NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — For the first time in years, New Orleans has an ice skating rink! Nola ChristmasFest is open to the public December 18th. The rink is located at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in Hall B, along with the rest of a winter wonderland. For the beginners, here’re some tips on how to get started.

How to tie your skates 

Lace them up tight! Tying your laces tight will provide your ankles with more support, which is crucial especially for beginners. It is dangerous if your skates are loose because you won’t be able to stand and could potentially break something.

Utilize the boards

The boards can be used as a rail, but only use one hand. Using both hands for support won’t get you anywhere, and the quicker you can ween yourself off the support, the better of a skater you will become.

Posture

Those new to skating have a tendency to do one of two things when they first hit the ice: lock their knees or skate with their hands in front of them. Locking you knees will result in you falling on your butt. Ouch! The blade of a skate is shaped like a rocker, and if you lock your knees your weight will shift to your heel and you will fall. On the reverse if you skate with your hands in front of you preempting a fall, well, your weight will shift to the front of your blade, and you will fall! So stand up straight, legs bent, and arms out to the side like an airplane.

Stopping

Don’t use the toe pick! The picks at the front of the blade are for jumping and spinning. To stop you can do one of two things: a hockey stop or a snowplow

Don’t be afraid to fall

It means you’re working hard to get better! When you fall, to get back up get on your knees first then slowly stand up using both hands.

Speed

Power comes from using the edges of your blade while pushing, and for beginners, there’s a swivel. You move from the heel to the toes of your skates, creating a pattern.