Welcome to Skating School in Tikkurila!
In our club’s Skating School, we have autumn and spring season. In autumn season there are around 11-15 ice practice weeks and moreover whole club’s Christmas Show. In Skating School spring season there are around 11-15 ice practice weeks and traditional Spring Show where all skating school skaters perform.
This year we offer practice groups for everyone! You can get to know all different options here (in Finnish). You can find the enrollment form here!
If you have any questions or if you would like to come and try skating one time for free, please contact us by email: luistelukoulu.ttk@gmail.com.
Skating as a hobby
Figure skating is versatile and incredibly challenging hobby. The excitement of speed and tricks is something that you can't find anywhere else. Figure skating raises children to perseverance. In addition, skating as a hobby develop children’s motor skills, teaches how to work in a group and how to follow the instructions. Even a small skater will quickly become an expert in the skating; they learn the names of the movements which might be unknown to parents. Please remember to praise even small achievements and encourage to learn more!
Falling is a big part of skating. Falling is an important skill and it would be good for a child to fall in every practice. Children are more open-minded as parents and many children are also very bold. It is also good to encourage them to try hard, and that falling is all right.
At home it is worth asking and reviewing what was done at the Skating School. A week is a very long time for a child. We recommend visiting together in public skates or taking another exercise to program.
Practice times
In our skating school children can practice once or twice in a week on the ice and in the gymnastics exercises.
Skaters under school age
on Tuesdays
- from 16:45 to 17:15 gymnastics exercise and from 17:30 to 18:15 ice practice
on Saturdays
- from 9:25 to 9:55 gymnastics exercise and from 10:10 to 10:55 ice practice
Skaters who go to school
on Tuesdays
- from 18:15 to 19:00 ice practice and from 19:15 to 19:45 gymnastics exercise
on Saturdays
- from 10:55 to 11:40 ice practice and from 11:55 to 12:25 gymnastics exercise
Basics for adults and teenagers "Luistelun perusteet"
on Sundays
- 19:10-20:00 off ice practice
- 20:10-21:00 ice practice
Prices
If you join our Skating School in the beginning of fall season/spring season the normal prices are:
- children: practices one time per week 180 euros
- children: practices 2 times per week 300 euros
- adults and teenagers: 10 ice practices 215 euros and 10 ice practices 50 euros
Additionally all the skaters pay the membership fee 30 euros.
Enrollment
You can enroll to any Skating School group all around the skating season here !
Equipment
Skates
The skaters' most important equipment is good skates. A proper skate is made of quality leather and it has a built-in arch for support of the foot.
The tongue of the skate is padded, and the skate has a 2-3 cm heel. The leg must not be too high. A good skate boot doesn't necessarily feel comfortable at first; it has to be ”run in”. The blade of a figure skate is swing-like; it has a furrow in the middle and a toe pick at the front.
Inside the skate, use a light and well-fitting sock (not wool socks). This way you'll be able to lace the boot properly. Always use clean socks, as they are the warmest.
Start lacing from the lowest part of the boot. You can leave some space for the toes to move, but at the instep and ankle area the laces must be done firmly to give enough support to the ankle. The leg is tight enough if your index finger fits in between the leg and the foot at the back of the boot.
To keep the lacing from loosing, make a knot before the first set of hooks. End the lacing with a tight knot at the top. You can hide the knot inside the boot next to the tongue, to avoid the laces hanging loose. Laces that are too long should be shortened to fit the boot.
The boot must give support to the ankle and ankles must remain straight inside the boots. Skating becomes difficult and hurtful on the feet if ankles cannot be held straight. A good skate boot can be recognized by holding the skate horizontally: the leg should remain stiff and not bend downwards loosely.
Skate maintenance
The blades are extremely sensitive and can be easily damaged, so we advise you to always use blade guards when walking with the skates outside the ice.
After returning to the locker room after the session, remove the guards immediately and dry the blades carefully with an absorbing tissue or chamois.
Keep the skates preferably in two separate tissue-made bags, and without the guards. Even good blades get rusty if the guards are left on. Prefer guards made of plastic and make sure to clean them from eventual sand and other improperties.
At home, we recommend that you take the skates out of their bag and leave them to air, so that they dry also on the inside. The skates should not nevertheless be aired next to a radiator, as the leather easily becomes brittle.
Skates that have been well taken care of maintain their value at the resale market.
The sharpening of figure skates is completely different from that of hockey skates. You must not damage the blades with an unsuitable sharpening technique.
Clothing
Warm and stretchy clothes are most suitable on the ice, as they offer an ease of movement. Quilted jackets and overalls are most often too thick and stiff, and it is difficult to move in them.
A warm turtleneck along with a wool shirt or a cardigan can be used on the ice. Pants made of an elastic material, leggings and jumpsuits are suitable. The legs of the pants must not be too wide. If you wish, you can also use a skating dress with tights/leggings and a fleece jacket/cardigan.
It is good to wear a warm knitted cap to cover the head, and gloves. The gloves must be clean (no sand etc. should be brought onto the ice). It is also recommended that the youngest skaters use a helmet at first.
Other equipment
Each skater also receives a name tag, which should always be attached to the skater's clothes at the ice rink.
