Monday, November 7, 2011

First Hockey 3-4 class

Last night was my first class in full gear. So much fun, but I am out of shape. I don't think I was the worst one out there. My skating was fine, even skating with the puck I did okay. I have to get used to passing the puck, especially off the backhand. Catching I can do, but I felt bad for my passing drill partner because I never ever got it back on their tape. I did score on the goaltender during one of the drills. I would say ability-wise Im around the middle of the class, and this is at least the second session for most of them. So I'm pretty sure I'll be ready for a beginner division in a league by the end of this 10-weeks.

My conditioning is a concern, especially since the instructor said he would skate us harder next week. My head felt like it was going to burst at the end of the hour last night. Gonna try to ride the bike twice a week, and I'll really try to push it, instead of going for a leisurely ride like I usually do.

Im gonna try to get a camera out there one of these practices, I have a helmet cam, but I'll feel like a huge nerd with that on my helmet. Im not sure how, but Ill supply some video of my progress.


Monday, October 31, 2011

Last Class = Graduation

So last night was my last class of my Hockey 1-2 skating classes.

12 weeks ago, I could skate forward relatively well, and sort of snowplow stop with just my right foot. Thats about it.

Now, I'm just more comfortable and confident on skates. I can cross over both left and right sides, I can hockey stop really well with my right foot, and getting better with my left. I can transition from forward to backwards to forward in both directions. Backwards C-cuts pretty well, just starting to get crossovers backwards.

So at the end of practice, the instructor kind of told everyone where they go for the next class. Half the class got put into the same class again. The other half, myself included got to go ahead to Hockey 3-4.

Hockey 3-4 is a full hour, full ice instead of 45 mins on 1/4 of the ice. Full gear, pucks, sticks, helmets. Like a hour long stick time with instruction. So it should be cool. Starts next Sunday. I'm really excited.


Monday, September 26, 2011

Class #5 plus a video!

I'm finally starting to feel like I'm making progress.

Our instructor is trying out with the Las Vegas ECHL team, the Wranglers. Unfortunately that means we'll lose him for the rest of the classes. He said, "I'm not sure who will be teaching this class from now on, so I'm gonna try to get through as many things as I can tonight."

We did our normal drills, C-Cuts, Inside Edge Rotation, Tight Turns, Cross-Overs, Hockey Stops and a few other odds and ends. Then we got to backwards skating, backward C-Cuts might be the least coordinated I've felt in a long time, but I kind of got the hang of it. Then after a few backs and forths we did forward to backward transitions. I'm pretty far from nailing it, but I'm not as completely out of control as I thought I would be. Backwards stopping, not too bad. For some reason I nailed the backward to forward transitions.

I think my general concern is that I'm standing up too tall when I do pretty much anything. I need to get into the "Taking a shit in the woods" stance.

I look forward to trying all these things in full pads at a stick-time or something, maybe even a pick-up game.

Here is proof that I can stop.  I hope to have some more video next time.





Sunday, August 21, 2011

1st Class

It was a group of six of us. Four guys two girls.

There seemed to be a lot of no-shows, so maybe more will show up next week.

Not a lot of instruction really, just drills pretty much, so hopefully repetition is the answer. Of the six in the class, I can honestly say I'm not the worst, although I was one of the only people to fall tonight. I got a little cocky whilst snowplow stopping and just fell backwards onto my arse.

The instructor seems good, maybe a little bored.

The good thing is that I'm not running into things or people anymore. I have enough control to stop when I where I want to.

No pics or video, maybe next time.

Tonight is my first skating class, plus a link

Tonight is the first class of my ten week skating class. Pretty excited, I think its the only way I to make sure that I skate at least once a week. Not sure what to expect, other than to be awesome at skating at some point. Hopefully I can get someone to take a picture so I'll have something to post here.

Also, my friend Chad is on a similar quest. Only with doing one of those ninja wall flip things. Check him out. I Will Wallflip
He just recovered from dislocating his ankle after a front flip on concrete, so there is some potential carnage to be seen.

Hope to have something like this to post after the class tonight.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Enrolled in Skating Class

Its been in the works for a while, but I'm finally enrolled in an adult skating class. Hope it helps. 8pm on Sundays for 10 weeks and starts on August 20th.

Apparently by the end of the class I'll be ready for primetime.

Been riding my bike a lot and can feel my stamina getting better, but nothing wears me out like hockey, so the first couple lessons with probably be interesting.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Happy Birthday to me

I'm 35 now. Yay! I always thought I would be much more of an adult at 35.

