At what age did you start?

[skatetiludrop]

I was just wondering, as an adult skater like ourselves, at what age did you start taking lessons seriously? I think we all skated before at some point when we were younger or whatever but when did you start dreaming about being able to do the axel?
Let's share! :D

[Figureskates]

Fun question!

I started 6 years ago at age 52.

Working on figures, moves and got my sal.

Axel maybe a stretch. The mind can see it, the 58 year old frame doesn't!!

[skatetiludrop]

I'm impressed figureskates :bow:
I myself skated occasionally but decided to seriously take lessons almost 2 years ago because I wanted to do more than just gliding about the rink. Now, I'm 22 and pretty satisfied with my progress. Mind you, I'd never thought I could do sit or back spin!

[Elsy2]

Starting in your twenties is great! Who knows how far you will progress if you love it and stick with it.

I started at age 42....almost 43. At 44 I started private lessons, and started competing. It was a blast! I haven't competed in some time, but am still enjoying my skating.

I did think an axel was in my future, but don't have that ambition anymore. That's OK. Maybe in the next life? ;)

[skaternum]

... at what age did you start taking lessons seriously?

Not too long after my 30th birthday.

I think we all skated before at some point when we were younger or whatever ...

Uh, no. Why would you assume that? See above. :)

[jenlyon60]

Never skated as a kid, not even pond or public skating.

Started skating at age 23, skated consistently until age 28. Took almost 12 years off between work and injuries. Started back again a couple years ago. Passed European Waltz, working on Bronze MIF, occasionally USFS Silver Dances and right now Paso and Blues.

I may go back and re-test my EW standard track.

My goal is to get my Gold medal in dance.

[NCSkater02]

I first laced up skates when I was just shy of 39. I really didn't enjoy it for the first six months or so, because I just wasn't comfortable on the ice. My initial goal was just to do laps for exercise. How boring, huh? I changed my mind about a year out, and started learning other things, including going back and relearning some skills we just kind of skimmed over.

I started taking privates about a year ago, after about a year and a half of group, and I still take group lessons. I am currently 41.

[plinko]

42

"I'd like to hire you for a dance lesson". What took me so long?

I've skated for years, in the Canadian recreational way (forwards, scratchily). Now I can jump and spin and dance thanks to lessons. My goal is the Killian. I could probably do an axel if I trained(says coach) but I'm obsessed with dance at the moment.

[backspin]

Started at 27, never skated before. My goal is to get my gold dances (standard), senior moves, & probably will try to get through silver adult free, just so I can coach it a little. Yikes, that looks like a lot, when looking at it in black & white!!! 8O

[garyc254]

AXEL!!!!! 8O 8O 8O

How about a triple waltz jump / double bunny hop combo.

I started at age 47 when I got tired of sitting in a cold hockey box watching my girlfriend skate. :D

I don't think I have the knees to jump. Especially since I'm sitting in a wheel chair recouping from my knee surgery last Friday. ;)

[Verena]

Hi all!
I skated for the first time in my life at 25. I had two years of skating (less than one of real lessons) and I managed to succeed many spins, got some axels and some doubles - neither my coach, myself or other people could believe my progress! Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to skate for the last 13 months. Probably I am skating again, after this long period on Monday. I am so worried that I won't remember anything and will have to learn everything from scratch :-(.

[skatetiludrop]

Way to go everybody :bow:
Well, axel might not be the ultimate goal for some but I think it is for me. I think it's a grand jump and it looks beautiful (when correctly done, of course). Anyway, triple waltz and double bunny hop combo sound equally grand, don't it? :)
Verena,
Good luck on your comeback!! land some axels for me huh.

[PattyP]

I did the public session thing when I was young. I took one group lesson when I was around 10 yrs old and then Mom said that was enough..."you took a class, now you know how to skate" :roll: Very similar to Kay's (skatejournal) story. I learned a waltz jump and one foot spin by watching other skaters and then gave up.

I started again as an adult at the age of 34 and signed up for level 2 (only 24 years in between level 1 & 2 ;) ). I started private lessons just one month after that, I was totally hooked right away. Landing an axel was my ultimate goal, I achieved that and I'm now working on my doubles at 41! Progress is slow, but I'm still hopeful!

