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I'm a skating coach in my other life. If you're a new skater taking advantage of outdoor ice during lockdown, I've got some 
HOT TIPS for you. /1
HOT TIPS for you. /1
These tips apply to adults and kids.
Tip 1: unless you're a confident and experienced skater, WEAR A HELMET. I know it feels dorky. But it could save you a concussion because people fall and hit their heads *all the time*.
Tip 1: unless you're a confident and experienced skater, WEAR A HELMET. I know it feels dorky. But it could save you a concussion because people fall and hit their heads *all the time*.
Tip 2: SKATES SHOULD BE TIGHT. Not so tight your toes go numb but a fair bit tighter than regular shoes. The looser your skates are tied, the more wobbly you'll be on the ice. Want more control? Lace 'em up like your balance depends on it. Because it does.
Tip 3: If your skates are new, you'll likely need to sharpen them. Most skates come unsharpened. (Bonus tip: buy and use skate guards to protect your sharpening. Those rubber mats are dirty and gritty and will dull your skates.)
Tip 4: WALK LIKE A CARTOON PENGUIN. This is for very new skaters, especially. Take little steps and keep your toes turned out so your feet are shaped like a V. This will keep your feet from sliding out behind you because the angled blades dig into the ice and act like a brake.
Tip 5: BEND YOUR KNEES. They're you're shock absorbers. Bend them. And then bend them some more.
Tip 6: DON'T LOOK DOWN! I know it's tempting. I get tempted too. But looking down tips your weight forward and throws you off balance. Look straight ahead and try to feel what your body is doing. If your knees are bent and your feet are turned out, you're on track.
Tip 7: LEARN HOW TO FALL. This is a skill you can practice. If you feel that you're going to fall, try to FALL FORWARD. If you fall forward, you've got your hands to catch you and you'll protect your head, spine, and tailbone.
Tip 7 cont.: If you can't help falling backward, try to shift your weight to land on your side rather than directly on your bum. That will again help protect your head, spine, and tailbone.
Tip 8: LEARN HOW TO GET UP FROM THE ICE. If you fall, get up from your knees, not your bum. Get on both knees, then step one foot up, like you're taking a knee during an anthem. Put both hands on that knee to put weight on that leg, which anchors your blade in the ice. Push up.
Tip 9: You STOP BY MAKING SNOW WITH YOUR BLADES. How? I'll tell you after a short hardware interlude.
~Hardware interlude~
If you look at a skate blade, you'll see that it actually has 2 edges, not a single blade like a knife. The edge on the outside of your skate, by your baby toe, is called the outside edge (surprise) and the edge inside, by your big toe, is your inside edge.
If you look at a skate blade, you'll see that it actually has 2 edges, not a single blade like a knife. The edge on the outside of your skate, by your baby toe, is called the outside edge (surprise) and the edge inside, by your big toe, is your inside edge.
This is especially important to know when you first learn to stop because the most basic type of stop (the snowplow stop) works by pushing your INSIDE edge into the ice.
Tip 9 redux: To learn to stop, start by standing still, then bend your knees and shift weight onto one foot while pushing the other foot outward with weight on the inside (toe) edge of your blade into the ice. You'll know you're doing it right if you make a little pile of snow.
Practice with both feet and then start slowly moving and repeating the same motion. The faster you go, the harder it will be and the bigger you'll bail. The steps are to bend, squeeze your bum, and then push your feet outward, digging your inside edges into the ice.
Tip 10: If in doubt, bend your knees, turn your feet out, and look up. That will make you more secure and make skating more fun. And skating is FUN!
This thread was prompted by the legions of brand-new skaters at rinks all over Toronto, working hard and figuring things out on their own because lessons are shut down. Watching people learn to skate makes me feel like these guys. /fin
