Hey

I've always been a huuuuge fan of ice skating and have watched the nationals on TV since i can remember...I've only been skating a few times recently and found to my surprise that i have exeedingly good balance and haven't fallen over once hehe (even when those reeeeally fast people whizz past attempting to make you fall) and in the words of my friends, i'm pretty confident on the ice for a first timer. On my 1st time (out of about 3 in recent months) i took to the ice almost immediately and was racing with the ice marshalls by the end of it!! It was sooo much fun!
Anyway, I've been dying to take up lessons for aaaaaages and was wondering if you could give me any tips...Whether to go for private/group lessons, if i should have had dance training previously, etc....I'd really like to begin lessons!!
If you could give me any advice, i'd really appreciate it!!
Oh for the record, i'm 15...Does that make any difference? Is it too late/early to begin?
Thankyou!
Love Brooke xxx

HI, Brooke. Fifteen is a good age to start, and it's a sport you can do all your life.

Most people take group lessons to start with, and then move on to private lessons as and when they feel the need. Find out when a new course is starting at your rink, and sign up for it! And get your own ice skates as soon as you can, if you don't already have them, as you will find you can do a lot more in them than you can in the hired skates.

Hope you learn to love the sport as much as we all do - it's incredibly frustrating, sometimes it would be a lot easier to bang your head against a brick wall. But, as one of the coaches commented the other day, it's a drug - you simply can't stop doing it.....

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

That's good to hear

Right...group lessons it is...I'm skating this Saturday and when i'm at the rink, i'll ask about them...I'm so excited hehe....

How long would you say it would take for a new skater to do something like, i don't know, glide backwards? I mean, obviously i'm dying to do amazing jumps and stuff but that's going to take time and alot alot of practice!!

Love Brooke xxx

Hi Brooke. Welcome to the wonderful sport of figure skating and to skatingforums also. Now a small request - could you please use a larger font? I had to copy and paste your post into notepad and enlarge the font to be able to read it. Some of us are at the other end of the age spectrum from you and have trouble with such small type. Thanks!

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Looks like we posted at the same time, and my request was met before I even asked You're good!!!

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Hehe no problem, Dbny...And yeah we kinda posted at the same time...

That was another question i've remembered after reading some more posts...Does it matter that i've never had a single dance lesson in my life? :s
I was told that i'd need a good ballet background, but surely alot of the guys who skate haven't had ballet lessons and they cope ok, right? I mean, i can balance and can be elegant and i'm sure my flexibility will improve anyway...but is it a necessity to have had dance lessons?

Thanks!

Brooke xxx

Absolutely not! Listen, I was a couch potato in my 40s when I started skating - and okay, I'm pretty hopeless, but I'm good enough to have enormous fun with it!

To answer an earlier question, I don't know what the learn-to-skate classes are like where you live, but I remember being taught how to go backwards almost the first week. Being able to was another matter, but we were taught how!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

*breathes a huuuge sigh of relief*
Well thank goodness for that!! I don't mind doing dance, but i reckon i'd be more suited to the ice

It's also never too late to get any dance training. Once you start skating, you might find that you want to take a dance class, and it may help you with skating.

I'm sure there are dance classes (even ballet) out there for teens who do not intend to be "dancers" per se -- just to learn something about stretch, posture, positions, timing etc.

But at this point just start those skating lessons and have a great time! You will no doubt enjoy it.

I am convinced that skating is completely addictive -- I think it's the glide...

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Thanks, Icedancer, I'm sure i will! Walking seemed sooo boring to me after those few times recently, and i always glide around the slippery kitchen floor hehe....
What's the hardest thing about it? Like, is it 'easy' enough for anyone to do or do you need a certain something...?
Love B xxx

The basic stuff is easy enough for *most* people to do, but everyone progresses at their own rate. You may find some things easier than others, & some things that are hard for you, may be easy for someone else.

A fear of falling is what holds people back the most, but it sounds like you're pretty comfortable on the ice, so you should do just fine.

I started skating at 13 and the my 1st group lesson was the 1st timeI had ever skated (on ice) in my entire life!

I was doing backward crossovers by the 3rd or 4th lesson (1 lesson/week)

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I've got mad salchow disease!

