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Ice skating as preperation for the ski season

CalG

Out on the slopes
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Feb 5, 2017
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I enjoy skating, and if the mountain did not call with such weight of gravity, I would ice skate three or more times a week through the winter season.

I find the ice skating tunes up those little muscles in the lower legs and ankles like nothing else (well maybe some gym exercises come in) but even playing soccer doesn't fire all those little "balance" neurons like ice skating does. Those blades are narrow!

The big muscles up top benefit as well. push push push.

And then there is the dynamic balance component. Ice skating is not yoga postures! ;-)

Any way... get out there!
 
Thread Starter
TS
CalG

CalG

Out on the slopes
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Vt
When I leave the rink, It's like I need to relearn how to walk.

It comes back quickly however ;-)
 

luliski

Making fresh tracks
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I started to love ice skating when my family moved form Switzerland to a Chicago suburb when I was eleven. There weren't mountains to ski on, but our village had a lake that froze in the winter, and the Illinois State Outdoor Speed Skating Championships were held there every winter. I learned on hockey skates and then learned speed skating. It was so much fun!

I usually ice skate when I visit my daughter at RIT, unfortunately the only rental skates that fit me there have toe picks. Those are tough when that's not what you're used to.
 

Primoz

Skiing the powder
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Slovenia, Europe
I play hockey twice a week..what more can I do!
Me too, but honestly, except for great fun, I don't think it does much to overall fitness ;) Thing is you need a bit different fitness for skiing, then you get with playing ice hockey or football (sorry soccer for you guys :D). All these sort of sports are so specific you need some other activity to really build your strength and fitness in general. But when it's up to doing nothing or playing ice hockey, then anything you do to be active is better then nothing. :)
 

Seldomski

All words are made up
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I think there is some skill translation between the skating (ice or rollerblading) and skiing. It can help with developing balance. I think it is better than not doing it in the off season (will test this theory this year!). But for just getting in shape, there are more efficient ways to spend that time in the gym. I mix in rollerblading when I can,thinking of it more as a way to dial in balance more so than as aerobic exercise.
 

Seldomski

All words are made up
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'mericuh
Well I rollerblade in my own neighborhood, which in itself is peculiar. No one else does this where I live. I've seen rollerblades in my city... maybe 2x ever? There is a limit to the level of attention I will bring on myself... :).
 

Carl

On the north side of the mountain
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Nov 18, 2015
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I grew up playing competitive hockey all the way through college. Afterwards, I played in adult leagues until around age 50. It's a very physical sport where you use a lot of different muscles. I think it helped me in my skiing but I'm sure there could have been other more specific exercises that would have helped more. The balance component of skating is definitely more difficult than skiing but there are some similarities.
 

EricG

Lost somewhere!
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My old PT in Bozeman had my ice skating laps (mix of sprints and 1-leg long glides) to help with my Knees, hips & Lowe back. I don’t remember exactly what it was suppose to do, but I do recall I had less soreness after skiing daily.
 

wyowindrunner

Getting off the lift
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I think there is some skill translation between the skating (ice or rollerblading) and skiing. It can help with developing balance. I think it is better than not doing it in the off season (will test this theory this year!). But for just getting in shape, there are more efficient ways to spend that time in the gym. I mix in rollerblading when I can,thinking of it more as a way to dial in balance more so than as aerobic exercise

Had the sincere privilege of giving a lesson years back to a power skating instructor from Manitoba. Looking back, I don't think I really taught her a heck of a lot. She was sking parallel on green slopes in a very short while. Honest railroad tracks. Great balance, strong, and understood edge angle and control.
At the time I didn't know what a power skating coach was , or did. Just figured it was another of those Canadian oddities.
 

scott43

So much better than a pro
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I've taken power skating a few times in my hockey "career". :roflmao: Usually they were figure skating instructors. One of them wanted to make a point with me, so she asked me to skate backwards as fast as I could from a stop. So I started doing backward crossovers, thought I was killing it, she smoked me with sit-c's. Their edge control is phenomenal.
 

WheatKing

Ice coast carveaholic
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Dec 24, 2015
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Ontario, Canada
Figure skated competitively for 13 years, first free skate and then dance.. before i quit, i'd wear out a pair of boots in a year due to getting over on edge.. the inside and outside of the boot would wear against the ice. Boots were made of hard leather.. would go to the factory every year to get new boots fitted, punched, ground, blades mounted according to stance and balance, etc.. not much different than skiing. Always wanted to try speed skating.. never did.. but talk about inclination and angulation.. short track speed.. lay em over and hope you don't boot out! I'm lazy now that I've made good friends with gravity. Just get forward and hang on! I loved skating on dedicated figure skating rinks.. no boards.. get too much of a head of steam and you'd find yourself in the seats.

As for edge control and balance.. my BOF fore/aft balance was awesome.. and way to many hours doing figures (circles) where the whole idea was edge control and being able to skate perfect circles on the inside or outside edge of the blade.. sometimes with brackets } and sometimes with loops at the top and bottom of the figure 8. You'd be judged on a perfectly clean sheet of ice by 3 judges who'd get down on the ice and examine when edge change happened or if your blade scuffed.. Just way to many hours at the rink.. eventually i screwed my knees too much to skate ended up being able to torque (twist) my knee due to extreme edge angles all the time. Few years of physio and got back to a point where the pain dissipated.. however skiing was a relief as I could stay stacked over the knee and not torque it while turning.

Skills translated well to skiing.. started on a blue and once I learned to dance with gravity instead of fighting it, it was almost all the same skills.. not to mention i can ski-skate like no ones business.. LOL

Now I ski the same way i skated.. soft knees and sometimes with one foot, sometimes with both feet.. and sometimes what some would say is the wrong foot.. Skis have outside edges for some reason some refuse to acknowledge.. I paid for em.. I'm gonna use em. Screw you guys that say 100% on the outside foot. 100% on the inside foot.. get over it and bend that ski.. stop using the outside ski as a crutch! Stand hard on the outside and get on the inside before the apex and accelerate out of the turn..
 

SkiSchoolPros

Impact Ecosystem- ie.Money with Meaning
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Dec 20, 2015
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207
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Colorado
Those I have taught with skating skills under their belt pick up skiing quickly. I have recommended to many that they go skating as prep for a ski trip or to help get out of the back seat...much more immediate feedback when you get back seat skating than skiing. Of course, if you struggle skating, you might find skiing easier.
 

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