Welcome.

Discover outdoor wild ice skating near you!

Fall classes launching soon. Sign-up for email updates.

Join us in-class, on the ice, and online.

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Visit: www.BladeMasterySkating.com for figure, hockey, Nordic skating lessons!

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Fall classes launching soon!

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Join us in-class, on the ice, and online. | Visit: www.BladeMasterySkating.com for figure, hockey, Nordic skating lessons! | Fall classes launching soon! |

A person holding a Colorado Life magazine with a cover photo of an ice skater on a frozen lake with snow-covered mountains in the background, titled 'Skating Alpine Lakes' for January/February 2026.

As featured in Colorado Life's Jan/Feb 2026 magazine.

A winter scene of a woman ice skater jumping on a frozen lake with mountains in the background. The sky is partly cloudy with a sunset glow. The magazine cover is titled "Learn to Skate USA" with additional text about outdoor ice skating experiences.

As featured in Learn To Skate USA’s Winter 2024 magazine.

Laura Kottlowski our founder, has been featured by:

  • The National Geographic Logo
  • The U.S. Figure Skating Logo
  • The Vogue Magazine Logo
  • The Outside TV Logo
  • Logo for The Red Bulletin, Redbull's Magazine.
  • The Wallstreet Journal Logo
  • The Olympic rings logo with five interlocked rings in blue, yellow, black, green, and red
  • Logo of the Professional Skaters Association featuring a stylized skate and text.
  • The Huffington Post Logo
  • Logo of ABC Nightline with the word "abc" inside a black circle and "nightline" in bold and regular fonts.
  • Logo with text 'Learn to Skate USA powered by Toyota' in blue and black, with the Toyota logo in red and white.
  • The New York Times Logo
  • Laura Kottlowski teaching a Learn To Skate Outside wild ice safety class

  • Laura Kottlowski teaching a Learn To Skate Outside wild ice safety class on an indoor ice rink

  • A student uses an ice screw to test the thickness of the ice during a Learn To Skate Outside wild ice field day adventure

  • A photo of ice cracked and lifted in a pressure ridge

  • Laura Kottlowski and Learn To Skate Outside Students during the in-the-field day adventure

  • Laura Kottlowski Nordic Skating in Alaska

  • Laura Kottlowski poses on incredibly clear ice showing the plant-life below the ice.

  • Laura Kottlowski finds a unique slush hole while Nordic Skating

  • Laura Kottlowski instructs during the Learn To Skate Outside on-ice portion of the Wild Ice Skating 101 - A Basics Workshop at Apex Ice Arena

  • Laura Kottlowski teaching a Learn To Skate Outside wild ice safety class

  • Ice crystal structure freshly warping in the sun

  • A photo of the skates donated by Graf Skates for the Nepal Tourism Skate Nepal 2020 event

  • Figure Skating standing on prominently exposed ice crystals which look like puzzle pieces

  • Laura Kottlowski lands a jump on Lake Louise

  • Laura Kottlowski holds her figure skates up high at 16,000ft in front of a giant peak in the Everest region of Nepal

  • Laura Kottlowski teaches ice safety on Convict Lake in California

  • Frost flowers

  • Laura Kottlowski guides a group of wild ice skating 101 - A basics workshop students during the field day

  • Laura Kottlowski skates along side the base of a gigantic sunset-lit golden rock face

  • Laura Kottlowski demonstrates traditional figure-skating by skating the word 'Love' into the pristine black ice

  • Jarrett Luttrell poses on lifted ice during the Learn To Skate Outside field day adventure

  • Laura Kottlowski and wild ice skating peers pose on Convict Lake near Mammoth Lakes California

  • Laura Kottlowski poses in her hockey skates in Alaska above an icy bubble patch

  • 30 Learn To Skate Outside students pose on the rink at Apex Ice Center during the Wild Ice Skating 101 - A Basics Workshop

  • Laura Kottlowski poses in her wild ice safety gear on a swirly formation of ice called 'Mermaids hair'

Hello, And Welcome
to Learn To Skate Outside!

