Scared of the ice

[Melzorina]

As much as I love ice skating, I really do, I'm terrified of falling. The first time I fell properly I sprained my wrist, which has made it worse. I would really love to get over my fear of falling and be able to put more oomph into my jumps, knowing that if I fall, so what, but I can't bring myself to actually fall over and get it done with. How did you people get over fears of falling? (if you had any!)

[phoenix]

In order to overcome a fear of falling, you must fall.

Sorry, but that's the only way I've ever seen work.

Pad yourself up to the gills, heck wear full hockey gear if you want--then throw on a nylon (slippery) jogging suit, go out on a quiet public sesion, and go SLIDING. Skate a little ways, very slowly, & slowly let yourself down (like we teach the kids--dip & hug your knees, then tilt over onto your hip) until you're sliding on the ice. Get up & do it again (& again & again). It may take awhile, but it will get you into the ho-hum down again, up again mindset that you need in order to be willing to push yourself into trying new/scarier/faster things.

And the kids will love you! Guaranteed they'll join in on the slide-fest! :mrgreen:

[TimDavidSkate]

I am actually with you. Since I began skating I have been terrified on falling and landing on my head. Until today I am very cautious.

[Scarlett]

I used to be a competitive jumper (horses) and could fall like a champ. Now that I am older and am on ice, I have the same problem you do. Falling hurts. These old bones don't bounce back like they used to. Can't help but I can empathize.

[iskatealot]

Im going to have to agree, the only way to stop being afraid of falling is to fall. Just let yourself. Its like to get over your fear of flying you have to fly, or to get over your fear of heights you have to look out thewindow of a tall building...
Just let yourself fall so that you can get over it. It might take time but at least you wont be afraid again.

[sitspin89]

Theres lots of new kinds of padding (designed for skaters) that you can wear relativley discretly. Including butt, knee, and hand pads. I used to have the same prob;em as you but ive foudn wearing these diffrent types of padding really helped me get over my fear of falling.

[dbny]

It's natural to be afraid of falling. People who have no fear of falling kill themselves rather early with falls off cliffs, houses, etc. The kind of falling we do when skating is unlikely to seriously hurt us, but we still have that natural fear. I do my best to keep it out of my mind. Certain kinds of music help me relax and move better also. Sometimes I bring a small MP3 player with me and listen to what I know works best for me. Lots of time, other skaters' program music works too. I would stop skating if I couldn't skate without fear at least some of the time.

[sue123]

I agree with the others, just fall. Don't think about it, just skate. And if you should fall, then get up. Stay nice and relaxed so you won't hurt yourself. Thats why drunk drivers rarely get seriously hurt, they're usually so relaxed when they impact, they just don't get hurt. Just don't think about, that's what I've always found to be easiest. If I think about not falling, that's when I usually end up falling, and akwardly also. But, if I just focus on the skating, when I fall, half the time I don't even notice falling until I find myself on the ice.

[kiwibabe]

When I first get out onto the ice each time I practice I skate slowly then fall over in a controlled manner on purpose so that I get that fear out of my head because I tell myself that my fall for the day has already been done.

[coskater64]

It is unfortunatelly true that in the sport of figure skating and especially freeskating -- the only way to get better is to fall. You need to learn how to fall and yes you need to get used to it. I personally have fallen so hard and so often that I have seriously bruised bones or even stress fractured (both elbows). Over the years as I have learned how to jump better and gotten better core strength the falls have become less severe. I have also learned how to relax when I fall, if I feel things going badly I just go limp. Mind this is what works for me. I am very tall and very slender and when I go down it is very hard. It has taken years (3) to get used to it.

The worse falls are edge falls,especially w/ regards to field moves, those are very hard to anticipate and the most scary. Just keep on skating, pad yourself up and unfortunately, get used to it.

la

[LWalsh]

Someone once told me when I was a kid that if you don't fall, you aren't trying hard enough. As an adult now working on my Axel, my coach INSISTS I fall. It is understood that if I am not falling on the Axel I am not putting forth enough effort.

Some people think falling as a skater is the worst thing you can do. But it's not. Skaters fall all the time. I usually fall several times a session.

So go ahead ...fall!!!

Lara

[Skate@Delaware]

At first, I was terrified of falling-wouldn't learn any jumps or anything that might make me fall. I didn't move away from the wall for jumps and moves until I started wearing crash pads. It helped a lot. At first, I wore them every time I was on the ice (along with knee and elbow pads). They were my 'training wheels' for a while. After a while, I found I didn't need them as much and found that sometimes they even got in the way!

There are times that I hurt myself more by trying not to fall-pulled muscles, strained back, etc. I've 'let go' a few times and ended up not too terribly hurt. Although it seems that the falls that really hurt are the ones from out of nowhere-evil back progressive :oops:-(or that just happen when you are doing nothing worth falling about-like standing around on the ice!)

I always manage to land on my left hip more than I care to count so I will be getting a gel pad for that (they are thinner than crash pads). I'm 43 and don't want a hip replacement just yet! ;) You might want to get some of those for your hips and tailbone, and possibly knees and elbows as they are thinner than the foam pads and more 'discreet'.

It's all about knowing how to fall without getting seriously hurt, and like everyone else says, core strength to help prevent falling in the first place. After a few falls it will get easier to deal with. I am almost a 'jumper' and am able to work on more stuff. Go for it!

[CoolbugSuz]

Wow, it's funny. Me and my coach were talking about this very subject today. He said you should just go with the fall and not try to fight it. When you try to fight it, you end up getting hurt worse than if you just went with it. He said your body naturally will disperse the energy as it's sliding.

I know that's logic, but I still don't really want to fall, LOL. ;)

Suz

[montanarose]

In thinking about this, I realize that I'm not really afraid of falling per se -- bruises, although not welcome, don't frighten me all that much. It's more a fear of something really bizarre happening; in particular: slicing open a leg with a blade; breaking a bone; hitting my head on a backwards fall and getting a concussion. Especially the broken bone thing: I don't want to be one of those "little old ladies" (I just turned 58) who breaks her hip and never recovers but instead withers away in a nursing home :cry:

I wonder, though: in your experience, are these kind of things the exception rather than the rule? Maybe if I could convince myself that they are truly rare, and that most falls will not be so dire, I could loosen up a bit and, yes, let myself fall. (Ah, to be 30 again and blissfully fearless!)

