Scared of leaving the ice?

onlyhappyonice · #1 04-12-2008, 08:15 AM

Does anyone on here seem to have a fear of taking both blades off the ice for anything bigger than a two footed jump or bunny hop. The prospect of any kind of proper jump right now to me brings on images of face planting.

Skate@Delaware · #2 04-12-2008, 08:18 AM

This is a fairly common fear adult skaters face...once you face it and achieve that first jump it does get easier! Trust me!!! Most of us were wall-huggers at one time or another. It took me over a year to move away from the wall for my first waltz jump and it was a waltz-hop more than anything, but it felt like an axel in my mind...that was a large hurdle to "jump"

onlyhappyonice · #3 04-12-2008, 08:23 AM

I tried that a few weeks back, just a simple waltz jump without a proper entrance and managed an inch or two off the ice, and to me it felt a lot bigger... was still rubbish though haha

Sessy · #4 04-12-2008, 08:42 AM

Well that's what you get for picking "onlyhappy ON ice" for your nick. Either way, print your signature on your gloves or something and keep reminding yourself of it

I can honestly say I didn't have that problem, except very briefly after very hard falls. Basically it's just something I have to push through always. It gets less once you realise that most falls will be sideways slides which don't actually hurt you - much anyway. You can get crash pants if they do, or use sponges or something. Bunny hops can make faaar nastier falls where you actually hurt your knees and stuff.

jwrnsktr · #5 04-12-2008, 08:53 AM

Well, my favorite saying is, "we are not painting by numbers, we are ice skating." So, yes, we are going to fall, at times it gets painful, we break things, but we keep coming back for more. Seems a bit crazy, but really, don't you just love it? We fall whether we're jumping or not, so don't let fear of falling keep you from jumping. I'd say to keep working on your waltz jump. Move away from the wall a little at a time. Work on it with your coach - things somehow seem easier with the coach around, and set a goal for yourself, i.e. that you'll get the waltz jump totally away from the wall by the end of the summer. And, if you find that you are just not going to be able to jump, then move on to the gazillion other things we need to work on during a practice session and make those strong and get some confidence. Then, maybe go back to trying to jump. Above all, make sure skating stays fun - keep frustration to a minimum!

Skate@Delaware · #6 04-12-2008, 08:59 AM

I don't think it is actually getting off the ice that causes fear, but the chance of a fall. I've had terrible falls from doing nothing rather than from jumps! Over my 5 year skating history, the falls I've had from jumps: maybe 3...from other things....too many too count!

Practice the jump set up and landing position until you are really good...that will do more for you than you realize. It's that security that will go a long way, knowing that you know how to take-off and land. Once you are stable with those, in-the-air is only a second or less time

!

And wear pads if you feel the need for security, you will ditch them when you graduate!

Mrs Redboots · #7 04-12-2008, 09:00 AM

Two words: Ice Dancing.

Dancers still have to spin, though, alas.

PhysicistOnIce · #8 04-12-2008, 09:29 AM

I can't claim to have proper jumps yet, but I can at least bring myself to leave the ice now, and the thing that got me over the psychological aspect was to get a pair of gloves.

I got some baseball batter's gloves, which have a nice leather padding over the parts of my hands that I can imagine falling onto, and these have the magical ability to muzzle the part of my brain that normally says "if you do that, you are going to die".

Perhaps this would work for you as well?

Kim to the Max · #9 04-12-2008, 09:32 AM

I guess I am lucky that I started skating as a kid, so I often do not have those, "I'm crazy" thoughts...when I was first starting again though, all of my singles were going well, so I thought, "I'll start working on my axel again," it was at that point that I thought, "am I really doing this? God, please don't let me kill myself" and then I did it...didn't land it of course, since I'm still working on it, but for me it was just doing it the first time and after that I was good....

Bill_S · #10 04-12-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skate@Delaware

I don't think it is actually getting off the ice that causes fear, but the chance of a fall. I've had terrible falls from doing nothing rather than from jumps! Over my 5 year skating history, the falls I've had from jumps: maybe 3...from other things....too many too count!

