Espoon Jäätaiturit is a successful figure skating club that is known for its skilled skaters, great spring shows and energetic skating school. Our goal is to offer memorable experiences both for recreational and competitive skaters. 

In Espoon Jäätaiturit skating school, fundamental skating techniques are practiced within a safe group environment under the guidance of experienced coaches. Training in a group setting enhances a child's social skills, and every newly learned movement brings about a new source of delight. The skating skills acquired through learning once bring joy and benefit for a lifetime!

Here you can find important information so that your child will have a smooth start in the skating school. 

SKATES 

The most important equipment for a skater includes good skates and sharpened blades. Skating experience becomes enjoyable, and learning new skills becomes easier when the skates are supportive and safe. Skates can in the beginning be basic ice skates, ice hockey skates or beginner’s skates as long as they are firm and support the ankle. The skate should fit well on the foot and be the right size in terms of both width and length. The skate should provide ankle support and stay straight when worn. Skating is difficult and strains the feet if the ankles are bent. A good skate is recognizable by the ability to stand on one foot with the ankle staying straight. Oversized skates hinder learning and make the child feel insecure on the ice.

Well-maintained used skates are often available for sale on notice boards at ice rinks, in the Facebook group "Taitoluistelutori", as well as in figure skating stores (e.g., Lucky Skate, Skate Shop, and Skate Marketing). Specialized figure skating stores sell both new and used figure skates. Skates suitable for skating school students come with blades already attached to the boot. New figure skates are also sold in regular sports stores. A new pair of proper figure skates costs more than regular recreational skates, but it also holds much better resale value. Figure skate brands include Riedell, Risport, Wifa, Graf, Edea, and Jackson.

Skates must always be the right size! In skates that are too large, the feet move around and may become sore.

When buying skates, it is important to consider:

• The skate is the right size - the skate should not be too tight, but there shouldn't be too much space for growth either.
• The boot of the skate is sturdy, and the child's ankle doesn't fold when standing on the skate.
• The blade of the skate has a groove, as using both the inside and outside edges is essential in skating.
• The blade of the skate has a toe pick, as getting used to it from the beginning makes practicing future tricks easier.
• Laces are tightened firmly around the lower part of the ankle, and the upper part can be a bit looser. Lace ends should be tucked in to avoid dangling. Remember to use blade guards whenever moving off the ice! After a skating session, it's good to dry the blades to prevent rust.

Figure skates can be sharpened at places like Prosharp Kavallinmäki and Tapiola practice ice rink, Skate Shop Malmi, as well as jalkinekormaano M. Karttunen in Töölö. Sharpening hockey skates ruins the figure skate blades, so take them to a skilled professional for sharpening!

CLOTHING 

Skating outfit needs to be elastic and warm. Tights and a cotton t-shirt or turtleneck shirt are a good undergarment, while tracksuit is a good outer garment in skating school. Woolen clothes (shirt and/or pants) can be worn between the layers if needed. Thick winter/quilted clothes are stiff and hinder movement. Clothes that have been worn when playing outside should not be worn at ice practice, as there might be sand on them, which might drop on ice and will then blunt the blades and cause dangerous situations. Children also need to wear gloves and either a hat or a helmet. 

LABEL WITH CHILD’S NAME 

Label with child’s name is given to child when coming to the skating school. We recommend parent’s phone number to be added on the other side. If there is need to contact parents during the class, the phone number is easily available. 

SKILL CARD

Skaters receive a skill card on their first practice, which they must always bring with them to practice sessions. For each practice session, they get a sticker on their skill card. Skaters receive one skill card per season, and we do not replace lost skill cards.

The progress of skaters is monitored using the skill levels on the skill card. Skill levels are assessed twice per season. After each assessment, every child receives marks on their skill card where the movements are evaluated with stars. The coach determines the appropriate level for each skater at every assessment. The same level may be repeated several times to clearly see the development of one’s skills. Learning to skate requires a lot of repetition and perseverance. Everyone progresses at their own pace.

