Reality check

[erdehoff]

Yesterday I finally got the DVD of my performance at the Ashburn Invitational, which had been my first competition in about 10 years. I don't think I'd ever seen myself skate before, but it sure felt like I did a terrific job. I thought I skated fast and with confidence. So imagine my surprise when the DVD showed a slow, hesitant skater whose jumps barely got an inch off the ice. And I'm hoping those extra 20 pounds were added by the camera and aren't actually mine.

Right now I feel like I never want to wear tights again. What do I do? Has this crashing disillusionment hit anybody else?

[dcden]

Yeah, after my first Adult Nationals (2000) I got the tape of my event and saw myself skate for the first time... boy what a reality check! Horrible, scratchy crossovers! But the good thing was is that it motivated me to fix the things about my skating that I didn't enjoy watching.

Plus, it probably was a good thing that I waited until after AN to see the tape. If I'd seen what my skating looked like before then, I might have been too negative about things to have even made the trip to the competition.

[MQSeries]

Ha Ha I can relate. I cringed everytime my coach played back his videotape of me during practice. I looked him and wondered why he never said anything about my upper body bobbing up & down during Xovers or how out of positions some of my limbs were. I mean until I saw videos of myself, I thought I was some pretty hot stuff on the ice. I don't know if coaches correct kids on their strokings/positions and just don't care what the adults do, or children just naturally have a smooth flow over the ice so the coach never bother having to look for such things. That was definitely a pet peeve that I had about my former coach.

[Elsy2]

Video tape absolutely makes you look heavier, slower, and magnifies all errors that you may not see watching in person. It is always a shock to see yourself on tape, IMO.

But I think it's a great tool for seeing what you are actually doing, and can improve on. Let's just say I never want to see my sitspin again on video 8O

[Mrs Redboots]

I don't like seeing myself on video much, but it is a very good way of finding out what you are doing wrong. I got my coach to take a few .avis of my various elements the other day, and it was very good to see exactly what needed to improve.

Yes, I think one always does look fatter on video than in real life - at least, I hope so! And one never looks as great as one's mental image of oneself, either. Alas.....

[sk8er1964]

Oh, yes, yes, yes!

The first time I saw myself on tape (after being off ice for 25 years) I wanted to wail and stomp my feet, saying "that's not me!!!". My coach had warned me that people look slower on tape than in real life, but that over-weight snail-like thing moving around sluggishly on the ice certainly could not be me! :lol:

You get used to it, though, and I can actually see improvement over the last year when I go back and look at the tapes. I do see more speed, too. They are a great help to see what you're doing wrong, and what you are doing right.

[flo]

It's always a shock - I'm still hesitant about getting the video from last year's Nationals, and I won. It felt great, and I'm not sure I want to spoil it!
By on the other side, you also see improvements and there will be a day when you can say I looked great!

[skaternum]

<raises hand> Yep. I did my first ever competition in 1998 (I think). That very afternoon, I went home, watched the video and thought I'd die! Who was that chunky 33 year old, Bronze-level stick figure out there on the ice, with arms & legs that didn't bend?? Surely that wasn't me? Some terrible skater must have stolen my dress and skated to my music! :lol: It was a huge shock, and I was a little depressed about it for a while.

Now, I occasionally use video to help with my lessons and training, and I always get the video of my competitions, so it's not shocking anymore. Still depressing sometimes, but not shocking. Ha! I'm really glad I have videos of all my competitions, though, because I can look back through them and see just how far I've come in 5 years or so.

In fact, I've been thinking about having a BAD VIDEO party with some of my adult skater friends. The point would be to exorcise those old demons and give us the opportunity to laugh at ourselves. The rule would be, in order to get the free booze and food, you have to be willing to share one video of bad skating! I know I'll pull out my first ever competition video, which I suspect others will do as well. But I might also consider the video of my horrifying Silver II freeskate from Peach Classic 2002, where my music played so low I couldn't hear it (sounded like gnats buzzing in my ear), freaked out, couldn't spin, looked terrified, and generally sucked. Oh, and finished dead last. Hmmm. That one really does have potential for Bad Video Night. I'll have to get on this. I think I'll wait until the summer, though, to avoid depressing eveyrone right before Adult Nationals or our local comps. :P

[LoopLoop]

That's why I don't get my competition videos! I did, once. Then I realized that I'm skating for fun, not to be depressed. :P

[jenlyon60]

