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icepixieMy first thought on getting out on the ice in my new skates: Oh, so this is what edges feel like!
My second thought on getting out on the ice in my new skates: Oh god, where did all my skills go?!?! (Relevant video link.)
Some of them came back, albeit slowly. I thought for sure I would be faceplanting over the relatively ginormous toepicks I have now, but that didn't happen. The threat of it did make me very careful about bending my knees and keeping my weight as far back as possible, though. Slaloms were pretty nifty that way (did I mention I have edges now?), and stroking wasn't too bad. Swizzles, half-swizzles, and backwards-butt-wiggles went reasonably well, and bizarrely enough, the skates drastically improved my backwards airplane curves. Less so my forward ones, but there's a definite difference.
My two-foot turn has disappeared completely, but I think that may be because I'm terrified of tripping over it until I get used to these blades. My snowplow stop has...I think it's gotten better, actually, in that I was scared to actually go all out and do it, but even a timid little foot-poking managed to stop me almost as well as going all out in the rentals did. So that's handy.
I was not brave enough to try spinning, and definitely not brave enough for crossovers. I think those are going to have to wait for the weekend.
The boots do feel better when I'm skating in them--the knee bend really does serve to push the heel further back and give a little more toe room--and I think they'll break in nicely over the next month. I ran into my instructor in the lobby as I was leaving and he said to give it a month before doing any punching in the toebox, which I hope I can manage. We'll see.
My second thought on getting out on the ice in my new skates: Oh god, where did all my skills go?!?! (Relevant video link.)
Some of them came back, albeit slowly. I thought for sure I would be faceplanting over the relatively ginormous toepicks I have now, but that didn't happen. The threat of it did make me very careful about bending my knees and keeping my weight as far back as possible, though. Slaloms were pretty nifty that way (did I mention I have edges now?), and stroking wasn't too bad. Swizzles, half-swizzles, and backwards-butt-wiggles went reasonably well, and bizarrely enough, the skates drastically improved my backwards airplane curves. Less so my forward ones, but there's a definite difference.
My two-foot turn has disappeared completely, but I think that may be because I'm terrified of tripping over it until I get used to these blades. My snowplow stop has...I think it's gotten better, actually, in that I was scared to actually go all out and do it, but even a timid little foot-poking managed to stop me almost as well as going all out in the rentals did. So that's handy.
I was not brave enough to try spinning, and definitely not brave enough for crossovers. I think those are going to have to wait for the weekend.
The boots do feel better when I'm skating in them--the knee bend really does serve to push the heel further back and give a little more toe room--and I think they'll break in nicely over the next month. I ran into my instructor in the lobby as I was leaving and he said to give it a month before doing any punching in the toebox, which I hope I can manage. We'll see.
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Date: 2013-06-26 01:02 am (UTC)Of course I'm laughing at the hyperactive hockey dog; we're not that bad...okay, we kind of are.
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Date: 2013-06-26 01:43 am (UTC)Who knew they would feel like this?
I know a lot of it's the blade difference, but can you describe what part of you you move to start turning?
(I'm a counterclockwise spinner, so reverse all these directions if you spin clockwise.)
To start a two-foot spin (which is the only one I can do right now), I start out with my shoulders twisted a bit to my right. It helps to have a little bit of speed going into this rather than trying to do it from a standstill, although it can be done that way. Anyway, little bit of speed, probably I'm curving a bit to the left, bend my left knee, and then I do...well, technically it was taught to me as doing a half-swizzle with my right foot, but I really just kind of shove my right foot out and try to make a big sweeping arc back toward my body, using it to gain momentum. I guess that's what a half-swizzle is, but this motion feels a lot messier. Anyway, then I twist my shoulders, especially, but really my whole body counterclockwise. It helps to basically pigeon-toe my feet as soon as possible, although I did successfully do some very small spins while holding them in a V because I didn't know any better at the time. For the arms, the usual metaphor is to do the first 2-3 revolutions with them out in a big circle, as if holding a beach ball, and then bring them straight in to your chest, crossing them. Push down toward the ground when you're ready to stop. (The arms really do matter more than anything else.)
A couple weeks ago, I saw the girl guard at my rink, who skates in hockey skates, do a rather nice scratch spin, so apparently they can be done on hockey blades!
Of course I'm laughing at the hyperactive hockey dog; we're not that bad...okay, we kind of are.
Some of the little boys on public sessions at my rink are. Arrrggghhh, fast, oblivious nine-year-olds!
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Date: 2013-06-26 11:07 pm (UTC)This is very helpful: the instructor who tried to teach us spins is very nice, but she's still learning how to articulate what she's doing. I don't think I've ever pigeon-toed, and I've never made it more than 1.5 revolutions before I grind to a halt. Our rink just reopened for the summer, so I'll have to trek over soon to give it a try. Thank you!
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Date: 2013-06-27 12:38 am (UTC)I was hoping I could blame crappy rental skates for many things, like my inability to stay on a flat, but it seems I can't. I always tilt over onto an inside edge when I try a one-foot glide, especially on the right foot. I don't know if it's me not getting my weight over the correct leg or if it's a structural thing with my foot. Boo.
I don't think I've ever pigeon-toed
To be fair, I rarely make it to pigeon-toe status. It's HARD to drag the skate blades sideways! I can usually hit blades parallel, which does a good enough job.
and I've never made it more than 1.5 revolutions before I grind to a halt
I was doing that, and then started picking a point just above eye level to focus on and...well, it goes too fast to spot, but I do an approximation of spotting. Suddenly I had 3 revs! Standing up straight: such a helpful trick.