I am so glad to have found this board.
I am a long-time figure skating fan who has always wanted to skate, but always let other things keep me from doing so. I've watched figure skating since I can remember, and always dreamed of gliding across the ice.

I'm a 39 year old full time working mom of 2 young kids (ages 1 and almost 4), so needless to say my time is limited and I'd pretty much hung up the idea of learning to skate until my kids were a bit older.

Let me first say that I love my husband to pieces and he is the greatest. However, he and I are worlds apart when it comes to choosing gifts. I, being the typical perfectionist always try to find the perfect gift for everyone. He on the other hand figures that just the fact that he went to the trouble of getting someone a gift should be evidence of his feelings. Well, this year my husband and I were discussing Christmas gifts for each other and I explained to him what a heartfelt gift was to me (doesn't necessarily mean spending any money).

Unbeknownst to me, he really took our conversation "to heart" and my Christmas gift was a pair of Jackson figure skates and a bunch of warm clothes for the rink. We are in Florida, so finding the stuff was a challenge enough, but now he also is rearranging the family's schedule so that I can skate at least one day on the weekend (our closest rink doesn't have many public skating sessions, and the next closest might be a bit to far to travel with my current schedule).

I went for my first public skate this weekend and actually did pretty good, I thought. I started out very wobbly, but by the end of the session (less than 2 hours) I was actually staying pretty steady and picking up some speed to the point that I needed to move away from the edge of the rink to the less populated areas. I did take one spill, trying to navigate around some little ones, but figured one bruise on the hand was minor considering.

I am going to start group lessons tonight at the closer rink. I'd really prefer the other (further) rink because they have adult group classes and a nicer environment, but it's just not in the cards right now. The nearer rink is not in the greatest section of town, which concerns me a bit, as it will be dark when lessons end. We'll see how things go tonight. I figure I can always change to the other rink if it's not working out here. It will just be more of a juggle time-wise.

I was very surprised and pleased to find a board where I can hopefully chat with other late bloomers such as me.

Wish me luck!
Kathy

Good luck with the lessons and all. I was 41 when I started skating, so it is never too late.

Hooray! Hope you love your lessons and new skates. Three things to remember:

1. Practice, practice, practice.
2. Be patient with yourself.
3. Bend your knees. And once you've bent your knees, bend them even more.

What a lovely gift your husband gave you. If you check out www.arenamaps.com, you'll be able to find other ice rinks in your area. There are a lot in Florida, surprisingly enough. (In Texas, many are in the shopping malls!)

Make sure to get those skate blades sharpened by a good pro shop. Ask around for recommendations! You may only have temporary mounting, so have the pro shop check the alignment after you've skated in them a few times. If everything's okay, they can put in the permanent mounting screws!

This is our high season and public sessions are packed. Many rinks don't offer public sessions that fit an adult or working parent's schedule.

In addition to the public sessions, there are some "unpublished sessions" you can look into once you start skating more strongly. Freestyle sessions are figure skating free-for-alls with no cones. Dance sessions are for ice dancing, and often take up the whole ice surface, but you may be interested. They're always more expensive, and you often have to buy them in advance, but they can't be beat when you're working on fancy skating.

The other "below the radar" skating is done through skating clubs. These are organizations that rent the ice from the rink and run their own programs, clinics and dance/freestyle sessions, using membership fees. It's a nice way to make friends, but it gets expensive. However, many allow GUESTS to skate. So, when the urge hits, you can get in a bit of skating for a price.

Welcome to the board!

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Isk8NYC,

Is that prehaps the problem with my boots, that they did not have permanent mounting screws? My thread is here: http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=19300

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Pavel Galchenko
pevelg@gmail.com
http://galchenkofamily.com

Hey - I'm another florida skater and yes there ARE a ton of rinks where I am...are you in south Florida by any chance? PM if you feel this info is too private

Thanks all for the welcomes and info!

Sunshinepointe, I'm in the Ft Myers/Cape Coral area. The 2 rinks near me are the Ft Myers Skatium and the Germain Arena. Germain is quite a hike for me, though, so it's the Skatium for now.

