Having grown up in the era of figure skating superstars like Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan and Todd Eldridge, I have been fascinated by this beautiful display of athletic prowess for nearly two decades. But, like many things in life, there comes a point where the fascination turns into a desire to do more than just sit on the couch and watch these happenings on the movie box.
At 30 years old and 50 pounds overweight, part of my brain told myself that I was absolutely insane for the thought of doing this. Even that first time I stepped onto the ice, I was still telling myself that I was about to be involved in a major medical emergency involving multiple broken bones. Three months later, I am not only injury free, but I am making substantial progress.
So how do you go about learning to skate? Like anything else, you have to do your homework. It all starts with identifying a facility in your area that even has an ice cap. Most major metropolitan areas in the United States, Canada, and Europe have ice facilities of one form or another. Some ice rinks consist of just frozen lakes, while others offer multiple ice rinks within one large building, complete with changing rooms, concession stands, skate rentals, and more. Finding a facility near you starts with a simple Google search or a trip through the phone book.
After identifying a suitable facility, you should contact the ice rink and inquire about the availability of group classes or private instruction. Most ice rinks offer public skating sessions during which you can get personalized instructions from a member of the rink’s staff. Many facilities in the United States also participate in the US Figure Skating Association or Institute of Ice Skating basic skating skills programs, which provide a structured course of instruction in a group or individual format.
Most people will start with group lessons. The advantage of joining a class is that there is an organized curriculum for the entire process of learning to ice skate, as well as being with a group of people of your own skill level. The cost of group lessons is also significantly less than private instruction. It is common for classes to meet twice a week for approximately four to six weeks. These types of classes vary in cost depending on where you are geographically, but in the United States expect to pay between $60 and $100 for such a class. In addition, you will likely also need to rent skates from the facility where you are taking lessons. However, skate rentals are generally very inexpensive, at just a few dollars per session.
If you’re looking to test the waters before jumping into a class, or simply want the undivided attention of an instructor, then private lessons are an option worth considering. Meeting with a private instructor once or twice is a great way to get started, especially to help you figure out if ice skating is something you’ll really enjoy and want to pursue as a hobby. Following private instruction with group classes can give you a head start on learning to ice skate, especially if you take a private lesson from time to time during the course of a class. Private instruction is definitely more expensive, but it pays for itself in terms of the progress you can make in your skating skills compared to a group setting. Expect to pay between $45 and $100 an hour for private instruction, and most lessons are between 30 and 45 minutes long, depending on your goals and pace.
Personally, my intention was to meet twice, and only twice, with a private instructor, and then maybe take a class, with the idea that doing so much would put me off skating. My main interest in learning to skate was to have a minimal idea of what it is like to be on the ice, since I had made the decision that the only way I could be actively involved in the sport of figure skating was to be a judge. However, after Those two private lessons got me hooked on skating itself, and now my weekly lessons are a line item in my personal budget.
Ice skating is an addictive form of recreation. Learning to ice skate will give you a great sense of satisfaction and personal achievement. Whether your interest is purely recreational in nature or you have an interest in any of the related disciplines such as hockey, ice dancing or figure skating, ice skating will bring you a feeling of pure exhilaration and will always bring you knowledge. additional. challenges if you want to explore them.
In my next article, I will offer information on how to select an instructor for private training. This relationship is so important that it deserves careful consideration. I consider myself extremely lucky that the “next available instructor” I was assigned to is such a talented trainer with a good personality. However, one should not rely on blind luck or good fortune alone when choosing an instructor, so keep an eye out for that article soon.
