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Speed skating
After my biking adventure, I was certain that speedskating would be a breeze. The sport is best known in its Olympic form, but the Bay State Speedskating Club has members of all ages and skill levels. Some compete at meets against other speed skating clubs, while others simply take to the ice for exercise.
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SPEEDSKATING
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The Bay State Speedskating Club holds four practice sessions a week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at the Ted Iorio Arena off Route 1 in Walpole (508-
660-2005) and Sunday at the Skating Club of Boston, 1240 Soldiers Field Road (617-782-
5900). [Skating Club directions].
Beginning skaters can take six Saturday lessons for $65. Club president Alan Cook rents speed skates at a rate of $35 for three sessions. You also need a helmet (a bicycle helmet is suitable).
Skaters of all ability levels can sign up; members range in age from 3 to the mid-70s. Alan Cook can be reached at 781-826-2521 or check the club's web page, w3.mit.edu/jeffrey/speedskating/.
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It ahd been a few years since I last skated, and I was decidedly wobbly at first. But after a few minutes I was able to keep my balance.
Speed skates are different from hockey or figure skates. You balance on a single, long, thin blade, shifting your weight from foot to foot. The skates should fit your feet skin-tight, so that you have a good feel for ice conditions. This takes some getting used to. And because sensitivity is important, you wear very thin socks (some speed skaters don't wear any at all), and your feet can get mighty cold. Probably if I had moved faster, my feet would have stayed warmer.
Alan Cook, the president of the Bay State club, took me under his wing. After my first fall, he advised me that the key to success was keeping my knees bent. "The closer you stay to the ice, the less distance you have to fall," he told me. "Think Neanderthal."
This is one of the only sports where seniors and toddlers skate alongside Olympic hopefuls. Although most of the toddlers were skating better than I was, I quickly got used to the skates and even began to have a good time. But the best part was the rink-eye view of experts whizzing by with precision and grace.
I never reached breakneck speeds on my first day out, but I understood a lot more about speed skating than I ever did watching the Olympics.
It doesn't take long to become a proficient skater. I spoke to one man who started just three months ago, and he was already taking the corners at high speeds. I could definitely get used to this - if only the skates weren't so tight.
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