Burg on a budget: Ice skating
By Liz Barry on Dec. 27, 2007
Confession: I once aspired to be a famous figure skater. Gold medal, sparkly spandex dress, adoring fans — I wanted the whole shebang.
My parents humored me. They bought me a pair of figure skates and schlepped me to the ice rink for weekly lessons. Before long I could jump, spin and spiral my way across the ice. At the pinnacle of my skating career, I performed a choreographed routine at a local skating competition.
I thought I was a young Nancy Kerrigan; the judges thought otherwise. I won third place — out of three. Puffy-faced and teary-eyed, I accepted my “bronze” medal. I cried hard that day, traumatized by failure.
Last Friday, I took to the rink at LaHaye Ice Center to reclaim my figure skating glory. I’m 22 now and hadn’t skated in years.
Eight bucks got me rental skates and seven hours of rink time. Not bad considering what it costs to see a movie these days. I laced up my brown boots and hit the ice.
It was immediately apparent that skating does not come back to you the way riding a bike does. My first lap around the rink was precarious and included many near-falls. A
fter five minutes, my shins began to hurt from the stiff boots. I wanted to give up, but I skated on.
The more I skated, the more confident I became. I attempted some of my old moves. Nothing complicated, just a few spins and turns. I was clumsy, but I felt my inner Nancy Kerrigan emerging from the depths of my soul.
My fingers numb from the cold, I retired to the heated lounge for a cup of hot chocolate. There I met Chris Stanley and Rebecca De, Jefferson Forest High School students. They were on winter break and came to the rink because of a “lack of anything else to do,” De said
De skates several times a month during the winter, but Stanley had never stepped foot on an ice rink before. He said he was “jut a tad nervous” about falling.
Later I saw De and Stanley holding hands as they skated a lap. So far, Stanley had survived bruise-free.
Before hitting the ice for round two, I met Denny Wishart at the rink’s edge. As a boy, Wishart played ice hockey on a frozen river near his home in Maryland. These days, he brings his children to the rink. It’s almost always too warm in this part of Virginia for rivers to freeze over, so the ice rink has to suffice.
Wishart wasn’t skating today, but he said he was sufficiently entertained watching his children from the sidelines.
I, however, longed for center stage. My fingers warm now, I hit the ice for a second time.
The rink was more crowded than before. With schools closed for the holidays, the kids were out in full force, darting like minnows across the ice. I proceeded with caution.
When the rink is crowded, there are two types of skaters to watch out for: wall-huggers and wall-slammers.
The wall-hugger inches along the rink’s perimeter, clinging to the wall. They are unstable by nature; they may fall at the slightest surprise. Do not whiz past a wall-hugger, as that could prompt a nasty splat.
The wall-slammer is more dangerous because, unlike the wall-hugger, he is not afraid of the ice, despite his mediocre skating skills. He loves to pick up speed even though he doesn’t know how to put on the brakes. The wall-slammer’s preferred stopping method is to slam violently into the wall. If you spot a wall-slammer, steer clear. High velocity collisions are never fun.
With my eyes peeled, I avoided calamity. I was more cautious about attempting spins for fear of colliding with the little ones.
After almost two hours at the rink, it was time to leave.
I saw Stanley and De in the lounge. They had done four or five laps around the rink and were ready to go.
“How was it?” I asked the first-time skater.
“I didn’t fall,” said Stanley, pumping a fist into the air. “I am proud.”
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Burg on a Budget
WHAT: Ice skating
WHERE: LaHaye Ice Center, 1971 University Blvd., Liberty University
PRICE: $8 (admission plus skate rentals)
WHAT TO BRING: gloves (a must!), money for hot chocolate, helmet and kneepads (if you’re prone to falling)
INFO: Hours vary. Check out http://www.lahayeicecenter.net for the monthly schedule or call (434) 592-3953.
Need some inspiration before hitting the rink? Just plain bored during winter break? Check out one of these ice skating movies.
The Mighty Ducks (1992) PG
SYNOPSIS: “As punishment for getting a DUI, hotshot lawyer Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) is sentenced to community service coaching the pathetic Mighty Ducks hockey team. Initially reluctant, Gordon eventually transforms the ragtag band of outsiders and misfits (including a young Joshua Jackson) into the No. 1 team in the peewee league, overcoming his own childhood trauma in the process.” (http://www.netflix.com)
LIZ’S TAKE: Go Ducks! This was one of my childhood favorites. The movie was such a hit it spawned two sequels and a TV show.
Blades of Glory (2007) PG-13
SYNOPSIS: “When a scandal strips them of their gold medals, two world-class skaters (Will Ferrell and Jon Heder) skirt their way back onto the ice via a loophole that allows them to compete together as a pairs team. Will Arnett (‘Arrested Development’) and Amy Poehler (‘Saturday Night Live’) co-star as their competitive on-ice rivals who vow to use their triple axel to the fullest advantage.” (http://www.netflix.com)
LIZ’S TAKE: This movie is on my to-see list. Judging from the trailer it looks like another solid Will Ferrell comedy.
The Cutting Edge (1992) PG
SYNOPSIS: “Spoiled by accomplished figure skater Kate Moseley (Moira Kelly) is on her way to the Olympics, and so egotistical hockey player Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney). When an eye injury puts out Doug for the rest of the season, he reluctantly agrees to try working at Kate’s partner, which allows him to stay in competition. The duo gets off to a rough start but learns to perform as a team, and they soon become a force to be reckoned with.” (ww.netflix.com)
LIZ’S TAKE: The perfect mix of figuring skating, hockey and sexual tension.
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