Originally posted by skaternum

In fact, I've been thinking about having a BAD VIDEO party with some of my adult skater friends. The point would be to exorcise those old demons and give us the opportunity to laugh at ourselves. The rule would be, in order to get the free booze and food, you have to be willing to share one video of bad skating! I know I'll pull out my first ever competition video, which I suspect others will do as well. But I might also consider the video of my horrifying Silver II freeskate from Peach Classic 2002, where my music played so low I couldn't hear it (sounded like gnats buzzing in my ear), freaked out, couldn't spin, looked terrified, and generally sucked. Oh, and finished dead last. Hmmm. That one really does have potential for Bad Video Night. I'll have to get on this. I think I'll wait until the summer, though, to avoid depressing eveyrone right before Adult Nationals or our local comps. :P

My Bronze MIF at Ashburn last year, or my Bronze MIF at Peach in 2002, or my Pre-Silver Solo Dance at Peach. Truly sucky performances from a chubby stiff skater. (At least I think I can FEEL a difference between the Forward Power 3's of 2 years ago and those of today... i.e. most times the choctaw works as advertised.)

Dani has the tape from Peach 2002, at least the Bronze MIF (where she competed against me and skated much much better...medalling). I think I tossed the video when I moved a couple months ago. Coach and I had gotten the training value out of it, and I was in a major mood of "get rid of extra junk" and was disposing of stuff right and left.

[icedancer2]

Wow -- perfect topic!!

I also am amazed by this portly, stiff, slow skater that I see in the videotape, especially when I compare recent tapes (of our Synchro team) to the tapes taken 10 years ago with me and my terribly elegant ice-dance coach where I was slimmer, had better posture, neater feet, more speed, etc., etc.

WHAT HAPPENED in the last ten years???!!!


aRRRGGGHH.

I like the idea of a party where we watch our videotapes and laugh. I'm sure some of us would also see very good things in each other's skating, also, as it's always easier for us to see our own flaws...

[LWalsh]

The last two tapes that I purchased were so horrifying that I didn't purchase the one from the NY Winter Classic a few weeks ago. Then some other skaters convinced me that it would be a good learning tool so I went ahead and ordered it. I am keeping my fingers crossed that at least I will show improvement over the previous year if nothing else.

Same as hearing your voice recorded, ick!

[Debbie S]

Yep, I felt the same way after I got the video from Ashburn a few weeks ago. At first, I wanted to bury it and never look at it again, but I watched it several times to identify specific areas where I need improvment. First up, no more bending over forward on jump landings and spin exits. I've been working on that in practice, and my coach says I'm improving.

Another priority (which must be achieved before I test pre-Bronze moves) is to push more on my crossovers to get more speed, and to extend my free leg underneath my skating leg.

And I simply must stop flapping my arms during my stroking.

And of course, I need more than 1 revolution on my back spin to have it count as an actual spin, but I already knew that before I saw the video. I also knew I needed to get lower on my sit spin, and now that I've seen it, I know just how much.

[1lutz2klutz]

Oh, me too, me too! The first time I saw myself on video I wanted to crawl under the ice in horror! When I'm doing my program, I feel like Michele Kwan- why does the film show this walrus in a skating dress moving so slowly, I'm practically going backwards??? I let Coach tape occasionally for the training purposes, but I stopped getting any of my performances on tape- I, too, skate for the pleasure and not the reality!

[Justine_R]

Seeing myself on video really isn't that bad because it helps to show where my errors are.
My coach always video tapes me at our practices to see where I can improve and by far it helps me:D

[jazzpants]

I remember the first time I saw myself on tape. I came back to my coach the next day and said "I HATED seeing myself on tape!" He replies (jokingly) "Why? Is it because you skated a lot slower on tape? Or is it the extra 10 lbs that the camera puts on you?" Evil coach!!! :twisted:

The answer is both plus the fact that I don't that graceful look at all. Boy do I have a LOT to work on!!! :evil:

I will tape myself again as soon as I'm back taking lessons again. I need the visual feedback before I take the test.

[dani]

I do have that video! IceT and Skaternum were also there! I am too much of a packrat to get rid of any of my tapes, but I also like the idea of getting rid of bad performances. Could be theraputic! (Is that how you spell Theraputic?)

Hugs!
Danielle

[jenlyon60]

I forgot about IceT being there...remembered Skaternum but not if she was in our event. I was tuned out and trying to explain things to my non-skating friends what it was all about.