Ellen

[sue123]

In thinking about this, I realize that I'm not really afraid of falling per se -- bruises, although not welcome, don't frighten me all that much. It's more a fear of something really bizarre happening; in particular: slicing open a leg with a blade; breaking a bone; hitting my head on a backwards fall and getting a concussion. Especially the broken bone thing: I don't want to be one of those "little old ladies" (I just turned 58) who breaks her hip and never recovers but instead withers away in a nursing home :cry:

I wonder, though: in your experience, are these kind of things the exception rather than the rule? Maybe if I could convince myself that they are truly rare, and that most falls will not be so dire, I could loosen up a bit and, yes, let myself fall. (Ah, to be 30 again and blissfully fearless!)

Ellen

I had one fall that landed me with a concussion. Not sure what exactly I was doing, I think it maybe was a crossover, or a spin and lost my edge, I really don't remember (funny how those concussions are). Fortunatly, my concussion wasn't too severe, but they told me not to do any physical activity until I've had 2 weeks of concussion free symptoms. Most people only have to wait a week, but I have various other neurological problems, so better safe than sorry. Although, I didn't listen to them and went back after a week. I had symptoms for a couple of days.

But most of my other falls were not anywhere near as serious. And I've fallen plenty. That's fortunatly hte only time I've ever seriously injured myself. My worst injuries tend to come from stupid things like walking down stairs or playing with my 15 pound dog. I think it's actually safer for me to be on the ice.

I dunno, I guess while serious injuries do happen, it's not very common. And, if you're skating at whatever age, that's gotta make you physically younger than your age really says. :)

[doubletoe]

Well, I'm 40 and I've been skating for 8 years and fallen a gazillion times without a major injury, if that's any consolatoin. The most big falls I've had have been on the axel, but I've learned that falls on jumps are better than other falls. You have time to right yourself and choose how to fall because you're in the air. Also, on a fall from a jump, you just roll and get back up and keep going. The worst falls I've had have been when I've caught an edge and the rest of me kept going and hit the ice. No way to save those ones! So jumping is less dangerous in a way than a lot of other things you could be doing. The one thing to remember is that it is impossible to have a bad fall while you're straight upright in the air with the toes of both feet pointed. Really! The worst that can happens is you hop off of your toepick onto a comfortable edge if you aren't quite backwards on the landing.

[jazzpants]

Man, I am probably one of the BIGGEST chickens here on this skatingforums!!! I was so afraid of falling at one time that my coach starts CHEERING when I DO fall... THEN ask if I was okay! :twisted:
There was one time where I screwed up a good three turn for the umpteen millionth time and he comes up to me, holds my shoulders, shakes me (gently) and says "That's it!!! I'm gonna make you fall! I'm gonna make you fall!!!" :P

The point of all this is... I have fallen before and I can tell you the majority of the falls I've taken at worst is a really bad bruise on the knees. My worst skating related injuries are NOT falls but overuse of muscles actually!!! (Those are the ones that will take me out for a couple of months.)

One thing I've also realized is that I bend my knees not JUST b/c I want to be on the entire blade, but also b/c when I do fall, I'm already lower to the ground, so the impact won't be as bad. (Sneaky, huh?) :lol:

I still have a ways to go through when it comes to learning to push myself and risk falling though, but I'm better now.

Hope this gives you some perspective to chomp on...

[Shinn-Reika]

There's a woman who I used to see quite often, and I could always tell she was much better than she showed. I loved her skating(and I'll always consider her my greater), but I also found I was doing the same things she had been practicing in years. Personally I would have rather seen her pushing herself, and getting a little embarrased rather than holding back and trying to be perfect.

[Figureskates]

I am 59 and also a little leery of taking falls. I have already dislocated my shoulder and have gotten some nasty bruises on my hip and elbows.

Part of the fear cause is that the older you get, the longer it takes to heal. It took me almost a year to finally get rid of all the pain in my shoulder and the bruises take weeks to go away.

Part and parcel with falls is mid ice collisions. I got smacked by a female skater 4 years ago who though only 17, weighed almost as much as me..she was about 5" 11" and muscular. I felt sore for weeks after that, like being in a car crash.

As someone above already stated, to be 20, 30, 40 years younger!!

[Melzorina]

I hear what you're saying. I once pulled a muscle in my leg saving myself from falling out of a backspin. I'm really good at saving myself but I can feel my stomach churning when I'm off balance.

I just wanna to go on the ice and throw myself on it. I remember having a few slight falls, and it didn't hurt which really pleased me, almost made me excited at the fact I'd fallen without pain and gotten up again.

If I could get over my fear, I could put more speed and effort into my jumps, and have more confidence which I'm constantly being nagged at for....it's just getting out there and doing it, isn't it?

[flippet]

but I've learned that falls on jumps are better than other falls. ...... Also, on a fall from a jump, you just roll and get back up and keep going. ......... The worst falls I've had have been when I've caught an edge and the rest of me kept going and hit the ice. No way to save those ones! So jumping is less dangerous in a way than a lot of other things you could be doing.


Absolutely. It sounds crazy, but the more momentum you have when you fall, the LESS likely you are to get hurt. Jump falls don't hurt me at all--seriously. Once you learn how and where to fall (on the padded side of your butt), all you do is slide and hop back up. You don't even get bruised (unless maybe you fall on exactly the same place like, 50 or 100 times in an hour--and that's still a maybe).

My worst falls have been when I've just been standing around chatting, and suddenly my weight shifts for no reason, and I've found myself on my butt. :oops: I don't know how it happens (especially since I'm not exactly a newbie), but it does sometimes! Also bad are the 'click-of-death' ones---you know, when you're doing crossovers and you click your blades. But even those are often 'recoverable'. I once fell doing a spin--somehow caught an edge mid-spin, and came straight down on my tailbone. Ouch...that hurt. But that was because there was no lateral movement or momentum. When there is, the risk of pain or injury is very small.


To get used to falling, try doing shoot-the-ducks. Really, it works! :D They're a basic skill you'll need to learn anyway, and they put you down close to the ice, slowly, with movement, so that when you're down there, just let go and 'fall', and get used to sliding. (Wearing slippery pants helps a lot, here! Lots more distance. ;) )

After that---you just need to "snap out of it" and put some oomph into your jumps, regardless of the fear. It's not the 'oomph' that causes falls---it's the timidness. More 'oomph' = less painful falls. Seriously. It's one of those things that seems contradictory, but you've just got to do it to see.

[nerd_on_ice]

I nominate this for "Best SkatingForums Thread Ever."

Like jazzpants, I am very timid and get cheering & high-fives from my coach when I fall. I read this thread before I went to the rink this morning and purposely did a bunch of shoot-the-ducks and lunges so I could practice toppling over. :lol: I am not sure it'll ever be possible for me to "snap out of it" all at once but I want to keep pushing the boundaries. I don't like looking tentative and I know I do!

