Learn to Skate in our Skate School!
(Green, Orange, Blue, Yellow and Red Groups — plus our Adult Beginner Groups)
Our skating school is made up of beginners and more advanced skaters of all ages — a total of around 150 kids skate each term with our skating school at Björknäs ishall. Each child in our skating school has the option to skate once or twice a week for 45 minutes each, on Thursday afternoons and/or Sunday mornings. We even have groups for beginner adults on weekends, which you can learn more about here here.
While we do not have a minimum age requirement for our classes, it’s important that each child is able to participate for the full class and that they have fun on the ice. For this reason, we allow first-time skaters to try the class out prior to having to pay. To register for free, choose the Green group (”grön grupp”) which is our group for the newest beginners. If the class proves to be fun and your child wants to continue, we’ll make sure they get moved to the group that suits them (if need be). If your child then isn’t quite ready for the class, we suggest waiting to try again when the next term begins, and you can chose to de-register your child via the red button at the top of the invoice, when it arrives later on.
Registration takes just two steps!
Skater and Membership Costs
Our costs tend to fluctuate a little bit each season. Please see this page for the latest information – a PDF version in English is available at the top. All payment should be completed via SportAdmin.
Schedule
Our skate school is held on Thursdays and Sundays. Our fall term starts in late September and concludes with our annual Christmas show. The spring term begins in early January and ends in late March or early April with our annual spring show. Here’s the skate school’s schedule page.
Practices go quite quickly, so please make sure to arrive at the rink 15 minutes beforeclasses start to be sure to be on the ice in time. Remember that the skaters aren’t allowed to get onto the ice until the coaches instruct them to do so.
Our Coaches
Our head coaches for each of the groups have completed Skate Sweden’s coaches’ education. Group helpers are skaters who themselves skate at a higher level.
The coaches for our groups evaluate each skater’s progress and provide individual help and instruction for each skater. Our club uses the Skate Sweden’s badge system to mark the progress of the basics of figure skating.
Skate School Badges (Skridskomärken)
As the skater attends classes and progresses through the groups, it’s possible to earn a badge for each level (see the list here). These badges are available as pins and available for purchase in our shop. Our shop also sells skate guards and some other accessories as a fundraiser.
Clothing and Equipment
We suggest skaters wear soft, flexible, warm clothes which don’t restrict movement in any way (avoid bulky snowpants and jeans). A helmet is required for all skaters in the skate school. And don’t forget a hat and gloves!
Exceptionally dirty clothes are not allowed, as sand/dirt on the ice will dull skaters’ blades.
- Helmets
Helmets are obligatory and skaters are not allowed on the ice without one on. The helmet should be appropriately sized and the chin strap tight enough so that the helmet stays in place. A ”lekhjälm” or hockey helmet is best. Skiing helmets are not recommended, as they can make it difficult to hear the coaches. - Skates
Proper figure skates with a toe pick are recommended for the skate school, and one must make sure the skates are sharpened. Even a lower level, the right type of skates can make a big difference for skaters. Ankle support and a blade in good shape are key. Recreational (pond) skates are often too soft to support the ankle and have blades of very low quality. It is best to start skating with the ”real” skates from the start. We suggest the following brands: Graf, Risport, Wifa, Jackson, Riedell. Some of these brands also have beginner models (Graf-Bristol, Wifa-Prima, Risport-Laser). While skates of a higher quality are more expensive, the overall skating experience is greatly improved by better skates. We suggest parents look for used skates at the same price as cheaper ones would cost brand new. Given that most skaters’ feet are still growing, it may be tempting to buy the skates a size bigger than needed, but this is not recommended (1.5 cm is the maximum amount we suggest going over in size). More information about equipment and where to buy it can be found here. The club has a limited amount of skates available to rent in sizes 28-36. Contact us via email (sk@nackatk.se) or phone (070-660 25 40) to arrange to rent skates. The rental cost is 800 kr per season, of which 300 kr is a deposit that will be paid back once the skates are returned.
Parents Watching Lessons
Please watch, but from a distance! The space nearest the entrance to the ice is only for coaches and skaters. We ask you to respect this because skaters are better able to concentrate if parents aren’t near the ice. Regardless, all parents are welcomed and encouraged to stay and watch!