I'm in complete agreement that the worst falls happen mostly when I'm doing nothing risky.

Falls from single rotation jumps are WAY overrated compared to the falls you'll experience learning new footwork, etc. (I'm still suffering from unexpected falls Monday night where I slipped off the back of my blade onto my back TWICE just attempting footwork at speed.)

sk8_4fun · #11 04-12-2008, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrs Redboots

Two words: Ice Dancing.

Dancers still have to spin, though, alas.

and, according my coach, do a few small jumps such as half loops

Skate@Delaware · #12 04-12-2008, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk8_4fun

and, according my coach, do a few small jumps such as half loops

for the love of pete...half-loops are regular loops (as in full rotation) landed on the other foot....

don't get me started on them, it has taken me over a YEAR to un-learn the landing of them and to GET landing a real loop on the correct foot!!!!

perhaps you mean a 1/2 flip or 1/2 lutz??????

Mrs Redboots · #13 04-12-2008, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk8_4fun

and, according my coach, do a few small jumps such as half loops

Solo, yes - but onlyhappyonice is a guy, so I don't suppose he'd be dancing solo for more than 5 minutes!

Having said that, we did have 3-jumps round each other in our last year's programme, but then, holding someone else's hands makes everything MUCH easier!

Skate@Delaware · #14 04-12-2008, 03:17 PM

Mrs. Redboots, you are soooo right about that! It was the only way to get the Mr. off the ice with his waltz jumps but he had a habit of leaning on me...not so good since he outweighed me by 100 lbs

so we had to give them up. Although it was very uplifting on my part, I got my highest waltz jumps that way with him pushing me up!!!

kander · #15 04-13-2008, 12:13 AM

Conquoring your fears is one of the things that make skating such a special sport. You are always pushing yourself past your comfort level. One of the great feelings is just trying something new that you had to work up your courage for. You'll feel great about yourself. Usually the beginning stages of learning a new element is just trying it to get over your fear.

BTW, I can do doubles and I HATE bunny hops. I always feel like I'm going to do a chin plant.

Kevin

onlyhappyonice · #16 04-13-2008, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kander

Conquoring your fears is one of the things that make skating such a special sport. You are always pushing yourself past your comfort level. One of the great feelings is just trying something new that you had to work up your courage for. You'll feel great about yourself. Usually the beginning stages of learning a new element is just trying it to get over your fear.

BTW, I can do doubles and I HATE bunny hops. I always feel like I'm going to do a chin plant.

Kevin

In on respect I'm really looking forward to finishing the 10 grades and getting onto passports with some small jumps and stuff, but in another I do need to convince myself that I'm not actually going to die or break my spine

And liz... I knew you'd be the one to spot that

sk8_4fun · #17 04-13-2008, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skate@Delaware

for the love of pete...half-loops are regular loops (as in full rotation) landed on the other foot....

don't get me started on them, it has taken me over a YEAR to un-learn the landing of them and to GET landing a real loop on the correct foot!!!!

perhaps you mean a 1/2 flip or 1/2 lutz??????

Nope, definately half-loop, I started learning it last week. I couldn't figure out why its called a 1/2 jump either but she seems to like them in free dance programmes. I'm supposed to starting on a proper loop this week too. I can see its going to get confusing

Skate@Delaware · #18 04-13-2008, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk8_4fun

Nope, definately half-loop, I started learning it last week. I couldn't figure out why its called a 1/2 jump either but she seems to like them in free dance programmes. I'm supposed to starting on a proper loop this week too. I can see its going to get confusing

OMG!!!!!! Not another one!!!! I hope you don't get "stuck" but if you are going right to the other one then you should be ok....I was with the half-loop for almost 2 years before she tried to teach me the other one....when she realized that she had 'accidentally' taught me the wrong one first

it was toooo late and I was stuck

but for you, the half-loop is supposed to be harder!!! so enjoy it!

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