I can vouch that it doesn't usually hurt when a fall catches me unawares--I don't have time to tense up. I did a "click of death" one time (going pretty slowly, probably my first mistake), heard the click, and found myself sitting on the ice (in no pain at all) thinking, David Byrne-style, "How did I get here?"

[flo]

Hi,
When I get spooked about falling while practicing doubles, I take a moment and watch the kids. I watch them fall and I watch them get up. I know I'm much older and am doing this with an adult body, but I also see the adults I skate with fall, then get up. I think something that helps is to realize that you are going to fall, it's just a part of skating.

[froggy]

good thread!

first i like to tell myself "the ice is my friend" and definately I agree with a lot of you, you need to fall to not be scared to fall, even if you fall on purpose. Personally i find if I'm skating and not falling or almost falling at all I'm prob not trying my hardest. the worst falls Ive taken gave really bad bruises on my knee (swollen and tender and all that) which last maybe like 3 weeks...but with some advil and icing the bruise they are ok now. usually my bad falls come from those nasty crossovers when one blade kicks the other blade out or even worse in a fwd crossover my foot hits toepick first in the ice-ouch! lol But hey this is part of skating its fun and a great learning experience!

[Figureskates]

Ah yes, the dreaded "click of death".

When you hear that sound, especially when doing cross-overs, you know your butt is about to do some serious ice time!!

[Isk8NYC]

I am usually not afraid of falling on the ice. I've had only two periods were I was afraid, both after a head-crashing fall on the ice. (Sounded to me like a bowling ball being dropped! :!: ) I didn't want to make the existing injury worse.

Falling isn't a bad thing. Flo's right: it's just part of the sport. It means you're taking a risk and trying to master something. Skating rarely comes easy, but if you are constantly in fear of falling, you slow down your growth as a skater. Every fall does NOT have to mean an injury. And, trying something tough doesn't mean you have to fall. I've falled several times just tripping over my own feet!

First, know that you are not alone. Second, learn how to get from a standing position to your butt. Once you learn how to fall without hurting yourself, you'll feel much less afraid of it. Make sure you try to relax when you fall, it makes the fall much less jarring.

Use some pads and Advil, just for good measure. Good luck.

[Debbie S]

Every fall does NOT have to mean an injury.

Unless you're me. Almost every fall I've had has been traumatic. I don't fall a lot, b/c I am afraid of falling - maybe that exacerbates the problem. But when I have fallen - yikes! There was the fall on a waltz-loop combo 2 years ago (which I probably wasn't ready to try yet) and my face hit the ice - on the cheekbone. Then there was a fall on my left knee caused by either a click of death or a toe pick hitting the ice on back crossovers - not sure - where my knee swelled up to about 3 times its normal size and required draining, an MRI, and 3 weeks off the ice. And recently, a fall on my tailbone after wobbling on a spiral in poorly-fitting skates where my back hurt for over a week and I could barely move on some days.

Maybe the way I fall is wrong, I don't know, but at 33, I'm starting to worry about the long-term implications of so many bad injuries. And since I can't take ibuprofen (stomach) and the Cox-2 drugs are off the market (I actually was given Vioxx after the bad knee injury described above and another knee injury), there's not a whole lot left to help me.

[kittie067]

I'm definately afraid of falling,

But now,even though i've never had any major injuries, (mainly knee bruises),
I actually look forward to falling. (sort of)

Once my coach told me that if you fall, it means that you are working harder.

So I try to "give myself a pat on the back" after I fall.

Also the shoot the duck "exercise" works too. ;)

Happy :?: Falling!!!

~kittie

[Tessa]

I don't particularly enjoy falling, but I honestly think if I don't fall I didn't work hard enough.

I had one of those head hit the ice falls 1.5 weeks ago. I got right up and kept skating. Bruised elbow, bruised butt (which is amazing that a bruise can come thru the thick layer of cellulite!) and yes, those kind of falls are no fun.

Click of Death! Did that one this past Sunday!

My favorite way to fall is to try to do a sitspin. A low, slow sitspin.

[NCSkater02]

An instructor I once had told a class of us adults learning to snow ski that if you didn't fall sometimes you weren't learning anything because you weren't out of your comfort zone.

With that in mind, I've had multiple bruises, two concussions, and one broken ankle.

And yes, I still love it and can't wait to get back to my pre-break levels.

[sk8er1964]

Ah yes, the dreaded "click of death".

When you hear that sound, especially when doing cross-overs, you know your butt is about to do some serious ice time!!

When I was working on the Intermediate moves, I kind of considered the click of death to be a rite of passage -- I heard them, I fell, I slammed into the boards at a high rate of speed, I survived.

On the warm up of my test I heard the click of death, slammed into the boards, and cut my leg with my blade. The judges gasped, I said "I'm OK", I skated and passed. My forward power circles (the prime instigators of the click of death) earned my highest scores.

I fall on double sals. I fall on double toes. I fall on double loops. Occasionally, I still fall on an axel, but I'm usually able to save it. I've fallen on the IM and Adult Gold MIF brackets - ouch. I've fallen on a camel -- and a flying camel -- and a death drop. I've fallen on rockers, and counters, and one time I fell doing the Killian dance and barely missed hitting my head on the boards.

I've fallen and slammed the back of my head on the ice -- earned a trip to the urgent care for that one. I've fallen and wrenched my hip flexor, resulting in time off jumping and PT. I've fallen on a three turn and sprained my knee.

Oh, I am 40 years old, BTW (I took my "let's fall" intermediate moves two summers ago). I have had so many people gasp and ask if I am ok when I fall. I just laugh and tell them that if I don't get up, then is the time to call 911. If I get up, then I'm ok. Most of them get used to seeing me splat pretty quickly! :lol:

Some of my falls have been funny, some of them have been really scary, and some of them have really hurt. However, the more you get used to falling, the easier it gets. Sounds crazy, but it's true.

So, Melzorina, don't worry about falling. It will make you a better skater, as long as you are smart about it. If you are not sure how to fall, ask your coach. It may seem to her/him (and to you) like a funny question, but it is one of the most important learning tools you can have. That, and this advice ---- if your jump take off is correct, your fall won't hurt. So make sure your jump technique is correct! 8-)

[dbny]

Unless you're me. Almost every fall I've had has been traumatic. I don't fall a lot, b/c I am afraid of falling - maybe that exacerbates the problem. But when I have fallen - yikes! There was the fall on a waltz-loop combo 2 years ago (which I probably wasn't ready to try yet) and my face hit the ice - on the cheekbone. Then there was a fall on my left knee caused by either a click of death or a toe pick hitting the ice on back crossovers - not sure - where my knee swelled up to about 3 times its normal size and required draining, an MRI, and 3 weeks off the ice. And recently, a fall on my tailbone after wobbling on a spiral in poorly-fitting skates where my back hurt for over a week and I could barely move on some days.

