new tricks then i eventually had to join lessons. If you want to try teaching yourself, go to a local ice arena's public skate. The price is very reasonable, unlike private ice time which is maybe over a hundred dollars. I go skating every single weekend and ever since x-mass vacation and i've made such progress. At the beginning of the year i could barely even do a 360. but remember the most important thing HAVE FUN! :-D
Reply:Keep your knees bent at all times and relax. If you tensed up that is when you fall
Reply:awesome :) I'm 13 and i am taking it up soon as well


best thing till you get lessons is to practice just getting used to the ice





avoiding people


not falling over... etc etc





things like spins, glides and crossovers you can basicaly teach yourself.


best of luck :)





xx
Reply:Take lessons. That is the key. I didnt begin til i was 21 and i will never regret it. I can do tricks now and i am 22. but i would have been skating in circles still if it werent for my lessons.



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