Many people take up skateboarding as a simple means of transportation. It is portable, fairly inexpensive, and faster than walking. Skateboarding goes beyond rolling on the ground, though, as many people have witnessed. Driving down the street, it is not unlikely you will see skateboarders defying basic physics, as they slide down handrails, stairs, benches and other various locations commonly found around town. Who do these stunts generally appeal to? Adrenaline junkies. Why? Just for the thrill of it!

Addicted to the excitement, the inevitable danger, and being invariably involved, adrenaline junkies are eager to learn tricks that push boundaries. Pushing boundaries gives them the feeling of being invincible.

Because certain skateboards are better designed for certain stunts, and certain stunts are more stimulating than others to different people, it is important to experiment with different skateboard designs. This can include using a skateboard with a different number of wheels, unique type of wheel, or boards of different dynamics. Doing so is what makes the simple skater evolve into a thrill-seeker. With each unique design comes new possibilities. Injury risk is more of an encourager than a deterrent, as it fuels desire to push boundaries.

Chances are that you have noticed “no skating” signs around town, because it is often illegal to skate in and around the city. With all the skateboard parks scattered around America, it seems that skateboarders are often seeking new places to seek new thrills. The thrill of a skateboard park soon diminishes once they have mastered what it has to offer, and once that trill is diminished, they seek new thrills. Going to new areas gives them time to try out new tricks, having their imagination as their only limit.

Upgrading their skateboard is another way skateboards expend their thrill. From wood skate wheels, to the motorized skateboard, skateboarders can use various designs to reach a variety of heights, speeds, and techniques.

Skateboarders enjoy the challenge of learning new tricks to beat the champions while at the same time enjoy watching the champions perform tricks they have not yet learned themselves.

Ironically enough, risk of injury is one thing skateboarders thrive off of. Whether or not they ignore, or whether or not they want to defy the possibility of injury, fact remains that it is usually an appealing element to skateboarders. The fact is that the more likely they are to receive an injury, the harder they try, and more determined they are to perfect the trick.

Unique designs, different environments/possibilities, breaking the law, mastering new tricks, and risk of injury are all pieces which create a whole. The whole is what many people call “adrenaline junkies”, or thrill seekers.

As a coach, I am sometimes asked if it is difficult to learn how to figure skate. It’s an interesting question to me because my first thought is, “compared to what?” I mean to some it may seem difficult but it just never felt that way to me. While it was over 40 years ago, I still do still remember my first steps on the ice. I remember thinking how fun it was and how I had never experienced anything quite like it.

So, maybe a way to look at skating is like learning how to walk. When you first started out, you had an idea of the concept and you knew that is something that you wanted to do but being so young you did not know where to start. Then, our parents stepped in and would help get us started, began teaching us the basics; how to put one foot in front of the other. And before we knew it, we were walking and even eventually running.

Figure skating is much like that. There are coaches like myself that help first time students take those first steps. We help with showing students what the path looks like and focus on just the basics at first. Showing students proper steps, pushes, explaining when to bend, how to hold their bodies to get the best results. Then, when I get them through the basics, we are able to begin learning more advanced moves, steps, spins and jumps. And, if I have done my job well as a coach and taught the basics well, then each skill builds on the last and the student continually gets better and better.

I am also asked as a coach if there is a perfect age to start? My answer is probably different than most coaches in that I believe anyone can learn how to skate at any age. I started when I was 9 and only skated for a few years and then returned to the sport at age 21. So, I did the majority of my skating as an adult. I think there are some advantages to learning when you are a bit older. One is that older kids and adults are able to better understand concepts first and then are able to apply them and then move their bodies in that direction. There are a lot of important concepts and it does help to be able to understand them. But, there are younger kids that do just as well and will often learn the move first and then the concept later. So, really anyone can learn how to figure skate.

Lastly, you can learn the fundamentals a variety of ways. I teach a beginning learn to skate series with video and guides online. You can also purchase books. Some YouTube videos are good too. And, once you get going, I do recommend hiring a coach. But, the most important thing is that you get out there and start skating. You get better as you do it.

In summary, anyone can learn how to skate and it is only difficult if you’re not having fun!

Ice skating used to be thought of as a sport for younger kids, kids that were low to the ground and didn’t have far to fall! However, skating is a sport for all ages and has something to offer everyone!

As a life-long skater and coach, I skated both when I was younger and into my adult years. Skating is a great way to stay in shape and really help your body stay fit.

As an example, as we age we can develop problems with balance. Ice skating is a great way to keep your balance strong. The lower back and the abdominal muscles are both core muscles used in skating.