On a happier note, the Kings look like they're taking big steps toward winning the Pacific this year. I'll keep my expectations low though, I've been excited about the Kings in July before.

My wife and a couple friends got me a player worn Kings practice jersey for my birthday. I think it must have been Oscar Moller though, I dont think it would fit over my shoulder pads. It'll be good for wearing to Kings games though.

Select a seat is next week, but I'll be in Tennesee, I hope our cabin has wifi service.

Im signed up for an LGK pick up game on July 23rd. I hope they dont mind me messing up their game. I'll make sure my wife comes and takes pics and videos for the blog.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

More Stick Time!

On Monday, my friend Justin and I went to a nearly empty stick time at The Valley Ice Center in Panorama City. It was fun having pretty much the whole sheet to ourselves.

Getting pretty confident with stopping with my right foot in front, which makes sense because I'm a goofy footer. Left foot is still pretty weak, but its getting there. Finally getting both feet sideways on my stops.

I definitely need a private skating class. I just feel like I wont ever progress by teaching myself.

Worked a bit on skating with a puck with my head up. Didn't do very well at that. Maybe Im destined to be a defensive Dman. If only I could skate backwards.

All this time I think about the time I wasted being too skinny for football and not athletic enough for basketball, too tall for wrestling and too bored by baseball. Now Im trying what seems like the natural sport for me at the ripe age of 34.

Oh, and I turn 35 next week.

Ive been riding my bike quite a bit, but I think my route must be too easy because my stamina isn't much better when I skate. Its an 8 mile loop from my house around the Rose Bowl and back. Takes me about 45 mins and theres a good enough mix of hills and flat areas, I feel it in my legs, but not my lungs like when I skate.

Baby steps.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Been too busy

Working on a project that has been consuming all of my free time. 80 hours or so in the last week, something like 26 days straight. So I haven't had a chance to skate. Since the project delivered yesterday, I'm hoping there aren't any emergencies today so I can go skate tonight.

Yesterday I finally got a chance to go down to Hockey Giant and get a stick that fits me.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Stick Time and general busyness

Went to stick time last night in Pasadena. Concentrated on stopping and getting comfortable with sliding my edges. Still out of shape and my back started to ache within the first few minutes, but I fought through it because I was having so much fun. Skated pretty much the entire hour, but was definitely fatigued by the end of the session. Not as sore today, but tomorrow will be the real test.

Got a bike!!!! Its sitting in my living room waiting to be ridden, but showed up without a seat clamp bolt. So I could ride it, but Id be swiveling around the hills of Pasadena. It's very clear I need to do something about my stamina, maybe I'll go to a bike shop after work tomorrow.

I'd like to skate at least once a week to make sure I progress at a decent rate, but work and house stuff have prevented that. Fortunately my big project is over and the house is in decent shape, so that stuff should stop getting in the way any day now.

Got another couple sticks from hockey monkey, but THOSE ARE SHORT TOO!!! Senior sticks, I made sure of it when ordering, but they just showed up short again. I need to buy my sticks in person or this is gonna get expensive. I think I should get into the hockey equipment biz.

Monday, May 2, 2011

I kinda played hockey!!!

A lot has gone down since my last update.

First of all, the rest of my gear was accidentally delivered to a vacant house on my street, then after a few phone calls they showed up at my door. Everything fits fine, except the sticks are a bit short. I dont think I ordered Junior sized sticks, but they barely come up to my chin without skates on.

As of Friday, my plan was to go to the Beginning Hockey class at the Valley Ice Center in Panorama City on Saturday morning. That plan didn't quite work out, but I'll get to that in a bit.

Friday night I literally said, "How the fuck do I tape my stick?" It was too late to get anyone to show me in person, so I went to good old YouTube. Turns out the HowToHockey.com guys have a couple stick taping tutorials which were exactly what I needed.

I think I did okay.



So I got all my stuff on and realized how hot everything is. Even without doing anything I was sweating. It is an interesting feeling though. Being mildly invincible is fun.

So on Saturday I made my way over to the Valley Ice Center to take my beginning hockey class. It turns out the class I wanted to take had been moved to Wednesday. So I ended up in a Hockey 101 class. I basically dropped into week 10 of a 10 week class of mostly 8-9 year old kids. These kids were pretty much done with instruction and were just basically there to scrimmage. Fortunately a friend tagged along, so I wasn't the only guy on the ice over 4ft tall.

