Hiked out to the mall today and watched the Zamboni smoothing out the ice-skating rink. It can help skaters a little.
It was pretty crowded this afternoon and there were several beginners. They’re easy to pick out because they fall a lot and tend to pull themselves along using the handrails along the sides of the rink. I think a few made the most contact with the ice not so much with their skates as with their knees and elbows.
I can’t remember if I had as much trouble turning left and right as one guy. But I’m pretty sure I fell just as hard when I first learned how to skate. He did fine in a straight line, but turning was his downfall—literally.
There was a short kid out there who was fast and nimble. He was evidently a hockey player and somebody was training him.
There are certain balance aids like stacked pylons. A little bitty girl used those twice for about 2 seconds each and figured she’d had enough.
There were more experienced skaters, but all of them were learning—and falling. They just picked themselves up and tried again. I guess that’s the main thing.
Go Retire Psychiatrist 