Winners or Spinners: 8-14 August

[Mrs Redboots]

(The title of this week's thread comes from F1 Racing magazine, which I was reading yesterday)

Spinners: Literally, alas - got nearly to the rink in the car to find the road had been closed due to a serious RTA involving 4 cars and a bus. Luckily nobody had been seriously hurt, but the road was still closed when we left the rink. Fortunately there was a parking-space just around the corner, so we parked and walked the rest of the way (all of 200 yards!). Then when we got there, we found that nobody who had a key to the pros' room was in, so half-a-dozen of us were sitting around waiting to get at our skates. Those few skaters who had their skates with them thoroughly enjoyed empty ice for 15 minutes!

We ran through a bit of the Canasta Tango today, but I still think we do it badly. I don't really care for any Tangoes, except possibly the Silver Tango, which I can't do anyway, but we haven't "got" it yet, I don't think. It will come, I dare say.

Winners: Once we finally got skating, all seemed to go very well, apart from the Nasty Tangle mentioned above. We have a free dance!!!! It isn't perfect, needs lots of practice, and will probably come last at the Championships, but it's there. Now all we need is practice, practice and more practice. And to tidy up our compulsory dances.

For the last 15 minutes of the session, someone was playing low-level dance tunes, so we just danced! It was great - Rhythm Blues, Golden Skaters' Waltz, Canasta Tango (which wasn't so bad, doing it outside the lesson!), Swing Dance, Riverside Rhumba.... wonderful!

[batikat]

coach is away so haven't been doing much serious work on anything - I need him there to crack the whip or I tend to just ffaff about really.

winners: salchow & toe-loop and jump combo are coming on nicely. Twizzles are improving

spinners: programme to music seems harder than I remember!! Free dance is Ok but needs much polishing if it's to be respectable for the British Adult Championships in October. Don't think I'm going to be in the medal running this year!
Loop still elusive
backspin non-existent.

The good news: I'm going on the adult weekend skating clinic in Nottingham next weekend - can't wait!!! Daughter is coming too and doing the kids one.

[Debbie S]

Winners: Had a pretty good performance in an adult skaters' exhibition yesterday. My coach's husband videotaped me (my coach also performed in this show) so I got to see it right away. My crossovers have gotten better, and my coach noted that I skate with more speed and confidence than I used to. If only I could fix those spins....

My coach and I started working on fixing my technique on my loop jump. I have a bad habit of pre-rotating my shoulders.

Spinners: My spins (well, actually, they're really not spinning - lol). I got the video of my comp last week and decided that my sit spin has actually regressed from where it was 6 months ago. It's probably b/c of all the time I spent on moves this spring, and then the time spent this summer on getting my loop, sal-loop, and camel-sit. I guess it shows that you need to put in as much practice time for the elements you can do as for the ones you're learning.

The competition video was also a reality check for my jumps - my loop barely came off the ground! And it felt much higher when I was doing the jump. Sigh. My coach says that fixing the technique will help the height. But the video did show that I had more speed than at my last comp and that my stroking is better. If only I could fix that arm-flapping - instead of flapping from side to side, they're now flapping up and down. :roll:

[jenlyon60]

I had a winning lesson tonight... had skated this morning, like normal, but coach rescheduled lesson to this evening.

Anyways, coach had me do a couple of the exercises from Adult Bronze MIF test...which is par for the course. Tonight's choice were the alternating back crossovers to back outside edge and 5-step mohawk. Main comments on the first was to keep opening the free side and LOOK over the free side (I forget to turn my head and LOOK). Then on the 5-step, coach wanted me to concentrate on making sure the free leg goes back not out on the BO stroke after the mohawk, essentially serving as a bit of a rudder to help set the edge and the pattern shape.

Then we went on to the cross back chasses from the Tango. First solo a couple times, then we skated them together, in the dance hold. Then finally at the end of the lesson, we did the first half of the dance twice (without music). And I did proper quiet intro-3's. So tonight they were there and worked.

[Mrs Redboots]

Winners: Our elite skaters, who very kindly put off a resurface for 20 minutes so that Robert could finish his practice! The ice had been cut, but there were condensation bumps all over the place.

With Robert, we ran through our dance a couple of times, and no real problems, except in my twizzle-to-sit-back, which I don't have a problem with, but Robert does! He just stands there and waits for me - we need to get our coach to choreograph him something to do while I do it! Step sequence still untidy.

After he'd gone, played around with an Evil Exercise my friend taught me, which has killed my poor hamstrings! Sheesh..... Also did most of my exercises.

Spinners: The ice was good so one could see one's tracings - now, why is it that my LFI/RFI Mohawk is just barely there, yet the tracing is much, much better than my RFI/LFI Mohawk, the "good" one, which seems to have a toe-mark at the top of the LFI bit???? Really frustrating!

Rink got really crowded towards the end of the session - at 7.30 there were just us and the elite couples; Robert left at 8.20, as usual, which just left me and the elites - and at 8.45 it suddenly filled up! By 9.30 it was packed, and when I got off the ice at 10.00, 30 minutes before the end of the session, it was still packed. Nice, though, and I knew almost everybody.

