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If everyone else is younger than 30 I will feel awful but I will check it out.
Really newbie question
- Thread starter PRlady
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just tuned in
Well-Known Member
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Other adults are waiting for you to make the first move!
made_in_canada
ISFJ
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I would be very surprised if that’s the case. Anytime I’ve taught adult learn to skate, there may be a couple of younger adults, usually with young kids they want to skate with, but it’s mostly older adults. That’s who has time and money to do it, IME.
bladesofgorey
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That's been my experience too- a lot of newly retired people. If not hang in there and you'll probably have more same-age company in subsequent sessions.
overedge
Mayor of Carrot City
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^^So true.
Plus, LTS instructors love to teach adults of any age. Adults are there because they want to be there (not because their mommy has Olympic dreams and is forcing them to be there), they listen to what the coach says, they ask good questions, and they practice what they learn.
livetoskate
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Have a great time! It could be the start of a lifelong hobby. Years ago when I lived in the area, I had lessons also at Fairfax Ice Arena with Irina Chilova. Not sure if she's still there but I remember Nick Perna coaching a lot of the competitive kids there. Hope you keep us updated on your progress!
sk8pics
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Yep. I know a lot of coaches who liked teaching adults. Because the adults showed up, they practiced, they listened (mostly, anyway, LOL) and they paid their bills.
Oleg Ovsiannikov taught some adults when he was in Delaware and I know at least one of them really loved taking from him. He was very kind to me as well, and very supportive.
Traviscwright
New Member
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I’m glad that you have decided to pursue skating in your retirement years. I think you should invest your money in a pair of edea skates . They are the top of the line ice skates in the world. They make you feel comfortable and confident, and help you learn faster. They are not that expensive. If you really want to excel at ice skating, invest some money and buy yourself a pair.
gkelly
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You should buy whichever brand fits your foot shape best. Get fitted by a pro, and get a boot strength that will take you through the skill level you expect to achieve in the first few years, but not beyond.
Fairfax has a decent pro shop that carries several brands of skates:
www.fairfaxicearena.com
Fairfax has a decent pro shop that carries several brands of skates:
Fairfax Ice Arena Pro Shop
Our Pro Shop has one of the largest selections of skating equipment in the area. If you’re a hockey player, figure or in-line skater, our staff is trained to help you with all your skating needs. We stock most popular brands and service every item we sell.
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Thanks! So I should make an appt to be fitted?You should buy whichever brand fits your foot shape best. Get fitted by a pro, and get a boot strength that will take you through the skill level you expect to achieve in the first few years, but not beyond.
Fairfax has a decent pro shop that carries several brands of skates:
Fairfax Ice Arena Pro Shop
Our Pro Shop has one of the largest selections of skating equipment in the area. If you’re a hockey player, figure or in-line skater, our staff is trained to help you with all your skating needs. We stock most popular brands and service every item we sell.
gkelly
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Looks like that would be wise.
GarrAargHrumph
I can kill you with my brain
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Absolutely yes.
Moto Guzzi
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I started skating as an adult and took group lessons at Fairfax Ice Arena from pre alpha through FS 3. Nearly every class I was in, particularly the beginning ones, had mostly adults.
Definitely see Jimmy for skate fitting and sharpenings. He is really good.
I skated at Fairfax for years but now live halfway across the country. I miss going there.
Bunny Hop
Queen of the Workaround
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That's basically what I do nowadays. Edges, some low level dances, and (with a lot of help from my coaches) learning some of the more difficult turns. My pace is now slightly faster than glacial - I consider this an achievement.
Forget how old everyone else is, and don't compare yourself or your progress to anyone else. You are there to enjoy yourself and learn something new. What everyone else is doing is irrelevent.
ilovesalchows
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Hopping on board to say I just bought a session on Adult lessons. I took them about 20 years ago so I wasn't really sure where to start. I used to be able to do most of the half jumps and some tentative spins. I chose Adult 2 to start since it has been so long. Mostly just looking to do something different for exercise and I remember what a kick I got out of it before.
My only reservation is it is a mall rink so there may be gawkers. Also, the mall in Portland is pretty sketchy these days. We keep thinking it will be put out of its misery but it continues to live on.
My only reservation is it is a mall rink so there may be gawkers. Also, the mall in Portland is pretty sketchy these days. We keep thinking it will be put out of its misery but it continues to live on.
overedge
Mayor of Carrot City
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Tonya Harding trained on that rink! And for a while in 1993/94 that mall was full of tabloid reporters tracking her every move and word. The rink should be preserved as a historical monument just for that reason alone
ETA: And for this: http://retronewser.com/2018/05/25/b...oregon-50-years-ago-onthisday-otd-may-25-1968
GarrAargHrumph
I can kill you with my brain
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Look at him do forward crossovers!
MacMadame
Doing all the things
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If that's the Clackamaus rink, I skated there once. And the ice was pretty bad. I can't believe Tonya Harding learned a triple axel there!
ilovesalchows
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No that's gone now. It's Lloyd Center. I didn't move to Portland until 2001, but she did skate an exhibition there at some point when I was taking lessons, maybe 2002? I was struck by how tiny she was in real life. I dunno, everyone in Portland has a Tonya story. We don't have a lot of celebrities around here.
MacMadame
Doing all the things
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Plus she is a person who generates stories.
They’re all in the suburbs.And nearest one is the Caps’ practice facility which would be a little focused on other things?
But yes I will buy skates when I learn how to do that.
ETA: it makes sense to pick a Virginia rink to combine trips with granddaughter drop-ins. So probably Arlington (Caps) or Reston.
ETA2: @overedge you’re so Canadian.UDel is more than 2 hours away.
Both Ballston and Fairfax rinks have adult classes (at Fairfax they’re the “14+” ones), but when I called the lessons office at the rink, they said that they frequently don’t get enough students signed up to actually run these classes (they have a five student minimum). Ballston, in contrast, usually fills up their classes completely.
Both the LTS classes offered at Ballston and the ISI ones at Fairfax are comparable and appropriate for beginning skaters looking to do hockey and figure skating. After the first few levels, Ballston also has a separate adult beginning hockey track which focuses more on hockey style moves.
The cost of lessons at both rinks also includes a set of vouchers to use at public skating sessions so that you can practice between weekly classes. I would recommend looking at the public skating schedule to see if one is more convenient than the other. Although you can go to a public skate on the same day as your lesson, I’d definitely recommend trying to go on a different day, which would mean going to the rink two days a week. Fairfax usually runs all of their listed public skating sessions, but Ballston can be a little more erratic, and the public skating offerings can differ week to week. There are quite a few adult skaters of varying levels who come to the evening (8:30-9:45) Fairfax public skate sessions, and they’re not usually overly crowded.
If you complete at least LTS Adult 4 (or equivalent) Ballston also offers a drop-in adult group class on Sunday afternoons though their Sky High Skating Academy. Registration and payment is through a separate website, not the one you register for public skate sessions. The site says Bronze/Silver/Gold/Adult, but adults who are at the pre-bronze (“pewter”) level are also welcome. These are more expensive that the rinks’ LTS or ISI classes and don’t come with public skate vouchers, but the instructor ration can be 5:1 or even 1:1 depending on who shows up (vs 10 students per LTS class), and you sign up / pay separately for each class, so there’s no 7-week commitment.