Learn To Skate Outside, LLC (LTSO) started out on the boundless natural expanse of lake ice, where the roots of ice skating began.

We currently hold in-person workshops annually in the Fall and Winter and will be launching online classes in the Fall of 2026 as well. Fill out the questionnaire on this page to let us know what you are interested in, and be among the first to know when classes launch!

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LTSO was founded by Laura Kottlowski in November of 2022, after 16 years of ice skating exploration internationally. This adult intended program brings to you the knowledge of the wild ice community by a seasoned mountaineer, certified wilderness first responder, professional ice skating instructor, and U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist. The organization's mission is to educate, inspire, and champion safety in the pursuit of wild ice skating, sparked by true experiences as well as modern techniques.

Laura holds annually-renewed credentials by official governing bodies for instructors as a multi-discipline ice skating instructor with Learn To Skate USA(figure skating, hockey, and speed skating), and U.S. Figure Skating, and hopes to share insights from over 24 years of teaching with you. Her dedication extends to being a fervent ice skating history enthusiast and a collaborator with ice science and skating experts worldwide, contributing to a deeper understanding of our frozen ecosystems. Laura’s Learn To Skate Outside classes are transformative journeys that turn you into a mindful explorer attuned to the rhythms of icy landscapes. Sign up to embark on a journey of learning wild ice skating safety from a seasoned professional and unlock your own capabilities on the ice.

Let us know why you’re here and how we can best serve you: 

Follow along on social media and view some inspirational wild ice skating videos below.
  • Certificate of Wilderness First Responder training awarded to Laura Kottowski, signed by the Medical Director, in a frame with Wilderness First Responder logo.

    Certified Wilderness First Responder

    Laura is a certified wilderness first responder. Including: CPR, AED, EPI

  • Laura Kottlowski ice skating on Pacific Tarn lake, the highest lake in the U.S. in front of snow-covered mountains with a blue sky.

    Highest lake in the United States

    Laura became the first known person to skate on the Highest lake in the U.S. Pacific Tarn, Colorado – November 2017

  • A large group of people gathered outdoors in a snowy mountainous area with snow-covered peaks in the background. Some of the people are standing while others are sitting or kneeling. They are dressed warmly in winter clothing, and some are holding or sitting near various colorful items and a yellow banner that reads 'Nepal.' There are items arranged on the snow, and a decorated chest or table.

    World’s highest figure skating show and ice hockey match

    Laura helped Nepal Tourism host the World’s highest figure skating show and ice hockey match – Everest Region, Nepal, February 2020

More about Laura

To Return

For figure skater Laura Kottlowski exploring and skating on wild ice is like returning to 'gold'—a state of innocence, curiosity and humility as well as the roots of figure skating. Through her lens and a poetic narrative you'll experience the multi-sensory joy and curiosities of untamed ice first-hand.

For the best virtual reality immersive experience use a headset and headphones, or Google Cardboard. 

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A Film By: Laura Kottlowski

ABC NEWS | Nightline

Figure skater uses her blades to make art on untouched ice high in the mountains 

Laura Kottlowski, a figure skater and graphic designer, combines her two passions to hunt for remote locations where she carves art into pristine ice.

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A Feature By: ABC Nightline

Figure Skating in Nepal - 15,480'

In December 2019 Laura Kottlowski and Nick Kalisz traveled to the top of the world to skate below Nepal's highest peaks in preparation for the planning of 'Skate Nepal' an event and partnership with Nepal Tourism 2020 that took place on February 14, 2020. This is a video of the magic they found during that scouting mission...More videos of this trip, the February event, and future events to come! 

(hit subscribe on YouTube to stay in the loop! ) 

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Filmed in the Khumbu (Everest region), Sagarmatha National Park - Gokyo Lakes

Join us in-class, on the ice and online!

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Fall classes launching soon.

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Sign-up for email updates.

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Join us in-class, on the ice and online! | Fall classes launching soon. | Sign-up for email updates. |