[quarkiki2]

Winners: My Synchro team! We came in second at ISI Worlds – so now we’re the reigning National and World silver medalists. Not too bad for a team that’s only competed against other teams twice!!
I have to give some big kudos to the winners – The Austintatious Stars from Austin, TX. WOW! Were they good! They did such difficult stuff – like LOOPS in their footwork circle.
We skated well and were glad to finish second. Personally, I had a slight bobble right at the beginning, but managed to get my feet under me quickly. My hubby said I was the smiley-est one on the ice. Good boy!

Winner: ME!! I’ve managed to lose 18lbs so far this summer. My goal is to lose a total of 50lbs by Halloween. Go, Quarkiki!!

[sk8pics]

Congratulations, Quarkiki2! Sounds like you had a great time at worlds.

And congrats on your weight loss, too! But don't try to lose weight too quickly; another 32 pounds is a lot to lose between now and Haloween. You could end up with health problems if you lose too much weight too fast. Like gallstones, for instance, of which I have one, due to (my doctor thinks) losing about 36 pounds during about 5 1/2 - 6 months.

Pat

[NCSkater02]

Winners: My scratch spin is coming along. Or at least it was today. Who knows where it will be next time I skate. :roll: I also did my best half lutz ever, according to my coach. It felt good, so it must have looked good, right?

Spinners: I made the last Tuesday afternoon moves session today. They go to power and edge next week--I can't realistically get from work, changed, and warmed up in time to jump into that. I couldn't find my moves today. They must have left when my scratch knocked on the door. :lol: My main problem is I'm not pushing off with enough power to get back to the line consistantly. We added back inside edges today, and next week we'll add alt. 3turns. My coach says test in November. I :roll: at her.

[Mrs Redboots]

"Weigh" to go, Quarkiki! I rather agree that 32 lbs is a lot more to lose over the next 11 weeks until Hallowe'en, though; you don't really want to lose more than 3 lbs a fortnight or so - I would have thought a further 16 lbs by Hallowe'en, and then the rest by Christmas?

Me, I've only lost 1 kg so far, if that (about 2 lbs), but then, I did have that holiday in Poland.... And today I walked half-way home from the ice rink, which was 30 minutes' brisk walking on top of my skating.

But my skating was definitely on a bad day - somehow, all my faults in my lesson boiled down to having my body-weight too far forward. Sigh. Another coach says I don't bend my knees enough; she's probably right.

[sk8pics]

Winners Had a fun lesson yesterday, even though it was all moves! All the moves from the bronze moves test, PLUS the alternating FO3's. I can feel improvement in all of them, and my coach was very happy, and "high-fived" me or patted me on the back several times. He was especially happy with the improvement in my alternating back crossovers --almost on pattern now-- and also with plain back crossovers, which really are flying now. He helped me do the alternating back crossovers at one point and I really had a lot of speed, while the plain back crossovers by myself were probably at about 3/4 of that speed, so that's good! Any time I can skate almost as fast on my own as when he holds my hand is good! And for the first time I can imagine myself doing the power 3's sequence at the proper speed to some day pass the moves test!

Spinners The ice was really odd when I first got on, and I tripped 3 or 4 times on various things in the ice. No falls, though. And I could watch my blade going sideways at different points when I was trying to skate straight. 8O I hate that feeling. Lots of grooves and ruts, I guess.

Happy skating everyone,
Pat

[quarkiki2]

Thanks for the congrats -- That was a typo about my weight though -- I'm looking to be down a total of 35lbs by Halloween! I agree it's not smart to lose 30 lbs in two and a half months!

[Terri C]

Winners:
Made a good effort to get the loop going with speed. While Coach didn't go over it in lesson today, she told me that we'd work on it next week!
Sit spins are consistent and centered!

Spinners:
Didn't run the program with the music this week as much as I'd like or really need to. And the result of that showed up on lesson today, as that footwork section drove me crazy! Oh yeah and Coach added more footwork to the program,as well as finished it, sort of.
I was a little frustrated today that this program is not coming together as well or fast as I'd like it to. Coach reminded me that this is the hardest program I've done, as well as fast music!

[jenlyon60]

WINNER: Did the RFI3 in the Tango today w/ coach... we were working on the Promenade sequence thru to the end of the dance.

Also a WINNER was my weaker side's cross-back chasses from Tango (and the same step in Blues, although less precise). I figured out one reason why I was having problems getting the cross-back as clean as I wanted... not enough ankle flex as I started the step. Not 100% there yet, but at least partway there being fixed.

[NCSkater02]

I had the ice to myself for 45 minutes, then two other adults showed up for the last hour of the session. I'm so glad school is back in session and no more hockey camps take my ice time!!

Winners: The salchow felt like it was coming together, and most of the moves are coming right along. We just started putting the lutz on the outside edge (I had just been doing the steps to learn the jump) and while it still feels weird, it's starting to feel a little more normal.

Spinners: The scratch spin I had Tuesday was gone today--I couldn't do one to save my life. I struggled with my toe loop today--had problems checking the 3turn.

