Britsh Adult Cahmpionships - I got a medal!!!

[batikat]

I'm so excited - I got a medal at the British Adult Championships. :D Ok it is not exactly top end stuff - I was in the level 4 and under solo dance class ( I have level 2 )but I am thrilled.
My compulsories (Canasta Tango and Golden Skaters Waltz) were not great and I ended up 5th of 5 (though it was very close)which was not a great surprise as I dont' much enjoy compulsories.

The good thing for me was that it was a combined event so the compulsories had a factor of 0.2 each and the OD a factor of 0.6 - and I love doing OD's. I hadn't much liked the idea of a March to start with but actually began to enjoy it and think I have even persuaded my coach they can be fun!

I had to skate first and there were a few mistakes - the ice was very fast and extremely slippy (I know that sounds daft but it really was compared to the ice at my rink) but the judges obviously liked my OD as I won it (yeah!!!!:D :D :D :D :D :D )and that was enough to get me up to third. Now I really will have to start working harder on my compulsories if I want to do any better next time. It just about made it worthwhile to have spent nearly two weeks making my outfit - why oh why did I decide purple velvet and gold frogging were the thing? Velvet is so hard to sew and I had to make the frogging myself from braid as I couldn't find any anywhere.

It was a good weekend for the skaters from my rink. 8 of us skated and we got 4 medals between us including a gold, a silver and two bronzes.
NickiT was unlucky not to have medalled as I'm told she skated very well but unfortunately was skating myself on the other ice pad at the time so did not get to see her. Next year Nicki!!!!

Next year I will have to find a man and try and give Mrs Redboots some competition in the couples dance!!!!!!!!!
:lol: :lol:
Congratulations on the medal Annabel ( & Robert of course)

[sk8clean]

Congratulations!!!!!

[quarkiki2]

Excellent work, Batikat! Good for you!

[NickiT]

Congratulations to you Gail!!!! I'm happy to hear that you got a medal. All in all our club did well, didn't we?

I had a pretty good skate apart from missing my lutz which was purely down to nerves I guess. I came 4th so it wasn't so bad and my marks were very pleasing, so I'm reasonably happy with how it went. The competition was pretty tough in my class so I knew it would be unlikely that I'd get a medal.

Nicki

[sk8er1964]

Congrats Batikat!!!!! :D :D

What a thrill to win the OD, too!

[Arsenette]

Congrats!!! :bow: :bow:

[garyc254]

WAY TO GO, GIRL!!!!!! :D :D :D

Sounds like NickiT didn't do too badly either.

[skaternum]

Wow!! We're proud to (virtually) know you! :mrgreen:

[singerskates]

Congrads on your placement, medal and great OD skate!

Ice Dance is a hard thing to crack. That's why I rather just compete in FS and Interpretive FS.

[Black Sheep]

Yay!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!! :D 8-) :D 8-)

[dbny]

:D CONGRATULATIONS:D

[AshBugg44]

congrats!!!!!

[Keely]

Way to go batikat :)

[JDC1]

Congratulations!!

I'm struggling with the Canasta right now!!

[Mrs Redboots]

Nicki, I'm sorry I missed your skate - I didn't see much of the lower-level free skating, as I was rushing back and forth between the two pads at that stage, with friends skating in both events! And didn't I see Twinkle doing rather well in her free skating?

It was a glorious day, and I'm just about ready to go back on to the ice tonight to convert our OD into a free dance, and to start working properly on my Interp.

Isn't it sickening, though - my music is playing perfectly again. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. :( :( :(

[icenut84]

CONGRATULATIONS to all of you!!!! :mrgreen: :D :mrgreen:

[twinkle]

WELL DONE EVERYONE !!!

Annabel, no you didn't see me, unfortunately I wasn't there. Hopefully I'll be doing it next year if its a bit closer. Does anyone know if/when results will be up on the net???

