Pulling on high socks, lacing up skates and waddling over to the rink is only the beginning when it comes to ice skating. In the midst of the winter season, students are often faced with the decision to either curl up inside or brave the cold for the ice.
For some, slicing the smooth ice can be enjoyable and fulfilling. The engulfing warmth of jackets, hats and gloves can help to counteract the chills that come from the freezing air. According to Zack Azadian ’15, it can even feel as if you’re flying.
“It’s like I’m hovering on a cloud– a cloud of ice,” Topher Brown ’15 said.
When successful, sliding across the slippery surface can result in a sense of power. But it can easily have an opposite effect.
“I thought I was good at it,” Helena Giaume ’15 said. “And then I fell.”
When gravity takes over, students said that they not only felt sad but were also left with wet, cold pants.
“In the beginning of the season it’s always very rough to start off,” Giaume ’15 continued.
“People whip by me, and it knocks me over, so I cling to the wall for dear life,” she said.
Many Staples students think it’s worth the risk of waking up with a sore tailbone from a hard fall.
“I’m a big fan. It’s like the duality between the thrill of gliding across the ice and the constant fear of falling and facing physical and emotional harm,” Nick Amato ’16 said.
