田田心血来潮想学花样滑冰(figure skating),于是星期六晚上我们在网上找可以学溜冰的场地。在英国(常年开的)溜冰场是稀有物,我们找到伦敦两家会教花样滑冰的,一家Alexandra Palace,另一家Lee Valley Ice Centre。两处离我家的距离差不多,开车(单程)都要一小时!但Alexandra Palace可以坐火车到(下了火车可以走路15-20分钟或坐公交车),可以放学后自己坐车去练习;Lee Valley Ice Centre公共交通就不太现实了,要在伦敦转两次车。
经过一个晚上的网上学习,我了解到的信息如下:要学花样滑冰得先从溜冰的基础开始打起,英国有个叫“Skate UK”的教学系统,从Level 1一直到Level 8,然后进入“Skate UK Star”开始学专门的比如花样滑冰(figure skating),这个阶段有Bronze, Silver和Gold三个级别。等完成这些,可以加入NISA(National Ice Skating Association)又有新的10个级别,这时可以开始参加各种公开比赛。Alexandra Palace和Lee Valley Ice Centre都有“Skate UK”的教学,但Alexandra Palace只有周一至周六有课,不适合田田(周一至周五放学后的来不及去,周六没空),只好选Lee Valley Ice Centre。刚好新一期的课程从今天(星期天)开始,我们来不及电话或电邮订课了,便起了个早打算赶到Lee Valley Ice Centre现场报名。
星期天早上开车路上倒是不堵车,8:25到了后立刻报上了名。这个时候冰场里已经有人在练习,是那些水平高一些的人在自由练习(好象也有教练在旁),叫“Patch Ice”。从9点开始是Level 6 – Gold的半小时课,不同level的人不同的组,在溜冰场各圈一块地(反正溜冰场够大)。我们看了一下Level 6的教学,感觉水平一般,还在学怎么“刹车”,难怪Level 1-8都叫基础课。半小时后是Level 1- Level 5的课。Level 1的就是起始级别,从没溜过冰的都可以参加。一群的小孩都在Level 1,有两个老师帮助“分流”,溜过冰的孩子被先叫进场,跟着一个教练开始上课(后来听田田说他们这群人直接升到Level 2了)。那些没溜过冰的则开始学怎么在冰上走(扶着栏杆)。这个课是给5-15岁的小孩开的,有几个小孩还真只有5岁,老师们挺耐心的。田田这组半小时内大概就学了“前进”、“后退”和“摔倒时怎么保护自己”。
半小时课后学员可以免费参加“Public Session”(2小时)就是自由溜冰时间,让你有机会练习。田田断断续续溜了一个半小时我们就回家了。田田说脚比较痛,估计免费租的溜冰鞋不舒服。我跟田田说学了6节课后如果决定继续学可以买自己的溜冰鞋(入门级溜冰鞋大概100英镑一双)。
田田从小学芭蕾舞,一直坚持到现在,也许花样溜冰适合她。不知道溜冰她能坚持多久,不管怎么说,有兴趣的东西总要试试。
附:田田的芭蕾舞前几天过了IDTA(International Dance Teachers’ Association)Level 2 Grade 4。我今天上网查了查,才知道业余最高级是Grade 5。这之后就是专业的Level 3(Intermediate)和Level 4(分“Advanced 1”和“ Advanced 2”)。
SKATE UK – BASIC SKILLS PROGRAMME
The Skate UK is a programme of basic skills; these are the fundamentals of the sport. Once a skater has completed this programme then they have the basic knowledge of the sport. This programme is tested under a progressive and continuous testing structure.
LEVEL 1
- Sit down and stand up
- March forwards across the ice
- Forward two foot glide
- Skate and Dip (Little Man)
- Turn around on the spot
LEVEL 2
- Backwards Marching across the ice
- Forward Swizzles (Lemons)
- Forward two foot glide on a curve (left and right)
- Two foot turn on the spot (forwards to backwards, back to forwards)
- Snowplough or T-Stop
LEVEL 3
- Forward stroking (showing correct use of blade)
- Moving two foot turn (forwards to backwards, back to forwards)
- Backwards Swizzles (Lemons)
- Back two foot glide
- Forward one foot glide (left and right)
LEVEL 4
- Forward outside edges on a circle (left and right)
- Forward inside edges on a circle (left and right)
- Basic forward Slalom (basic outside / inside edges)
- Backwards Stroking
- Forward continuous Chasses around a circle (left and right)
LEVEL 5
- Backward outside edges on a circle (left and right)
- Backward inside edges on a circle (left and right)
- Backward continuous chasses around a circle (clockwise and counter-clockwise)
- Forward crossovers (clockwise and anti-clockwise)
- Forward outside three turns (left and right) from standstill
LEVEL 6
- Forward inside three turn (left and right) from standstill
- Backward outside edges step to forward outside edge on a circle
- Backward crossovers (clockwise and anti-clockwise)
- Backward two foot Slalom
- Two foot spin (min 2 revs)
LEVEL 7
- Forward inside open Mowhawk (left and right)
- Backward crossovers to landing position glide
- Continuous forward outside edges along a straight line (as per Level 1 – Field Moves)
- Continuous forward inside edges along a straight line (as per Level 1 – Field Moves)
- Basic forward Cross rolls
LEVEL 8
- Continuously outside three turns around a circle (3 in a row); left and right
- Continuous inside three turns around a circle (3 in a row); left and right
- Step sequence: Three turns, Mowhawk, Cross rolls, Twizzles, Toe steps ect.
- Forward inside single Twizzle (left and right) (Hockey skaters forward Drag; left and right)
- One foot spin (min 2 revs) (Hockey skaters 2 foot spin; min 4 revs)
真有心,还放这些等级信息在这里。加拿大溜冰是冬天很流行的运动之一。
加拿大溜冰应该很方便,到处都有场地吧。好象有个华人花样滑冰世界冠军就是去加拿大训练的。
对,任何一个运动中心都有滑冰场。学溜冰很方便。冬天的时候还有室外冰场。
[…] 田田自从去年11月开始学溜冰,进步还是很大的。总共参加了Lee Valley Ice Centre的12节集体课(Group Lesson,每周一次,每次半小时),她已经达到了Skate UK level 5 (5 级),有资格在 “Patch-ice”时段溜冰了。 […]