Skating, generally speaking, is an anaerobic sport since most programs are under 4 minutes. However, as a person just skates around the rink and goes beyond the 4 minutes and continues to move and challenge themselves, skating can increase endurance just as any other type of cardio. The bonus with skating however, is that there is no pounding on the joints.

Ice rinks are typically cold and it takes your body more energy to work up a sweat and maintain the body temperature. This also helps burn calories which is an added benefit.

Rinks also have other types of skating besides the typically freestyle skating which is what is thought of first when the phrase “ice skating” is thought of. There are approximately 12 or so disciplines within the umbrella of ice skating. Just to name a few, there are: speed, hockey, synchronised, moves-the-field skating, figures, ice dancing, theater and pairs.

Another way that skating is helpful to your body is it works out the lower half of your body. As you move around the ice, it requires you to push your feet out to the side for each stroke. This motion works your hips and glutes. And our bodies appreciate this work since so many of us spend so much time sitting in front of a computer screen!

Some may also think that skating is tough to learn but I have students of all ages. I have some adults that started when they were younger and others who just always wanted to learn how to ice skate and finally have gotten around to taking lessons!

I remember one ice skating rink I was at, I would see a man in his 80’s in full hockey gear skating around the ice. He wanted to make sure he was safe should he fall but he was out there almost every week getting his work out!

I find that every student has different goals. Just set you goals and have fun. After all, skating is about having fun rather than just the workout itself. Every time I go on the ice, I think about what I might be able to accomplish today. Granted, I’ve been skating for over 40 years now but I still love it and I still get a great workout!

You are never too old to ice skate!

I can remember the very first time I put on a pair of roller skates. I was so excited and quickly learned how to skate. However, once I could start moving with ease around the rink, I realized I had a big problem. My feet started to hurt and when I finally got off my skates I realized that I had a blister. If I would have known then what I know now, I would not have had that problem. Hopefully, a few suggestions will help you to prevent developing blisters whether you are a new skater or experienced.

• Do not wear your old socks. Even though you might love them, they can be a prime candidate for causing blisters as you are using skates. The reason for this is because they no longer can provide support where you most need it.
• If you are skating for a long period of time, take an extra pair of socks with you and change into them if you feel moisture developing in your boot. Also, you can buy foot powder or cornstarch to put in your socks to help soak up the moisture and will keep your feet dry.
• If you have a very sensitive area of your feet, it could become very susceptible to developing blisters. You can purchase Band Aid Blister Blocks, Mole Skins or Second Skin and put over the area of concern.
• Chose the right pair of socks. The socks should fit your feet and not be too tight or loose. A study was done at the University of Missouri on the composition of socks and preventing blisters. Lia Huhman from the University shares their interesting conclusions. “I would not want a sock that was overall cotton. I might look for a sock that had some of those synthetic materials that were proven to be better.” A good suggestion also is to look for a pair of socks that have different compositions of materials in different parts of the sock.
• Finally I would suggest finding socks that do not have a seam. There are some socks that have extra padding on the heel and toe areas. This can be worse if the seam sticks out. It can cause you blisters as it rubs against your foot. Try wearing double layer socks or two pairs depending on what you like best. Double layer socks can help in the prevention of developing blisters.

With all this info in hand, you are in a much better position to prevent the developing of blisters. Skating can be very enjoyable, but when a blister starts to develop on your foot, the joy quickly disappears. With this information I hope that your skating experience will be always enjoyable.

If you love ice skating gear, you may be looking for a good guide for helpful tips. If so, this guide will help you choose the right clothing, especially the best ice skating gear. Read on for more.

The Best ice skates

It’s important to decide on the activity you are going to get engaged it before you go for a pair of ice skates. Actually, each gear has its own skate requirements, and you need to know these requirements before buying your first gear.

Figure skates

Let’s first talk about figure skating. This type of skating requires the performers to do spins, jumps and sharp turns or a combination of these while playing. Due to these reasons, figure skates should be flexible and sculpted from quality leather.

Ice hockey skates

Figure skates are designed for grace and speed. But ice hockey ones are designed in a way that they can withstand an intense sport as well. Unlike figure skates, ice hockey boots don’t fit the ankles of the player properly. Rather, they are more slender and flatter. Moreover, these skates are lightweight, but offer a lot more support to the player’s feet, as the blades are round at the back.

Speed skates

For speed skating, you need to make quick movements with your feet. For this reason, speed skates come with thin and long blades. Aside from this, they are designed in a way that they are not connected to the strong heel of the boots, which prevents the blades from going deep into the ice. As a result, the player slows down due to the friction. If you are a beginner, we won’t recommend these skates to you.