Isk8nyc, my hubby asked around before giving me the skates and found out where to get the blades sharpened locally, so we did that before I went out on Saturday. I'm itching to get out again....I'm at work right now and my mind keeps wandering to the rink (swoosh.....did you hear that?..it's the new sound my mind makes when it wanders) ;O)

Wow, big pat on the back for Hubby!
Do the skates fit? They need to be snug and have zero extra room, while also not hurting. Tie them tight in the toes, less tight through the instep, and tight in the ankles (but you may want to leave the top hook undone until they have broken in and you need the extra support).

Bending the knees is the best advice, and I see someone already mentioned it. But for many of us, "bending the knees" means leaning forward, too, and that's a bad thing. So instead of bending your knees, think of getting your butt lower to the ice, just like you're starting to sit down in a chair. Keep your chin up, and your chest over your knees over your toes.

Welcome to the ice, and have fun! Oh, and BTW, your husband will get a major payoff in the form of the great skater tush you're going to have by this time next year.

Welcome to the OBSESSION....

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If you keep your eyes on God, you can walk on water.

...also known as AOSS (adult-onset skating syndrome)

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Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org

Would you believe my hubby took a pair of my insoles from some of my more well-worn shoes to the place that he bought the shoes. He said that he took them because you could see the imprint of my foot clearly in them (ewww I thought!) It must have worked because when I went back in this weekend with my skates to get the blades sharpened, they checked my fit and it's good. They seem to fit as everyone says they should...no wiggle room in toes but a just a small bit up around the top of the boot. I'm experimenting with the way I tie them to see what works best. I haven't laced the top eyelet so far, as they are pretty stiff on their own.

Well, it looks like I'm going to make the trip to the farther rink for lessons. I went to the close one tonight and I was literally the only adult student (not even any teenagers). I just felt more than a little weird with NO other adult students. The other rink at least has 2 adult learn to skate programs. This one doesn't seem to separate the adults. Hubby thinks maybe I should try to get private lessons, but I don't know if that's the route to go just yet. What have the rest of you done? Did you start with group lessons?
I just thought that would be better to start, to just kind of blend in while getting my comfort level on the ice built up, KWIM?

Kathy

Group lessons with adults are a lot of fun, so I'd definitely do that. By being in group lessons awhile, you will learn which coaches you think you'd like to work with later on. No need to rush into the expense of private coaching just yet.

I started out in group lessons and stayed in them from Basic 1 (USFSA sequence) through Freestyle 5, and then I went into private lessons b/c I realized that I needed more individualized instruction to master certain skills. I'd also decided that I wanted to try testing and competing, and I obviously needed a coach to teach me the required moves in the field and improve my overall skating, jumping, and spinning, and of course, help me get a program to use in competitions.

I'd say that group lessons are fine for the basic skills. I know some people (adults and kids) do start out in private lessons, but I feel that in the beginning, you will learn the same skills just as easily in group lessons as you would with a private coach. Plus, group lessons are cheaper. When you start getting into freestyle, if you decide to continue in that direction, then it's a good idea to get a coach. A lot of people choose to work with a coach and take group freestyle lessons at the same time, so the coach can give them extra attention on elements and make sure they don't pick up bad habits, and work on additional moves/skills that aren't covered in group lessons. And some just work with a private coach exclusively. It depends on your preferences and how you feel you learn best.

When I started in group lessons, I was the only adult. Occasionally, there would be another adult or 2 in my classes as I moved through the levels. The instructors I had were very willing to answer my questions or give feedback, but I found that as an adult, I had to take the initiative and ask more so than the kids. Generally, I learned the skills faster than the kids (in the Basic Skills levels) so the kids would get a lot of attention b/c they were the ones struggling. It didn't really bother me, although I could see how it would bother some people, and all I had to do was ask and the instructor would answer a question or look at what I was doing, etc, and they were usually good about talking to me like an adult and not like I was an 8-year-old.

Welcome to skating Sk8mommy! I started holding on to the railings thinking I would never even land a waltz jump. After 2 years I am now learning single rotation jumps (Salchow, loop, and toe loop).

