Ice Skating, wish me luck

"Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras" (jegoingout) 01/05/2016 at 14:12 • Filed to: HALP

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As someone who has never ever gone ice skating..I can only imagine this is going to happen to me come this weekend.

Any tips besides having someone take a video of me falling on my ass?

spanfucker retire bitch > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:14

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That first .gif needs a GTA “Wasted” added to the end of it.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:19

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If it makes you feel better, you’ll probably pull the 3rd one where you just fall on your ass for no reason. I should hope you’re not dumb enough to try a hockey stop your first time skating.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/05/2016 at 14:20

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at least i won’t be alone ._.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:21

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Wear hockey pants. No really. This means when you do fall, you have something to cushion your hips against the ice.

Doesn’t help if you are an NHL player

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:21

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As someone who sucks at skating in all forms...I can promise you it will happen. It’s not a matter if if, but when you fall.

Needmoargarage > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:27

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Don’t bring a lady-friend. My wife (then gf) tackled me so hard when she lost control and tried to catch herself on me. Also, you need those arms for balance, not for any of that hand-holding nonsense!

Alternatively, butt-pillow?

Patrick Nichols > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:27

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Go slow and don’t try to lean on anything to stay up. Leaning on things will only teach you a false center of gravity.

When I teach learn to skate for little kids (~3-7 years old) around here I tell them to walk like a duck and glide after each stride. I can’t imagine you’ll be going too fast, but when I’m coaching learn to play hockey I tell them that if they’re falling towards the boards, ideally, you want to hit your toes and knees first (heads get concussions, wrists and collarbones break easily, and your shoulders will take enough abuse if you play hockey long enough).

Patrick Nichols > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:29

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Ideally this is how Justin Bieber dies...

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Needmoargarage 01/05/2016 at 14:31

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welp, too late..she wanted to go

ttyymmnn > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:32

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I suck at it too, but I can advise you to keep your knees bent and your weight forward. Don't let your head get behind your skates. Trust me, you'd much rather fall forward. And use the wall for stopping.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:38

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Try to do amazing things so that you look awesome. If you fall, get up saying, man I was this close to pulling that off.

Patrick Nichols > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 01/05/2016 at 14:38

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To be fair my hockey pants provide very little falling protection and are more puck/stick protection.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Future next gen S2000 owner 01/05/2016 at 14:39

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despite all the various good advice, this is sadly something I would do

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Patrick Nichols 01/05/2016 at 14:39

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It’s better than skating naked.

ttyymmnn > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:39

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You might also seriously consider wearing a bike helmet. There’s no shame in covering your dome, especially if it's your first time.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:40

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Fake it ‘til you make it.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:45

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Don’t stand or move too stiffly. Staying looser and balanced is important for any kind of skates or board.

Chariotoflove > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:47

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Serious safety tip: when you fall, fall on your butt. Practice this, seriously. Do not fall forward because you will throw your hands out, and this is the source of many skating-related wrist injuries. Fall on your butt. That’s what it’s made for.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Chariotoflove 01/05/2016 at 14:49

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thank god I’m already an expert at falling on my butt

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:57

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Knees bent

Take things slow

It’s OK to hang on to the boards until you get used to standing, but you’ll never learn to skate properly (as someone else has said) by leaning on something

Do what you see little kids doing at first (trying to walk normally with straight back and forth strides) to get used to the sensation of the skates sliding on the ice

You don’t need to take your skates off the ice to move, if you find you aren’t comfortable with it at first. Instead, move your legs apart, then together, then apart, then together, the way your throat moves when you swallow. This might sound weird, but eventually you just reach a point where this is too slow for you and the natural (and I mean natural, it’s nearly automatic) step is skating normally.

As far as stopping goes, my learning curve may not have been especially steep, but it worked out OK. At first I stopped just by turning in a tightening circle. Eventually that became impractical. To tell the truth, I basically threw myself off the deep end by staring to play shinny hockey. I stepped up my stopping game by doing something similar to a snowplow in skiing, and from there the step to a full power stop was almost automatic, just like the last point (I'm guessing the snowplow got me used to the skates sliding sideways).

Chariotoflove > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 14:58

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See, you’re already ahead of the game. Nothing to worry about!