So there I am, doing hockey drills with 20 9 year old kids. I did better at skating with the puck than I thought I would. It actually takes my mind of the skating part. The funniest part of this was on one of the drills, I ran into the goal and fell on my back. I think those kids were laughing, but I didn't care, so was I. Then the coach guy pulls everyone together and starts making teams for the big scrimmage. Im looking at the other adult in the class saying, "Are we really going to play against these kids?"

"I guess so"

For some reason we were both on the same team, so it was two giant guys, plus two small guys against four small guys. Fortunately we had a pretty good hockey player on our team, cuz I not only need skating lessons, but I need to work on my stamina. There were no line changes and those kids didn't need breaks. I was begging for a water break but it didn't come.

Even though it was against kids, I think I played okay. What I lack in skill, I could make for with my reach. I don't want to get into stats, but I did score a goal, it ricocheted in off one kids cage and anothers helmet. I felt bad so I apologized. Through all of this, I was wondering how hard we were expected to play. I wasnt going to check any 9 year olds, but I didn't want to leave the other kids on our team hangin out to dry, so I played hard on defense, and tried to set up the kids on my team to score. I see myself as a two-way playmaking center. Hahah!



So now I guess I need to start going to stick time regularly, and maybe a private skating lesson will do the trick.

I skated hard for about an hour with minimal breaks, so therefore I was pretty sore the next day. The tips of my toes hurt, my ass, my lower back and my hands were all pretty sore. On the second day, the soreness pretty much doubled. It was a good kind of soreness though. I should stretch more beforehand.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Dammit!!!!



The Kings Lost.

Boo fucking hoo.



Heres a playlist to make me feel better. Track listing and explanation below. Frick fracker!!!!


1. Jane's Addiction - L.A. Medley
Some good LA based cover songs to confuse the senses. Not a well known song from L.A's own Jane's Addiction, but one of their best, in my opinion.
2. John K. Sampson - Petition
A nostalgia hockey song about Reggie Leach and he hockey hall of fame, does it get better?
3.Elegy from Gump Worsley - The Weakerthans
A nostalgia song about Gump Worsley, does it get better still?
4.I'll Believe in Anything - Wolf Parade
The Kings "I Believe" Campaign in song form sang by some Canadians.
5.Back In Black - AC/DC
Back in the playoffs?
6.I'm Bad At Sports - Optiganaly Yours
Not so bad at sports, just picking teams to support
7.Lullaby For Wayne - Weezer
For Wayne Simmonds
8.Golden Brown - Drive Like Jehu
For Dustin Brown
9. Justin Destroyer - El Guapo
For Justin Williams, the warrior who takes too much crap fro his durability
10. As Quick As It Comes - Calla
For Jonathan Quick our MVP
11. Just Like Zeus - Jenny and Johnny
For Michal Handzus, we'll miss you next season my Czech brethren.
12. Im Totally Not Down With Rob's Alien - Minus The Bear
For Rob Scuderi, the unsung hero of the season. Maybe tied with Willie Mitchell for that honor.
13.2x2x2 - Cloud Cult
This is for DD, you get it?
14.In Green Fields - Big Drill Car
For Matt Greene, the toughest guy Ive ever seen get beat up on a regular basis
15.Breakfast With Ryan - Tourettes Lautrec
For Ryan Smyth, I wish we could have won you a cup during your years here, but I dont see it happening.
16.Oscars Eye - Gray matter
For Oscar Moller, you got a pretty good view from the box these playoffs, but you were an integral part to a few games that got us here, and for that I thank you.
17.Who Stoll The Soul - Public Enemy
For Jarret Stoll, the guy who single-handedly got us in the playoffs with his shootout shots.
18.Spring Wind - Jack Johnson
The song from Jack Johnson for Jack Johnson
19.Parsec - Stereolab
Parsec is an appropriate description of how long we got to see you this season Scott.
20.It's A Curse - Wolf Parade
After game three, I'm convinced it'a a curse, how do we reverse it?
21.One Great City - The Weakerthans
A song about how horrible Winnipeg is, this is dedicated for Dave Tippet, read into that whatever you want, but I have nothing else to say on the subject.
22.Hurt - Johnny Cash
This song is for Kopi. Depressing as shit, but so is the thought of what these playoffs could have been with him in the lineup.
23.Promises - The Buzzcocks
How can ever let me down? Seems second nature for the Kings.
24.Los Angeles - X
My favorite song about my favorite city

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Report #2 Yay Kings!

Last night the Kings survived elimination, which means at least one more Kings game for me to attend before the season ends. Hopefully it'll be a win, I'd hate to see another opposing team win the series in our house. Last year visiting Canucks fans made me really mad with the "Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye" chant. I'm buying a bag of peanuts at the beginning of the third so I have something to throw at Sharks fans if they start that shit.

