COON RAPIDS, Minn. — The Olympics are back, and you know what that means-- it's time for another round of Guy's Games!
KARE 11 Sunrise's own Guy Brown not only forecasts the weather, he'll take to the slopes, the ice and whenever he needs to be to try some of the Olympics events athletes excel in at the Games.
This week, Guy went ice skating.
The instructors at the Coon Rapids Ice Center are absolute pros at setting skaters up for success. Karen Meck and her team run the Learn to Skate program, a national organization formed through a cooperative agreement between U.S. figure skating, USA Hockey, and U.S. Speed Skating to teach the basics to skaters in preparation for going on to the Olympics.
Now Guy might not be heading to the Winter Olympics just yet, but he did learn the basics, including gliding, marching and how to fall correctly to avoid a potential injury.
He did get to practice some of the fancy moves, including skating backwards and a little spin.
But when it came time to jump, Meck and her team brought out a special piece of a equipment to help: a jump harness. This attaches around a skater's waist and shoulders, and allows them to leap on the ice without the fear of crashing down.
Even if you don't dream of earning a medal on the Olympic podium, ice skating is an activity for the whole family.
"It's great to have fun, family, outdoors activity that everyone can do," Mech said.
A new session of classes for the Learn To Skate U-S-A program starts in April, and lessons are available at all skill levels. Find more information about the Coon Rapids Ice Center here.
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