It’s not as easy as it looks!
That statement is very often heard as folks try making their first circuit of the
ice rink.
One of the reasons it “looks easy on the TV” is that most competitive and professional
ice skaters start young.
For most people, figure skating is a fun and challenging hobby which requires good
balance, nerves of steel and plenty of patience to master the skills.
There are clubs, tests and competitions for enthusiasts of any age and standard.
Steve took up figure skating 2½ years ago. From his first very steps on the ice
to his first NISA test, Steve has been coached by Marika.
Steve describes Figure Skating as his passion, always striving to improve his mastery
of the skills.
“Skating technique is like an onion, just when you think you’ve got it, there’s another
layer to it”
Taking up as a child
Parents often ask what age their child can start to learn ice skating.
Quite simply, as long as they can walk with some stability, they can be starting
to experience ice skating with an adult to help them and keep them safe.
Starting out any time between the ages of 3 and 7 years of age will give a child
a head start for competitive Figure Skating.
Teenaged beginners often pick up skills quickly as they are physically stronger than
their younger counterparts, however, competitive Figure Skating, like Gymnastics,
is an early specialisation sport with the National talent identification pathways
requiring specific achievement milestones within narrow age categories.
There are still opportunities for skaters whose focus is not primarily competitive.
Performing in International Ice Skating shows such as Disney on Ice and Holiday on
Ice is often an ultimate goal for many skaters.