Skating School gymnastic exercises
We order Skating School gymnastic exercises on Tuesday and on Saturday. In gymnastic exercises children practice a variety of basic motor skills and physical skills under the guidance of a Skating School teachers.
During the practice season 2023-2024 all the gymnastic exercises will be held in Tikkurila Areena´s hallway. Gathering to the gymnastic exercises takes place in the Areena lobby, where the teachers take the children with them. Children will be returned to the same place after the end of the exercise. Children need sneakers and clothes that enable them to move; for example fleece and leggings.
At the Tikkurila practice ice rink
We wish you to come to the ice rink in a positive mood and without fuss, preferably at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the session. The most effective way to enjoy the teaching is to be on time on the ice when the session starts. It is nevertheless forbidden to go on the ice before the teachers. Coming on the ice on foot is also not allowed. Having chewing-gum on ice is dangerous for the skaters and therefore strictly forbidden.
Parents are welcome to watch the Skating School lessons, but from distance. It is not allowed to follow the sessions leaning onto the borders, as it disturbs the activities on the ice. To ensure good learning conditions, it is very important that skaters can focus entirely on their groups' activities and on the teacher's instructions.
There might be other empty dressing rooms but please use only those which are reserved to our club "TTK" and our skating school.
Groups
Skaters come to the Skating School once or twice a week, and they are placed in a group that suits best their age and skating skills level. The aim of the beginners' groups is to learn basic skating skills in a playful atmosphere and to learn how to behave in a group. In the more advanced groups, skaters will learn basic figure skating skills. Both Skating School days offer the same levels of teaching, so you can choose the time that suits you the best. We will take care of finding the most suitable group for your child.
The Skating School teachers follow the skaters' progress and make changes in the groups. As the skaters' skills develop, they may also change groups during the year. It is also possible to attend both different Skating School sessions a week; this will have a remarkable impact on the child's skills.
Teachers and contact person
You can contact us by sending email to the address luistelukoulu.ttk@gmail.com.
The Skating School teachers have been trained by Tikkurilan Taitoluisteluklubi. Our aim is that the groups have the same teacher throughout the entire skating year. In case of an absence, the teacher will give instructions regarding the group for a substitute teacher.
During the Skating School sessions, a contact person is always present at the ice rink. She is there to answer your questions and to give up-to-date information. Each time skaters come to the Skating School, they should sign in at the front desk, situated near the entrance.
Payment
The bill of the Skating School will be emailed to the email address you provided at the enrollment. The bill includes the membership fee in addition to training fee. The membership fee is only charged once during the whole skating season (1st of August – 30th of April). Invoice reminders and collection are handled by our partner Visma Financial Solutions Oy. If you have any questions about Skating School billing, please email: laskut.ttk@gmail.com.
Insurance
Please note, that each person practicing in a Finnish skating club must purchase a skating pass for the season. Also please note, that each skater must have an insurance that covers accidents that might occur while doing sports, especially figure skating.
Skating pass with insurance is included in the skating school fee for those who practice one day a week.
When you want to practice two or more days a week you need to take care of your skating pass and insurance yourself. In other words, practicing two days a week DOES NOT INCLUDE accident insurance. We strongly recommend that you buy your skating pass with ”Pohjola Sporttiturva Sports Cover” insurance. If you already have your own insurance that covers this sport, the skating pass without insurance is all right.
Instructions on how to buy a skating pass can be found here.
Club’s information
Skating school information is provided via email and on the club’s website. You will all be invited to the Jopox system by email. Please contact luistelukoulu.ttk@gmail.com in case of problems with Jopox. If your contact information changes, please kindly correct your information in the Jopox system.
Session canceled or changed
Unfortunately, a Skating School session may sometimes have to be canceled because of competitions, tournaments or damages at the ice rink. We try to inform about these cancellations as soon as possible by e-mail, via the contact persons at the ice rinks and at the Tikkurilan Taitoluisteluklubi Skating School web page.
The Skating School enrollment is done separately for each ice rink. If a skater misses a session, it is not possible to replace the session in another Tikkurilan Taitoluisteluklubi Skating School on another day. In case of illnesses of more than two weeks, skaters can get some refund in their Skating School fee. A medical certificate must be shown to receive this refund.
Events
All Skating School children can performance during season. During the Skating School sessions, there are also smaller events such as bring-a-friend session, from which you will get more information closer to the events. Please, book already now these dates for performances
Moving Up from the Skating School
As you learn quickly and skating feels fun, from the Skating School it is possible to move up to training groups, and further into competitive groups, in individual figure skating or in synchronized team skating. Timantit and Muokka-Tähdet groups prepare skaters to a competitive level and they offer 3 training sessions a week.
Contact
Address: Läntinen Valkoisenlähteen tie 52-54, 01300 Vantaa
E-mail: luistelukoulu.ttk@gmail.com / toimisto.ttk@gmail.com
Phone: 050 522 4064 (Office)
Special figure skating stores close to Tikkurila
Lucky Skate, Pakilantie 95, 00670 Helsinki (Paloheinä)
p. 010 423 6680 vwww.luckyskate.fi
Skate Marketing, Sarkkakuja 2, 04300 Tuusula
p. (09) 275 5548 www.taitoluistin.fi
Skate Shop, Malmin raitti 17, 00700 Helsinki (Malmi)
p. 010 397 9400 www.skateshop.fi
