of course all canadians are born knowing how to skate.

but for everyone else, the most important thing to remember is this:

only put your weight on one foot at a time, and put your center of gravity directly above that foot. if you have your center of gravity between your two feet (which is what your instincts will tell you to do), you will fall down as soon as you try to move.

I've been a few times and every time had to learn it all over again. Its difficult because its so ridiculously counter-intuitive.

The thing you need to train your brain to do is not to push backwards, as that's impossible. You need to push sideways instead. I found that if you take your weight on one leg and use the other to move, skateboard style, it helps at first. Once you get the hang of that, you can start to use both legs.

Quote from evilgeek :

of course all canadians are born knowing how to skate.

As are finns.

Quote from dawesdust_12 :

(a few of those years on goalie skates, very very different edges and feel on them, not fun for any skating besides what a goaltender in hockey would do.)

Did you find that Goalie skates do absolutely nothing against pucks, just like goalie jocks? I swear they do nothin at all....

Anywho.. I think I should hit the ice this winter if I get a chance. Haven't done it in ages... although, I don't have any skates any more. I wonder if my dad's fit...

Quote :

(a few of those years on goalie skates, very very different edges and feel on them, not fun for any skating besides what a goaltender in hockey would do.)

Everyone knows goalies are the best skating guys on the team
I think first thing to do is learn "edge" feel. Like going around/turning with one foot only experimenting both edges; there are a lot of drills for that that my english cant explain .
I'm sure some of the Canadians members here can explain it.
But do yourself a favour and get into hockey.
It soo boring going at public skates doing laps after laps... bah!

Quote from MAGGOT :

Did you find that Goalie skates do absolutely nothing against pucks, just like goalie jocks? I swear they do nothin at all....

Anywho.. I think I should hit the ice this winter if I get a chance. Haven't done it in ages... although, I don't have any skates any more. I wonder if my dad's fit...

They do nothing, but the edges that they have, are better for lateral movement, rather than other skates which are better for going forward.

Also, goalies usually are the best skaters on the team, proof was when I decided to stop playing goalie mid-season, I played forward and I was one of the best skating players on the team.

Drills for finding edges is usually going around cones on one foot in a slalom, and then the other foot doing the same slalom, works the inside and outside edges on your skates, but again, the best way to learn to skate is just by skating, but skating properly and try to overcome the fear of falling, not like most of the teenage girls who go and cling onto the boards or their boyfriends (girlfriends in odd cases).

I can iceskate/skate ice (?) very well but I can't rollerblade...

I'm much better on the ice, too. My biggest problem in rollerblading is stopping and my balance when going off jumps. Although, I haven't done that in like 8 years.

Quote from Clownpaint :

Thanks for stealing my avatar!

I´ve had it for a month already. I´m thinking that you stole it from me.

Anyway getting hit with a puck frickin hurts. I used play ice hockey with friends on frozen sea and none of us had any padding. We only had skates and a stick. There was a rule that you shouldn´t lift the puck, keep it only on ice but that didn´t always work. Also there were often knocks on the shin with the stick. I used to have blue, yellow and purple spots all over my legs. It was sexy.

I fell through the ice once though.
No, I´m not a fatty.