[batikat]

Thanks to you all for your kind comments and for letting me share my excitement on this forum. My husband is travelling on business in the Yemen and has been out of contact since Saturday so he doesn't even know yet and my daughter is away on a school trip and also out of contact so I had to share the news with someone!

Like Annabel I am now going to try and rejig my OD to use as a Free Dance in my next competition in 3 weeks time. This is beacuse a)I can't remember my free dance as I haven't done it since June b)it means I can get some more wear out of the dress I spent all those hours making and c) because due to a technical hitch I don't have a video of my performance and I'd really like to see it!

Thanks everyone

PS to icenut84 - I think you are the right age for this competition - we expect to see you there next year!!8-)

[melanieuk]

Congratulations Gail. :D

[SDFanatic]

Cool!

Have Fun,

Steven

[icenut84]

Originally posted by batikat
PS to icenut84 - I think you are the right age for this competition - we expect to see you there next year!!8-)

Lol! I'm 19, so I'll be 20 next time. Like I was saying to Annabel though, I've never competed before! Or tested. The thought is scary! (And exciting :) ). I've got a way to go before I think about competing in something like Adult Nationals - such as joining the skating club, joining NISA, getting into the whole test/competition thing, etc etc. One day though, promise... :)

[Mrs Redboots]

All the same, Rachel, we are expecting you to compete next year! Bracknell, perhaps, is better for a first try....

[batikat]

Originally posted by icenut84
Lol! I'm 19, so I'll be 20 next time. Like I was saying to Annabel though, I've never competed before! Or tested. The thought is scary! (And exciting :) ). I've got a way to go before I think about competing in something like Adult Nationals - such as joining the skating club, joining NISA, getting into the whole test/competition thing, etc etc. One day though, promise... :)

You are right - competing is both scary and exciting - it does get less scary the more you do though. I think the lowest age category at the Championships was 18-35 so you definitely qualify and Bracknell Opens had an 18-25 category. Not too many people enter this age group as yet as it is new, so it would be a good time to start. Get those lessons going and we'll see you in Bracknell in June! I am just starting to learn Free having done mostly dance til now so I might well be doing my first freeskating competition at Bracknell next year!(in the older age category though!!!:P

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by batikat
I am just starting to learn Free having done mostly dance til now so I might well be doing my first freeskating competition at Bracknell next year!(in the older age category though!!!:P Not quite your first free - didn't you do Improvisation at Bracknell, or was that Sue? Beat me hollow, whoever it was..... (not exactly unexpectedly; I do know my faults!).

Actually, I think free skating will suit you enormously, and you'll be good at it.

[batikat]

Originally posted by Mrs Redboots
Not quite your first free - didn't you do Improvisation at Bracknell, or was that Sue? Beat me hollow, whoever it was..... (not exactly unexpectedly; I do know my faults!).

Actually, I think free skating will suit you enormously, and you'll be good at it.

You are right I did do the improvisation for a laugh really but I didn't count that as 'proper' Free skating where the jumps and spins are really the most important thing. Improv was more like making up a Free dance on the spot with the connecting moves being the most important so having good jumps wasn't vital. I wouldn't dream of entering a proper Free skating competition with the present state of my jumps!!

Everyone tells me I look like a Free skater - guess that's why my compulsories are never great! But it's scary learning jumps at my age!!!!! It took me nearly 3 years to pluck up the courage to even try!

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by batikat
Everyone tells me I look like a Free skater - guess that's why my compulsories are never great! But it's scary learning jumps at my age!!!!! It took me nearly 3 years to pluck up the courage to even try! Look, even I can do a relatively respectable 3-jump, toe-loop and salchow (well, "relative" is a relative term in that case!); there's no reason on earth you won't be able to get at least as far as a lutz jump over the next couple of years. You might even get an axel, once you stop being scared of jumps.

The thing is, and I speak from experience here, not to be frightened (so okay, how?). If you are, your jumps will be like mine - either a beautiful push and a wimpy jump that's more of a step, or more likely, bottled, or no push at all, but at least you leave the ice for a fraction of an inch!