How do I come to a stop while ice skating?

Question

When I've gone ice skating, I've always just let friction eventually slow me down (or the wall). I don't want to do this anymore!

What can I do to train myself to stop properly? What is the process of coming to a complete stop at will, the form the body should take, and the muscles that are actively used while doing so?

Answer 1

There are several ways to brake with ice skates:

• Snow plow:

  • Bend your knees,
  • Turn your heels outward
  • Here's a video that shows what it looks like
  • Here's a video that explains it in more detail

• One-legged snow plow:

  • Turn one leg inwards, putting the skate obliquely to your body
  • Slightly bend your ankle so the skate 'shaves' over the ice
  • Here's a video that explains the movement

• T-stop (Reversed snow plow):

  • Put one skate obliquely behind the other
  • Drag it over the ice to slow you down
  • Here's a video that shows what it looks like

• Like a hockey player (requires experience):

  • Twist to put both skates at a 90 degrees angle
  • Break by pushing your skates in the ice
  • Here's a video of how to do it

A good way to practice these techniques is by skating at a slow to moderate pace a few meters from the boarding and then try to break just in front of it. Worst case you fall over against the boarding and can grab on to break your fall.

Attribution to Yahoo Answers for finding some of the video's

Answer 2

I use figure skates and I lift up my skate and put it back down with the tip of my skate dragging on the ground. You will eventully come to a stop. It may feel like you are going to fall the first couple times but after you get the hang of it it is really easy. You should try this.

Answer 3

I am having some trouble stopping too, but my mentor taught me the snowplow method, which is super easy. You bend down whilst gliding, and go pigeon toed, then scrape the ice with your left or right foot until you stop! Hope it helped!