Maybe the way I fall is wrong, I don't know, but at 33, I'm starting to worry about the long-term implications of so many bad injuries. And since I can't take ibuprofen (stomach) and the Cox-2 drugs are off the market (I actually was given Vioxx after the bad knee injury described above and another knee injury), there's not a whole lot left to help me.

You've certainly been through the mill. I'm lucky that I tolerate ibuprofen very well, because I have to take 1200 to 1800mg a day just to control chronic pain in my hips. I'm 58, and my knees are likely just one good whack away from surgery. I have two words for that problem: knee pads. I never skate without them. I use the $5 (thinner) volleyball pads from a sporting goods store, but if you are sensitive about it, you could splurge for the $35 each skatingsafe gel pads that hardly show. My knee pads have saved me many times.

[sk8pics]

I, too, am a little nervous about falling, but I agree with everything that people have said: the faster you are going, the less it hurts. I had a straight down fall once that didn't do permanent injury but I was sore for awhile. The times I've fallen doing crossovers (which far outnumber any other falls) I haven't been hurt at all. In fact, the last time I fell was doing CCW forward crossovers and I slid about a dozen feet on my hip and stomach and just laughed.

Actually even funnier was once recently when I was working with my secondary coach and we were doing the bronze move where you do alternating crossovers to a back outside edge, and we'd come around the end of the rink doing crossovers and chatting. He was holding my hand very lightly. And I clicked my blades and did a little hop and landed on my feet, and a beat later he went, "OHMYGODI'VEGOTYOU!!!" and flung his arms around my waist and hung on, to keep my from falling. So I'm now gliding backwards, my coach forward, clinging to me, and I just looked down at the top of his head and went, "I'm okay, you can let go now!" And we both started laughing hysterically and continued for several minutes. He was bound and determined that I was not going to get hurt on his watch! But even if I had fallen, I'm sure I would have been fine.

Anyway, all my coaches get very excited when I fall, unless I guess one of them feels responsible in any way!

Pat

[Figureskates]

Since everyone has fallen on the ice, who has fallen on the floor mats outside of the ice?

Did that yesterday. I thought I had my blade guards on and that I was wearing my patch skates. Nope, no blade guards and I was wearing the freestyle skates with the blades with large toepicks. Heading towards the ice I caught the toepick on the mat and tripped and fell.

One of the other adults came over and asked me if I was OK and what was I doing? I told her I didn't get enough rotation in my mat axel. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Mrs Redboots]

One of our coaches fell over in the pros' room the other day, just slipped (where were his guards???).

As a dancer, I don't fall often (dancers tend to fall less than free skaters), but when I do, it is often painful. Especially when Husband catches my blade in his and lifts my foot gently off the ice, resulting in me sitting down hard from a great height - fine if I don't hit my coccyx, but you know how sore it is for so long when you do!

[Melzorina]

fine if I don't hit my coccyx

That just reminds me of a funny moment, a friend of mine walked into class one day and he exclaimed very loudly "I've just fallen and hurt my cervix", when he meant Coccyx. Ahh that was funny.

[flippet]

I fell down yesterday on the sidewalk--stepped off the edge of it, my ankle turned a bit, and I found myself heading slo-mo to my hands and knees. The weird thing is, not only did the ankle not hurt, but there wasn't even any 'tissue memory' of it being turned/twisted in the first place--as far as my ankle was concerned, nothing had happened! And I had enough time to 'catch' myself...landed more on my hands than my knees, thank goodness. I just felt really stupid and hoped no one saw me! :oops:

Honestly though--I'd rather fall on the ice any day. And just remember--most skating falls don't (or shouldn't) hurt, and if you're worried at all about looking stupid, get over it--because real skaters do it all the time and don't care a bit.

[Melzorina]

I'm not worried about looking stupid, I just don't want it to hurt me! I reckon I'd fall on my wrists, and I see the way the other skaters fall, kinda on their sides a bit...

[mikawendy]

That just reminds me of a funny moment, a friend of mine walked into class one day and he exclaimed very loudly "I've just fallen and hurt my cervix", when he meant Coccyx. Ahh that was funny.

That reminds me of a time when my ballet teacher's daughter (then age 16) was substitute teaching a ballet class. She was trying to tell us to lead with our chest as we moved, so she told us to lead with our our pubic bone out. She meant to say sternum and turned bright red when she realized the mistake.

[doubletoe]

Absolutely.
It's not the 'oomph' that causes falls---it's the timidness. More 'oomph' = less painful falls. Seriously. It's one of those things that seems contradictory, but you've just got to do it to see.

That is SO SO TRUE!! You fall when you don't commit to a jump. You fal when you pull back or hesitate or slow down just before a jump.

Today I tried the double toeloop for the first time in 7 months, and 7 months ago was the first time I'd ever landed them (I landed 5 of them over a 2-day period). The mental block has been staggering since I'd back-burnered them to work on my program for Nationals. But today I landed 5 of them and here's how I managed to get over the fear:

I came up with cue words that walked me through each part of the jump:
- "Do-wn" (once the pick goes into the ice)
-Up!
- Backward! (turn the hip & get backward in the air ASAP)
- Out! (check out and land)
When you give yourself cue words to say in your head as you execute an element, you have something to focus on and it also reminds you that if you have enough time in the air to say these things in your head, you have enough time to complete the revolution and get into landing position. If I hadn't figured out this trick, I have no idea if I could have ever landed this jump! But you know what? Before I actually landed one today, I didn't quite make it on a few of them. But no bad falls! It was no big deal! I felt kind of stupid. :p Oh, by the way, I'm 40, so I'm not made of rubber anymore. ;)

[doubletoe]

I'm not worried about looking stupid, I just don't want it to hurt me! I reckon I'd fall on my wrists, and I see the way the other skaters fall, kinda on their sides a bit...

Falling on your side is actually good. You just roll and get right back up and you don't get any bruises. Falling straight backward is the bad one.

[rf3ray]

Well I'm still skating with a Cast on my wrist after a fall :-) that aint stopping me btw i'm 28, But yeh, try to become one with the ice :-) :giveup: :giveup: :roll: :bow: :bow: :bow:

[Beccapoo2003]

I try to think "BEND YOUR KNEES AND ANKLES", whenever things feel a bit shakey. Usually, I'll just go ahead and sit down instead of stiffening up and fighting it, which can make it worse. I must fall at LEAST 20 times a day. 8O Last year I got the Zamboni Award at our club banquet. What an honor!! :D :D :D
Becca

[Mrs Redboots]

That reminds me of a time when my ballet teacher's daughter (then age 16) was substitute teaching a ballet class. She was trying to tell us to lead with our chest as we moved, so she told us to lead with our our pubic bone out. She meant to say sternum and turned bright red when she realized the mistake.A British woman once told me of getting very confused when training in America - I think it must have been in gymnastics - and told to land on her fanny. For us, this is difficult unless you can do the splits - and if on something like a beam, most painful!