PattyP

[1lutz2klutz]

I started at 37, never having skated as a kid. I'm now 46 and have landed (on a REALLY, REALLY good day) a lutz/loop combination. Can't spin to save my life, but I'm working on it. Axel? Maybe, someday, if my coach takes his valium and I lose 10 pounds :lol:

[Mel On Ice]

I don't think I have the knees to jump. Especially since I'm sitting in a wheel chair recouping from my knee surgery last Friday. ;)

Whoa! You're in a wheelchair?! I guess asking if I will see you guys in stroking class is out of the question.

BTW, I think you and Sue should ice dance.

Oh, and I started at 28.

[skateflo]

I put skates on for the first time in my life at age 45. Got a few lessons over the next year but a bad fall kept me off the ice for another year. So finally started a LTS program Sept '93. Have been with my coach now for over 9 years. Have survived a dislocated tibia (and nerve damage), a medial menisectomy on each knee, and a cervical disc and fusion. I'm now 57 and back to doing my simple half jumps and loving it. I also took off 9 months from burn-out and found eventually that I really missed skating (and my hips and thighs were very grateful to get back on the ice so I could wear jeans again without the horrible bulges!)

Yes, there are many of us who truly did not learn to skate until our adult years! We are the original "Adult Skater."

[Terri C]

I started at age 28, with group lessons. I eventually wanted to take privates, but the only rink in town didn't offer freestyle sessions conducive to the schedule of a working adult,. Another rink, a portable one opened in the area, and I finally got to take privates and compete at age 34.
Five years later, another rink and my second coach, and all I want to do is get the !@#$ Bronze MIF and Free passed (I've failed the Free 4 times prior to the Adult MIF tests being implemented :frus: ).

[batikat]

I skated once on a disco session at the age of 14 (the rink was a two hour coach trip away), then once again at the age of 35 on a public session -those hire skates nearly killed my feet but I knew I wanted to do it again. then joy of joys we moved near a town with a rink. :D I started group lessons at the age of 37 (had one lesson then had flu with respiratory complications and was off for 3 weeks and was quite weak and wheezy when I went back). Spent a year in group lessons (huge groups unfortunately 20+ mixed adults and kids so progress was pretty slow) before plucking up courage to ask for a private lesson. Been skating now about 4 years but only started to dream of jumping less than two years ago (I started with dance and swore I would never have both feet off the ice at the same time). :lol: However I am pretty useless at compulsory dances and while I enjoy Free dance and OD's I eventually found I really wanted to jump. I don't think there's an axel in my future but you never know

[Michigansk8er]

I started on the pond as a kid in my "cool" Sears skates with fur around the top.

Took one session of LTS at 16.

Back on the ice at 24 where I completed basic skills, pre-bronze dance and preliminary fs before quiting at 26 due to a hip injury.

Back on the ice again at 45 (immediately into private lessons this time), and competed at my first AN at 46. I think an axel was a definite possibility for me at one time.....but a back injury killed that dream. I'm now 50 and have skated twice since my surgery. I'm allowed to go round and round at public sessions until July............then I'm hoping to get the backspin go-ahead.

[TashaKat]

32 (didn't skate 'properly' as a kid, slid around eyeing up the 'totty' when I was 16ish but that's about it). Skated (Dance, Free and a far too brief foray into Pairs) for almost 7 years, landed a 2Flip ONCE by accident .... was going for a 2Toe and got my feet mixed up (always did find Flip easier than Toe) 8O and have tried all doubles up to and including Lutz BUT haven't EVER landed the b***** axel :evil: Broke my wrist doing a BO3 on my GOOD side (watching my coach watching me, I was rotated the wrong way, fell over and sat on my own hand ......), got back and coach had given my lesson time away :cry: Dance coach was having personal problems so didn't turn up for my lessons ...... I got frustrated because I wasn't learning and didn't want to go to another coach ...... and haven't really skated properly since (about 2 years ago). Am starting back again in a couple of weeks time!

