Safety Tips: Ice Skating

Ice skating is a fun sport and great exercise. But sharp blades on a hard, frozen surface means there’s a real risk of injury. Here's how skaters can stay safe.

What Safety Gear Do Ice Skaters Need?

It's important to get the right equipment and use it correctly:

• Skates: Choose skates that fit well. Skates that are too big won’t support the ankles the right way, making falls more likely. Skates that are too small can cause blisters and make it hard for a skater to feel comfortable on the ice. Skates should have sharp blades. Dull blades get caught in ruts in the ice more often, leading to falls.
• Safety gear: New skaters and young kids, especially, should wear helmets, wrist pads, knee pads, and elbow pads.

Should We Take Ice Skating Lessons?

Ice skating lessons are the safest way to learn. If that's not possible, learn some basics before lacing up.

Learn how to fall. Skaters should know how to protect their head and to keep their arms and legs away from their (and other skaters’) blades if they take a tumble. All skaters lose their balance occasionally, especially those who are just learning. So, skaters should practice falling on the ground first:

• For a backward fall, they should tuck their chin into their chest and land with most of their weight on their bottom (like they’re going to sit on a chair), not their arms.
• Forward falls are trickier, as skaters will need to use their arms to protect their face and head. Keeping their elbows slightly bent can help prevent serious wrist injuries.

They also should know not to grab another skater to try to break a fall. Doing so usually leads to injuries to both skaters.

Learn how to get up. To get up again, skaters should roll onto their side, get into a kneeling position, then stand up. It’s important to get up or out of the way quickly after falling. Other skaters might not see them or be able to stop or skate around them.

How Can Ice Skaters Stay Safe?

When they get on the ice, skaters should practice:

• forward gliding while looking ahead and keeping their knees bent
• safely stopping
• keeping a safe space between themselves and other skaters

Skaters should look left and right before entering a skating rink. After getting on the ice safely, they should skate in the direction of other skaters and not cut in front of anyone. New skaters should stick close to the edge so they can grab the handrail when needed.

Balancing on skates is not a simple thing. Mastering the basics of forward skating and stopping takes time. Advanced moves like skating backward, rotations and spins, and jumps should only come later, if at all. Learning even basic ice skating is something to be proud of.

What About Outdoor Ice Skating?

While skating at an ice rink is safest, outdoor skating is a popular wintertime activity. To do it safely:

• If possible, skate on an approved outdoor skating rink.
• Ask the local police or parks department to check the ice thickness of any frozen pond, lake, creek, river, or other outdoor surface you plan to skate on. The ice should be 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) thick or more to safely support you. Never walk on a frozen surface that hasn’t been tested.
• Never skate alone.
• Dress warmly, with warm socks, gloves or mittens, neck warmers, hats, snow pants, and waterproof jackets.
  

What Else Should I Know?

• An adult should always supervise kids while they skate, whether at an ice rink or outdoors.
• It’s common for new skaters to get overwhelmed by more experienced skaters around them. It’s fine to get off the ice and wait until it’s less crowded, whether skating outdoors or inside.