MAIN Sports Winter Sports Ice Skating

It takes a special combination of physical strength, rhythm and grace to skate like the pro's.

However, getting the hang of it is sometimes half the fun!

Ice skating for beginners

If your arms and shoulders are flailing around you're going to lose your balance, so remember that upper body strength is one of the main secrets to keeping a firm footing on the ice.

Extend your arms for balance, and steady as she goes. Resist the urge to push off with your blade tips (a common newbie mistake) but rather push forward with the sides of your blades. Keep your knees slightly bent, take a deep breath and look straight ahead — staring at your feet only increases the odds of landing on your butt!

If you do happen to fall, getting vertical is easy. Get on your knees, place one foot on the ice, place both hands on your knee, and push up.

Ice skating around the Web:

Find out more about ice skating with our guide to the sport including related how to's, skating rinks in major cities, arenas and clubs offering ice skating lessons and gear rental, and more about one of the coolest ways to spend a winter weekend...

SkateWeb: Skating Clubs and Rinks - Where do you want to skate today? The UK, Sweden, Italy and other major European countries along with the United States, Canada and other countries well-represented browseable by city, country or region.

Arenamaps.com Ice Arena and Rink Directory - Featuring a huge database of rinks and arenas searchable by name, city, U.S. state or Canadian province.

SkateNY - Not only New York despite the page title - with eye-catching photos and info on Rockefeller Center, Central Park, popular skating rinks in Alaska, Canada, Finland, and a guide to ice skating in Paris.

Ice Skating on the Eiffel Tower - Head up to the first floor where ice skates are available free of charge. Talk about a rink with a view...

Ice Skating in London - Including the Queen's Ice Bowl and a handful of other popular skating rinks around town with address and contact details, maps.

Ice Skating Australia - The official site of Australian ice skating with professional event schedule, state associations, ice skating history and a directory of ice skating rinks aross the country.

Top Ten Ice Skating Tips - From Disney on Ice featuring tips and advice for kids and parents on getting started, staying upright (keep those knees bent) and just having fun...

Origins of Ice Skating - A wonderful look back, beginning with medieval times on up to the early 19th century, with more than 10 illustrated pages chock full of great moments and - oops - not-so-great moments in ice skating history...

U.S. Figure Skating - What's up with Sasha Cohen, Michelle Kwan and more of your favorite figure skating stars at the official site offering the latest news, feature stories, a link to SKATING Magazine, info about sponsored lessons and learning programs throughout the U.S., event schedule, discussion boards.

Figure Skating TV Schedule - The current and complete rundown of professional ice skating competitions and shows on network and cable television stations in the U.S.

Ice skating rinks & lessons in major cities:

also see Sports Stars-> Sasha Cohen | Michelle Kwan

also see -> Olympic Figure Skating