Interesting! I've just started skating at the ripe old age of 58! I chose hybrid skates as what I want to do is learn to skate, that's it. I also can't stand having my toes cramped into a point and I like the extra space my hybrid (Bauer Whistlers) have. They're so comfy. So, at my lessons, they were a bit sniffy with me because I fell over backwards early on and this was in part because of my choice of skate. But... The way Chris skates in this video is exactly the sort of thing I want to learn (👍👍). I'm a big hockey fan and love the way they skate. I want to be able to go fast and change direction and move as if I were walking or running. I'm not interested in spinning either on the ice or in the air. I can see problems ahead for me though in my lessons because the teachers are figure skating teachers and there's a stupid rivalry that goes on at my local rink (in Italy) between the figure skaters and the hockey players. I'm an anomaly in that I'm a woman who essentially wants to learn how to skate like a hockey player! 🤣
@@lenablosfeld7047 You know what? Next season I might just do that. I was thinking about it yesterday! If they're happy to have an old lady in their ranks who's never actually going to play...😂
@@wendyhumphreys116 Just practice the skills as much as you can and gradually they'll develop. Failing that, I'm sure you could ask if they'd help you learn to skate. Or maybe explain to the figure skaters you just want to learn the basics of skating for hockey, you don't really intend on developing figure skating skills.
I was actually wondering about this recently bc I recently tried skating in hockey skates vs figure skates and found it sooo much easier n lighter :) Ty for doing this experiment!
I am successfully learning to do figure skating moves in hockey skates... it CAN be done. Just started so I'll be back here with video proof in a few months when I get a routine down pat.
Great video, you did well. Yes most figure moves are definitely possible in hockey's, I have never tried figure skates myself but decided to try the UK learn to skate and gold level qualifications on my hockey skates and actually passed with being able to do Loop jumps, Salchow and even attempting axels, as well as sit spin and other 1 foot spins. I definitely feel it is harder on hockey's but I like a good challenge and it helped my balance and softness on my skates by practicing this. Lot's of fun!!!
Cool content. I started in hockey skates in 2019 and can do all the figure skating moves including spins in both directions but not at a pro level lol. I started using figure skates 6 months ago and still can't match my hockey skate spins. I find single leg slaloms easier in the lighter hockeys than figures right now. Toe pick related tricks are very tricky in hockey skates though hahaa. There is a skater in hockey skates at my local rink who does double axels. Now that is cool.
My personal experience, is that from roller skates in So Cal to ice skates in Alaska, i was given hockey skates to start pond/lake skating, as I didn't have a toe pick to compete with. However, all my friends had figure skates, so when we'd race I felt I had a major disadvantage, as I didn't have toe pics to get a running start. By junior high, I had my own figure skates and all the other boys would make fun of me... Whatever. I loved figure skating alone on the ponds and lakes. After returning to So Cal, after 20+ years, I've come back to roller skating with an entirely new set of challenges! However, every winter I miss ice Skating in the open winter air.
I’m sure with hockey skates you should be faster in terms of acceleration and even more agile. You probably would have won easily if you practiced more. Toe pics are annoying thats it. Figure skates are for figure skating and to perform beautiful things not for aggressive fast skating. At least thats my opinion after all.
You can run on the toes of hockey skates as well. They don't have the stupid ginormous suicide teeth, but they do have a corner there at the toe and it can dig into the ice. Stand on your toes and run and it works. Watch youtube hockey how-to videos about aggressive skating and they will cover this.
My coach suggested I practice my backward crossovers in hockey skates as I have a tendency to scrape my toe pick, as my weight is too far forward and not completely over my skating leg
To generate speed out from a standstill, The way I explode from zero is to also start running but by pointing my toes out as if my feet are in a "V". Lean forward and run for like 10 steps then transition into skating hard by bending the knees a lot and leaning forward (get very low) and doing long powerful torquey strides. ironically, a figure-skater taught me this amazing technique that won me all my races
Thank you for making this video. I was considering joining the Reading Figure Skating Club to learn to figure skate but decided against it because the figure skaters are sharing practice time with fully outfitted hockey players. Quite scary to look up and see a hockey player racing toward me at full speed!
That's an interesting and funny comment! However, I have heard and read about the opposite - some hockey players having to share the same rink as figure skaters stated they were a bit nervous about getting hit by a figure skater's movements and getting hit by their toe pick!
Nice video! I'm wondering if one just train a bit more in one shoe or the other to get the grip of it, rather than trying one time. Chris did a fantastic job in hockey moves - WOW!! THAT LOOK AMAZING!! Two thumbs up from me, Chris! 👍👍
lol i'm taking skating classes right now and i love it! the funny thing though is that I always get hockey skates even though we are taught figure skating techniques. it's only because i find the rental hockey skates so much easier to tie than the rental figure skates lol
I found it quite funny how quite a few of the excersizes that he did on hockey skates are excersizes that we hockey players do all the time for edge control and things like that.
Sure but he's also spent years on a flatter blade. I'm a beginner and while I struggle with one thing all my class mates in figure skates struggle with something else and while it could be our bodies it also might be that one blade is easier than the other for each task. Also I'd bet anything his hockey skates are cheaper than his figure skates which I'm sure is a factor
Excellent analysis. I am a Canadian hockey player, however my daughter is learning figure skating. I am able to preform most moves on hockey skates, but landing jumps is difficult when your balance is not perfect. #need a toe pick
It seems like with practice you could learn to do some one-footed skills, you just need to adapt them to using a flat foot instead of toes. I'm beyond impressed.
2:28 : The laces are way too tight. I can feel it from here ! You need flexibility at ankle. 3:05 : Oh, you give me reason ! Also, put your pants inside the skates, not outside of the skates (promote flexibility by extending the range of motion at your ankle).
I think spins would be impossible because there is no sweet spot or rocker on a hockey skate, I think edge jumps are possible because they don't take off on a toe pick, (salchow/axel) hockey players generate speed from stand still by doing lateral cross overs, (3 step start_ also hockey skates are much more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time because they are wider and much lighter as he said in the video, and the heel is less pronounced so its easier on your back, also hockey skates might be better for beginners because there is no toe pick to trip on, but might fall from having less blade to work with in front and back
Get both! Spend good money on figure skates and just get a decent used set of hockey skates till you decide you love hockey skates then invest in a good pair!
I'd like to ask Chris, how flexible are his figure skating skates? They seem to be quite similar to mine. I mean especially the flexibility forward in ankle. I bought new (leather) skates recently. They are supposed to be a semi pro figure skates. But their boots are wider, so much stiff, much more polstered and with some kind of ankle reinforcement inside. I appreciate them because I'm returning to skating after 20 yrs. and don't have such a good stability in my ankles, so I thought this feature would be good for me. But I'm not able to flex my legs in ankles, bend them forward at all. I know those boots are completely new but really hope and pray for them to get more flexible 😭 My old common leather figure skates are sooo flexible, I can do "Shoot the Duck" in them with no problem. In these? Not even able to squat down 😭 But I never had any opportunity to see any really professional figure skates. So I don't know now, how bad is that stiffness of my new skates. Now they seem to mě more like some hockey skates, but with toe picks... I'm a bit sad from it. Please, if Chris, you, or anyone here could answer me, even describe his own feelings from a good figure skates, I'd appreciate it really much! ❤️ Thank you! And a great video! Chris has definitely talent for acting, it was both instructing and funny 👍