Santa’s Coming To Town For Ice Skating

Christmas is right around the corner. The big man himself is taking a break from planning his route for Christmas Eve, for some ice skating in Rome!

Bring the family on December 21st, he'll be touching down at the J.F Kennedy Arena in Rome from 1 pm to 2:30 pm. Admission is free! If you do need to rent skates, there is a $3 charge. If you have your own, there is no charge!

Santa teamed up with RealBuzz.com to give us some tips for beginners hitting the ice.

Ice Skating Tips for Beginners

• Don’t look down— It's amazing how many people starting out in skating spend all their time looking at their feet rather than in the direction they are going. Instead, keep your head up and look in front of you so at least you can see who or what you are about to collide with!
• Tie skates the correct way — The right skates for you will not be the correct ones if they are tied incorrectly. Make sure your skates are not too tight or your feet will likely go numb, while having your skates too loose will not provide the proper support for your ankles.
• Don’t lean backwards — Leaning back will likely send you flying on your backside or worse. The best advice is to keep your knees bent and your weight forward. Hold your arms out in front of you and open them wide to help you stay balanced.
• There’s no stopping you! — Naturally, one of the basics you’ll need to know is how to stop. To stop, bend your knees, turn the toes of each foot inwards, point your heels out, and push out on your heels. This will slow you down and bring you to a stop, rather than barreling into an unfortunate stranger.
• Skate in the correct direction — While initially the direction you are skating may not be of your choosing, there is usually a directional rule to follow on the ice, either clockwise or vice-versa. Don’t try skating the wrong way round the ice rink as you’ll end up hurting others and quite possibly yourself.