The Washington times., 1938-12-12
SKATES
CLAIMED EASY
FOR BEGINNERS
BY Lillian RIXEY


skates for Christmas. So before
you think of giving or receiving
any, or buying yourself some, for
that matter, be sure you give a
thought to the type Of skate that
suits you, the kind you will want
to use and for what type Of skat-
ing you will use them.
Many figure skaters hold that
it's just as easy to learn to skate,
even if you are a rank beginner,
on the rocker-type blade which
they use as it is to don the simple
hockey skate commonly used for
the first time. The chief differ
ences are that the point of the
blade in figure skate has a
jagged edge and the blade is
slightly grooved to permit skating
on the inside and outside edges.
The hockey skate is flat on the
bottom surface. Few beginners
will want to acquire the long
bladed, tubular, speed skate until
they have at least learned to stand
up on the ice. The speed skate is
three and q half inches longer
than the hockey variety.
"ANY OLD PAIR"
The chief advantage of learning
on figure skates is that eventually
you will want to branch out after
you have gained confidence on ice
and try tripping run or a pi-
rouette or spectacular Charlotte
stop. You'll need figure skates
to do those things.
If you feel more secure on
hockey skates, by all means get
them, but don't forget they aren't
so disable for figure skating later.
After all, it's even easier to learn
to skate on ice than to learn
roller skating. All you need is
confidence.
A poll Of the sporting goods
stores, department stores and shoe
emporjums which this year are
stocking skates, shows that the
average purchaser just says, ~
"SSA4O w DOS q RGk14 Va OhcbUCDs
Most pu1veyors of sporting |
goods report a sharp upswing in |
the sales of ice skates since the
opening of the Chevy Chase Ice
Palace. Vim, on G Street, figures |
their sales have jumped 100 per
cent; GarriSon'S, on E Street, re-
stocked twice, and the Sport
Center has sold 1,700 pairs to |
date. The shop at the Ice Palace
is also doing a rousing good bust |
ness.
FIGURES-AND FIGURES
Shoe skates range in price from
the simple mems hockey type at
$2.45 to the white buckskin high
laced women'S figure skate, with
the entire skate made of one piece
of stainless chromium steel, priced
at $3.50. For beginning figure
skaters a shoe-skate priced be-
tween $4.95 and $7.95 should prove
very satisfactory until more COM
plicated figures are attacked.
The prime essential in buying a
pair Of skates is to get a good shoe
fit. Remember that you will want
to wear pair Of wooden socks in
side-in fact, it's best to take them
along when trying on your new
pair for a proper fit.
The skates must be laced tightly
about the ankles for secure sup
port, tightly enough to be actually
uncomfortable until you get used
to the feel of them.
'JITTER-BUG EAR-MUFFS'
Skating accessories have, of
course, taken a parallel upSwing
in the trade martS of the city.
Flaring velveteen skirts at $1.95
have been sold out numbers of
times at one store, which con-
tinueS to re-Stock.
Pocket skate sharpeners at Csc,
or more elaborate contraptions at
1895 with rack and hone COM
plete, will save you a lot of money
in the end, for skates need to be
frequently sharpened to get the
best out of them.
Skate Scabbards of leather at
79c will keep your blades from
growing dull too quickly. There
is a run, too, on sweater sets with
stocking caps to match, and stock
ings with matching woody gloves.
The neatest come-ons seen yet are
the "jitterbug ear-muffs," of red,
blue and green, which the younger
ice-skating set will don more
for allure, however questionable,
rather than for their utility, until
at least Mr.. Leoffler'S open-air
l.inlr iS fhrnurln nonn To thu nllhlic