I started with Adult classes. Our rink teaches ISI and USFSA so after about 3 times in the Adult group class, I made the choice myself and decided to skate in the Beta, then Gamma/Delta levels etc...right in there with the little ones. That really did not bother me as I had my eyes set on learning jumps and spins instead of caring what other people may have thought. I am now in the Freestyle 3 level (but not for long ) and hope to pass the USFSA Pre-Bronze MIF and Freeskate in April.

I agree with Joan. Don't rush into the private coach thing until you can get familiar with some of the skating coaches and staff so that way you can make an informed decision.

Oh! and a terrible side effect to this addiction/obsession is lack of patience. Please be kind to yourself when this happens. Just remember, in time, even grass becomes milk.

Thanks so much!
You all are so helpful. I will most likely check out the lessons at the rink that offers adult learn to skate lessons and then see what happens from there. Maybe after I get some of the basics down, then I will feel more comfortable in a group of mixed ages. They have adult learn to skate on Friday mornings and on Saturdays. I'm thinking I might try to arrange my lunch hour to be 2 hours on Friday to accomodate the lessons for 8 weeks. My work is closer to that rink than my home is, so it would be less travel time if I can work out Friday classes. I'm trying to avoid lessons on Saturday, because both rinks have public skates only on weekends and I'd like to be able to spread out my practice more, if that makes any sense. I understand why hubby is saying I should look into private lessons, mostly due to my time constraints. But I think I'll talk to my boss first about the lunch hour deal.

Did the pro shop do that [heat mold the skates ] for you when you had the blades sharpened? Jackson Freestyles are supposed to be heat molded, but if they fit fine now, you don't need it.
If you take your skates to work, don't leave them in the car. The floridian summer heat can screw up the heat-molding and break down the leather very quickly. In our northern winters, cold skates are a misery - the chill seeps right down to your foot bones!

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Welcome to the most wonderful sport in the world! I was 41 when I started, and I know others who were even older than me. But be warned - it's totally addictive, and progress, for us adults, is slow. It can be very frustrating at times, when your body simply won't do what you tell it to!

You'll probably find group lessons (and, ideally, another practice session during the week, if you can) enough for now; once you have mastered the basics and decided whether you want to go out for ice dance, free skating, or a little of each (the ideal), you may decide to take private lessons. Or you can start out with them - but oddly, you may make faster progress in group lessons to start with. Coaches can be a tad over-protective of beginner adults! Once you're moving confidently, though, you may well want more individual attention.

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

a supportive spouse/partner is so important for an adult skater, esp. when you get involved in clubs, competitions, etc. Congratulations on that big hurdle!

I don't know where you are in FL, but the ladies of TBSA Countryside are a warm, inclusive group that will help you through any hurdles you have.

Congrats!

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

Wang chung!

Welcome to skating, Sk8mommy!

I took adult group lessons for 2 years before I took private lessons. I still take the group classes because I enjoy the people in my class-it's about the only time I get to skate with other adults!

I have found the private lessons more than make up for things I don't get in the group classes, everything balances out as we work on different things. It's like the group classes are the lecture and the private is the lab!

I also juggle work and skating, but only work 32 hours a week so I can flex my hours a bit more. I work 3 hours on Thursdays so I can hit the daytime session (it's barely attended).

I am a member of a skate club and bought ice time once a week. With membership and ice, it cost me about $250 from Sep-April. It's cheaper than buying drop-in time, so sometimes clubs are cheaper than going solo. Club time is also less crowded than public ice, although our drop-in freestyle times are not crowded very often.

Good luck, and don't forget to bend those knees!!! (and don't keep looking down!)

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

Maybe someone can help explain some of the ice-time arrangements for me. I know about Public Skating sessions, but then it all becomes a bit more mysterious to me.

What is the difference between Drop In and Freestyle Open Ice? What are requirements/typical costs? If you join a club, does that entitle you to purchase ice time or make available times that wouldn't be available for purchase by the general public? I'm trying to determine the best way to get practice in. Ideally, it would be before or after work during the week, and right now all I am aware of is the public skate times which are only on weekends. I looked at one rink's schedule and see "OPEN ICE", "FREESTYLE" and "DROP IN" all indicated at various times, but that's it....I'm not sure what it means.