The Best-Fitting Ice Skates

If you are just taking a start and you are looking for a gear to learn some basics of the sport, we suggest that you go for figure skates. They will help you learn basic moves without any difficulty.

When trying on a gear, make sure they fit you. Don’t look for a pair that is too loose or tight. If these requirements are not followed, you may end up hurting your feet or ankles. The gear should provide support to your feet while you are playing.

Clothing for ice skating

While ice skating, you have to keep yourself warm and comfortable. For this, make sure you put on thick socks and tights while outside in the cold. Aside from this, your clothing has to be close-fitting, not baggy. The clothing should be durable and should restrict the pain you will suffer during the first few days of the sport.

For accessories, you may want to go for eye or head protection in addition to a good pair of high quality insulated pair of gloves. The gloves will protect your hands in case you fall down on the ice while skating, which happens very often.

So, these are some tips for helping you buy the right pair of ice skating gear. Hopefully, you can play well wearing your favorite ice skating gear.

Lacing up ice skates is not as straight forward as one would think. When I was first learning how to skate, no one explained to me how important the fit and feel of the boot on the foot actually is. It wasn’t until I bought my first pair of ice skates in the pro-shop at the local ice arena that I got a lesson in how to put on a pair of ice skates properly. That was about six months later!

First of all, the boot of an ice skate must feel like a glove. It shouldn’t be loose or floppy in anyway. The boot after all, is an extension of your foot and being able to feel the ice is essential. So, to begin, first time skaters tend to wear thick heavy socks and this is okay for rental boots. Rental boots have little to no insulation at all so feet can get very cold in the rental boots. If a skater has ventured to buy their first pair of ice skates from the pro shop at their local rink, then it is better to wear thin socks because new skates do tend to have some insulation.

When putting on the skate, loosen all the laces so that the foot slides in easily. Then, once the foot is snuggly in the boot, tap the heel of the blade on the matt to push the heel back into the back of the boot. Adjust the tongue of the boot to fit squarely on top of the ankle. Then, put the foot with the boot flat on the floor and test the fit of the boot. Does boot pinch anywhere? Do the toes push up against the toe of the boot or do they rest flat and comfortable? Do the sides of the boot pinch at all or do the sides of your foot rest comfortably? Make sure the boot is comfortable on the foot before beginning to lace up the boot. This is important because if the boot is not comfortable in the boot unlaced, it won’t feel better when the boot is laced up.

Next, put the skate flat on the ground (or at least the heel of the boot) and begin lacing up the boot. Be sure to make the laces lie flat as you tie up the boot. Once you get close to the ankle part of the boot, lean the ankle forward so that there is bend in the ankle, see below:

Then, begin lacing up the ankle so that there is give in the boot. This is very important because you need flex in the ankle in order have movement and to facilitate various position and moves on the ice. As you get to the top of the boot there should be hooks to wrap the laces around. While the laces should be secure, do not lace it up to tight around the top of the boot. Again, the ankle will need to flex in the boot so allow for movement.

Lastly, make sure the laces are tied in a way that will not allow them to come untied. A lace dragging on the ice is a recipe for disaster and there is no worse a fall than when a lace gets under caught under the blade.

Okay, now that your boots are on and ready to go, it’s time to go have some fun!

Happy skating!

Figure skating blades are obviously a very important part of a skater’s life. They can make the difference between a good landing and a bad one. Taking care of your blades to ensure they last a long time is an important, but all too often missed step.

Ice skate blades are made from steel which can vary in carbon content. The better quality blades like Wilson Gold Seal will have a higher grade of steel than lower quality blades like a Wilson Excel. The better grade of steel will keep a sharp edge longer. There are also ice skate blades that are made of stainless steel. They can keep a sharp edge double or triple the amount of time as a regular carbon content blade.

Rust, dirt and debris can ruin even the best quality blade. That is why it is so important to make sure to maintenance your ice skates every time you use them. Wearing plastic hard guards on your skate blades to walk around when you are off the ice will protect them from dirt and debris than can cause nicks and scratches. Make sure you wipe off your skates with a dry cloth when you are finished skating. This will take the excess moisture away and prevent the steel from rusting. Store your ice skates with soft guards or soakers. They will absorb all the condensation that forms as your skates adjust from a cold to a warm climate. If you live in a very humid climate it’s not a bad idea to put a small amount of petroleum jelly along the edge of your figure skate blade to keep out the moisture.

