Learn to Skate’ summer camp gets underway

Gibraltar Rock Stars Figure Skating Club is hosting a ‘Learn to Skate’ summer camp for children and adults this week as part of the Gibraltar Summer Sports and Leisure Programme.

Coach Sue Walsh yesterday taught a group of children how to skate The Learn to Skate week is taking place in the Kings Bastion.

The programme caters for children of different abilities, beginners, intermediates and advanced. It is approved by the UK’s National Ice Skating Association of which Gibraltar (GISA) is affiliated to.

The beginners will spend the week learning a variety of important basis steps or skills including how to fall correctly so you don’t hurt yourself and of the important getting back up again while wearing skates.

Jacqui Gupta, from GISA, explains, “they need to learn to fall and get up, because it is the fear of falling that stops them at times.”

Other skills they learn include marching on the spot, two-foot glides, marching forward while performing head, shoulders, knees and toes, marching forward and performing half turns, and also jumping.

“Getting down in the position of the ‘little man’ will eventually get you into the position to do a spin. Even marching on the spot you will get on the right edge of your blade and it will help you move forward,” said Ms Gupta.

“Even marching backwards you turn your feet in you then start to skate backwards. Everyone is like ‘whoa’ because they are not expecting to be able to do that just by turning your toes in,” she added.

Yesterday saw eight children taking part in the beginners class. The advanced class learnt more difficult moves such as spins.