Anyways, back to the issue at hand. My progression. I skated yesterday and I was able to kind of stop. My friend Justin was helping me figure it out. Started out by just shaving ice with my right foot. Holding on to the boards and just pushing my right foot out. The key seems to be keeping my edges kind of flat on the ice, I always assumed you dig your edges in, but that just seems to make you stick in the ice. The more I rolled my foot outward, the more natural the slide would feel. I slowly started to apply it while skating around the rink. By the end of the session I could stop fairly consistently using my right foot out in front of me. It's not a hockey stop, but I dont feel like that's too far away.

It wasn't all Guns N' Roses though, I did fall again. This time I landed on my hip, and I have the bruise to prove it. I think I need falling practice, cuz I think my falls are looking rather wild, like Im trying too hard to stay up. Hopefully when I get fully padded up I'll get more accustomed to falling.

I ordered a ton of equipment over the weekend, if it shows up by Wednesday and work doesn't get in the way, I'm going to try to sign up for a Beginners Hockey Skating class at the Valley Ice Center. Thats all for now, Happy Easter.

In case you're interested, heres what I got. Still waiting for that sponsorship Bauer. This is getting expensive, so I better follow through.
Bauer Supreme ONE75 Senior Ice Hockey Pants - Royal
CCM U+ Fit07 Senior Hockey Elbow Pads
Bauer Vapor X:40 Senior Hockey Shoulder Pads
Bauer Vapor Core compression jock shorts
2 Pair CCM Hockey Socks
2 CCM 252 Heat Senior Wood Sticks
Kamazu Practice jersey
Clear Shin Tape
Bauer Senior Hockey Bag
A&R Tuff Terry Ice Hockey Skate Soakers

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Mission Statement, 1st report

My name is Josh, I'm 34 years old. I've been a hockey fan since I was 16, but growing up in Southern California is not conducive to learning to play the sport. Besides a couple roller hockey games on the cul de' sac and a few innocent high school dates to the ice rink in Pasadena, I have zero experience with hockey and/or ice skating.

Recently I've been wanting to get out of my comfort zone and experience something new. Why not hockey?

My goal is to learn to skate, get good enough to join a rec league, then score a goal in a game. Once I score that goal, I'll quit this blog.

The entire journey will be documented here. I'll write sporadically about my progress, my equipment, my conditioning and anything else that I deem appropriate.

So where am I at? Let me reiterate that I am an absolute beginner, starting from scratch. Im not in the best physical shape, nor am I terribly athletic. So this may prove to be more difficult for me than some others may find it. What I lack in the skill department I hope to make up for with my witty commentary.

Saturday I went to Hockey Giant in Anaheim and bought skates (Bauer Vapor X:40), Gloves (Bauer X:30), Shin Guards (Bauer X:40) and a helmet with a full cage (Cascade M11). That was fun and now that I look at it, I guess I like Bauer stuff. I would be willing to accept a sponsorship if any of you Bauer folks want to send me some stuff.

Sunday I went to an open skate in Burbank. My first lap was really sketchy, but after an hour or so of skating in a circle I was fairly comfortable skating forward, though pretty winded, man I'm out of shape. I can cross over going left, and I think I can crossover going right, but not as comfortable because the the rink was going in a counter clockwise direction. Made a few attempts at hockey stops, but I just ended up kind of spinning in a circle. No attempt to skate backwards yet. My skates fit perfectly (SPONSORSHIP!!) and were reasonably comfortable. Much more responsive than any rental skates I had used in years past. Made a huge difference. I only fell once, and it was right in front of a group of 8 year old hockey players that I was trying to impress. The thing is, with my frame, 6 foot 3 235 lbs, when I get moving in a direction, it's hard to change that direction too quickly. Also, when I hit the ice, I seem to slide further than everyone else. I guess thats science. Fortunately the only casualty in what is now known by 8 year old hockey players in Burbank as "The Gigantic Slow Falling Guy Incident" was my ego.

After my skate session I was changing back into normal clothes and a 65-70 year old guy in hockey equipment sat down next to me and started taping things up. I chatted with him for a bit. He suggested I go to the clinic they have on Wednesday nights.

I would like to skate again soon, but I have to watch the Kings playoff game tonight and tomorrow I fly to Ohio for my Grandma's funeral. RIP Grandma.

I think my conditioning level is a problem, in the near future I think I'll be getting a bike to help with that. I also need to buy the rest of my equipment so I can go to stick time.

Thanks for reading this far. Hopefully future posts are more entertaining.