Saturday, August 6, 2016

Full Contact Figure Skating

During lesson last week, an older teenager--a tall male skater, bent over at the waist, skated hard as he could and head butted me in my back while I was skating backwards IN THE CENTER!  I heard my coach cry out, and glanced over my shoulder so I just had a glimpse of him heading towards me when he hit. Fortunately, I reflexively dug a toepick in and my coach put her hand to my shoulder in the split second warning we had.



I, my coach, and another adult skater got right in his face and started all chewing him out simultaneously. In that instant, I saw a faint realization on his face that he was in trouble and he was off the ice in about 2 minutes with his friends.

Then during practice ice later that week, I was knocked over twice in 10 minutes by two different little  kids who just skated right into me at max speed.



There are two things I want to comment on.
1.  When I fell, coaches skated over to me instantly asking me forcefully, "Did you hit your head!" then they'd glance at the kid and ask casually, "you okay?" Do I get the extra attention because:
 a. I'm the beloved adult recreational skater, or 
 b. They're afraid I'll snap like a twig.

2. Then when I tell the coaches I'm afraid I'll fall on the kids and squash them, the reaction is usually....  
Yeah, that's an interesting attitude to have. What's with that? 


Anyway, why me, oh Lord? Why am I the target of interest? Cause if you're testing me, Oh Lord, I want a panel of 6 USFS judges and a full sheet of ice all to my self. 


4 comments:

  1. Oh, you have brought up a topic that drives me absolutely nuts, only in my case it involves a rather young coach who seems to believe that gge entire rink us his to use, even when other people are practicing or having a lesson. He does not seem to teach anyone to look behind them when they are doing backwagrds maneuvers. I've been knocked over 3 times either by him or one if his students. Then there are some adult skaters who seem to believe that club rules don't apply to them and they are all over my little patch if ice when I'm taking g a lesson. I know oart if it is beginners nerves, but I also see it as really rude.

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  2. You get more attention because people like you and care for you! Also, I suspect there is an understanding that you are a crash avoider so rarely at fault. So "a" in your analysis. Lastly, if a child is truly injured, it will be obvious to everyone. Either that ominous silence or the sound of PAIN.

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  3. And then there are those of us who traded in our ice skates for derby skates...that gif of the kid getting knocked over by the dog, only to get up, and get knocked over by the same dog. Yea, that's happened to me on the track.

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  4. I always squeal repeatedly when kids are skating at me, it stops them in their tracks

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