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 15:03

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And if you do fall forwards, either cushion (not try to stop, that’s how you break arms) your fall and stick out your chest, or try to twist onto your back.

Basically you are tying to make the fall as smooth and short as possible.

Here’s a weird fact* about falling while skating: It’s more comfortable to fall when you are going faster. If you fall going slow, you fall straight down. If you fall going fast, you meet the ice at a gentle angle. Because ice is slippery by nature, there is no road rash consequence to falling at speed either.

*at least I find it so.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Patrick Nichols 01/05/2016 at 15:05

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Leaning can be good at first to get the feeling of how skates to stand up in.

Other than that, agreed.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > ttyymmnn 01/05/2016 at 15:07

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Weight centered. Weight forward only at speed.

Try a skiing style "snowplow" for stopping, it was amazing how easy the transition to a power stop was after I learned to do that.

Patrick Nichols > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/05/2016 at 15:07

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Yeah I was more talking about the people that will spend the whole time clutching the top of the boards and shuffling around. We try to have all the kids off of the milk crates in the first two sessions.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 15:09

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There is some decent advice here but I’ll give you the most important if you hope to be successful.

Get the right sized skates! You normally go one size down for hockey skates. so if you wear size 10 shoes ask for size 9 skates. Also tie the fuckers tight! Not to the point where it cuts off circulation but you want the skates to be on the very snug side. If you are a new skater your feet will hurt after 10-15 mins this is perfectly normal. If they don’t you have skates that are too loose.

Camber may look good on cars but it’s fucking useless if you are trying to skate.

This is the result of skates that are too big and/or not tied down tight enough.

This is BY FAR the biggest mistake I see new skaters do. Skates are supposed to be an extension of your body, if they are all flip floppy how do you expect to be able to skate?

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 01/05/2016 at 15:16

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I tie mine tight only on the top 2-3 holes and the rest I just snug, because my feet don’t quite match the arch support and I refuse to get new skates. However, I’ve found since I learned this trick to keep my feet in one piece that my skating is actually better now that I have the use of my ankles.

As long as they aren't flopping at the top, a bit of flop on the bottom is OK.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/05/2016 at 15:22

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I agree as time goes on you find what works best for you. I was merely talking as to someone who has never put skates on their feet they are better too tight than too loose.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 01/05/2016 at 15:24

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Yeah, I know what you are saying. Better too tight than too loose, all day long. I'm just being arguementative for the sake of it

AM3R shamefully returns > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 16:18

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I just went for my first time last weekend actually. It’s not that hard, only fell once in about an hour of skating. Bring a lady friend that knows how to skate so you can hold her hand, that helps a lot haha. Make sure the skates fit snugly. They should be tight but not to the point of being painful to wear. That’ll help a lot. Just remember, right left glide, right left glide, right left glide. Slightly have your knees bent. What I would do is skate a lap, chill on the wall for a minute or two, then repeat. After like half an hour I was good enough to just skate around with my girl and our friends and have a great time. My legs were pretty sore by the end though!

uofime-2 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/05/2016 at 16:21

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I’ll have to try that, cause I can’t power stop to save my life. Though truth be told I’m not that great at stopping with the snow plow while skiing either, mostly use hard cuts

mmm ackerman....

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > AM3R shamefully returns 01/05/2016 at 16:21

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My girlfriend has no clue how to skate either

ITA Hondaboy > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 20:40

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I only started learning when I was in my 20s, it sucks a lot more to fall as an adult. I’m sure kids fall, bounce right back up and get on with it.

Anyway, yes yes and more yes to the suggestions above. It is fun, but it doesn’t come the first time you do it. I find that I fell on my side/knees as well (still do really). The first time is not horrible, three or four in the same spot is when it gets really painful.

My suggestion again is that you want the skates to be tight. A size down and really snug the laces is important. The mega camber picture is bad, but you do want to have you feet camber in just a little. Otherwise you will lose your balance outside your legs/feet and fall.

Frank Grimes > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 01/05/2016 at 21:47

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I am always amazed at how good I get skating only doing it once a year Its like I never forget.

Also prepare to be sore everywhere for 3 days.