[jazzpants]

My story is similar to PattyP, except MY PARENTS wouldn't even let me take group lessons, much less get my own skates. I skated every weekend at our neighborhood rink for about 3 hours starting when I was 10 and ended it when I was 13. (A small break for pizza/coke, video games the Hooky-Pooky and the occasional MENS ONLY or COUPLES ONLY times.) I'm lucky my home was a very short walk from the rink. :) (Irony is that had I have gone on a Sat. night session instead of a Sat. AFTERNOON session, I might have met my future primary coach as a kid, since he also started off at the same rink too.) :P After a couple of waltz jumps, one foot spins and shoot the ducks, I had to give it up "so I can concentrate on school, get good grades, go to a nice college, meet someone rich, get married, etc." I intended on going back when I was an older teenager, but they tore down the only rink in the city at the time.

I started back as an adult at age 31. I found out from a coworker that there is a new rink in my home city. I started skating around the rink on rental skates and quickly got my ice legs back! A fellow ice monitor befriended me and suggested at first to take group lessons. Then when he saw that I was trying to do 3turns on rental skates, it got too ugly for him to watch. He HIGHLY suggested my own skates. Eventually, the group lessons became private lessons, then two lessons, then testing, then competition... you get the deal... ;) I became a Class II (age 36) skater back last November! I intend on becoming good enough to give a young Class I skater a run for her $$$. :evil:

My ultimate goal:

To pass Bronze Moves and FS and go to Adult Nationals as a Bronze lady.
To land my first axels before I turn 40.
To land my first double axel before I turn 50.

[NickiT]

I signed up for learn to skate classes at the age of 24, started having a weekly 15 minute private lesson two years later, but it's only been the last four years since I was 32, that I consider myself to have really got into skating seriously. It took a broken ankle and everyone writing me off to make me want to get out there and prove them all wrong, plus by then I had one child at school and my second had finally started at nursery so I had time when I could get up to the rink. I now have two half-hour private lessons and three half-hour classes per week.

Nicki

[Clarice]

I did a little bit of "pond skating" as a kid (they used to flood the local park in the wintertime), wearing old hand-me-down skates of my mother's. Never took any lessons or anything, though my sister took group lessons for awhile as a teenager (and embarrassed me beyond belief at music camp that summer by clomping around our dormitory in her skates and guards, even though there was no ice to be had for about 100 miles - NOW I understand why she did it!). I took up skating again at age 37, when my then 5-year-old daughter began lessons. I used to follow her around on public sessions and pick her up when she fell. Thing was, after a couple of weeks, she didn't fall very much, so I started trying the things she was learning on my own. After a couple of sessions, I joined the adult class, and 6 months later was taking private lessons. That was 9 years ago - now I'm Silver level (though not a very competitive Silver), working on Gold Moves, starting my axel, and taking 2 lessons a week. I skate every day when my daughter does (beats gossiping in the bleachers!), and teach Basic Skills classes. She's now an Intermediate competitor, has passed Senior Moves, and is working on triples. We've come a long way (and spent a lot of money)!

[icenut84]

I skated a few times at public sessions over the years, but started lessons just over 3 years ago when I was 17 (I'm now 20). The axel is definitely a dream goal of mine. :) In an ideal world, I'd be able to do an axel, some doubles, a layback, a flying camel, a blur spin... you get the point. :) I'd love to be able to do an axel before I leave university (in 2 years).

[Aussie Willy]

I started ice skating when I was 27 11 years ago but I did muck about on roller skates when I was a kid.

Have never really dreamed about getting an axel - my knees and ankles could not handle it. But have thought about it and have had dreams that I have done them.

I have a thought for a new topic. ;)

[mskater]

I was certainly a by-product of "Hurricane Tanya/Nancy" that swept through my living room back in 94, though I didn't actually get to skate until the summer of 96. Up until that point I had been perfectly content being a part of my gymnastics club's "X-Team"(which was a group of us gymnasts that, for whatever reason, quit competing and met once a week to tumble, etc.) I gave up competitive gymnastics becuase of a tremendous growth spurt I "suffered" when I was 16; I couldn't swing high bar without my toes scraping the mat underneath!:]

To make a long story short, I started with group lessons when I turned 19 and have been skating ever since...and I still love it:] It's funny, it wasn't until about 2 years into my skating that I began to identify myself as a skater and not a gymnast:]

-Happy skating!

