You know anyone who could never learn to ice skate no matter what?
- Thread starter Johar
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
why are we talking about me? 
I have no balance. roller or ice, I can't skate.
I have no balance. roller or ice, I can't skate.
I remember falling a lot when I tried skating on a pond at age 8. And there wasn't any wall to hang onto.
Then I took lessons starting at age 10 and I did just fine. Nothing brilliant, but enough to like it and keep at it enough to become a low-level figure skater.
Then I took lessons starting at age 10 and I did just fine. Nothing brilliant, but enough to like it and keep at it enough to become a low-level figure skater.
I had a chance this past week. The rink was outdoors with no wall to hang onto. I walked the ramp that led to the ice and chickened out. Maybe if I had two experienced skaters to hold me up it would help. I saw a girl of about 13 learning and she had a family helping, literally holding onto her. An hour later I saw her go back out alone and get out there without any help. It amazed me.
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2005
It's different trying for the first time as a "big kid" than one who's fears haven't set in yet. How about learn to skate classes (just the first level)? Typically 6 or 8 or 10 weeks and you learn how to fall, get up, go forward, etc. Who knows, you could end up hooked like many adults do...
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2006
Johar and Toni, ice is A LOT easier than roller. Roller skating is just plain scary! Roller skating is harder because it's on a flat, rather than on a rocker. Plus, if you fall, the slide takes some of the shock of the fall. On rollers, you just fall down and boy does it hurt!
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
- Country
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With quad skates, you skate as though you had edges. No way is it done on a flat. It's been a long time since I skated, but as I remember, when you lean, the truck the wheels are attached to flex so that the wheels on the side you're leaning toward are a little closer together than the wheels on the off side. Consequently, you proceed forward on a slight curve, just like edges in ice skating.
However, floor burns really hurt. Wearing pants to skate is a good idea
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
I've done both, I just have no balance. I didn't ride a two wheel bike on my own till I was almost 11.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2011
I was a reasonably good roller skater - outside and inside - when I was a youngster. I'm old enough to have had the metal roller skates with clamps that you fastened with a key, and I used to drive my neighbors crazy by skating around the block a gazillion times. Those metal skates made a lot of noise, to put it mildly.
Then a group of us skated once a month at a local indoor roller skating rink. It was a lot of laughs, and we had group skates, solo skates, couples skates, boogie-woogie numbers, and the like. My mother took a really nasty fall at the rink, while trying to help one of my friends who had fallen. She skated over there and somehow landed right on her behind. Poor Mom couldn't get out of bed for several days. That was the last time she skated.
A group of my buddies and I used to skate outdoors in the winter, as there are several ponds in this area that were always frozen, and the ponds/lakes would be packed with kids and adults with figure skating, pick-up hockey, and horsing around. Such fun!! I think there has to be something to global warming, as we haven't had too many days for good, safe outdoor skating in a number of years.
Then a group of us skated once a month at a local indoor roller skating rink. It was a lot of laughs, and we had group skates, solo skates, couples skates, boogie-woogie numbers, and the like. My mother took a really nasty fall at the rink, while trying to help one of my friends who had fallen. She skated over there and somehow landed right on her behind. Poor Mom couldn't get out of bed for several days. That was the last time she skated.
A group of my buddies and I used to skate outdoors in the winter, as there are several ponds in this area that were always frozen, and the ponds/lakes would be packed with kids and adults with figure skating, pick-up hockey, and horsing around. Such fun!! I think there has to be something to global warming, as we haven't had too many days for good, safe outdoor skating in a number of years.
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
Interesting topic.
As a teenager, I could roller skate quite well. Also, from watching skating on TV, I learned how to do double and triple jumps on the floor (with one foot landings, too!) I was never able to get the feel for ice skating, however. Maybe it was the uncomfortable rental skates, or that our local rink had terrible ice. Oh well.
As a teenager, I could roller skate quite well. Also, from watching skating on TV, I learned how to do double and triple jumps on the floor (with one foot landings, too!) I was never able to get the feel for ice skating, however. Maybe it was the uncomfortable rental skates, or that our local rink had terrible ice. Oh well.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Last week my nephew took his son, age 8, skating for the first time (outdoor pond). He (the father) fell and broke his thumb so bad he had to have two operations.
As they were driving from the pond to the hospital the boy asked his dad, who was nearly incapacitated from the pain, "Daddy, do you want me to drive?"
As they were driving from the pond to the hospital the boy asked his dad, who was nearly incapacitated from the pain, "Daddy, do you want me to drive?"
Ouch! I hope he recovers soon, Math. But that comment of his son's is a stitch.
I always thought I was the world's worst athlete. I am a mixture of weakness, cowardice, and general klutziness. But my balance is actually okay, and after a day of falls around the ice, I taught myself to skate when I was twelve or so. I never jumped or anything (see "cowardice," above), but I could glide pretty well to music and even skate backwards in a rudimentary way. This was a long time ago, so I don't know if I still have any skating skills lurking in me. But I am rather pleased that I didn't give in to my chicken nature about skating.
I always thought I was the world's worst athlete. I am a mixture of weakness, cowardice, and general klutziness. But my balance is actually okay, and after a day of falls around the ice, I taught myself to skate when I was twelve or so. I never jumped or anything (see "cowardice," above), but I could glide pretty well to music and even skate backwards in a rudimentary way. This was a long time ago, so I don't know if I still have any skating skills lurking in me. But I am rather pleased that I didn't give in to my chicken nature about skating.
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Sure, me. My nickname as a kid was "superman", because I was constantly flying face-first through the air, crashing to a halt on my belly. But I did end up a senior national level ice dancer, with test passes in 2 countries. There is no such thing as can't skate, but there are sets of variables an individual needs in order to succeed.
Yes, I've had people in my classes that had absolutely no feel for it, and were too terrified to try much, on top of it. They never got beyond either just standing on the ice, or very very slowly marching (with no glide) about 5 feet or so. Only a few over 14 years of teaching though.
