Say,I don't know if this has ever been a topic before. But when you first learned to skate,how long did it take yo to get away from the wall,or at least the side of the Rink? For me....I got away from the wall on my very first day!!!!! I surprised Caitlin my coach. Ok Kids......GO!!!!

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FSWer

It was eons ago but when I first skated it was on a pond so there were no walls. When I started again more than 40 years later, it was an outdoor rink with no boards. Now, when I get my JUMPS out on open ice we'll be doing fine - LOL!

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I, too, skated the very first time on an outdoor rink that had no walls. I still kind of hang by the boards sometimes, though, depending what I'm working on, just to stay out of the way. For instance, I'm practicing the cross-behind step I need for my Cha-Cha, and I do laps of them next to the boards. I used to do that for stops, too, back when - glide, stop, glide, stop, all the way around next to the boards.

Me I've never had a problem getting away from the side. Prob because I used to take roller skating lessons and I can roller blade.

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Skate at: Lee Valley
Date started: October 2008
Level: 6 (UK skate levels)

Aiming for Figure club

I don't recall ever having to hang onto the boards when I was a kid- but I had also (quad) roller skated around the neighborhood and in the driveway and such.

Now I teach snowplow sam classes and I don't let my kids touch the wall at all until we get to "blast off" (pushing off the wall to glide backwards as a fun extra). I don't think it's good to give them that crutch, because when I've seen kids start there they are so scared to let go. I just take away the option of starting there and help them right out to the open ice. (Though most of them still do when they go to public sessions- because it "feels" more like skating when they push along and glide then when they march like they were taught, because they can't glide quite yet.)

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

LOL, btw. I got the hang of going AWAY from the boards and skating forward. But I never got the hang of whatever it's called when you have to glide in to the side of the Rink. Like when a skater has to come in to get their bags off the side,etc.

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FSWer

The first time I went skating, I was a fearless 5 year old who tried to keep up with her daddy, so I didn't even know I could hold on to the wall. My dad always wanted a son, but had 2 girls, even the dogs were always girls. The cats are boys, but they never really liked my dad. Anyway, my mom refused to let me play hockey, so my dad decided I was at least going to skate like one, with lots of speed and power and quick starts. This way, when I had sons, I could teach them. Somehow, I still ended up liking figure skating.

Well, I was 9 when I tried to get away from the wall that very first time, but I remembered it was at least a month and I was coaxed into getting away from hanging onto the wall by a fellow skater. (NOT my sister who was too busy hanging onto her bf at the time )

When I came back at 31... no time at all! I was able to go right out there and skate around the rink. No problem!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I used to rollerskate as a kid with my family. I remember being quite fast. I don't recall ever having to skate near the boards unless I am helping one of my friends get away from the boards. I've always wanted to figure skate, so I was rather fearless when it came to getting out there. My coach said that he used to watch me skate public sessions before I started taking lessons with him. He said that I reminded him of the "Matrix" movies because I was so off axis when I tried any jump. I took some nasty falls in the beginning. He called me Matrix boy when I first took lessons from him. I had no idea he would have me landing all my singles and my first axel in 3 months.


BlackManSkating

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Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

Oh my....this has me thinking WAY back. My first pair of skates were metal roller skates; they clamped onto your shoes and you had to wear saddle-shoes (didn't quite work with the soft sneakers we wore back in the day). Sidewalks, no rinks. Don't lose your key!

I skated on ice skates on a frozen ditch (it was um up to 15' wide and 100' long) across from my house and a cow pond. No walls.

Now learning 3-turns and mohawks we used the wall. and it took almost 2 years before I could do a waltz jump away from the wall (it was similar to jumping out of an airplane on the bravery scale!!!!)

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

My very first skating experience was a disco session at a rink two hours by coach from home. I don't remember hanging onto the walls at all -there were so many people you could barely see the walls! But also I was 14 and this rather nice lad offerred to take me round - much better to hold on to than a wall!

I didn't get back on to the ice til I was 36! But I didn't really hold on to the walls. I remember chasing my kids round on a public session even though I wasn't really skating properly.

Now I'd much prefer to learn things away from the boards since to my mind it is far less dangerous to practice stuff on open ice. If you fall near the boards you can easily hit your head on the way down and get injured that way. Much prefer to be on open ice where there is no danger of crashing into the boards - much safer I feel!

I did sometimes use the boards by the sin bins to stop - the dead fly splat!

I had no choice - I learned on a lake!

I'm sure I fell a zillion times before getting it, but I don't remember. I know for a little while I had those double blade skates but then I got some regular ones.

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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

never hugged the boards!

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Champagne in 2005, 2008, 2009 - who's next out of the pre-bronze club...?

Wang chung!

That part of my memory seems to have dissappeared mostly I only remembered my first day on the ice (where I remember hanging on to the boards at first, and by the end of the session I was trying to let go for a bits) and then obviously theres a skip in memory here, and the next one I have is of practising three turns, waltz jumps which was definetly not on the boards.

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Tidesong

6 weeks!!! yes 6 weeks, I am the worlds worst coward and I never thought then that I would move on to competitve figure skating and pairs.

Me too. I became a very competent roller skater just from watching other ppl. I could do a lot of artistic moves on quads when I was a teen. Most of it transfered to the ice. Ex: crossovers (back and forward), basic jumps, spins, different glides, etc.

Kay

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Visit my figure skating journal
http://www.skatejournal.com/

about 10 minutes. LOL.

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Well, I've never clung to the wall for basic stroking, but cannot get off the wall for jumping. I occasionally practice a tough bit of footwork at the wall (like it's a ballet barre). But I don't want to jump, let alone jump away from the boards.

I don't actually remember...I do however, remember being dragged away from the boards by a friend who could skate very quickly my first time, so it couldn't have been more than half an hour.

Woot! I got away from the side on my first time while my two friends were still clinging to it like limpets

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Giaz.
scene chav gonna tear you down .. because i'm gonna come and get you!
take the pee, and i'll hit you where it hurts with my toepick.

Actually, I was never hanging onto the wall. I skated a massive total of three times growing up, and I was always speeding across the ice, not at the wall. When I finally really started skating as an adult, I also never was at the wall. It wasn't even a thought in my head. I stumbled directly to center ice.

I think I held on to the boards on the first day, when I was only 5yrs old. I think I was just a natural skater, so I didn't hold onto it after that!!

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2014 and 2018 Olympics here I come!

Skating, skating all day long, skating, skating all night long! May seem tiring to some people but not me, it's my life!!

Goals: Triple Loop, Novice Competitive, Sr.Silver Dances, Gold Artistic, and top 3 at Sectionals

I'm another former pond-skater who didn't have boards available. Everyone just jumped right on and took their lumps while learning. I imagine it's much easier to do that when you're in your teens.

Didn't even SEE a rink with boards until I was in my middle-twenties.

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Bill Schneider

I was so discouraged the first time I was on the ice and couldn't get away from the wall - I did not return to the ice for 3 weeks.

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Tim David's Website

Well look at u now!!!

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Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel