Some time back in December of 2010, I decided to give skating a whirl for the first time since childhood. I can't remember exactly what was going through my mind but I'm sure I was thinking that it could be a fun activity to do in the outdoors, something that enhances the pleasures of winter (cool air, snowflakes falling) plus has the merits of being a social activity, though it can also be enjoyed in solitude.

Since I haven't skated for a very, very long time and I was not a strong skater to begin with, I weighed my options for a good place to get started. I found out Harbourfront has skating lessons but was concerned how far of a commute it is for me from my home. When I found out that my work place has an ice rink that is open for free-style skate during specific times, I realized the writing was on the wall - if it was going to be that easy to get to a rink (I'd be there anyway), I'd have a go at it right away.

I was quite nervous about that first skate, asking people questions like is it okay to skate in my long coat or would the length cause me to trip. Nobody rolled their eyes at my inquiries - they're a good bunch of people.

So I went for my first skate on a (thankfully) nearly empty rink, hanging on to the side board for the first twenty minutes for fear of going down. I slowly gained confidence and released my hands from the sides of the rink but still skated right alongside the wall. I felt thrilled that I could still skate and hoped I could improve my speed and movement with practice. It went well and I returned to my office in need of a second lunch!

After that first skate, I almost felt ready to take on a rink with no side boards but was not entirely sure of it. So when a friend asked me to join him skating, I replied that I may need a hand. No problem, he replied. Great. So, I borrowed my sister's skates and off we went to Harbourfront on a sunny, but cool day. I still remember how beautiful the lake and Island looked on that gorgeous December day. I found my footing surer than I anticipated, resisting my friend's supportive arm which he later confessed to feel dismay at since holding my arm was something he hoped he would have had the pleasure of that day. I enjoyed moving to sounds of rock & roll and even started playing the air guitar and so did he. Skating and music are a natural pair. About 45 minutes into the skate, my sister's old leather skates broke apart, and so, that was the end of that skate for me. It was nice to sit by the rink and watch my friend try to impress me. Moral support - that's what friends are for.

My interest in skating was gearing up so I organized another trip to Harbourfront. This time I went with two friends - one was a figure skater and the other had not skated since childhood - I couldn't have picked a more interesting social skating experiment! As one friend twirled and leaped into the air ever so gracefully, the other cautiously and slowly took steps while holding firmly onto my hand. At least we could dream of our potential as skaters if we only took a few more lessons.

You know, it really is fun to skate hand-in-hand :-)

...except when one skater goes down and pulls the other down too.

...but then we can laugh in pairs about it. And we did. And we still do.

There came a day when I decided to buy skates so that I would not have to rent them and thereby avoid the long rental lineups, but it would also enable me to skate at venues that did not have skate rental opportunities. I was so excited when I found a pair of beautiful skates - I hurried to make use of them the very next day. Sadly, the skates were not at all kind to me and caused large, bleeding ulcers above my ankles on both legs. There was blood every where! I have no idea how I could be so injured without being aware of it but I was not skating for a couple of months. Ooops.

But I recovered and regained my courage.

I skated a few more times at work and had plans to skate in the heat of summer - I thought it would be awesome to feel the chill of ice skating when it is a steamy 35 degrees outside. It didn't happen last summer but maybe this summer it will. Sounds cool to me!

In January of 2012, a few friends went to skate at Colonel Samuel Smith Park. There is a beautiful and warm place to lace up in the Power House Recreation Centre (built 1888) which served for a century as the coal-fired heating plant that piped warmth to the adjacent Lunatic Asylum. It was a lovely, sunny day to glide around the city's first trail, winding through the park. It is a refreshing yet calming experience that feels as though we've traveled back in time, to a more gracious and slower existence. Part of the charm of a social skate is the ability to skate with different partners and change conversations each time you switch. The social skate has a really nice flow.

Aside from the social aspect, there is the opportunity to explore the many skating venues and the next one is another beauty:

The Evergreen Brick Works has a beautiful trail where you can glide over the ice under the open sky with only the rafters of the former industrial building overhead. It is as though you're winding through a wooded valley with views of the city and enclaves filled with ovens providing a charming view. There is a pretty cafe for the requisite hot chocolate or moccachino, plus many other activities to do in the area or interesting trails to explore where fossils may be found and birds are likely to be heard. Or, as in my case, a singer could be on the loose. My best experience here involved being pulled along by a very strong skater - I'm sure you understand the joys of just standing still as someone else does all the work - yet you must be alert at all times to not bump into any one and you must also swing your pose to accomodate the turns. We had one person pull two of us in a string of skaters - for me it was a thrill ride. I'm sure there could be skater pulling competitions somewhere or else a paid attraction at a winter fair.

There I must end for now but I'm looking forward to exploring different ice rinks in the city and beyond. I do have a list of ice rink hopes.

Gleam of ice, and glint of steel,

Jolly, snappy weather;

Glide on ice and joy of zeal,

All, alone, together.

Fickle Spring! Who can imprint her?-

Faithless while she's captivating;

Here's to trusty Madame Winter.-

~e.e. cummings