SKATING GROUPS 

In skating school, the basic skills of skating are learned. During the first skating school lessons, coaches divide skaters into groups based on age and skill level. Skaters receive colored ribbons corresponding to their group’s color, which are placed on the laces near the toes of the right skate. Skaters can identify their group by the color of the ribbon.

It is possible to progress from the skating school to competitive groups in singles and synchronized skating through development groups, or to continue in hovvy groups for school-aged children. Skaters for the development groups are selected by the coaches. More information about this will be provided later.

INSTRUCTORS 

Skating school instructors have attended instructor trainings organized by the Finnish Figure Skating Association and Etelä-Suomen Liikunta and Urheilu. All instructors have a background either in single or synchronized skating. The instructors are there for the children during practices, so let's give them a peaceful work environment during the lessons. The head coach of the skating school is Siiri Turunen.

PARENTS 

It's advisable to arrive in good time, but no more than approximately 15 minutes before the lesson. Skating school participants always have one dressing room reserved, which is indicated on the ice rink lobby monitor. We use only the dressing room designated for skating school participants, even if another dressing room appears to be enticingly empty at that moment. Due to the number of skaters, dressing rooms may become crowded, so it's important to take good care of your own belongings. The club is not responsible for lost or damaged items during the skating school.

Instructors will collect the skaters from the dressing rooms and assist children in getting onto the ice. Parents are welcome to observe the activities of the skating school, and the designated place for parents to watch the practices is the ice rink stands or the cafeteria. Parents are not allowed to come to the ice or by the ice with the children.

Please note that if a child exhibits any symptoms of illness, they cannot attend the skating school.

COMMUNICATION

Information regarding the skating school is conveyed through email and via myClub. Current announcements are posted on myClub, so please actively follow updates on the platform. We recommend downloading the myClub app to your smartphone. Any possible changes to practice times related to the skating school will also be communicated via email, so please keep your contact information up to date.

For any questions concerning the skating school, you can reach out via email (luistelukoulu@espoonjaataiturit.fi). You can also contact us by phone on weekdays between 9 AM and 3 PM (phone: 040-9343037). The head coach of the skating school is Siiri Turunen, siiri.turunen@espoonjaataiturit.fi.

SKATING PASS AND INSURANCE

For skating school participants whose personal identification numbers were provided to the club upon registration, the Finnish Figure Skating Association's skating school pass will be obtained, which is valid for the fall and spring seasons. The skating school pass includes insurance coverage. The insurance is valid for skating school participants who practice 1-2 times a week. If there are more practice sessions per week, these skaters need to individually acquire the Finnish Figure Skating Association's practice pass with or without insurance. Note! In the "Adult + Child" group, the adult must have their own insurance.

The skating school pass is mandatory and a separate fee as indicated by the association will be charged for it. The club purchases the skating school pass once the pass fee and membership fee for the skating school participant have been paid. The insurance is not valid prior to the payment of these fees and the processing by the insurance company. The pass and membership fees are non-refundable.

Please familiarize yourself with the guidelines in the event of an accident here (only in Finnish). The insurance policy number is 06-21826. When claiming compensation, a representative of the skating school will confirm in the compensation application that the accident occurred under circumstances covered by the insurance. A representative from Pohjola (the insurance company) will contact the Figure Skating Association to verify that the person seeking compensation is on the association's skating school insurance list.

For more information (only in Finnish) about the passes, please visit:

Lisätietoja passeista
Lisätietoja korvaushakemuksesta

ABSENCES

Absences do not need to be separately reported. If you are unable to attend a skating school session, unfortunately, it is not possible to make up the missed lesson on another session.

There might be changes to the practice schedule due to events such as ice hockey tournaments, etc. The club is not obligated to arrange makeup sessions for practices that have been canceled due to reasons beyond the club's control.