Off Topic -- Nice to have met you in real life, flying~camel

On topic - Brooke, I hope you have a great time learning how to skate!!! My coach didn't learn until he was in his mid-teens, and he's a pretty good skater. He's passed all of his moves in the field tests, almost all of the dances, and most of the freestyle tests. (You will learn all about the test system as you advance in skating.) He's in his 20's, and he's coaching and skating for himself too!

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

As other people have said, you're definitly not too old to learn. Just start saving up. Because you said you're only 15, so I'm assuming your parents are going to help you out with the finances since most places require a person to be at least 16 before they can get working papers. But then you're parents will realize how expensive it can get and may attempt to make you cut back unless you pay for it. Believe me, it's addicting. After paying for my weekly skating, I'm left with about $5 for the week, but I'm on a students budget, so it's actually doable.

I've found that skating backwards for some people is easier than skating foward. I took this 8 year old to the rink once, and she was upset that she couldn't go foward, but really wanted to go backwards, so she tried it, and was much better backwards than fowards. Just go out there and have fun.

I wouldnt worry that much of ballet and dance until you've learned the basics
Have fun!
~cutie

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Skating is suppose to be fun , no PRESSURE at all

~*Courage*~*Confidence*~*Consistance*~

Go and take some lessons You don't need ballet/dance though a lot of more experienced skaters do have some form of dance lessons too.

You're not too old by any means. My dance coach started ice skating at the age of 14 and became the National Champion (many years ago), he's a beautiful skater but he did work hard!

I found the hardest time in skating was getting through the basics. Unfortunately once you get them you then find that there is even more to do on them. You NEVER stop working on the basics. What I'm trying to say (badly) is that at first you're struggling with your balance, the ice AND trying to learn a new skill. That, for me, was THE hardest time. Yes, other things you will find difficult but that varies from person to person.

Good luck

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The best whisper is a click

Hi Brooke!

Skating can be a very rewarding sport, but you get out of it what you put into it...if you only skate a half-hour once a week, then it will take you a long time to make any progress. On the other hand if you are dedicated to learning and trying new things, you will learn much faster, even if it's only a couple sessions a week!

You'll be skating backwards within a month or two, if you want it. Just keep trying and it will become easier and easier to do, just like everything on ice.

I was in your shoes six and a half months ago, but after putting on skates for the first time, I was addicted! Since then I've spent an average of 20 hours a week or more skating, and this is me today:
http://sk8rland.com/casey_shobe-may2005-jumps.3gp
http://sk8rland.com/casey_shobe-may2005-footwork.3gp
(You'll need a recent version of QuickTime to play them, and I'd recommend saving them and then opening them so that you can zoom in a bit, as they're quite small)

I have a loooooong looooong way to go, but had somebody told me 6 months ago that I'd be doing different jumps and trying to learn to spin and all the other stuff I've managed to learn, I would have never believed them (in fact my ex-roomate told me I'd be doing jumps before long after a couple weeks into it, and I told him he was crazy, AND That I wasn't interested (my how things change!).

I wish that I had started when I was your age - I think it's a great time to start! I'm 9 years older, and always wish I'd started when I was younger. Don't be intimidated by the little kids who are better than you - you'll catch up to them soon enough, and you'll look a lot better doing the same things.

As others mentioned, getting your own skates makes a huge difference, but they are unfortunately pretty expensive.

Best wishes in your skating! Keep us informed as things progress, and ask questions about anything you're having trouble with! This forum is a great source of information, advice, feedback/critique, and friendships. It's played a big part in my skating! Looking forward to seeing more of your posts,

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Casey, that's awesome!! Although i'll watch anything skate-related hehe and be amazed as i long to be able to do it!!!

-'Don't be intimidated by the little kids who are better than you - you'll catch up to them soon enough, and you'll look a lot better doing the same things.'
Hehe, thanks for the encouragement!!

So, saving up i will be doing and taking lessons i shall be...taking...

Oh another question, how do you actually DO spins and stuff? Is it from the toe pick? :s

Love B xxx

No, the only thing you use your toe-pick for is in some of the jumps. You spin just behind your blades, although the toe-pick does sometimes just scratch the ice.

