Editing Ice skating (section)

==Inherent safety risks==
[[File:Ice Skating (12).jpg|thumb|Adult and child ice skating]]
A person's ability to ice skate depends on the roughness of the ice, the design of the ice skate, and the skill and experience of the skater. While serious injury is rare, a number of [[short track speed skating|short track speed skaters]] have been [[paralysis|paralysed]] after a heavy fall when they collided with the boarding. A fall can be fatal if a [[helmet]] is not worn to protect against severe [[head injury]]. Accidents are rare but there is a risk of injury from collisions, particularly during hockey games or in [[pair skating]].

A significant danger when skating outdoors on a frozen body of water is falling through the ice into the freezing water underneath. Death can result from [[cold shock response|shock]], [[hypothermia]], or [[drowning]]. It is often difficult or impossible for the skater to climb out of the water, due to the weight of their ice skates and thick winter clothing, and the ice repeatedly breaking as they struggle to get back onto the surface. Also, if the skater becomes disoriented under the water, they might not be able to find the hole in the ice through which they have fallen. Although this can prove fatal, it is also possible for the rapid cooling to produce a condition in which a person can be revived up to hours after falling into the water. Experts have warned not to ice skate alone, and also warned parents not to leave children unattended on a frozen body of water.