Stand Tries: Ice Skating

The last time I went ice skating, I spent most of the allocated two hours either holding onto the side, or grabbing onto strangers as I desperately tried to prevent yet another inevitable and painful fall.

It was with trepidation, therefore, that I approached this most recent Stand Tries activity. However, the deal was clinched when I was told there was a trip to McDonald’s after the skate; a mayo chicken is definitely worth a few painful tumbles, I nervously told myself.

So, I met the group on Wednesday afternoon ready to reacquaint myself with the ice, meet some great people and hopefully not hurt myself too badly.

At least I met the first two of these goals…

I was very kindly provided with skates by the ice skating club, and was informed that they looked “very groovy”. Well, groovy or not, they felt very alien on my feet as I wobbled towards the rink and took my first tentative steps on the ice.

I have to admit that I was soon very jealous of the children skating around the outside supported by nifty little penguin-shaped supports. However, after being told several times that they didn’t come in adult sizes, I resigned myself to improving my skating ability to the point where I could go forwards for an extended period of time without falling over.

If only the penguins came in adult sizes…

Under the expert guide of the ice-skating club members, within half an hour I had moved from slowly shuffling around the edge, eyes firmly fixed on my feet and hands flailing wildly in the air, to gliding (still slowly) across the ice, head held high and arms no longer waving wildly through the air.

Don’t get me wrong: I was still prone to falling over, and frequently at that. However, in-between falls, I no longer looked like a complete novice and even when I did fall I usually managed to catch myself before face-planting the floor – one member of the group even told me it looked more like a dance move than an accidental tumble, as once again I fell forwards, caught myself on my hands, and sprung back up with only a minor bit of arm flailing.

By the end of the session, I was even being given an introductory guide to skating backwards – something which I didn’t quite have time to get to grips with, but something which I look forward to trying next time I get the opportunity.

With the skating finished, it was time for the customary McDonald’s trip. I was right – it was definitely worth it.

It only remains to thank the ice-skating club for their help and guidance which means I no longer have to treat ice with fear and horror. Everybody I met was fantastic, supportive and very friendly. This is an activity that I would wholly recommend to anyone; even if skating isn’t your bag, surely it’s worth it for a McFlurry?

If you’re interested in either joining the ice-skating club, or just trying skating with them for one afternoon, you can e-mail [email protected]. 

Photo courtesy of jezebel.com