[Casey]

I'm not worried about looking stupid, I just don't want it to hurt me! I reckon I'd fall on my wrists, and I see the way the other skaters fall, kinda on their sides a bit...

It doesn't take long to learn not to land on your wrists, but to keep the hands out of the way and land on something bigger. Hands do little to brace you on ice as they slip anyways, and it's not good to have your weight come down on your hands and hurt your wrist. Keep the head and hands up, and legs both extended to the same point (as the gash on my shin has taught me). Falling generally doesn't hurt much, nor for long.

[slusher]

When I came back to skating after severe concussion I was most afraid of the simplest mohawks, because that's what I fell on *in a dance* (a 911 fall, straight backwards) I still have to think about each mohawk when I do it and do not take them for granted.

When I started out skating a few years ago, I was afraid of chopped up rutted ice, I was so sure I would catch a blade and fall over. I spent about the first three months skating with my head down watching every centimetre of ice and it took about another three months to become more confident that - not that I wouldn't fall - but when I would fall on the crappy ice that it wouldn't be the end of the world. It's all about confidence. You will fall, it's being able to adapt and handle the fall itself that builds confidence.

Like I said above, my worst fall was straight backwards. There is no way to mitigate those, you're down before you know it, so yes, I myself, who falls a lot, (A LOT !) am quite scared of the straight back on my head fall. I have no confidence whatsoever that I could stop it if it happened. It has changed my skating and there are some moves that I haven't tried since because of that fear. Outside mohawks for example.

[Chico]

I agree with the above. The "thing" that you got hurt on, even a three turn maybe, is the "thing" your afraid of. I got hurt when I first attempted backspins and I'm still afraid of them. My fear makes me do all sorts of weird things. Now I love trying 2 loops. Not logical huh? However, in my head it is. If I could get over my head issues things would be much easier. Whenever I work on backspins I feel like I'm throwing myself over a cliff. While on 2 loops I can't wait and save them towards the end of the session as my treat. Not normal I know....

Chico

[Sweet16*skater]

I think that all figure skater have had a fear at one time or another, but the number one thing to always remember is...do you really think that all those parents would put their kids on the ice if it was dangerous?...I've had my fair share of scrapes and bruises including 35 stitches on my head(after which i didn't want to ever touch the ice again), my head glued back together and lots of other little injuries and yet I'm still going back everyday skating my butt off hoping to have a good season this year...

-----------------------------------------
My boyfriend told me to choose between him and skating......................well i guess i'm gonna miss him...

[samba]

do you really think that all those parents would put their kids on the ice if it was dangerous?

Well...yes actually, but if it's what they really want, then the best you can do is to get them the best possible coaching you can afford, or better still get the kids to pay for it themselves if they are old enough to earn, it's usually the self-sufficient ones that dont need kicking back on the ice every 5 minutes, wonder why???

[Melzorina]

Falling straight backwards terrifies me...the whole wrist thing...How do you not land on your wrist if you fall backwards, when it's instinct to cushion your fall. You do it automatically!

[Casey]

Falling straight backwards terrifies me...the whole wrist thing...How do you not land on your wrist if you fall backwards, when it's instinct to cushion your fall. You do it automatically!

Nahh. As you fall more you realize the easier ways of doing it. ;) I've only fallen directly backwards onto my back twice, but it happens so quickly and is more surprising because you don't see the ground ice coming closer and your feet slip much quicker than they would on, say, carpet, that my hands were always in front or to the side of me.

I almost always rotate and land on my side regardless of which direction the fall starts, I think just out of habit. If I'm lucky, I kind of crumple as I go, so I bend a leg and kind of sit down onto the side of it before my shoulder or side of my back meets the ice, and then I skid along fine. If I'm unlucky, then a toepick catches or my feet get caught on each other which makes me fall faster, and then all my weight lands on my pelvic bone, which hurts and is annoying. It's those kind of fast surprise falls that hurt most, but they're certainly not lethal...I've never left the ice for more than a couple minutes.

I like the nice slow-motion falls that people mention...sometimes they just seem really planned out even though they're not. My head just goes "lalala doing this whatever thingy...uh oh, that's not right, okay, now move that foot over to catch your balance. Oops, wrong foot, that's the one that had trouble back there. Ho hum then, down we go - let's have a little sit to cushion the fall, righto, now then, you know you want ice shavings on your shoulder, so you might as well keep going. Right, there we are then - ooh, what a fun slide. This ice needs cut though..." and then I realize I've fallen :P Those don't happen to me too often though.

[singerskates]

The only falls I'm scared of are the ones where I hit my head on the ice. Both times that happened when I was doing simple things llike back crosscuts or holding a back edge getting ready to jump forward. All the other falls I've hadI wasn't scared but more surprized to be down. But I have noticed that I have to work on not skating with my weight shifted forward when skating backwards. I think I do this because in the back of my mind, I'm probably still freaked out about hitting my head on the ice. Both times I had a concussion.

I do spend a lot of time falling on the ice when I teach CanSkate so I do know how to fall when I know it's coming. A matter a fact I'm getting so good at falling that I can almost fall, slide, rotate onto my abs and then get up on to my skates again and keep skating. I can now slide half the width of an NHL size rink and get up on my skates to skate off. I just might use it in a program some time.

Brigitte

[flippet]

Falling straight backwards terrifies me...the whole wrist thing...How do you not land on your wrist if you fall backwards, when it's instinct to cushion your fall. You do it automatically!

Like Casey said, you've just got to learn not to, and practice it a few times. It really does become second nature. I don't think I've used my hands when falling backwards in a long, LONG time. Besides, even if you do once in a while, it's no big deal. It's not like every fall results in pain or injury--most, even the ones we're all talking about that are 'painful'--really aren't that bad. The 'ouch' lasts for a few minutes, and then you're fine. It's really not worth being timid about.

Seriously--get your coach to teach you how to fall, and have them supervise you while you practice it a number of times. You'll learn how to do it, how to NOT do it, and soon you'll be throwing yourself into your moves and jumps with gusto--and your skating will be SO much better for it.

[doubletoe]

Falling straight backwards terrifies me...the whole wrist thing...How do you not land on your wrist if you fall backwards, when it's instinct to cushion your fall. You do it automatically!

