So earlier today I was at the rink practicing for my next test, when I stepped off into the hockey box to grab my water and chat with my friend for a moment when Fatty Kerrigan is skating by. Now, anyone who goes ice skating knows that rental skates are usually pretty crappy, and ours still look fairly new, but are clearly broken in. Fatty Kerrigan is easily 250 pounds, most likely a tumblrina, wearing way too tight jeans, a way too tight shirt, and a long flowy vest, and was probably around 5 feet tall, give or take a couple inches. She's on rental figure skates, and the right one is just bowing majorly at the ankle, to the point that regardless of weight, I have to say something to her (because no one wants to see someone break an ankle on the ice, and I just witnessed a woman hit her head so hard she left a pool of blood on the ice where she was laying last week so....). I look at her and said "Hey, you're going to want to get your skates switched out for a different pair, your right skate is bowing in at the ankle and it's not helping you stay up straight." And my friend chimes in "Yeah, no one would have strong enough ankles to keep themselves up in that boot, and right now yours could lead to a broken ankle."
Fatty Kerrigan then proceeds to fall to the ground (how, I don't know, she barely shuffled forward), and then says "I can't get up. It's cold" to her friend with her and crawl to the wall. She then exclaims "See! It's not me afterall! It's the skates!"
Fatty Kerrigan never went to switch out her skates, rather, she continued to wear the broken ones that could have lead to a broken ankle (I don't care, I did my part) because it was an excuse for the fact she could barely stand up.
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[–] iammeandyouareme [S] ago
I HATE when people do that!!!! We learn to crawl before we walk, so why not skate slowly until you get the freaking hang of stopping??
[–] VegetarianZombie1 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Seriously, when I first started, I'd glide at a moderate speed to the wall to stop (never took actual lessons, unfortunately, but I did have a friend who taught me a few things).
Honestly, tricks aside, just skating isn't all that difficult. It's just balance and not going too fast before you're ready. As long as you're not fat, it shouldn't be that difficult.
[–] iammeandyouareme [S] 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Seriously! The only time that I would say it's REALLY difficult for someone that does it once in a blue moon is if they get stuck with a pair of the shit rentals. Some are broken down to the point that there's no fixing them, or if the blades got TOO dull since I've witnessed people go walk on the concrete stairs with the skates on..... but overall, if you hold onto the wall and take it slow and build up your confidence to start, it isn't all that difficult. It's when the people who can barely stand decide they want to try doing spirals and spins and stuff that they injure themselves.