Video: Hannah is more elegant on the ice now thanks to Olympians
Features writer Hannah Gray gets an ice skating lesson from Olympic gold medallist Robin Cousins and Peterborough Phantoms ice hockey player Maris Ziedins.
Features writer Hannah Gray gets an ice skating lesson from Olympic gold medallist Robin Cousins and Peterborough Phantoms ice hockey player Maris Ziedins.If you're going to have an ice skating lesson, I think I've probably found the best way to do it – with two former Olympians.
Being guided round the ice by Robin Cousins and Maris Ziedins was a fantastic experience, and although not a long one, certainly taught me a lot about skating.
My previous experience of ice skating was to put on the skates, wobble a bit, keep my head down and keep as close to the side as possible.
I had previously had a lesson with another Phantoms player, James Hutchinson, and while that brought me on a bit, I'm afraid due to lack of practice I'd gone back to my bad old ways.
But a few minutes with Robin and Maris changed all this.
More in this feature:
Learning to skate with the legendary, Robin Cousins
Features writer Hannah Gray gets an ice skating lesson from Olympic gold medallist Robin Cousins and Peterborough Phantoms ice hockey player Maris Ziedins.
Ice skating: It was back to basics for Phantoms' Maris
Phantoms forward Maris Ziedins admitted it was almost like starting again when he tried on Robin Cousin's figure skates.
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At Robin's prompting, I began to look where I was going, rather than at the ice I was likely to fall on.
"If you look down, you fall down," was Robin's mantra.
Maris and Robin skated either side of me and I rested my hands on their arms, and slowly began to feel ok about being away from the side. I still wasn't entirely convinced it was a good idea, however, and at one point Robin had to encourage me to relax my grip slightly.
Once I had mastered the art of not being terrified, Robin began working on getting me to glide along for longer, and even to turn slightly in the direction of my outstretched arms.
For the first time ever on the ice, I began to feel something approaching elegance. I could imagine what it might feel like if you were any good and could glide around freely. I could almost hear Bolero in my head.
But when Maris and Robin decided I should go it alone, the old familiar sensations came back - but only slightly. I still felt more steady and as though I was gliding rather than stumbling.
And then, all too quickly, it was time for my lesson to end.
After we'd got off the ice, it was time for the question I almost dared not ask - how did I do?
"I'm very impressed, I have to say," Robin said. "You took instruction very well, it made sense what you were told. The most important thing for anybody who's trying to skate for the first time is to remember that at some point you will fall over. When it happens, let it happen.
"You actually did alright, some people skate quite tense, but I got you to get the tension out of your fingers, and that's always the worst, when somebody's got hold of your hand, because you end up with bloody knuckles, but you coped extremely well and I was very impressed."
I may not quite be Jane Torvill, but thanks to Maris and Robin, I'm slighty more elegant than I was.
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Weather for Peterborough
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 2 C - 8 C
Wind Speed: 14 Knots
Wind direction: North west
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