Thanks!
Kathy

I'm not sure about the names, at my rink "drop in" means hockey. At yours it might mean something different. So again, for my rink/area I think "freestyle" would mean practice ice for figure skaters who are working on freeskating elements--jumping/spinning & programs, it *might* preclude moves & dance. "Open" means you can do freeskating, moves, or dance, whatever you want.

HOWEVER, at this point, you don't really belong on any of those! People might disagree with me, but I feel strongly about beginners being out on practice sessions with high level skaters--it's dangerous for everyone. There are exceptions to this: a quiet session with very few people, such as early morning. If there is a designated "low" session where they only allow low level skaters on the ice; or if you're out there on a lesson with a coach who can watch out for you. Or an adult only session where they are friendly to those who are just learning.

For now, you're just as well off on the less expensive public sessions where you can go along with the flow of traffic or stay in one corner to work on things (on a freestyle session you'd be blocking people's jumps if you stayed in a corner). As you improve in speed/maneuverability/ability to watch out for people & yourself, you'll be ready to be on the figure skaters' ice.

Hope I haven't offended everyone, it's a pet peeve of mine.

Speaking for myself, no offense taken here. I'd rather learn these things from those more experienced and avoid learning the "hard way" if at all possible.

Besides, I'll have more than enough "hard way" learning that I won't be able to avoid in this new adventure. ....I'm just happy to have someone to ask.
Thanks,
Kathy

All terms can and will vary from rink to rink. Here's the translation of terms from my neck of the woods:

Freestyle sessions are often divided by skill level. It'll read "Freestyle - High" or "Freestyle Juvenile and above" or something along those lines. This refers to test levels. It's to keep everyone on the ice at the same basic skill level so no one dominates. I've seen "Freestyle OPEN" used to indicate any level of freestyle.

I agree with Phoenix: If you're just starting out, you'll be in the way on a freestyle. Wait, as I said, until you've developed some more advanced skills.

When you're ready, check out the freestyle before you pay, to make sure you're not going to be run over by power skaters. I remember skipping freestyles if a certain skater and his coach were on the session; he was a Senior skater on a tiny little rink with a bunch of low-level skaters. Dominate and intimidate - must have made him feel important to bully others out of the way and terrorize the Juvies. I've skated at daytime sessions where I was the only one on the ice for an hour-and-a-half. Obviously, a beginner wouldn't be in the way on an empty rink.

"Drop In" often refers to hockey sessions, however, I have seen it used for pay as you go freestyles, instead of getting a discount for pre-paying for a specific number of sessions in advance. If you know you'll use all 10 sessions, buy it in advance. Saves you time and trouble later. (Wait - someone will tell you about losing money because of cancelled sessions. I'll leave it for now.) Our freestyles cost $13/hour if you drop in, but if you buy a ten-punch card, it nets out at $10/hour. Fees vary from rink to rink.

Most Clubs have a basic membership fee. Some bundle it with the ice fee, others let you select and pay for the sessions you want. Some have payment schedules, others ask for money up front. It really depends on the rink, so you have to chat up the other adult skaters and/or stop by during a Club session to ask the questions.

BTW, stay away from the edge at General sessions. The ice gets really choppy and dangerous.

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One other thing in addition to what the others have added here:
A skating club may have different/more ice time available that is only offered to club members. For example, our skating club here in Chicago has ice at 2 different rinks and you need to be at least an associate member to skate on it after two non-club member walk ons. A local skating club is also who runs test sessions for US Figureskating when the time comes (PreBronze/Pre-pre and up). When that time comes, you will either have to join as a indivisual member or through a skating club. The advantange beyond club ice time is that if the test session is very crowded, non-home club members often get locked out of the test session (which happens a lot around here for MIF and dance).

Welcome to the "coolest" lifestyle on earth!

What I would do, is, when you start classes, ask about sensible practice times that fit in with your schedule and where you won't get in the way. You may find that some public sessions are much quieter than others, or some teaching sessions have a lot of beginners on so you'd fit in.... ask the person who teaches your class, as they will probably know.

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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!