If you had to give a beginner one single piece of advice, what would it be?

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I am thinking of "technical" rather than philosophical or pyschological advice.  Something that the person can focus on as a starting point, perhaps something that can be done off skates as well as on.  I have something in mind, but am interested in what others come up with.  This was sparked off by someone thinking of starting to try and skate asking me how best to approach it.

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Technical: It's a balance sport; practice balancing.

Philosophical or pyschological: The music will tell you what to do.

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Music would be top for me too in that department.  I suppose a more general point would be "enjoy the process, don't focus too much on the result".  Music is certainly a big part of how I try to achieve that - others may have different approaches.


Yes, exactly, balance.  Start by standing on one leg perhaps with foot tucked in.  Once you can do that with ease, start moving the free leg around into different positions.  Aim to increase the range of motion, how long you can do it for, and the degree of stability.  Perhaps do it with your eyes closed too.  If you start to find all of that too easy, get a wobble board.


Skate lots!

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Another one; (kinda between Technical & Philosophical)

All you need is space, and time.

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Yes indeed.


And never forget it's meant to be enjoyable.


Best treated as a sensory experience.

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A good edge(blade) = a good edge(skating)

Find a decent person to sharpen your blades. If you've had the misfortune of a bad grind you'll understand why regular skaters are known for being loyal to those who give good/consistent results, and will even post or travel a distance for quality. Tiny amounts make all the difference on the ice.

Stretching off ice, saves (time/money) stretching on ice.

For moves like spirals, camel spins, mohawks, spreadeagles, Ina Bauers etc it's pays to lengthen/improve your muscles off ice.

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Good point about equipment - you will struggle to make progress if your skates do not fit reasonably well or are hampering you significantly in some other way.

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You are going to lose a few pounds.

Skating (either figure/hockey/speed) is an expensive sport; budget wisely.
The combination of the cold environment, the physical & mental effort will burn off calories like you wouldn't believe.
Do an images search for "this is your brain on piano". Now imagine what your brain is doing on a patch session.

Bulk buy tissues/handkerchiefs.

The combination of the cold temperatures, and the centrifugal force of jump/spin rotations, will bring forth a surprising amount of snot.

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It certainly can be expensive if you take tests, enter competitions or wear special costumes or uniforms. If you just skate for fun, once you have invested in decent skates which should last a long time, your ongoing expenses are mainly the entry fee for rinks, and periodic blade sharpening or wheel replacement. If you skate outdoors on wheels, as many do, it’s free.
Lessons are expensive though- twice the price of tennis lessons for example, if you do one to one lessons.
It certainly should keep you fit once you are beyond beginner stage and able to skate with a certain intensity.

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Take care that figure skating doesn't seduce you with chocolates and roses, and then kick you to the side of the road like a dead raccoon.

Couldn't resist mate

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I had to look that up.


It’s a fair summary of the process though.