How to choose skates for skating

Choosing skates

• Figure skates are suitable for skating on the rink (and hockey and cross-country skates are not suitable).
• It is better if the skates are made of genuine leather. The tongue will fit snugly around the leg and will not stray when it is “puffed” and has a notch in the middle. Good skates have a tough leather sole that supports the foot. Skate runners are made of hardened stainless steel. A high-quality blade has a matte sheen – these skates glide smoothly and do not need to be sharpened frequently. By the way, it is better to always trust the sharpening of skates to professionals.
• Skates are bought 1-1,5 sizes larger than the shoes you usually wear so that you can put on warm socks.
• Ordering skates online is as easy to make a mistake as buying shoes from a catalog. The best option is to come to the store, taking with you a pair of socks as thick as you are going to skate in, put on your skates and walk around the hall in them. Skating is comfortable, which means that it will be convenient to skate. Check the stability of your skates before purchasing. Place them on a flat surface, leaning against each other. If the skates do not move apart, everything is fine.
• Buy covers right away, they will protect the blades as you walk from the changing room to the rink.

How to dress up for a skating rink?

• Of course, first of all, choose a kit in which you will feel real. star on ice… But, besides beauty, it is worth remembering about convenience and safety:
• It is better not to wear clothes that restrict movement: long skirts, ponchos and, especially, fluttering scarves are not suitable for the rink.
• Be sure to wear gloves or gloves to protect your palms if you fall. It is better to grab a spare pair, so as not to return from the rink wet.
• When putting on boots, do not tighten the lacing too much in the area of ​​the toes and at the top of the boot, and vice versa, tighten the section at the bend of the leg as much as possible. If you are skating with new skates, tug on your laces from time to time to help the boots fit better.

No injury needed

• Skating and not falling at all is impossible even for professional skaters. But to fall less often and hurt less, there are several secrets.
• Keep your legs slightly bent, even when you are not riding, but standing, this will save you from a very unpleasant fall back. When riding, push off with the entire blade, not with your toe.
• If you feel that you are falling, do not stretch your arms forward (although you instinctively want to do this), try to turn sideways, sliding your body on the ice and, as it were, rolling onto your side. This will help protect your knees and wrists.
• If you have already fallen, try to remove your hands as soon as possible so that someone passing by does not hurt you.
• Until you skate very well, wear protection at least on your knees and avoid skating rinks where “reckless drivers” hang out. On the other hand, some overly fast-paced amateur stuntman, frightening the peacefully rolling citizens, maneuvering between them, like Plushenko between Bilan and violinist Marton at Eurovision, you can try to stop. And offer him to help you learn to ride – why not?