How To Build Your Own Ice Skating Rink For Beginners - Ice Skating Tips
Do you know how to Ice Skate?
How to Build an Ice Skating Rink
Now that the cold season is here, you may have in mind to build an ice skating rink for people in your community to enjoy this exciting winter sport. It is true that there are many indoor rinks, but if you live in a region that is prone to heavy winters and cold temperatures, very close to freezing, it is the moreover indicated to start building the ice skating rink out there in the open.
It is however important to know beforehand whether this rink will host as well hockey players because in this case you will have to build the rink having this situation in mind. You will need to use those high glass walls to protect viewers from being hit by an escaping puck. After you decide the purpose of the rink, you should start considering as well other aspects:
* How large you want the space to since you wouldn't want to have skaters bumping into each other because they do not have to much room on the ice. Try to estimate the maximum number of skaters and then get started with sizing the area after you have found the suitable location. Most of the times the location is outside of the traffic area, out there in the open space of nature. In this way you will have better times into allowing the rink surface to get completely frozen without having any kid interfering until the rink is ready.
* When you do the sizing and plan to put stakes to support the frame, you need to place these ones before the ground gets frozen. Purchase the white plastic sheeting that will hold the water within the frames. Fill the space with water and then allow it to become solid frozen and there you have it: a new ice skating rink for your community!
General Tips to Help You with Ice Skating
Many people are terrified by the idea of learning ice skating simply because this can happen as a result of a person standing without problems in a pair of boots that connect to the ice through a pair of thin sharp blades. How I am supposed to keep my balance with my entire body supported by these blades on a surface that is all slippery, one may ask?! Well, if you learn how to ice skating in the right way, then it shouldn't; be any problem for you. Check out with the following tips that will help you do this without freaking out:
* Once you have put on the skating boots and are already on the ice try to maintain your body more relaxed where the knees are bent and the legs are wide open at a distance that equals the distance between your shoulders. This is the position that is the usual ones in all sorts of exercises and training techniques. In this way you make sure that the balance of your body is divided equally allowing your body to stand on steadily improving also any type of body reaction.
* Ice skating involves also the accuracy of blades sharpness. These blades are sharpened in such a manner that they create two edges. Through these ones you can gain control over your moves and the speed you can get while ice skating.
* It may happen for you to fall but learning how to ice skate can not be possible any other way. You will make mistakes, there is no doubt about it, but from these mistakes we usually learn, so don't give up. You will fall once, twice, but always stand up and do this again until you are the master in control of your ice skating skills.
Trying on Different Types of Costumes
When it comes to ice skating there isn't too much difference from one pair of boots to another. They may differ however in the round toe design that is in use, but generally they are similar because it is not important the design of the boots as it is important the way blades are taken care of. In the figure ice skating, blades play a great part but the same can be said when you skate out there on the rink just for fun. Now there is one aspect that you may want to consider: the costume you wear while ice skating.
You must have seen that most of the times, the professional skaters will make use of fit costumes that stretch comfortably on their body allowing them to move freely while they perform the exercise. The same should be when you are out there on the skating rink: you need to wear something that doesn't interfere with your ice skating activity.
When there are competitions to look ahead, skaters will test several variations of costumes, many of them being suitable not only for their comfort, but also for the show they perform. Since ice skating competitions are displayed with a real performance of the skaters, there is always the need to coordinate the exercise style with the costume design.
In this respect the costumes can vary but usually the main outfit is based on tight fitting jacket with fur trimming at cuffs and collar. The legs are also dressed in tights that are designed wider from knees area to the edge. This is because skaters will want to have some sort of legerity at the boot side while improving their ice skating esthetic appearance during the competitions.
The Benefits
Ice skating is a beneficial way of practicing your skills not only for the earlier days of your existence but also for those days when you have grown old and want to take your kids out there for an ice skating session. At this point, it makes no sense to give up the idea of joining your kids out there on the skate rink because together you can do it while enjoying the following benefits of this sport:
* Speaking of sports, ice skating is a great way to keep your body in a great shape. It doesn't work only the leg muscles, but also the upper part of your body when you move on the ice doing all those pirouettes and racing with your kids.
* Another benefit that is closely connected to the previous one is that ice skating can improve your state of health. Sporting techniques related to each sport type are usually efficient in helping your body to function at its fullest capacity. As a result, your endorphins are released in your blood stream making you feel happier with any exercising practice including ice skating.
* Last benefit which is not the least, that's for sure!, is that you can spend a quality time while joining your kids on the skate rink. Ice skating is a sporting activity that suits well for all age ranges, so never say 'no' when your kids have the idea to go ice skating one Sunday afternoon. Relaxing together with your family and also exercising are two things that people should do more often in the today's world where many live on the concept that time is money. Time is money, because we made it this way, so never base your life on this concept because you only live this life once and you need to enjoy every minute of it!
How to Take Care of Your Blades when Involved in this Sport
In order to have at all times a great ice skating experience, whether you do it for fun or for professional figure skating, it is important to take good care of your skate blades. They are the most important part of your ice skating activity. Professional skaters have learned it for long time how to maintain the good state of their blades, but do you know how to do it? This article will show you what you need to do while learning also more about the blades and the material they are made of.
Ice skating blades are usually made of steel which can also vary in the content of carbon. The best quality of blades indicates a high grade of steel while the lower grade of steel will indicate a poor quality of your blades. Knowing that steel is prone to rusting it is therefore important to learn how to keep your blades away from losing their sharpness and steel quality. Check out with the following maintenance tips:
* Always use plastic guards over the blades when you need to step on the ground before reaching the ice skating rink. This will protect them from catching debris or dirt that later will attack the steel.
* Once you have finished your ice skating routine, make sure to wipe off the blades using a dry cloth taking away as such the excess moisture that leads later to rusting.
* As to the way of storing your ice skates, again you should do that by using soft guards or soakers that can absorb the condensation formed in the meanwhile from the difference of temperature (bringing in the skates from cold to warm climate).