Do You Remember The Time-Your Skating Memories

This time of year is always a time of reflection, so I thought this would be a good time to talk about your facvourite skating memories, and/or your own experiences on the ice.

My own experience on the ice is limited to a trip in 2001 with my local youth club to the Jet Centre in Coleraine (Jenna McCorkell's home town). It was scary! I was slipping and sliding all over the place. And although I did manage to complete one lap of the rink, I never let go of the boards!

At the time, I vowed never to go on the ice again. But, I am now starting to reconsider...

What about you? What was your first time on the ice like? Do you have any other on-ice stories that you would like to share with your fellow Golden Skate members?

This reminiscing was all prompted by clicking on a video link that a member of the Dundonald Ice Skating Club posted to Facebook. (Thanks Kelsey!)

The following video has been up on YouTube for about 4 years, so it's probably been mentioned on the forum at some stage in that time.

But, I only came across it there now, and it is so adorable that I just HAD to share it:

Do You Remember When: Figure Skating

I have to admit, I was getting emotional about half-way through it!

How true it is! (And that's coming from somebody who is neither a girl nor a skater!)

CaroLiza_fan

My first time on the ice...I would have been...I don't know, 13, 14 maybe? I was very bad and I didn't know anything about skate sizing then, plus I made the cardinal sin of wearing huge thick socks. I had blisters for weeks. And I fell and bruised my tailbone. I hated it. I was just too clumsy. Or so I thought.

I never stepped foot back on the ice until after Vancouver...nearly ten years later.

i was 17 years old. Loved the freedom of gliding on the ice. I asked my parents for a pair of skates for my b'day. I still have them! A few months later, we took a family vacation in the Catskill Mountains of NY State. Knowing that there was an ice rink, there, Ibrought along my skates. Skating on a super hot day in the summer was the best way to cool off!

I've been on the ice exactly once and I was past 30. I went to help a friend whose church group was taking 75 kids aged 10-12 and had a bunch of chaperones cancel at the last minute. I was doing pretty well until a kid stopped abruptly right in front of me (after she took a curve over to get there) and I wiped out. Cracked the bone in my elbow and had to use a sling and take painkillers for three weeks.

I had fun anyway and would like to try again some day.

I was about 4 and on a whim my mom took me to the rink in a mall. I was already roller skating so I could glide but a "real skater" asked my mom if he could take me around the rink. I remember feeling so special that a teenager helped me out! I didn't get a chance to ice skate again until years later. Roller rinks were much more common (and affordable). I love having a chance to skate but I'm quite sure I am ridiculous on the ice.

Wow do I ever! My first experience with figure skating took place in Prince George BC. My mom and dad bought me a pair of blue (with fur trim) figure skates. I was so proud of those skates! I learned to skate at the Prince George figure skating club in 1967 and my dad made a small practice rink in our back yard, which I practiced on every day into the evening. My mom had to make me come in for bed time! When I was not at the local rink learning to skate I was on that rink in our back yard. My figure skating years continued even when we moved down to Vancouver. Unfortunately, it does not snow much here on the lower mainland, so never again had the luxury of a back yard rink like I had in Prince George. However, my enthusiasm and love of figure skating never left. I still dream about those days and remember them fondly whenever I look at my figure skates. I don't get to the rink much anymore, but enjoy following my favorite skaters and seeing them skate live at skating shows. One of these days I am going to get up my courage and head to my local rink just for one more turn around the rink....