[Tessie]

I skated as a kid, no lessons it's just what everyone did. fast forward 30 years - I took it up with lessons at 43. All I wanted to learn was good strokes and cross overs. Well now I'm on freeskate 2 - 3. Those back edges are holding me up in 2. Each new level I feel I've accomplished more than my original goal and that I am comfortable right where I am. Then I pass a test and its off to the next level :lol:

[nsk8r067]

hey i was getting worried as i was reading the posts, cuz i started at 13 and most everyone else i know has started much earlier. i've been skating for 3 years and i love it!!!!!!!!!!!! im hoping to start working on my singles soon.

[Raine]

Despite NBC's wretched coverage of the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, I was inspired enough to take the ice at age 17. I taught myself a waltz jump, scratch spin, and ina bauer and with the help of group lessons and the occasional private lesson, learned all the jumps through the loop in about two years.

I continued to skate casually until 2002, 1-2 times a week during the cooler months, taking group lessons on occasion, with a year off here and there. I did a few seasons of ISI, but never really had consistent ice time, training or instruction. Then, inspired by Sarah Hughes' performance at the 2002 Olympics, I decided to take my skating seriously, and at age 47 started taking weekly private lessons and skating at least 3-4 times a week. Talk about trying to unlearn years of bad habits! :frus: I'm still trying to figure out how to do back crossovers properly and to reclaim my ina bauer!

Happy Skating!
Raine

[mikawendy]

I started when I was 26 and had bought myself skates as a Christmas present. I was skating on an outdoor rink near my house when I realized I was going very fast but didn't have a *clue* how to stop or steer myself. I signed up for lessons in the interest of everyone's safety! ;) My lessons started in March 2002.

Before that, I had only rollerskated and ice skated at birthday parties. When I was 16, I got a friend to come with me to the rink--it was her first time skating, her sister accidentally skated in front of her, making her fall and break her ankle in 2 places. 8O

So, I've been skating a little over 2 years, but my actual time in lessons is much less because of breaks between sessions, etc.

My goal is to learn all the singles and at least attemt an axel at some time. We'll see how my knees and my nerves hold up for doubles! My other goals are to pass Adult Gold Moves or higher and to do all the one-foot turns well. (That may take the longest, judging from the stroking class I took recently--the teacher didn't know me very well, and had everyone, myself included, trying brackets on a circle. OY!)

[skatetiludrop]

Well, good luck for you all no matter what goals and age you have. After all, Happy Skating :lol:
Milkawendy,
Let's hope to attempt an axel some time eh.

[luna_skater]

I guess I'm one of the few on here who has been skating non-stop since I was young! I started CanSkate lessons when I was 6, just because my parents wanted me to learn how to skate. I didn't really like it that much, but they kept registering me for lessons every year so that I would have a winter activity. When I was 11, I started Precision, and then started CanFigureskate shortly afterward. It took a couple of years of precision before I really started to love skating. I quite CanFigure when I was about 14, and did nothing but precision/synchro until I was 22. Last year, I decided I wanted to pass my dances and skills, so after skating regularly for 16 years, and competing in synchro for 12, I had my first private lesson! Now I just have one gold dance left to pass, and I am working on my jr. silver skills. After I'm finished with the skills, I'd like to do my artistic/interpretives, and a bit of freeskate. I still compete in synchro as well.

[Jumpingbeans]

I started at age 8, but even tho I fell in love with it from the first time I stepped through the doors I didn't take it very seriously at all. I do not come from a skating family. I started private lessons when I was 11-12 once a week and that was the biggest thing. I was a real figure skater now ;) . I spent 1 year and 8 months on that AXEL but it was a thing of I could land it but I didn't believe I could.

Around that time I just got so sick of seeing skaters younger than me working on double lutz and double axels. So I made a promise to myself that by the end of this year I'll be landing ( or at least working on) double axel. I've pretty much kept my promise to myself ! 8-)

[twokidsskatemom]

I started at age 8, but even tho I fell in love with it from the first time I stepped through the doors I didn't take it very seriously at all. I do not come from a skating family. I started private lessons when I was 11-12 once a week and that was the biggest thing. I was a real figure skater now ;) . I spent 1 year and 8 months on that AXEL but it was a thing of I could land it but I didn't believe I could.

