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Ice
Etiquette & Safety Guidelines
Skating is basically an
individual sport, and activities during most practice sessions are pretty
unstructured. It is important to
know though, that some basic rules must be observed for safety, and to ensure
that everyone can make effective use of their ice time.
Your rink/club will have its own set of rules, and you should be sure to
know and follow them. This section
outlines some basic concepts which are common to most clubs.
Courtesy
First and foremost is courtesy. It is essential to respect the rights of other skaters and be
constantly aware of who is around you. If
you seem to be surrounded by skaters of significantly greater or lesser skills,
be especially careful! Strive
to avoid collisions!
"On
Program" and "In Lesson" Get Priority
In most rinks, the skater who is
"on program" (who's music is playing) has the right of way at all
times, and other skaters are expected to give them free maneuvering room (In many clubs, these
persons will be given bright vests or belts to wear, to make them more
noticeable). Second in priority
are those skaters who are currently in lessons with their pro.
Always yield to these skaters as well.
Lutz
Corners
Because of the nature of the Lutz jump, it is most
commonly performed in the 10:00 and 4:00 corners of the rink (unless you have a
lot of clockwise jumpers in your club). These
corners are informally called the "Lutz Corners", and can usually be
identified by the unusually large concentration of divots in the ice.
Strive to avoid long-term practice activities in these corners, and try
to be especially aware of your surroundings when you are in them.
Remember that the approach to a Lutz is long and blind.
The skater doing the Lutz is not likely to see you.
Dangerous
Singles Moves
When you are practicing elements like camel spins and
back spirals be especially aware of the danger your exposed blade poses to other
skaters. Recognize that once you've
started the element it will be hard for you to see those around you.
Take a good look at your expected "space" before you start the
element, and abort it if it looks like you could cause a problem.
Watch
out for Pairs Skaters
If you've got pairs skaters at your rink, and they are
practicing on the same session as you, be aware that two skaters moving together
take up more room than one, and generally can't react as nimbly or quickly as a
single skater. If they are doing
lifts, be aware that once a lift is started, the skaters are pretty much
committed to their "path", and that getting into that path can be
dangerous for both you and them.
Falls
and Injuries
If you should fall, get up quickly.
Remember that the other skaters will have a much harder time seeing you
when you are down low on the ice. Don't
stay there any longer than you have to. While
falling, remember to keep your fingers away from your blades.
And learn to fall properly so that you can protect your head as much as
possible. Learn to keep
"loose" when you fall and this will help you to avoid breaking things.
If you see someone else is that
has fallen and may be injured, don't just drag them off without being certain
that doing so won't hurt them further.
If you suspect that someone is seriously hurt, the best thing to do is,
1) have someone stand "guard" over them to make sure that other
skaters avoid collisions with them, and 2) get a qualified adult to come and
help them. A blanket or warmup
jacket/sweatshirt laid over them might help to keep them warmer while waiting
for qualified help to arrive.
Predictability
As you skate more, you'll get to the point where
you'll recognize that a practice session has a certain "rhythm" to it.
People tend to do pretty "expectable"
or "predictable" things, and you
can usually pretty much guess where somebody else is going, based on what
they're doing when you see them (the normal approaches to each jump or spin are
pretty recognizable). If you're a "wrong way" skater (clockwise
jumper) be aware that other skaters will probably guess wrong about your
intentions pretty often. If
you have clockwise jumpers in your rink, try to recognize them and adjust your
expectations accordingly. Try not to skate or behave in a way that would
surprise other skaters. If you're
standing near the boards, don't enter the flow of skaters without checking to
make sure you're not going to get into someone else's way.
Don't
Stand Around
Refrain from standing around and visiting on the ice.
This wastes expensive ice and presents an additional hazard for other
skaters to avoid.
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