Ice Skating!

[Comet1993]

Does anyone else love ice skating?? I've wanted to take lessons for the longest time, and I finally got to enroll in them! It's sooo great! :D I'm currently a pre-alpha, soon to be an alpha (Yay!), and I bought my first pair of ice skates yesterday. I perfected my forward swizzle, forward wiggle, backward swizzle, backward wiggle, and my one-foot glide on both my left and right foot! I skated for over three hours yesterday until ten at night. I adore it! =]

[dramaqueen]

I only tried it once and just about killed myself. lol I was told that if you can roller skate then you can ice skate. Not true! lol

[Comet1993]

Lol! I've heard that some figure skaters can practice off of the ice with special in-line skates, but I've never tried it, personally.

[Hallyx]

I haven't skated since I was a kid, but I didn't embarrass myself back then.

Knew a couple of Olympic skaters before the crash in '63 (was it?) Still know a current Olympic coach.

I watch as much skating on TV as I can, and I'm really frustrated with the decreasing coverage the last few years.

It's cheap and fun when you first start off, but if you get good, it can get a wee pricey.

Lovely stuff, though , ain't it?

[Littlebittyfish]

I can't even roller skate. haha

[Comet1993]

It is; it's incredible. It just makes me feel so free, almost like flying; although it sounds cliche, it's so true. I really love it. It is the only thing - my fish aside - that truly makes me happy. It's already pretty expensive. :/ Over $100 for lessons, gas money (I live about an hour away from the place where I take my lessons at...), and my skates were about $125.. Although, I think that's a pretty good price for beginner figure skates. With leather! :D
Hallyx, do you know how I could clean my skates? I've only used them once... And they have these scuff mark things. -_- They're white, of course, because they're female skates, and I'm afraid to try anything to clean them, for fear that it will damage my skate's "upholstery". =/ Which Olympic skaters did you know? =] I loveee to watch figure skating. It's such a beautiful sport!

[dramaqueen]

If I put on a pair of skates now I'd end up on my hind end. lol

[Tropical]

Good 4 u, Comet1993!
I am too afraid I'd fall and hurt myself.

[Hallyx]

For cleaning just use saddle soap. NEVER use oil! It soaks in and breaks down the leather. Only time breaks in a pair of skates. It's OK to walk in them (with guards on). Even the pros have scuffed skates. That's why the modern trend for the ladies is tights that cover the skates. Well, it also lengthens the line.

I went to high school with Gary Visconte. I forget who he's coaching this year, usually a good second tier skater. He missed going to Worlds in 1961.

I met Peggy Fleming and Brian Boitano, who I'm a great fan of. A highlight of my life was a 5 min conversation with Dick Button.

I know you're going to ask, so...

Ilya Kulic
Sasha Cohen
Jamie Sale and David Peltier
Torvil and Dean

Pairs is my favorite discipline to watch.

How about you?

[Comet1993]

Wow. o.o You are sooo lucky! Thanks. =] Do you know where I could get any saddle soap? I loveee watching pairs!! I'm hoping to try it when I get more advanced. My favorites are Sacha Cohen and Michelle Kwan (Even though I'm pretty sure she's retired now.. =[ Haven't had cable in a while...). They both have such dark, expressive eyes, and you can tell how passionate they are about skating just from watching them. There is also this male skater who I'm fascinated with Alexei Yagudin. He is sooo good. It's incredible. o.o