Gliding across the ice, with the cool wind whipping across a skater’s face is an exhilarating feeling. One push propels a skater down the glistening, snowy surface. Worrying about a head injury is far from a beginner skater’s mind, as many participants are not aware of the possibility of head injury from ice skating. The goals of this article are: (1) To raise awareness about potential head injury from ice skating and (2) To promote the use of helmets in beginner Learn to Skate classes and public sessions.

Common responses from skating professionals are: “It doesn’t happen that often” or “I’ve never seen it happen at my rink.” However, statistics show that ice skating has one of the highest rates of emergency room visits for traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Facts

· Centers for Disease Control (2011) analyzed more than 173,000 emergency room visits for concussions and other traumatic brain injuries in sports and recreation in children under age 19 years.

· More than thirty categories of sports and recreation head injuries were examined. Most sports demonstrated 2-7% annual emergency room visits.

· Ice skating reported one of the highest instances of emergency room visits for TBI.

· TBI from Ice Skating are at 11.4% with more than 1,600 cases annually.

Instituting helmet policies in sports proves to be a divisive and controversial issue. Insurance companies strongly urge skating facilities to post a warning potential of risks at the entrance of the buildings. Further, they recommend facilities do not offer helmets for rent, as proper fitting, equipment inspection, and disinfection lies in the hands of the helmet owner, not necessarily the end user. However, people visiting ice skating rinks are not well-informed about the potential risks of the activity before arrival. Once they arrive at the rink, customers are generally unwilling to go home to get a helmet, or go to a store to purchase a helmet. If provided with background knowledge, ahead of their visit, guests will have the opportunity to bring safety equipment from home. The choice would lie in the consumer’s hands. Accident data supports the need to make this change. The first step is educating recreational participants through a public awareness campaign.

Purpose and Standards of Helmets

Helmets protect the head by reducing the rate at which the skull and the brain are accelerated and decelerated during an impact, effectively acting as a shock absorber between the force of the impact and the brain. By spreading concentrated forces of impact over the protective foam, and thus spreading the force over the wearer’s scalp and skull, a good helmet provides the brain extra time and space needed to reduce injury. Instead of the impact concentrating on one point, it is spread across the wearer’s head.

Most helmets are made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam with a hard plastic shell. The shell is designed to slide on rough surfaces and hold the foam together after initial impact. Upon impact, the polystyrene liner of the helmet crushes thereby dissipating energy over a wider area. Similar to a shipping carton, the outer box may dent, but the EPS foam “packing peanuts” protect the contents of the box from breaking. Once the foam in a helmet is crushed, it does not recover, therefore a new helmet should be purchased.

The sponge pads inside a helmet are for comfort and fit, not for impact protection. When purchasing a helmet, the person who will be wearing it should be present when making the purchase to insure the helmet fits properly. Helmets have different levels of protection and are rated for levels of impacts and forces. The helmet ratings are determined by its ability to absorb and dissipate the energy of an impact – regardless of the person’s speed. Cycling, skiing, ice hockey, and football have made changes in safety guidelines based on the trends and statistics of head injuries in their sports.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission offers guidelines for the type of helmet to wear for different activities. Although a helmet standard does not exist specifically for ice skating, until such standards are written, wearing one of the listed types of helmets may be preferable to wearing no helmet at all. For ice skating, the recommended helmets are: ASTM F1447; Snell B-90A, B-95, N-94.

Positive Effect of Sports Involvement

An ice skating rink is a place for children and adults to visit on a regular basis, during their leisure time, to engage in positive, fun exercise. This may not mean becoming an expert skater, but becoming competent on the ice that he/she can have a positive social experience and “Be Ice Safe.” In order for this to happen, the participants should learn to skate safely and with the proper technique. Once the skill is learned, he/she will continue to return to the facility with their friends. Having a positive place to go during leisure time provides people with a fun, progressive outlet to relieve stress.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Data supports the need to promote ice safety, similar to pool safety and bicycle safety campaigns. Here are the steps:

· Formally adopt a helmet standard for ice skating in conjunction with the Consumer Products Safety Commission, ASTM, and Snell;

· Develop campaign partners in corporations, non-profit organizations, and the State/Local governments;

· Educate ice-rink industry professionals including coaches and rink management

· Include helmet language guidelines in codes of conduct and liability waivers;

· Enlist the assistance of celebrity ice skaters to bring awareness to the effort;

· Engage in a media campaign including television, radio, print & social media public service announcements;

· Offer helmet informational fliers and marketing tables at Learn to Skate and public sessions at local ice rinks

Support from professional coaches and rink staff are key to the success of the campaign, as they can spread the Be Ice Safe message around their ice rinks. Reducing the incidents of head injury will improve the overall safety of the sport. As safety improves, more people will participate in the sport of ice skating.