Well, generally, you will fall on your wrists if you land backwards, but it's better than falling on your head. When I was first landing my axel, I kept landing backwards on my right foot but then it would slip out from under me and I would land backwards. So I bought some padded bicycle gloves (it helps to buy them in a size larger than you'd normally wear so that the padding comes all the way down to the bottoms of your palms). The other thing is to first practice new elements or footwork only in a lesson with your coach so that he/she can correct your form and help you prevent backward falls.

[jenlyon60]

I fall on my bum... usually my hands are out of the way, like 99% of the time.

[vintagefreak]

Hi all,

I had lots of lovely falls today practicing jumps so this is fresh in my mind. I fell at least 10 times (I lost count) and didn't get much more than a few slight bruises. I guess I'm good at falling because I haven't had any serious injuries so far and I'm especially proud of my ability to fall and get back up without coming to a complete stop. :) I know...stop bragging already!

The worst falls I've had were doing spirals and you hit something and go down forward. I hate stomach falls! I also hate falls where your feet just fly out from underneath and you're not even moving. Those are dangerous, nasty falls. But, I've never had any fractures or head injuries (knock on wood) and I think it's because I learned to fall properly as a kid. I think this is a very important skill that is often skimmed over, especially with adults. Yeah, falling is a skill! It's great fun for kids to learn and practice falling, but a rather bizarre sight for adults, so maybe that's why you don't see many adults working on their falls! But, I think it's important enough to devote some time to if you're fearful of falling. Become ONE with the ice :)

I notice there are a lot of "learn to skate" coaches at my rink who sit down on the ice and draw pictures with markers and toss a balloon back and forth with the kids. I saw a class once where they started out sitting on the ice in a circle and gradually got up, after talking about how to get up and seeing the instructor demonstrate it. Its like a child learning how to walk. They start out down there creeping and crawling and then gradually stand up and walk, then run. You don't see kids afraid of falling when learning to walk, do ya? Not really. So, I think it makes sense in skating to get used to how it feels down there. Don't visualize the ice as cold or hard. See it as your partner. Your constant companion. Try doing things that bring you close to the ice, like shoot the duck, sit-spins and lunges. Anything to get a closer perspective.

I'd ask your coach for training on actual falls but for me, the key is to relax when I'm making impact. Crumple and slide, for the most part. I don't brace myself or tense up. My main priority is to protect my head at all times, but the rest of my body becomes not unlike the drunk in a car wreck, who usually seems to escape injury for some reason. I'm loose and I go with the fall instead of resisting. I keep my arms straight but not locked at the elbows and in forward falls, they automatically go out front so I don't go head first. Sideways falls, one arm is out there to meet the ice and backward falls, hopefully I reach back with at least one arm to brace somewhat so my head doesn't hit. I guess the main thing is to get used to falling and anticipate it if you're working on jumps. I try not to say to myself "don't fall" because I know I will at least once a session. I try to say "relax" instead.

Also worth mentioning is that falls are worse on rough ice, so if you're going to be practicing jumps or other things where you know you could easily fall, head for smoother ice or postpone them. You'll slide more after a fall with smooth ice and the impact won't be as bad.

So there is my take on falling. I'm really proud of the fact that I'm very good at it! :)

[doubletoe]

There's a fine, squiggly line between being comfortable with the fact that you might fall and actually *expecting* to fall. It's great to be comfortable with the possibility, but it's bad to *expect* to fall. When you expect to fall on a jump, your body position will reflect that expectation and make it happen. You'll hunch over in the air and open up instead of staying pulled up tall and and staying backwards. Also, even if you make it all the way around, you'll reach for the ice instead of pulling up straight and landing it. In other words, throw yourself on the ice once or twice just to break the spell, but don't waste those jump attempts. Do whatever you can to increase your confidence in your ability to land a jump before actually taking off on one.

[Casey]

It's great to be comfortable with the possibility, but it's bad to *expect* to fall.

I have to agree with this! I never spent any time practicing falling or learning to fall, it just happened of it's own accord from time to time. As I went, I learned valuable lessons like "don't land on your wrists" at the same time I was still learning "don't run into the boards too hard and catch yourself with your wrists - gee it would be nice to know how to stop properly".

I don't fall very often now (generally 2 or 3 times a session), and I think I've fallen on jumps a total of maybe 2 times, ever, if that (my worst and most frequent falls are out of spins, and the rest of the time I'll just trip over myself or something stupid).

I think that's because while I've learned to fall pretty well, and while I don't really mind falling, I don't really like it - so I hold enough fear to keep me from doing it.

Somebody mentioned falling out of spirals, I've managed to catch myself with the free leg when that's happened before, I don't remember falling from spirals either (and I learned very quick to push down on the heel).

Be relaxed if you do hit the ice, but not so complacent that when you have a chance to save yourself you don't bother. ;)

I also find that it helps me feel better if I go into a spin as I stand up after I fall instead of just standing. (Silly, yes, I know, but hey, anything that helps confidence :) ).

[Melzorina]

That's why backwards spirals are a blessing really, because if you feel yourself falling forwards, most times you're brought to a slow halt by toe picks!

[Stormy]

Ugh, I took a nasty fall this morning practicing the Adult Gold Novice pattern, just caught an edge on the end pattern and BOOM, right on my right knee. Yeah, that hurt. :) But that's skating!

[Mrs Redboots]

And we worked on our lift - and husband dropped me! So I ended up sitting on the ice. Which was extremely cold when you only have a thin practice-skirt & one layer of tights on!

[Melzorina]

I do it almost every week, when we demonstrate getting up in the Learn to skate class... It's not that bad, except for skating round with a wet bum!

[Isk8NYC]

Melzorina: I'm with you on the damp seat. Even worse, we practice falling/getting up first OFF-ICE, which means that wearing black pants is a good thing! The mats get very dirty.

I went to a high school talent show last week. One of the comedy skits was a called "15-Minute Hamlet" It was very frenetic and hilarious, but ... you had to read the book. My twins favorite part was where Ophelia dies -- the actress fell to the stage floor in a split second! If you blinked your eyes, you missed her layout! It was hilarious - she was even asked to do an encore of the fall.

[Arsenette]

Ahhh fear of falling - welcome to my world :halo: I haven't skated in eons personally but when I did do it regularly I think I tried every trick in the book not to fall hard and fast.. My usual falls were going very fast (I have yet to learn how to stop properly that doesn't involve crashing into the boards :twisted: ) so you hear a WHHOOAAAH.. then silence.. for about 2 seconds.. then THUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD SMACK into the boards.. Most of the time it was involving getting out of someone's way.. or worse.. Tooooooooeeeeeeeeeeepppppppiiiiiiiiiccccccccckkkkk ... So as I got older... I just did what my friend affectionally calls the "Jackie O" fall.. the Oh dear.. I'm losing my center.. no don't fall.. no .. don't fall.. and gracefully land on the ice without the spectacle :oops: Since I haven't fallen in a long time I go almost into shock like.. "I'm on the ground? How did it get there" and quite frankly I don't know what I'd do if I ever entered competition and fell :giveup: I'd probably sit on the ice going "I shouldn't be here!!!"