Around that time I just got so sick of seeing skaters younger than me working on double lutz and double axels. So I made a promise to myself that by the end of this year I'll be landing ( or at least working on) double axel. I've pretty much kept my promise to myself ! 8-)

this is ot, but what does not coming from a skate family have to do with taking it seriously? perhaps you werent really into it it then and now you are ?
Lots of kids arent from skate families, including my kids. we are now a skate family, but werent before.

[aloha]

i got on the ice at about 1 1/2 although i started jumping in the living room at about 1

[Lmarletto]

this is ot, but what does not coming from a skate family have to do with taking it seriously? perhaps you werent really into it it then and now you are ?
Lots of kids arent from skate families, including my kids. we are now a skate family, but werent before.

I don't want to speak for Jumpingbeans, but as a parent in "not a skate family", I can see how that can really slow a child down. My daughter has several friends who don't take lessons year round or who rarely get ice time outside of their lessons. For things like soccer or dance that kind of low key approach is pretty typical for 4-12 year olds and the parents don't see why skating should be any different. In a situation like that, it takes a very demanding child to get more ice time.

On topic, I started skating at 40 and after a year and a half of not really pushing myself, I am doing backwards crossovers, and not pretty ones either. I'm still very nervous on the ice. I know that's slowing me down a lot.

[NickB]

I'm 19 now and just started skating about 4 1/2 months ago (right before I turned 19). I took a class for P.E. two days a week last semester and a 15 week adult group class on Saturdays. Both of those have ended, but I'm starting a 10 week semi-private lesson in June and taking the P.E. class again in the fall. After that I might start taking private lessons, we'll see. My long term goals are to compete, to have a free skating program, and to hopefully learn at least all the single jumps.

[Jumpingbeans]

this is ot, but what does not coming from a skate family have to do with taking it seriously? perhaps you werent really into it it then and now you are ?
Lots of kids arent from skate families, including my kids. we are now a skate family, but werent before.

Maybe I shouldn't of said a skating family, but rather a sports family. My family is more about education and getting into a good college. We just didn't know how much time went into skating to be an elite skater. We thought that skating once a week would be all you needed. But you are right, I wasn't serious about back then. It was just a fun thing I did.

[twokidsskatemom]

I don't want to speak for Jumpingbeans, but as a parent in "not a skate family", I can see how that can really slow a child down. My daughter has several friends who don't take lessons year round or who rarely get ice time outside of their lessons. For things like soccer or dance that kind of low key approach is pretty typical for 4-12 year olds and the parents don't see why skating should be any different. In a situation like that, it takes a very demanding child to get more ice time.

On topic, I started skating at 40 and after a year and a half of not really pushing myself, I am doing backwards crossovers, and not pretty ones either. I'm still very nervous on the ice. I know that's slowing me down a lot.


lol guess I have demanding kids or just listened to them, but this is what they want from life right now.When your kids ask every day when are we skating today. it really is something they want.I had never been on the ice and dh had been once.
Now we all skate. and dh is learning how to zam so we can get cheaper ice.
just call us crazy!!
on topic,i just started a few months ago and im 42.

[twokidsskatemom]

Maybe I shouldn't of said a skating family, but rather a sports family. My family is more about education and getting into a good college. We just didn't know how much time went into skating to be an elite skater. We thought that skating once a week would be all you needed. But you are right, I wasn't serious about back then. It was just a fun thing I did.


You can have both,lots of people do.Look at sara hughes right now :)
We want our kids to get into a good school too, if that is what they want to do.But i do think you can do both if its what you want :)

[96.23??]

I started skating when I was about 8. I started private lessons when I was 10. I started taking skating seriously when I was 12.

[skatingatty]

I started skating at age 12 in Stone Mtn., GA, but mainly just group lessons. I skated about 1-2 times a week b/c it was too much trouble for my mom to keep driving me to the rink. I quit at age 15 and then didn't get serious (or should I say, fanatical?) about skating til age 22 when I dropped out of law school in San Francisco-- long story, but I soon went back to a different school in DC. It was a strange time in my life, but I got to skate almost everyday at Berkeley Iceland and Oakland US Ice Center. That's where I made the most progress. I started having "axel dreams" in 1996 and can finally land them about 1/2 the time. :)