Ice Skating is one of the most fun winter sports that is accessible to nearly everyone.
Want to know why ice skating is fun? Read on for all the reasons for skating to become your new favorite winter sport!
Ice skating is a great way to stay active in the winter. It’s also a lot of fun! Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced skater, there’s something for everyone to enjoy ice skating.
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Why Is Ice Skating Fun?
Ask any skater why they love ice skating and they will come up with all kinds of reasons why this is their favorite sport. Let’s look at some of the top reasons why ice skating is fun for everyone:
A Feeling Like No Other
Ice skating is fun in many ways. Many people say that they feel like they are flying as they glide over the ice. It can be exhilarating in that you can move very fast once you learn how to stroke properly.
If you have ever wanted to know what it feels like to fly, skating on smooth ice is a great way to feel that kind of freedom.
Skating is relaxing
Once you get past the wobbly, beginning stages of skating, it can be a very relaxing way to exercise. You can cruise around the rink at your own pace and lose yourself in your thoughts.
As skating for the most part is not a team sport, you can use skating to clear your head.
You feel accomplished
It’s fun to learn new footwork, jumps, and spins. When you manage to land a new skill on the ice, it feels so good.
There’s always something new to learn
You are never done with skating. There is always a new jump, a new spin, a new routine to learn. This keeps it fun and exciting.
It’s a great spectator sport
If you enjoy skating yourself, then you will also love ice skating as a spectator sport. From the breath-taking pairs competitions to beautiful performances at Stars on Ice, even non-skaters fin ice skating fun to watch.
Many people are only familiar with figure skating during the Olympics but there are many more disciplines to watch such as speed skating, ice hockey and synchronized skating.
Skating feels great
Not only is skating one of the most beautiful sports to watch in the world but it feels great to skate too.
The feeling of the cool air around your face, the sound of your blades scratching the fresh ice and the feeling of weightlessness when you jump and spin are like no other.
It’s a fun way to get fit
Figure skating helps you to get fit in many different ways. With skating you work on balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, artistic expression and athleticism.
Unlike running, you might not even get out of breath when skating around the rink but you will burn more calories than walking.
The Different Types Of Ice Skating
There are lots of different disciplines in skating but we will look at the most popular kinds here.
Figure Skating
For most people, when they think of ice skating, they think of figure skating.
Figure skating is an artistic sport that is performed on ice. It is one of the three Olympic disciplines in ice skating, along with speed skating and ice hockey. It debuted in the Olympics in 1908.
Figure skaters perform intricate steps to music and their routines can include jumps, spins, lifts and throws. It is called figure skating because it originally involved “drawing” figure on the ice with your skates.
Skaters perform various dances, known as programs, to music. The goal of figure skating is to perform these dances in a manner that looks graceful and beautiful.
This type of ice skating can be done by solo skaters, pairs and even in teams (synchronized skating).
To get started as a figure skater, you will need basic skating skills. You can practice at a ice skating rink, either indoors or outdoors. Most rinks will rent you skates.
Once you are ready to begin figure skating, you can sign up for lessons. Expect to pay around $30-50 an hour for lessons.
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Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is a sport that is played on ice. It is very fast-paced and involves players using their sticks to hit a round, hard puck into the opposing team’s net.
It is considered to be one of the most physically demanding sports, and can require players to use their body at full capacity for prolonged periods of time. Ice hockey is a fast-paced and physical sport that requires players to use their agility, strength, and stamina in order to navigate around the ice and score goals.
Hockey is most popular in countries with cold climates such as Russia, Canada, the USA and Scandinavia. In those countries professional hockey players are huge stars.
If you want to learn to play hockey, you should get some basic skills first and then look for a recreational league near you.
One thing to know about playing hockey is that you need a lot of equipment. This is to keep you safe from flying pucks on the ice. The image of a toothless hockey player is no joke!
In addition to special hockey skates, you’ll need gloves, a helmet, hockey shorts, shin pads, a mouth guard, a neck guard and more.
There are a lot of reasons why hockey is a great sport. First, it is very fast-paced and exciting to watch. Second, it is a very physical sport, which makes for an exciting and competitive game.
Third, it is a team sport, which means that players must work together in order to be successful. Finally, hockey is a very challenging sport, which makes it fun to play and watch.
Speed Skating
If you love speed and racing then speed skating is for you. It is a very popular Olympic winter sport and is the on-ice equivalent to track with races taken place for all different distances.
One thing to know about speed skating is that the skates are completely different from figure skates or hockey skates. Speed skate blades are extremely long and the boots are much shorter than regular skates.
Speed skaters normally wear spandex bodysuits to make them as aerodynamic as possible.
Is Ice Skating Fun? – FAQS
Is ice skating for everyone?
Can anyone learn to ice skate or do you need to start skating as a child? Can you learn to ice skate on your own?
Those are the questions lots of people wonder.
The truth is that anyone who can walk and run with ease can learn to skate. It is typically an easier process for children because they are not afraid of the inevitable falls that come with learning to skate.
How do I learn to ice skate?
If you are curious about the joys of ice skating, we can help you find out more. If you’re a beginner, to get the most out of your ice skating experience, you probably want to take some lessons before you try skating alone.
Lessons will give you a good base and help you to start off with technique that will avoid any injuries. If you can’t find lessons online, YouTube actually has some good beginner lessons that you can try yourself at a public skating session.
How long does it take to learn how to ice skate?
You can easily be up and going around the rink in an hour or so of practice but it will likely take 6 weeks or more of weekly lessons before you feel confident on the ice. As with any sport, practice makes perfect when it comes to ice skating.
What Does Ice Skating Feel Like?
Ice skating feels like you’re flying on your feet. The feeling of gliding fast on smooth ice is a feeling like no other. The cold air around your face as it whips by you is magical.
Gliding on the ice can feel effortless even though you are exercising hard.
As former Canadian champion Toller Cranston said; “It’s “movement without movement””.
