One of the most popular activities during the holidays is ice skating. Anyone who’s stepped foot into the rink knows that it’s not easy to get the hang of, and it’s not hard to spot someone who hasn’t been on the ice very much. 

   Sophomore Elsie Duff is practically a skating expert, and it has its perks—mainly that she’s taken it upon herself to teach me.  

    “There’s a lot to learn when it comes to getting the hang of ice skating, but I’ve been doing it my whole life so I’ve pretty much got the hang of it,” Duff said. 

   Right off the bat, it wasn’t looking too good for me. I slipped as soon as I got in the rink, but once I could successfully stand up,  she started teaching me. 

   Her biggest tip was that skating is very different from walking, so instead of stepping, shift your weight from one foot to the other and push off. 

   It was hard figuring out exactly how to do it at first, but once I got more confident we had a lot of fun.

   ¨There’s definitely moments when I spin out of control and fall, but I think that’s what makes doing this with my friends so much more fun. We don’t have to take it seriously and it’s something we can all laugh with each other about,” Duff said. 

   I think the most important thing I learned from going skating is that even if you’re not the best at it, you can still have fun and make amazing memories. 

   If you’re hesitant to go ice skating this holiday season, I would say go for it!