Skating with non-skater friends

[sampaguita]

Have you ever skated with non-skater friends (and by non-skater, I mean true beginners)?

Another friend with whom I've gone skating before I went to LTS told me recently that maybe we should go skate again. Nobody knows that I am a regular skater, and this makes me a bit uncomfortable. Before I started LTS, I had always found non-rental boot skaters to be quite intimidating (almost like show-offs, lol!), and I have to admit I did pester some skaters about how to do stuff (e.g., can you do a lutz? or an axel?  ).

I'm not sure how to behave if my friend becomes serious about the invitation. Should I just "pretend" that I don't know stuff (e.g., just do basic stroking with them), or should I go practice like I regularly do (eg., edges, jumps, turns)? Should I teach them some tricks, or will that seem too arrogant?

[treesprite]

If you are inviting the friend as a social activity, try to spend most of the time being social rather than focusing on your individual skating. It would, IMO, be rude to do otherwise.

As for me, the last time I went skating with a non-skater friend, I ended up with 2 broken bones just from standing still to talk to her. 

[Skittl1321]

When I skate with non skater friends I do laps like a regular public skater.  One of my friends challenged a "who can skate longest on one foot, and I just glided, didn't break out the power pulls"  when someone else said "it is harder to skate on two feet! Try to see how long you can go without picking a foot up" I kicked but with my slaloms and swizzles.  They were really impressed by that- haha.

They know I skate so usually ask me to do a spin, and I do, but I don't treat it as a 'training' session.  I just go and skate and talk with my friends.

[sampaguita]

When I skate with non skater friends I do laps like a regular public skater.  One of my friends challenged a "who can skate longest on one foot, and I just glided, didn't break out the power pulls"  when someone else said "it is harder to skate on two feet! Try to see how long you can go without picking a foot up" I kicked but with my slaloms and swizzles.  They were really impressed by that- haha.

Never thought swizzles could be impressive, lol!

[Skittl1321]

They were just shocked I could do multiple laps without picking my feet up.  Pretty much all of them had to lift up a foot before they finished a length!

I did wear my own skates though- I won't skate in rentals, I worry about hurting myself.

[mamabear]

I've gone with family & friends and I just focus on chatting with them and skating in circles.  If it's family members we haven't seen in a long time I'll show them stuff but not really a practice.  It's always interesting to me what they'll be impressed by-my sister didn't find the spins or half jumps I can do interesting but any type of foot combination was interesting to her.  And shoot the duck.  She loved trying shoot the duck.  So we tried a few things but mostly just hanging out. 

[SynchKat]

I agree with what the others have said. 

Everyone I know pretty much know I am a skater and most want to go with me so I can teach them.  My husband went once with me and won't anymore because I "show off". I was just probably doing swizzles and basic turns because this is what I do when I skate.  So beware some might think doing anything is showing off. 

[Vicki7]

I've not been skating with friends much since starting properly about 7 weeks ago, but I did go to a temporary rink in our city with a friend. she asked me to show her some stuff I'd been doing, because she seems to be a natural skating mimic and can pick stuff up without any teaching and wanted some new stuff to try. Unfortunately the ice was so poor, and so crowded, all I could do was basic stroking.

To be honest, when I'm with my friends, I'm socializing, too busy to practice lol!

[AgnesNitt]

When I go skating on public with friends THEY'RE ALL BETTER THAN I AM!   

And even then, all we pretty much do is stroke around, maybe some turns and  with one person skating backwards facing the other. 

If it's freestyle though, we're down to business and pretty much only chat for a lap.

[platyhiker]

I'm not sure how to behave if my friend becomes serious about the invitation. Should I just "pretend" that I don't know stuff (e.g., just do basic stroking with them), or should I go practice like I regularly do (eg., edges, jumps, turns)? Should I teach them some tricks, or will that seem too arrogant?

I don't think you should pretend that you don't know stuff, but I suggest letting your friend know that you have advanced in skating skills, beforehand.  ("Sounds like fun.  I have been taking skating lessons for X months and have really been enjoying it.  It will be nice to skate with you.")  And then on plan on skating laps with her.  Think of it as social outing that happens to be on ice, rather than a productive practice session.

As for tricks, you can casually offer to show her how to do something, if she's interested, but keep it simple.  Something like swizzles or slalom turns would be plenty for some people.  (My daughter loves the game of "How few swizzles can you do across the ice?")  A two foot spin might appeal to somebody more adventurous.  If she expresses interest in seeing your new skills, go ahead and demonstrate some of them, keeping in mind what it appropriate for the crowd level of when you're skating.

[VAsk8r]

I would not get rentals because I think it could be quite an adjustment going from your own skates to those and then back. I once tried to go back to my old skates after skating in new ones for just a day or two, and it was really bizarre. Plus you might try something that requires an edge, find you don't have one, and fall, and those are the worst falls.

All of my friends know I skate, though they don't all know what I can do. I think some think I just go and do laps. I think if I were you, I would mention to my friend that I've been taking lessons, but don't show off or do anything besides laps unless she asks. Why pretend you don't know how to skate? It's not arrogant to admit that you started something new and are working hard at becoming better, and your friend will probably think it's cool.

I had a boyfriend once who told me I couldn't be on his adult soccer team because I wasn't good enough. This was a casual, no tryouts required, let's just have fun kind of team. Now that's arrogant!

[hopskipjump]

My daughter asks friends to skate during school breaks.  She just does laps.  It's about talking and enjoying each other's company.  We've had friends who are tentative about skating with her, but I let them know it's just skating for fun, not her practice time. 

[Janie]

Sampaguita, I think you mentioned before that you didn't like anyone you know to know you figure skate. If you are still of the same mind, maybe you should suggest some other activity to do with your friend. It doesn't seem a good idea to go but then pretend you're not better at skating. Besides, just wearing your own skates is a pretty obvious hint that you've advanced, but surely you don't want to be in rental skates? If you do decide to go with your friend but are afraid of "showing off", then just skate around in laps with her unless she requests you do something different.

[sampaguita]

Janie: Ah yes, the skates will definitely be a give-away. XD No point pretending.

My main worry is that they'll think of me as a show-off just because I can skate backwards (I had been envious of those who could!). In any case, these friends of mine have skated at least once before, so I don't think they'll be clinging to the boards.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! My friend hasn't really finalized any plan for skating, so I don't know if she is still serious about going. But if she does proceed with the invite, I'll probably just do basic stroking/two-foot skating and play it by ear.