Welcoming Your Friends to Wild Ice!
Tips and tricks for a safe and successful outing
Introduction
This document is designed as a guide to help you plan a fun and safe outing on wild ice with newcomers to the sport. It can apply to a small outing with a few friends or to leading a larger group tour. The difference, of course, lies in the extra effort it takes to prepare for and organize a larger group.
The outline below will prompt you to think through your outing and formulate a plan based on your particular group and venue. Depending on the group, their skill level, prior experience with skating or other sports, and the conditions you encounter, you may vary how much attention you give to each topic,
It bears mentioning that wild ice, with all its inconsistencies, is not a good venue to teach people how to skate. It will be a much better experience for them to learn on a well- groomed rink before venturing onto wild ice. The primary objective for a new skater is, of course, to deliver a great time so that they want to return!
Preparation
Pick a place to skate where you know the conditions and the hazards (ideally a location you have scouted/skated previously). Make sure you’re taking them to strong, smooth ice that offers a fun skate. If possible, arrive early and check conditions/survey for hazards. The idea is to facilitate the best possible conditions (including tailwind!) for their first time out.
Check the weather forecast when picking the skate day
avoid taking people out when the wind chill is below 10 degrees
If the air temp is above 32 degrees, reconsider taking people out on gray ice and thinner black ice (less than 6 inches), especially if there’s sun.
aim for a day with little wind (under 5 mph) and/or make sure that your skate plan takes wind into account
Make sure your group is a manageable size and/or that you’ll have enough help should something go sideways. Depending on the size of the group, consider having someone to lead the group and someone to skate at the back. While it’s great to have other experienced skaters along, be aware that multiple voices can be confusing for new skaters.
If possible, tailor your approach to what you know about your participants’ learning styles and strengths.
Make sure you understand the ability level of everyone in your group. Your day will largely be dictated by the weakest skater and you will likely be spending extra time with anyone who is well below the ability level of the rest of the group. It’s absolutely OK, even essential, to ask each person about their skating experience and clarify your and their expectations for the day.
Discuss the plan and make sure all participants are comfortable with the planned time out, distance, time and location of meeting, and other aspects of the outing.
Share a list of safety gear and be sure to clarify any items that are required to participate, which might include:
Helmet (and pads if they are not comfortable with skating)
Ice picks
Throw ropes if they have them (at least two, including yours recommended)
PFD
Ice poles if they have them, ski poles if not, for balance
Skates
Fully charged cell phone (kept in an inside pocket to stay warm/retain battery life)
Backpack with:
Change of warm clothes in a drybag/waterproof bag
Water and snacks
An extra layer
Goggles (optional)
Microspikes
Flexibility regarding gear:
Good to know if folks are skating on Nordic or figure/hockey skates to plan distance/route. While the goal is to get folks out on nordic skates, skating wild ice on hockey/figure skates may be the entry point to falling in love with the sport.
Plan to bring extras of throw ropes, picks, ice poles, ski poles, or even Nordic skates as available
Essentials regarding gear: Having been clear about what gear is non-negotiable for you to lead newcomers out onto the ice, be prepared to hold firm to your requirements .
Ask skaters to watch an ice self-rescue video so they can visualize what to do in case they plurr (swim).
Gordon Geisbrecht’s ice rescue video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz3gy5XyaBo (about 19 minutes but thorough)
Dan Spada’s ice rescue with claws- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8FsgNeXZhQ
Dan Spada’s ice rescue with rope - https://youtu.be/QaO40ym7H_A
Day Of Skate Orientation (10-15 minutes)
Suit up, gather the group and after hellos and/or introductions, check gear
Make sure everyone has their safety equipment and that it is attached or stashed properly. Perhaps “buddy” up and have them check each other's gear while you review the gear list.
Review what to do if you fall in:
Don’t panic and wait for your breathing to calm
Go back to where you fell in, where ice is the thickest
Get your body as parallel to the water as possible
Kick and use your ice picks to pull yourself up and out
Those on ice give coaching instruction and ask if you need a throw rope
Agree on some ground rules, i.e.
No skating off alone
Follow the leader and communicate often (i.e. if leader goes ahead to test ice).
Skate single file and keep a distance of approximately 30 feet between skaters
Keep the others within your sight stopping every so often to let folks catch up or skate back to them
When stopping to regroup, stay spread out so as to disperse weight.
If you are leaving the group, let the leader know and go back with a buddy
If you’re a larger group, share contact information in case you need to call/text on ice.
Review plan and confirm that the group is comfortable with planned time out, distance etc.
Point out things they should expect on the ice
The lake makes all sorts of noise. You will hear cracks and booms and that’s expected
You will likely encounter rough patches. Best thing to do is bend your knees, lower your center of gravity and use your legs like shock absorbers.
Review the basics of ice reading
We use sight, sound and feel to test ice. Has the color or texture of ice changed? Are there hazards? Has pitch changed?
We stop and test with an ice pole or pike whenever there are visible changes in ice appearance
Pay special attention to inlets, outlets, narrows, gas holes, shoals and submerged rocks, docks (bubblers), points of land and where there is organic matter (all areas where ice tends to be thinner), snow drifts and patches.
For those inexperienced reading ice, follow the leader, giving them a bit of distance. Don’t skate off ahead! And make sure that everyone stays close enough to help in an emergency.
As you skate
Point out how and why you stop to test ice in different places
Show, where possible, the different features of the ice (grey vs. black, healed cracks etc.)
Give suggestions where needed on things to watch for (giving space, how to carry poles, hazards to be aware of)
Stop to check in, take snack breaks, provide an opportunity to ask questions, and make sure everyone is comfortable and having fun
Point out all the cool things you see!
Post skate
Celebrate accomplishments, share photos, and answer any final questions
Share this site
Encourage them to sign up for the Google groups and/or Facebook group (see Additional Resources) in their area to learn more, connect with the local skating community and locate clinics and skate tours.
Happy Skating!