Hockey Lessons are Fun

In my previously cobbled together update of various projects and hobbies, I'd mentioned that I would be switching from the normal ice skating lessons to the "skate hockey" lessons. In case you are wondering (you're not), I've not seen Heated Rivalry (yet). Well, I had my first of these on Wednesday and have been buzzing ever since. Almost all my hobbies and interests have involved sitting still at a desk (electronics, computer things, etc), with the exception of cycling. It probably sounds quite weird but I think the skate hockey lesson was probably one of the most fun things I've done which involved moving.

The structure of the skate hockey lessons is extremely different to the normal ice skating lessons. With the ice skating lessons, you could login to the course progress website immediately after a lesson and see which skills you were lacking to move onto the next level. There was no separation between levels in skate hockey and everyone was doing the same thing, except for towards the end where you could pick a group to focus on one of two specific things.

Jon jokingly mentioned that ice hockey probably appeals to hackspace members because of all the stuff you need to buy. Maybe because it's a bit like lego, I'm not sure, but it has been quite fun trying stuff on and picking equipment. One of my favourite things about buying things is spending ages researching all the options beforehand. Unfortunately though it has also been quite expensive. The skate hockey lessons require partial kit: helmet with full face cage, neck guard, gloves (the big ones), skates and a stick. My face seems to have odd dimensions, which meant I couldn't buy a helmet with cage combo and ended up with a medium helmet and large cage. The gloves were, I think, the cheapest hockey gloves in the shop. The neck guard wasn't, but the thicker (non kevlar) one was quite thick and uncomfortable.

All this equipment also comes with its own logistical challenges. I don't drive these days, relying on pedal power or busses to get around town. With it being on Wednesdays (the day I don't work) means I also want to take a bunch of hackspace stuff in with me. I cycled in on the Wednesday, with a hockey stick strapped to my top tube with hockey laces (appropriate) and a "Bauer Outdoor Rink Bag" on my back. It can hold a surprising amount, although is already quite full. The backpack is quite comfortable too, and hockey equipment generally seems to be made of air, so nothing was that heavy. I could do with some things to make it a bit more reflective when its dark though.

The lesson started with some warm ups, just skating around, after a fist-bump from Dave (another hackspace member who I started chatting to after seeing his skates in the space). Hockey fist bumps! Anyway, this was my first time skating with a stick, it felt a bit weird to be holding something at first but gradually felt more natural throughout the lesson. If monkeys didn't have tails and then they suddenly appeared, would they instantly start using them assist with balance? After the warmup there was 15 or so minutes of drills. We were all numbered either one or two - "number ones! forward lemons", "number ones! backwards lemons!", "number ones! backwards c-cuts!". Fortunately I'd seen a video about c-cuts by Rory's Rink Rats only the day before, but there were lots of other things I had no idea about and ended up watching the others on the lesson to understand.

The national ice centre website describes the skate hockey lessons as being suitable for beginners. "No previous skating experience is required", it says. Well, if I had started with skate hockey lessons instead of the normal ice skating lessons, I don't know if I would have gone back. There are too many people at different levels to wait around showing someone how to let go of the edge. Fortunately everyone seemed to be relatively comfortable skating. Having already had some normal skating lessons though, the experience was challenging but fun.

After the drills we were given two choices, which I didn't hear, so I picked which group randomly. We ended up doing some more skating drills, which I'm more then happy to do, then switched to skating around with a puck. It was fun. The puck glides so smoothly, it kind of puts the "green biscuits" to shame, cause they really don't want to glide like a puck, despite what their marketing may claim. I lost the puck a few times. I definitely need to work on my stick handling but this was extremely fun and I can't wait to go back for more.

During the hockey drills I fell. I think it was during the skating backwards on one leg thing. I didn't injure myself and laughed about it, got up again and joked about it being my first lesson. Other people also fell over. I do feel that I held back slightly during the drills though for fear of falling over and injuring myself. While only partial kit is required for the skate hockey lessons, almost everyone had full kit, and I think this probably helps with confidence. You're basically wrapped up in bubble wrap. I've started buying the rest of the bits to make up a full kit. Base layer with jock, shin guards, socks… and before the next lesson I'll try and get the shoulder and elbow pads, as well as the shorts.

After I reach a certain competence with the skate hockey lessons, I think I can join the play hockey which happens immediately after. They have a small hockey game in half an hour which seems really fun. This does need full kit, so hopefully I've not wasted a bunch of money.

Finally, Jon came along to watch my first lesson which was very nice. He turned into the paparazzi and took a lot of photos. I'll post one here which almost looks like I felt comfortable (far from the truth). Thanks Jon! You can see my glasses have slipped down my nose and fogged up - two things I'm hoping to fix before the next lesson, which I can't wait for! I'm really keen to try documenting my progress as I get on. I have no idea about smaller hockey teams in Nottingham, but joining a small team at some point would be really cool.

Tags: hockey