If you want to see what a spin feels like, stand still with both feet on the ice. Now turn your upper body very slightly to your right, tense it, and then "let go", pulling your arms to your chest as you do so. You should turn round to your left, and if you're lucky and the ice is smooth, you might even turn more than 90! That's the start of a 2-foot spin, which is the first one you'll learn.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Hey Brooke,

nice name! I have a 16-year old daughter, Brooke also!

I am an adult skater who started at 18, took many years off of the ice after that (no rink where i moved to after marrying), and am now, at 44, having the time of my life. I've done both group and private lessons, and am currently working on passing my Adult Silver level test. If i were you i would consider the money you have to put into it, but i would also realize that even if you go private lessons, although they are expensive, the better coach you get, the better basic skills you learn, and believe me, if you learn it WRONG the at first, you will spend a looong time trying to re-learn it the right way.

If you want advice on finding a good coach, ask me, i'll be glad to help!
-Miraclegro

Hey Miraclegro...
Excellent choice of name for your daughter
Yes, i'm not sure whether to go for private or group lessons... If i go i group lessons, i don't want to be in a group of ultra-amazing skaters and similarly don't wish to be put in a group of 5-6 year olds...And i suggested a private coach to my friend in conversation and she was saying that they were only for wanna-be professionals, which i don't quite believe...
Where do you live? I'm in the UK, so if you live over here, you may be able to help me hehe...
Love B xxx

(And a huuuge THANKYOU to everyone who's posted so far- i feel extremely welcome and am really encouraged to do this Big hugs!!!)

Since you're just starting out, group lessons are a great way to go because you'll be with other people who are generally at the same skill level as you.

It is also a great way to scope out the coaches at your rink/club and will allow you to make a more informed decision before deciding on a private lessons coach

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I've got mad salchow disease!

Hey back to you!

Unfortunately, Brooke, i am in Virginia in the U.S! But don't you believe that private coaches are only for Olympic wanna-be's. Basically, you get what you pay for, and although i learned in group lessons, if i look back, i would have probably done it faster in private, because it would be geared to my own speed! But, group lessons can also teach you by watching the others.

A private coach can come in many levels, the highest level is Master Coach, which means they have competed internationally. I currently have one of those, and he is originally from Russia, and he is the best (and most expensive) i have ever had. I can only afford bi-weekly lessons.

You also want someone if you are looking for a coach who is good with people, and would work best with your own special personality. If you want names of coaches, perhaps i can ask my coach for a referral, who knows, he may be able to help! Just let me know, but just remember, it's your money, and you want to get what you want out of it. I believe in you!

By the way, just a bit of humor, my daughter turned out to be this really competitive basketball and soccer player! We have a lot in common, but not our sports! Blessings to you! -Miraclegro!

Hi Brooke
if you let us know where in the UK you are there may be someone on here who skates at your local rink who can give you more info on coaches etc. by private message.

Most UK rinks operate the 'Skate UK' 'learn to skate' program so you'd be put in a group according to level. (Our rink (Bracknell) doesn't but that's because it is privately owned and the owner prefers to run his own 'Academy' system).

I was worried about being in a group with lots of little kids when I started (at age 36!!) so took my then 8 year old daughter along so I wouldn't feel so silly. I needn't have worried as there were a number of adults in the group and ages ranging from 5 to 50! The beginner group was seperated in to the little ones and the 10 to adult group. If I'd known there was a 'housewives' course on a weekday morning I'd have done that, as that tends to have just a few skaters whereas my beginner group had over 20 so progress was exceedingly slow! Of course if I'd done that my kids may never have taken up skating and I'd have missed out on the joy of watching them skate (they rapidly overtook me). I'd suggest starting with group lessons as it's a good way to meet the various coaches and see which ones you 'gel' with before you choose a coach for private lessons. You'll also meet other skaters of your level to practice with which makes it more fun.

Don't worry about starting at 15 - it's a lot better than starting at 36 for sure.

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'skating is not just a sport - it is an obsession'

Hey, I started at fifteen too, and I've never looked back. It's great. In learn to skate classes you generally start at the beginning, and if you're noticably above the level, you'll get moved up until you're challenged. You'll never be with amazingly good skaters, cos it's only learn to skate, although you'll think they're great and you might wonder if you'll ever be as good, but you will, and better. I still take learn to skate group lessons even though I've passed all the grades. It's a great way to make friend with people who share the same intrest in skating as you do.

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