Thursday, December 03, 2015

14 Christmas gift ideas for skaters

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Skater types always love skating-themed gifts, no question. A new pair of Chloes, a skirt, a dress, a hoodie, a jacket, new soakers or blade guards....the possibilities are endless.

Since my list last year was so popular (which I hope means some of you had an awesome Christmas!), I decided to update it for this year for you to share with (and hint to) your family and friends ;-)

So here are 14 ideas to begin with for something a little bit special.

Happy hinting!

Little disclaimer: I haven't necessarily bought any of these things and can take no responsibility for the quality of items or reputable nature of any of the websites linked. Check those things out for yourself! (Although, as an aside, I have used Cafepress and had nothing but joy from them:-)

1) JEWELLERY

Do you know any girl who doesn't love a new necklace or pair of earrings? There are quite a few bits of skating jewellery out there to be found if you look hard enough. Here are just some ideas.


As far as stocking fillers go, these cute earrings, left, are perfect. A snip at just £5.99 from Iceventure.



For something again not too expensive, this blue stoned skate necklace, right, available from iceventureuk is adorable. I got one of these for Christmas last year and love it. My only complaint would be the chain has tarnished somewhat in the time I've had it, but what do you want for £10.99?


For something a little more upmarket, how about this Thomas Sabo silver and white enamel ice skate charm? It's £39.95 on its own, but obviously would be a bit more pricey if you got a bracelet to go along with it.


Another super cute necklace is this one, below, which also comes with an initial monogram and birthstone-coloured bead for the personal touch. This one's £10.18 (plus shipping) from Etsy.





2) BOOKS

Irving Brokaw's The Art of Skating

Irving Brokaw was the first American to compete in figure skating at the Olympics in 1908 (the first Olympics to include it as a sport). Including lots of illustrations and pictures, Irving Brokaw's book charts the history and
development of figure skating from its beginnings until the book was published in 1910. It also includes chapters on the moves and elements of that time, so is a fascinating read, giving the reader a glimpse into what the sport once was.

Indelible Tracings:The story of the 1961 U.S. World Figure Skating Team

This book, by Patricia Shelley Bushman takes the reader into the lives of all those killed in the 1961 tragedy, including the skaters, coaches, officials and family members and friends who were accompanying them.

Dorothy Hamill: A Skating Life; my story

Any skater will know of Dorothy Hamill. This book is her easy-to-read autobiography, in which she talks about life as a skater, some of the technical aspects of figure skating, and also her own personal life.

Ballet Secrets for Skaters

If you know a skater who is working on their finesse (who isn't??) - their graceful arms, head positions and how to hold their bodies - but who doesn't have time for a ballet class (or can't find on, like me), this book's a great idea. The author is a Russian trained dancer, choreographer and instructor who shares ballet technique in simple steps.

Welcome to My World - Johnny Weir

For a slightly more entertaining read, look no further than Weir's autobiography. Enough said.


3) SKATING JOURNAL

Most skaters I know like to keep lesson notes, and there are stacks of pretty journals out there that are perfect for the job. Here are just a few of the ones I like the look of, all £7.50 from Cafepress:





4) IPHONE/IPAD/MACBOOK CASES


There are actually loads of options for designs for these accessories out there.

This one, right, from Zazzle, is quite pricey at £33.95, but very pretty and personalised.


I also like this one, below, from Redbubble. Made me crack a smile, anyway. :-)






5) TOUCH SCREEN GLOVES and IPHONE/IPOD ARMBAND

If you know a skater who either a) likes to use their phone/iPad to film themselves/others skating, b) likes to listen to music on their iPhone/iPod while skating, or c) is one of those people who just can't bear to be separated from their phone, this combo is a great idea.

You don't need me to point you in the direction of either of these things; they're available everywhere.

6) MUGS

Who doesn't love a good mug?? Or is that just me with my massive obsession?

Anyway, it's the easiest thing in the world to find a variety of fabulous skatey mugs out there on the World Wide Web.

Even better - dress it up by adding some hot chocolate-making
accessories into it and wrapping in pretty cellophane.


There are about a thousand skating mugs  here on Cafepress (one of my favourite websites, as I'm sure you can tell!)



7) PJS

What more can I say? Who doesn't love a good new pair of jimmies? Especially ones with skates on. They can be found on Cafepress here.




8) SKATING MOVIES



Even as adults, we all love those cheesy skating movies. Yes, we sit and pick out the flaws, cringe at all the mentions of double Salchows and know how unrealistic most of the ridiculous moves are... but we love 'em anyway.

There's a great list of figure skating movies already put together here.



9) SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT

How about one of these adorable keepsake boxes from Cafepress?



10) A VARIETY OF STOCKING FILLERS

This classy throw cushion would make a nice little addition to the gift pile under the tree.



Equally cute are these titchy blade guard keychains. I've seen these in a fair few skate shops, but for your information you can find some here on loveiceskating.co.uk.



11) THINGS TO ASSIST THEM IN THEIR TRAINING

spinnerChampion Cords, or an ankle buzzer would probably all go down well with the skater in your life. Get your thinking cap on about what would help them.

12) FOR THE COACH

Ok, we all know coaches are particularly hard to buy for. Possibly not so much for those of you lucky enough to have a female coach. All women love some smellies or wine, right? But when it comes to the male coaches - yeah, good luck with that. I'm struggling this year I'll admit.

My best advice here would be to pay attention to them (as you should be anyway!!). They'll probably talk about their likes and dislikes at some point throughout the year.

Maybe some little ideas could be a bottle of the alcoholic kind (work out what they like), choccies, or a gift card for the coach who comes in every morning with a Starbucks wouldn't go amiss I'm sure.

13) SOMETHING FOR THOSE HARD-WORKING SKATING FEET

This category could also work for the coach in your life as well as the skater. It's not rocket science - skaters' feet work hard! Some buffers, lotions, soaks or even a Lush foot mask (think face mask, but for the tootsies) would probably go down a treat after a long day at the rink.

14) DIY GIFTS

Failing all else, get crafting - make something funky yourself, if you're handy with a sewing machine. Even if you're not that handy, you could probably still knock together the odd thing.

I made myself and a friend tote bags like this, and a couple of years ago, I gave friends handmade bracelets with little skate charms hanging from them.


I also created a little scented pouch, pictured right, for another friend (who also loves music, hence the treble clef in the ice)....So it can be done - have faith!!


Enjoy your Christmas shopping!

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