Say, I know that at an Ice Rink you hold onto the wall to find your natual balance. But does anyone know how you find your natual balance on a pond or outdoor homemade Rink? Thanks.

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FSWer

It's really hard to skate the first few times without a wall, even for regular skaters. We're so used to having that boundary, that it's distracting to not see it when skating on a pond or homemade rink. The Lussi rink in Lake Placid was unnerving to me - I felt like I was going to skate right off the ice!

The best way to start out is to skate on a regular rink and NOT hold onto the wall. Keep your arms out for balance, but don't pull yourself along. Just take small steps and watch where you're going. After a while, you'll get used to balancing on one foot at a time and gliding. Use the wall to catch your breath and/or balance, but don't lean on it - it doesn't help you balance - you need to build your strength and balance by staying OFF the wall.

It's hard to skate on ponds and homemade rinks because the ice isn't always smooth. Maybe you could find a buddy through the Special Olympics organization to give you a hand? www.specialolympics.org


ETA: I just watched an episode of "This Old House" that my DVR recorded because they built an ice rink for a family in their Massachusetts backyard. Very interesting and looked fairly easy to do. Doesn't get cold enough for outdoor ice down here, but I did find a seasonal man-made outdoor rink not too far away.

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As a kid, during a frosty winter, I made a tiny little rink in the back yard, 4 by 4 yards. I'd put a border of snow up, then let water run into it from a hose overnight. It was relatively smooth. I did a lot of swizzles on that rink... Not much else fit on it, heh. Not that I could do much else at the time.

It doesn't change the balance, it's still that you have to bend your knees and look in front of you instead of at the ice. It's just that on a normal rink you can focus on the boarding to look up, and on a backyard rink you have to look up without having a point of focus.

I used to skate on frozen cow ponds WAAAAAY back when I was a teen; if you bend your knees, skate slower while watching out for leaves/sticks, etc.... and keep your arms out you should be fine.


The worst ice was when it would freeze while the wind blew....it got all rippley and bumpy OR after a freezing rain....like skating on pebbles!

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

When I teach students (I teach toddlers and adults) their very first class, I don't let them hold onto the wall. So i'd say it would be the same at a natural ice location.

The best thing to do is put your arms out to the side, but slightly in front of you (lots of instructors will say "on the magic table" or like you are holding a grocery cart) and stand "like a statue" until you get your balance standing still. If you start to tip over, you can put your hands on the ice, with your knees bent, and very slowly rise back to the standing position.

Once you are able to stand- start taking marching steps. Very slowly, with your feet in a 'V' position. Once you are comfortable marching, then you can start your stroking.

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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)

My very first venture on to the ice was on rinks with no boards. For me the hardest part was getting from the solid ground on to the ice with nothing to hold on to. How do you find your natural balance? Beats me!

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

I learned skating at an outdoor rink with no walls. I still remember my first ever skating lesson, I stepped onto the ice and promptly went splat. I learned to skate without clinging onto any wall.

My home rink (indoor) also has no walls. When I take lessons at a nearby hockey rink, I'm freaked out by the walls and stay far far away from the edge of the rink.

home rink?

jealous.

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WARNING: Do not skate on a frozen lake, unless you are with people with appropriate safety knowledge (and equipment including ropes and buoyancy aids), as it can be very dangerous. The only exception to your rule is if your local farmer allows a field to be flooded, in which case the ice depth will only be about 6 inches, and there is no danger of falling in. For a beginner skater, it is best and safest to stick to commercially run, regularly resurfaced rinks, which anyway will have a better skating surface.

Make sure that your blades are well sharpened. Outdoor ice can be quite hard and you need to be able to get a grip. If the pond is large and natural, why not take a stick (like a ski pole, or trekking pole) with you? - people do use these for long distance skating on frozen lakes. Also, because of the risk of loose debris catching the blades, I would only take an older pair of skates for outdoor skating, and not risk my best skates.

I have found with outdoor skating that it is usually very different from indoors. It brings you into direct contact with nature. There is usually a lot of debris, both on the ice, and growing through the ice (leaves, twigs, reeds etc). Even with a regularly resurfaced rink, it can be very frosted over and slow in the early morning. The ice is often not white, because fallen leaves have been frozen into the surface. If it has been raining, you may need to skate through an inch of water. But on a crisp, sunny, winter's day there is nothing to beat it!

As always, the best advice is REMEMBER TO BEND YOUR KNEES, and do try the marching technique to warm up (lifting feet alternately) ....

I learned to skate on roller skates in the street (nothing to hold on to). I later started ice skating in a rink and never needed to hold the wall. As a coach, I do not allow my students to hold on to the wall even if they are tots. I will stand the child up and have him stand still, as someone else mentioned. Then we will put our hands on "the magic table", touch knees, bend knees, march in place, etc. I show them how to fall and get up. We all practice it. IMO, slow marches are a good way to start.

Kay

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

Indeed.

I think by "home rink" the poster just meant the rink he/she skates at most often, not that there is a rink at his/her home. (If I'm wrong, well, add me to the "jealous" list!)

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

I agree with your assessment; climacus seems to be referring to her regular ice skating rink.

However, there are people in the northern parts of the US who do build their own ice outdoor rinks during the winter, given cooperative weather. There's a website devoted to "Back Yard Ice Rinks" http://www.backyardrink.com/ I did it one year, but my mother was furious come spring - it killed her lawn.

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I learned on a frozen lake - between dodging ice fishing holes and embedded twigs I don't really know how I kept it up. My cousin broke his arm (compound fracture) and my mother's right leg went through an ice fishing hole...

...fortunately I switched to an indoor rink.

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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)

It's a bit north of the U.S., but do you mean like this one?

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

Damn Rusty, I was going to ask at the end of this thread how yours is going this year. Is that pic from this year or last?

I am sooooooo jealous !!!!!!!

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Unfortunately that is from last year. I got so busy this fall that I didn't have time to finish re-landscaping the rink. (A woman with a bulldozer takes "rearranging the furniture" to a whole new level )

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

LOL Rustyblades I love you. Whenever you do something, you do it *big*.
Weren't you the one who build the pole-access-point-wireless-internet thing?

Too funny, Dianne!

Sorry you didn't get to rearrange the landscape in time for this year's rink, but thanks for posting that beautiful picture of last year's masterpiece. It's so nice to look at again. Have you ever gone to that website? Is the information accurate?

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I have ice envy. And land envy. And bulldozer envy.

All I want for Christmas is one of those adorable mini-zamboni / garden tractor sets. And a huge backyard in Nova Scotia.

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It's all about the dress!

I presume you mean the backyard rink site? Yes, I read it extensively and stole what ideas I could.

Sessy: Yes, I am the one that put up a tower and brought Wireless Internet to a rural area - that was what got in the way of finishing the rink.

Liz: I saw those garden tractor-come-Zamboni and want one in the WORST way but they are EXPENSIVE - they are 1/2 the price of a full size Zamboni ..... hum ... could probably find a used full size Zamboni if I looked hard enough

You are welcome to come play on my bulldozer any time! It is such FUN to rearrange the earth with the touch of your finger

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

*wipes drool off screen*

I showed this photo to DH and he commented that it looked great! "Wow, her own personal ice rink outside her door?? Wow!!"