[dbny]

My husband has perfect balance and almost never falls. Instead, he does a quick little dance from foot to foot. He makes a clickety-clack noise heard all over the rink and looks like a wind up toy gone mad. It's really funny, but if he still falls anyway, you are caught laughing when he actually hits the ice.

[batikat]

I am very conscious of the fact that I could progress faster when learning jumps if I wasn't so keen not to fall. The problem is when you are an adult, you know that a bad fall could have consequences not just for yourself but the whole family if you break something (e.g. who would drive the kids about and get the shopping etc).

However I have found a new way to practice falling and think I might try it at the beginning of every session. I do back crossovers round the centre circle faster and faster really pushing to the limit. If you push it enough you will eventually hear that 'click of death' and go flying but a) if you are going fast you slide a long way and so it really doesn't hurt) b) it avoids those nasty toepick falls where you go forward on your knees which really hurts! c) it happens so fast you don't have time to tense up which is what makes a fall much worse than if you are relaxed.

I am lucky in that I can get to daytime public sessions that usually aren't busy so have space to do this.

It certainly seemed to work today as I had a lot more confidence going into my jumps after and even landed my loop (OK so it wasn't pretty and the landing I only just held onto) both times I ran my programme.

[flippet]

However I have found a new way to practice falling and think I might try it at the beginning of every session. I do back crossovers round the centre circle faster and faster really pushing to the limit. If you push it enough you will eventually hear that 'click of death' and go flying


8O8O8O

The reason I wouldn't do this (for myself) is that whenever I hear the click-of-death, it's usually while rounding the end of the rink, and my slide is likely to send me right into the boards, if I'm going fast enough! I'd prefer to fall on a jump any day.

[Isk8NYC]

I do back crossovers round the centre circle faster and faster really pushing to the limit. If you push it enough you will eventually hear that 'click of death' and go flying ...

I laughed out loud when I read this entry. Good for you! Not only are you conquering your fear of falling, you're giving the heave-ho to the 'click of death' fear too! Bravo for your courage! :bow:

[sk8er1964]

However I have found a new way to practice falling and think I might try it at the beginning of every session. I do back crossovers round the centre circle faster and faster really pushing to the limit. If you push it enough you will eventually hear that 'click of death' and go flying

:lol: That was my normal method of practice on the Intermediate power circles (forward and backwards).

[doubletoe]

[QUOTE=batikat]

However I have found a new way to practice falling and think I might try it at the beginning of every session. I do back crossovers round the centre circle faster and faster really pushing to the limit. If you push it enough you will eventually hear that 'click of death' and go flying but a) if you are going fast you slide a long way and so it really doesn't hurt) b) it avoids those nasty toepick falls where you go forward on your knees which really hurts! c) it happens so fast you don't have time to tense up which is what makes a fall much worse than if you are relaxed. [QUOTE]

So what are you going to do when you get so good at back crossovers that you stop falling?? LOL!

[batikat]

So what are you going to do when you get so good at back crossovers that you stop falling?? LOL!

Funny you should say that as I tried it today but I didn't fall! I'll have to think of a new method for practising falls. :lol:

Of course it may that I just didn't push myself so hard today.

Flippet - I make sure I only do them really fast if the rink is more or less empty and I can go round the centre circle - that way there is plenty of rink to slide on if you fall - much more fun! - and you are miles from the boards. :D

[jazzpants]

One time I did power circles during a lesson on a Monday night public session. (Why my primary coach make me do these when I'm so NOT ready, I will never EVER understand.) I was right in the middle of the rink when I lost the footing and went sliding... right into another skater who wasn't facing me and he fell on top of me!!! Thank goodness he came off unscathed. I had a few bruises, not from me sliding on the ice but from him falling on top of me. (Bowling for skaters, anyone?) :roll: :lol:

[dbny]

So what are you going to do when you get so good at back crossovers that you stop falling?? LOL!

Don't know if it was F or B, but Sarah Hughes broke her arm from a fall on crossovers. Her mom had to talk her into continuing with skating! So good luck at ever becoming good enough to never again fall on crossovers :lol:

[Debbie S]

Don't know if it was F or B, but Sarah Hughes broke her arm from a fall on crossovers.

I think it was B crossovers and she slid into the boards and broke her wrist.

I have found that my worst falls are not on jumps, but on spirals, crossovers, and other moves. The one bad thing that happened on a jump was when I tried a loop out of a RFI 3 and whacked my right leg with the end of my left blade - ouch! I fell, of course, but that wasn't why I hurt afterward. Amazingly, no skin was broken, but I had a really nasty bruise.

[sk8er1964]

So what are you going to do when you get so good at back crossovers that you stop falling?? LOL!

I don't think that will ever happen. My coach is just waiting for me to give him the go-ahead to have me do the Novice moves, so he can eventually get me to the Junior moves and have the joy of watching my click-of-death-slam-into-the-boards all over again! :lol: 8O :roll:

The USFS is evil for having those power circles on two tests....and if you are an adult moving from adult MIF's to standard, you get the fun of doing them three times. Yeah us :giveup: .

[Andie]

Being only 20, I'm still somewhat scared of falling. Although, like some people have already said, it seems like the worst falls can happen on the simplest moves. A few weeks ago I was doing bunny hops, tripped while landing on my left toepick and fell flat on my stomach, on both knees and right elbow. Luckily I have enough padding on my chest ;) :lol: or I'd have been hurt worse.
I've had nasty bruises, but I'm more afraid of cracking/breaking a bone or hitting my face or head. I always try to keep my head held up during falls.

My mom is 59 and doesn't skate, she never has. I wish she would try it sometime, even if she just stayed by the boards or if I helped her. But she doesn't want to because of fear of getting hurt. And I would feel guilty if she got hurt, it's like it would partly be my fault. She doesn't fully understand why I enjoy skating - she thinks having to wear extra clothing, getting bruised, etc, would be too much hassle.

[Melzorina]

The falling thing. I fell on a crossover today, I tripped on my toepick. I was flat on the ice, sprawled out trying to take it what happened. I lay there for about 2 minutes, laughed, got up, checked bruises (some skanky graze/bruise on my arm and knee) changed my gloves and skated again.

I'm not saying it didn't hurt, because it stung like hell, but it only lasted a few minutes

[dbny]

My mom is 59 and doesn't skate, she never has. I wish she would try it sometime, even if she just stayed by the boards or if I helped her. But she doesn't want to because of fear of getting hurt.

Unless you know how to teach adult beginners, you really shouldn't take that on. If you think she might go for it, buy her a lesson with a coach that you have confidence in. Also, have her wear knee pads and a helmet. Her fear is grounded in reality.

[Casey]

I just found this, and had to post it here. It's a short video with lots of figure skating falls (and if you pay attention, you'll see they're mostly at national/international competitions).

http://sk8rland.com/users/kc/figure_skating_falls.wmv

I find it motivational (yes I'm weird) because hey! I'm not the only one who falls, even the pros do it too!

[sue123]

I just found this, and had to post it here. It's a short video with lots of figure skating falls (and if you pay attention, you'll see they're mostly at national/international competitions).

http://sk8rland.com/figure_skating_falls.wmv

I find it motivational (yes I'm weird) because hey! I'm not the only one who falls, even the pros do it too!

Oh my goodness. That was hilarious. I loved the one with the pair team, htey go into a jump, and fall at the same time in the same way. Well, at least they were together.

I also loved the one when the skater went into the off ice place, I guess it's where the zamboni comes out of. I was crying after watching that video. I know ti's not nice to laugh at other people's misfortunes, but after watching so many, it becomes so funny.

[dbny]

I just found this, and had to post it here. It's a short video with lots of figure skating falls (and if you pay attention, you'll see they're mostly at national/international competitions).

http://sk8rland.com/figure_skating_falls.wmv

I find it motivational (yes I'm weird) because hey! I'm not the only one who falls, even the pros do it too!


Hmm, it doesn't want to play for me. I suspect I already have it though. Is it set to a song called "Slide?" If so, it's really great. I recognized some of the splats, having seen them on TV when they happened. I was showing it to a coach I know, at her house, and her 6 yr old son took a look and announced "those skaters stink!" :lol:

[Casey]

Hmm, it doesn't want to play for me. I suspect I already have it though. Is it set to a song called "Slide?"
Yes :) Guess it must be fairly popular!

[Melzorina]

Ahh that was absolutley class!

I enjoy watching really good skaters fall on simple things. It's great.

[nerd_on_ice]

I also loved the one when the skater went into the off ice place, I guess it's where the zamboni comes out of.

That one's a classic--that's Midori Ito (first woman to land a 3axel in competition, if memory serves?). As my coach says, "She was a really big jumper...maybe TOO big." :lol:

[cutiesk8r43]

As much as I love ice skating, I really do, I'm terrified of falling. The first time I fell properly I sprained my wrist, which has made it worse. I would really love to get over my fear of falling and be able to put more oomph into my jumps, knowing that if I fall, so what, but I can't bring myself to actually fall over and get it done with. How did you people get over fears of falling? (if you had any!)

well... really I had a fear of falling on my axel and what I did to overcome that was I would tell myself that I was not afraid to do the jump and I would sort of pretend that I wasn't on the ice and that I wouldn't hurt myself :)
it worked.....sometimes :roll:
~cutie ;)

[Skate@Delaware]

Lately I haven't been skating, so when I visit my chiropractor for regular adjustments he says "I see you haven't been skating" :roll: .... to which I say "not yet" ;)

'Cause before he would ask me how many times I fell that week.... :oops:

I think I'm getting braver and it seems to be something you work up to. Last year, I hugged the wall. The first time I did a waltz jump away from the wall I was scared to death and I swear it was only 1/2 inch off the ice. Now it is much better and I'm a bit faster going into it. So, pad yourself up and give it time, and try to work away from the wall a bit at a time--baby steps--soon you will be doing the real thing. By the end of the season my waltz jump was about 1/2 foot off the ice!

Keep trying!

[ice-princess]

I used to be really scared of falling...but lately, that feeling has petty much vanished. I've been stuck on my axel for about a year an in the last couple of days, i've got.

:lol: :) :lol: :D

( I guess you can see i'm really happy... :) )

Anyway, for me its all about state of mind. I nearly always land when I tell my myself right before I jump: "I am going to land this" and quickly imagine myself doing it perfectly.

And whilst doing it, I fell about 50 times. Yes I mean literally! (I'm not even sure if my butt will ever forgive me).

But I NEVER land it when I hesitate or am not concentrating or even doubt that I'll do it.

POSITIVE THINKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!- Hey it works for me!

[Anita18]

Being only 20, I'm still somewhat scared of falling. Although, like some people have already said, it seems like the worst falls can happen on the simplest moves. A few weeks ago I was doing bunny hops, tripped while landing on my left toepick and fell flat on my stomach, on both knees and right elbow. Luckily I have enough padding on my chest ;) :lol: or I'd have been hurt worse.
That exact thing happened to me once, and I was glad then that I didn't have much of a chest! :lol: My knees took most of the brunt in that fall, but I still had the wind knocked out of me...

Falling can be a good thing. I finally learned to get away from the boards after I jammed my finger into the boards for the third time. ;) Plus, it can teach you what your limits are. Most beginners are afraid to lean into their edges because it feels like they're going to fall. You really have to push your limits and see how far you can go without falling (and that will take some spills), then you can really lean over.

I think I have it pretty good now. When I was starting out, if I fell on something, I wouldn't really work on it anymore. Now, if I fall on something, I get right back up and try it again. For really nasty falls on the hips and knees, I find that pads can be a real help. :)

[Casey]

Any of you skaters who have the time to download this song will probably find it quite meaningful, as it's about falling and not being afraid of it. :-)

http://sk8rland.com/get_up.mp3

"I'm not afraid to fall
it means i climbed up high
to fall is not to fail
you fail when you don't try
not afraid to fall
i might just learn to fly and
i will spread these wings of mine

Chorus:
If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
we get up anyway
If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
I might fall back down again
We'll just jump and see, even if it's the 20th time
we'll just jump and see if we can fly

I'm not afraid to fall
and here i told you so
don't want to rock the boat
but i just had to know
just a greener side
or can i touch the sky
but either way i will have tried

If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
we get up anyway
If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
I might fall back down again
We'll just jump and see, even if it's the 30th time
we'll just jump and see if we can fly


i'm not afraid to fall
I've fallen many times
they laughed when i fell down
but i have dared to climb
I'm not afraid to fall
i know i'll fall again
but i can win this in the end


If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
we get up anyway
If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
I might fall back down again
We'll just jump and see, even if it's the 40th time
we'll just jump and see if we can fly


If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
we get up anyway
If i get up i might fall back down again
so let's get up come on
If i get up i might fall back down again
I might fall back down again"