Carlsbad, CA is known for great skating and is the home of the original skate park. Skating is such a part of the city that there’s even a group, The Carlsbad Village Association, trying to get a skate park, museum and art center built to honor its amazing skateboarding history. So when I heard there was a great spot hidden in Carlsbad, I wasn’t surprised and was excited to see it!

Not every skater is happy keeping to skate parks; many prefer the adventure of more rugged, organic spots and like to test their skills on different obstacles. So when Patrick, a local skater, volunteered to show me one of his favorite out-of-the way places to ride, I couldn’t resist! From the second I met him, I could tell he treasured this spot; a peaceful drainage ditch across the street from Batiquitos Lagoon. We parked on the corner of La Costa Ave and Saxony and walked east for about 3 minutes, until we came upon the access road gate. We went around that gate, trudging through waist-high weeds and plants, then continued to a chain link fence with a “La Costa Basin” sign on it. We gained access to the spot via an opening in the fence, about 50 ft to the right of that gate. From there, we just had to go about 400 feet back, towards the road. Even though it was a bit of a hike, it was pretty easy to find.

As we approached the run, I was instantly struck by the graffiti. I expected plenty, but was surprise and impressed by the quality and originality of most of the art work! The ditch looked like it needs a good sweep to get it ready for the summer, but it’s really asking to be shredded. It is about 16 feet wide with 3’6″ high walls, has soft enough transitions to ride quickly, and varying degrees of down hill slope for a challenging ride.

At about 100 feet long, it boasts plenty of trick opportunities per pass. With a good top edge, the ditch is perfect for tail and nose slides, and a few killer obstacles, like a grind-able drain hole, give the opportunity to add tricks, originality and technical difficulty to a session. The several small drainage inlets scattered throughout could catch a wheel, so beware! Those openings, as well as the big drain hole (that’s been used for grinding a little too much), and a sunken center area (which screams to be cleaned out and used for some sliding action), will keep even the best skater on his game! The run flattens out near the end, allowing time for a skater to stop before getting to the swampy part.

If you decide to make the trek, this spot is definitely worth a look! Sure, it needs a little work to be totally ride-able, but if anyone wants to rip it up, don’t hesitate to ask for help getting it ready; I’m always game! It’d be great to see this spot used to its full potential! Slide show of the spot

Ice Skating is as much about the moves, turns and pirouettes as it is about the costumes. Gorgeous, custom-made dresses in various styles that are tailored to fit the skaters to provide maximum comfort and define body shape add color and sparkle to the sport. Accessories include hair scrunchies and belts in matching colors or in contrasting blends to add originality and a touch of the elaborate. While regular figure skating costumes for women are much shorter in length and skintight to allow leeway for jumps, loops and twirls, the costumes that are designed for women in ice skating have more layers and flounces. Men’s costumes are generally formal and most costumes are tuxes or almost tux-like.

Ice dancers claim they have more fun wearing the elaborate and showy costumes as there is far more room for style and variety; in most ice dance competitions there is one or more costume change depending on the tone and norm of the competition. Often they are custom-made to suit individual dancer’s body shape but there are plenty of options available to pick and choose from readymade ice dancing costumes.

Custom-made costumes require accurate body measurements of the dancers such as torso, sleeve length, biceps, waist, bust, hips, skirt length etc. These form the first layer of the costume; additional layers can be added if it is an elaborate ensemble.

Among the many costume types that won attention at world championships are the elegant and striking ones that are toned and muted. However, contestants have been known to go for the bizarre, often choosing themes ranging from superheroes costumes to ‘stroll in the park’ simplicity. Medieval royalty, circus theme, cartoon and fictional characters are some of the other popular costume themes that have been used in the past.

Ice skating and figure skating costumes also need the touch of creativity and aesthetic appeal despite the eccentricity that most costumes may slant to. Former Olympic figure skating medalist Frances Defoe earned a substantial name and reputation after her skating days were over by turning to creating figure skating costumes. Her creations ranged from outrageous flame-colored outfits to soft, feminine chiffons in pink and grey. In spite of being a traditionalist at heart, she chose to follow her dreams and aspirations by becoming a figure skater and then indulging her creative passions.

Sadly, Defoe passed away in Toronto recently. So also Jef Billings another renowned long-term figure skating costume designer whose reputation and greatness is evident by the multiple Emmy Awards that he won. The curtains are down on two of the most talented and famous skating costume designers.