[Schmeck]

Until last year, the only "evidence" I've seen of my skating ability was a funny snapshot my mother in law took of me - I'm pretty much hidden behind the metal support between the plexiglass panels, LOL! But you can tell it is me, anyways, and that I'm skating...

But then, I had to go and be in the spring show, group number, and I forgot that it was videotaped to be on TV! 8O So, now my whole hometown has had the chance to see my bent-knee spiral (I really thought I kept my leg straight!) and my lame sailor costume...

But as I watched it the other day, I was actually happy that I got a pretty decent extension of my free leg while stroking, and I had a ramrod straight back as well (must have been the nerves :roll: )

Schmeck

[dani]

Yes - IceT came in 2nd and Skaternum came in 4th - that event has the record of having the most of my friends in the same event! ;-)

Oh - and I truly hate hearing my recorded voice too!

Hugs!
Danielle

[roogu]

If I had a nickel for every time I cringed while watching myself skate on video LOL ...... you always catch things and go "why do I skate like that?" LoL but it really does make a difference coz you know what to do and fix the lil things that make all the difference.

[dbny]

Boy am I glad now, that hubby did not video my pre-pre moves test :lol:

[Chico]

The first thought I had when seeing myself on video was that my coach and skating pals LIE. Things I have gotten kudos on in the past looked horrible to me. I kept thinking, what are they talking about?!! I couldn't believe how fat I looked and how slow I seemed to be moving. I'm not a speed demon, but I wouldn't have considered myself slow either. I was so disappointed I cried.Let's just say I haven't taped myself again. When I complained to my coach, he informed me that I shouldn't have looked until I had another tape months later to compare it with. Anyhoo, my new coach wanted to tape me recently and I couldn't shut that idea down quick enough. According to her we will need to do this. =-0 I like skating in MY head much better. Reality tends to hurt.

Chico

[dooobedooo]

On a positive note ...

One thing I have noticed - it doesn't matter HOW direly awful you look in the overall video: if you go through carefully and freeze-frame bits of it, you WILL eventually find one snapshot where you look almost acceptable .... :D

[sk8pics]

Add me to the list! When I watched the videotape of my first competition last summer, it was really depressing. I thought it was so bad, I could only watch it once, and then I put it away. And my coach had lately been telling me that he'd found some old footage in his videocamera from a lesson, but I wouldn't watch it until after the Winter Classic competiiton, because I didn't want to get depressed!

When I watched my programs from the Winter Classic, well, yes, I'm still slow and my extension stinks, but it was actually a lot better than last summer, so that was good. I had to laugh, though, because my coach has been after me to hold my edges longer (going into a jump, for example) and my edges were so short on the tape! Drat, he's right! And my crossovers need to be improved, too. So, the tape helped me pick out a couple of things to work hard on now. Last summer's tape did, too.

I did finally watch the old lesson footage and that was shockingly bad, too. So the consolation is that even though I'm still bad, I'm much better than even a few months ago! My coach said he wants to videotape me once or twice a month now, and I think that is a good idea, traumatic though it will be.

Pat

[Carleenp]

I am new to skating and haven't seen myself on tape. But I have seen lots of tapes of me dancing (Irish) and boy do I cringe at times! Yes, the camera adds pounds, don't worry about that, people simply look heavier on film. As for the other stuff, I know that I get really self critical watching a tape. That can be good in the sense that it makes me work to fix things, but I also think sometimes it is easy to get too self critical. I won a silver medal at our state games and watched the tape with friends from my dance group. They all said I looked great, while I picked on tons of stuff. When I pointed most things out, they thought I was making way too much of it, or flat out disagreed with me. There was only one thing that they agreed with me that I really needed to work on (straining my neck on leaps so that I look like a bobble head doll!). Anyway, I say don't lose confidence and use the tape as motivation. Maybe pick out the one or two things you saw that you want to improve most and then work on those.

[Tessie]

I know I have a woossy waltz jump, but nobody told me it was a 3 turn with a hop! Don't think I would believe them anyway. I wasn't kicking my leg through but cetainly thought I was until I saw it on tape. It's not 100% fixed, but I'm on my way.

I highly recommend a video at least once. You may not like what you see, but people are watching so you may as well see it yourself. Remember the story The "Emperor's New Clothes?":oops:

[erdehoff]

Wow! I had no idea I was in such good company! Thanks for making me feel better. Now that it's been a few days, maybe I can go back and look at the video more objectively. I really need to stand up straighter in my scratch spins, front and back. And I definitely need way more jump height!

But I think I'll stop obsessing about my thighs now. :)