Crash Pads

When I skated roller everyone used elbow/knee pads because of something called "wood burn." When we fell on the wood (or cement) floor, it would (sometimes) rip our skin off.... So almost all of us wore pads, no matter what level. When I got to ice I was suprised that no one wore them. When I brought it up to a coach she kind of smiled and said that it encourages the girls (there were all girls at that rink), to think about their technique and stand up. She also mentioned that if they got used to pads they wouldn't be able to preform without them. Humm.. we didn't seem to have that problem on roller....:think:
Also, I think it may be a "macho" thing with the kids on ice.....
Anyways, my pads have saved me from a ton of injuries. I know there's a lot of stuff out there (some of it very expensive) and if you find something that works for you, (that isn't too bulky), great....
You will laugh, but my pads are bubblewrap. Yep, that's right. And they really do work! They also are light and bend so they don't bug me while I skate. Use the small bubble kind. (Big bubbles are too bulky), and cut it in a square to fit over your entire knee cap. Then tape it on both sides (top, middle, and bottom of each side) with waterproof medical tape onto your stocking (under your 2nd pair of tights (if you wear a dress) or under your pants. It needs to be on the inside stocking with something (over the boot tight or pants) over it. Underneath, the pad will get sweaty, but you don't notice that when you're skating. When you're done, just untape them and throw them away. (Don't try to reuse. Yuch!)
Elbow pads: I cut a square of "sweatpant" material and sewed 2 layers of bubblewrap into it to make a square the size of my elbow. Then got a pair of microfiber, (stretchy nylon kind) of sock and cut off the toe. Use the sock over your arm to secure the pads. (Put sock on arm, put square pad at elbow and pull rest of sock over.) Pads will pretty much stay in place.
*This idea doesn't work as well with the knee pads because they take a harder beating and all the bubles will bust in a matter of a few days. The elbow pads usually last 4-6 months.I am not kidding about this. It really works! (I have no health insurance, so you can imagine how important the pads are to me.) Now if I could only figure out how to wrap my head and still jump.....

Pads arn't as important in ice skating as roller skating. I can't imagine roller skating without pads, the burns and scrapes you'd get on top of the bruses would be ridiculous. On the ice you only hve to worry about bruses. Some skaters will wear pads if they have a really bad bruse to protect it, but the thought is they're bulky and there is the fact that skaters already get alot of flack for not being real athleates, so there's the whole proveing ourselves thing.
I've considered wearing padding a couple of time when I'm jumping, the only problem is I rarely hit my elbows or knees, most of my falls are on my hips and padding is a bit difficult to put there. You also get used to it. I barley feel bruses any more because they're always there. It's strange to not have one.

Ouch!!!
Sounds painful....Think I'll stick to my bubblewrap. You may want to buy stock. I use a lot of it.

Also, the problem with pads are that they make the knees, elbows etc more bulky, so it would be harder to spin and do multi-revolution jumps. Ice-skaters fall more of thier legs, thighs, hands and butt than shoulders or knees.

Know what you mean about bulky :yes:,....But never had that problem with the bubblewrap (just one layer) taped over knees. It's really light and bends well. (Gets sweaty underneath, though. hwell
You don't fall on your knees? Hum....Maybe I'm doing it wrong....

RARELY if ever fall on knees, usually it's hips or backside on a jump. When I do fall on my knees (which happens SO rarely), it's usually because I've done something incorrectly from a basics standpoint and so my body alignment is wrong.

Yep, sounds about right ....Love bubblewrap!

Some girls I know get them and they use them ALL the time for practice. Therefore, when they go to compete, their center of balance is all off and they do not do as well.
So, I suggest that you do not get them because it will create HUGE problems dwon the road. However, there is an fairly expensive type that some adult skaters wear but the price per pad is about 50$............

Back in the day when I competed, (on roller), coach would not let any of us put a move into routine that we couldn't do 5x's in a row without errors. (Called it the "5 time rule." duh :sheesh He was very big on skating cleanly, even if you had to do simpler items. Anyway, never botherd me to practice/compete without the pads doing these moves (the routine), because I felt secure. I "had" them, so to speak.
But for new moves, or more difficult moves that I don't "have" yet.....yup, bubblewrap. Definitely.:yes:

I wear a tailbone pad when I'm learning new jumps becuase i've had some bad falls right on my tailbone, but otherwise it's au naturale for me. Honestly, I've found that if i hit a body part on the ice enough (ie knees, hips, and hands) it stops hurting after a while, plus I find most of those pads cumberson and/or just plain ugly looking under the pants/dresses.