ice skating

[oldmansurfer]

I learned how to ice skate during a brief stay in California. I was trying to get a job in a film editing studio but didn't. During that time though I went about 6 times to a mall in Oxnard that had an ice sakitng rink. I went during weekdays at first and the rink was almost empty except for some Olympic hopefuls practicing (I wish I knew who they were). Unlike them my experience consisted of going around the edge of the rink slowly so I could grab the rail that went around the whole thing. I think the first day I was able to do a whole circumference around the rink without falling. The second time I made it around without falling or holding the rail. The third time I was learning to do cross overs and go fast around the rink. The fourth time I could go pretty fast. Then I went at night. It was loaded with people and I felt at ease skating around the rink moving in and out around them and going fast around the turns. I loved that feeling of pumping the skates crossing over and leaning way over around the turn then as you come out it was like being shot out of a slingshot. I am skating around having a blast and suddenly a voice comes on the PA and said everyone should stop and go in the opposite direction. I was like "Stop? How do you stop?" What I used to do was run into the wall and grab the rail to stop. I never had to do anything different but this night there were people all over and I was going fast, I had to do something so I turned sideways and skidded to a stop just a foot away from the crowd in front. I was so happy I actually pulled it off. I stopped! Then I noticed the couple infront of me were covered in ice and not too happy and they said "That was so uncool." I answered "Oh No! I am so sorry. I am just learning to skate. I never stopped before." They asked "where are you from?" I answered Hawaii and then everything was ok. They said "well try to stop further away from someone so you don't spray them with ice but good job on not taking us out." I never got good at skating backwards but stopping was easy after that.

[billie_morini]

Great stories, Ol' Man. How you learned to skate contrasts with mine. I learned to skate on frozen ponds in a small, upstate New York town. I was barely 4 years old and vividly recall getting on the ice with my father and older sister. When older and living in NC, my parents took us frequently to an indoor ice rink in the mountains. My father was a fabulous figure skater and he taught me how to jump barrels, too. Later as a teenager, we were back in upstate NY. There were several skating ponds within walking and cross country snow ski distance from our home. With my teen buddies and school friends, there was a whole lot of skating going on in the winter, especially at night.

All in all, it's pretty cool you've actually had blade to ice. Not too many surfers have done that, especially in HI.

[dtc]

I went to primary school in Japan, and every Friday we spent 3 hours either swimming (summer) or ice skating (winter), or sometimes 10 pin bowling. It was all at the same place - the pool turned into an ice rink in winter, 10 pin bowling was in the period when they were freezing or de frosting the pool and it wasn't available.

So I actually became fairly good. One of my friends was from Canada and had been in the Ontario under 10 boys ice hockey team - so a really good skater and taught me some tips (even though we were only 10 or 11). Never got into figure skating but we use to whiz around the rink being complete pests - spaying people (other school kids) with ice was the least of our bad behaviour. I even played ice hockey (but non competitive).

In Australia there are a few rinks around but not many. Hardly anyone can skate. Not that I have done it much since I left Japan when I was 12.

[oldmansurfer]

That first night that I skated with a crowd there was a guy who I heard was a hockey player who was skating backward in and out of the crowd going faster than anyone else. Even though I was the only guy going close to as fast as he went backwards I was going all out and could not catch up to him. I asked some other people why that was and they said maybe his skates were better for going fast (he had hockey skates). I don't know but he was amazing skating backwards in and out of everyone else. If I skated backward I couldn't even keep up with the crowd.

It seems a little similar to roller skating however the only roller skating I had done prior to that was with skates that strapped on to shoes and was in my house until my parents kicked me out of the house because I was marking up the floor. Outside skating in the area I lived was tough because it was all gravely asphalt roads so I gave up on roller skating but got into skateboarding on the roads even with steel wheels that were on the commercial skateboards sold back then I guess because I could easily carry it to smoother road areas.

[BrianEvans]

wow good story.
I was all excited about the skating and my friends who were a lot experienced in that sport told me that it’s not that difficult but just lose your fear of falling down. They said I am going to be the joker of the evening showing my skills in falling on my face: P. We all geared up with those skating shoes and the entire skating track or whatever they call it was looking awesome. There were so many kids doing it so flawlessly that I reassured myself it is simple you will do great. I put my first step on that chilled ice floor and realized how wrong I am. The floor was hell lot sleeper than I had imagined. The fun begins. I was holding on to the fencing and trying to stand upright. All my friends were in the field telling me to let go and I was like “no guys it is freaking bad”J. So two of them came forward took my hands from the fence and started giving me a guided lesson in skating.

[saamjackGE]

oldmansurfer, What a cool story that you have shared. I really love to read such exciting experiences those prove as an inspiration to me and force me to think for those places to go for it. I will also try ice skating to have fun with my