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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.