[Mrs Redboots]

Only 40 minutes on the ice this morning, as we have visitors. I don't know why Robert complains - I'm used to 2.5 hour sessions, but he has to get off after 40 minutes to go to work! So I got off when he did this morning.

We started off as winners, with a good walk-through of the programme, with me having the music on my headphones. Then we worked on those parts of it that still desperately need work. But the final run-through, with the music on the rink system, was a disaster - my fault, alas! Can't even blame Robert (although I tried!) :oops: :frus:

Ah well.... we really must practice 6 days/week if we are to get this ready....

[kisscid]

Spinners: My change foot spin is awful. I get the scratch going into it. I get a small back spin with about 4 revolutions, but then trying to get back into the forward scratch I mess up, i cannot center it to save my life. My flip/loop though I can pull it off I keep breaking at the waist.

Winner:I passed all the group lesson classes this week (I think it goes up to FS3 in ISI). Next group session I will be in the "jump & Spin" class :) . I'm really looking forward to it!
cid

[Stormy]

WINNERS!: Did several axels today that were fully rotated, but fell. The best I've ever done them. I really thought I'd land one clean today, but they began to take off funky when I started over-thinking them, so I stopped. Double sals and flips were all great attempts.

Spinners: Double lutz was cruddy. On my best attempt, I barely got and and a half rotations.

[dbny]

Winners
Finally back on the ice today after three weeks. Went camping and just had too much to do when I got home. It was a public session that wasn't too crowded, but was a little hectic. To my great relief, I felt pretty good the minute I stepped onto the ice, although I did have a little trouble with balance after my initial round of stroking and crossovers. A few iterations of the edge patterns took care of that. I wasn't able to do much because of the crowd, but I did work on FO and FI threes, which seem to be much the same as before. Amazingly, my F power pulls were a tad better. Almost fell off the back of the blade on the R though, but two footed it and did them again from the two footed start.

Spinners
One hour had me tired enough to call it quits. I really lazed around and pigged out on vacation. The weather didn't allow all the hiking and kayaking that I had planned, so there wasn't a lot to do besides cook, eat, and drink beer around the campfire (with the chips and dips, of course). Now it's time to take off the extra pounds and get back into shape!

[NCSkater02]

Winners: I felt like I made progress on my lutz. I've been working on getting it on the outside edge, and though it still feels weird, I think I'm getting there...or at least headed that way. There were only about 6-10 on the public after group lesson today, so I had plenty of room to practice. I also re-learned waltz 3's. CCW was easy enough--once I quit trying to turn it into a waltz jump.

Spinners: CW waltz 3's were difficult. Scratch spin was noticably (sp?) absent today. I also started inside and outside spirals. My coach laughed at my efforts, but so did I, once I faced the fear of the face plant. (We usually laugh through my lessons.)

[singerskates]

I can't make heads or tails as to what spinners is suppose to mean so I'll guess that it's not good since Winners are always good.

First session on Friday

Winners: good centered spins, jumps were starting to have longer held landings.

Second session on Friday

spinners: the effects of landing wrong on my left foot off-ice while skipping on one foot began to bother me during my second session. I began to back off of the split jump landing onto my left foot and the jump from that point on was botched along with the flip that was suppose to come after it. I just had reservations about landing on my left foot. Then my spins on my left foot went to pot because after a few revs I began to feel pain in my left foot/ankle. Coach thinks my 2 second spiral and jump landings, sal and toe and waltz (the only ones I attemped after my left foot started to bother me), lasted too long like an hour and a half. What do you expect my coach is a guy and exagerates things. I laughed it off and then did an extra long landing and turned it into a back spiral just to bug him more. It was fun.

Winner: My coach. He's a fun person to be coached by. I mean he picked on my little running part that starts my footwork. He calls it fake running. I nearly died laughing when he said that I was fake running on the ice.
Surprise: I learned forward waltzing 3's in both direction quickly. I never tried them before and didn't know how to do them. Well, first I tried them in my natural direction, CCW. It only too one try and I had them. Then the real feat started as I just got forward 3's in the CW direction recently. It only took me three times. What surprised me was that it was easier than the regular 3's to do. Then my coach had me plant them into my program going CW where I had the regular CW 3's. This made for a smoother program and I was able to get to my FRO Spiral which takes me to my sitspin. I was running late getting to my spin before which made me late getting my footwork started so I'd be forced to skate faster than the music to play catch up in the footwork. -
Coach changed another area in my FS program. Just before my split jump I have this presentation section where I first look up at my hand and then watch it go down as I get down on one foot with the other behind it and then spring back up to then do two RFI op mo's into a split jump. Now Have a spiral right when I spring back up before the mohawks into the split jump. this flows good as well.

One thing that messes me up though happens after landing my watlz/toe combo. I'm no longer going to be going down the side of the rink but diagonal afterwards into my loop. After the loop, I'm disoriented because I'm use to doing a catch foot spiral going CWW. I'm thinking I'm going to have to start thinking of doing a LBO catch foot spiral so I can go CW.

Spinning:
After skating on Friday I found out that my brother didn't contact my mom after leaving his trailer park hom in Punta Gorda. So my mom was thinking that he was dead because of Hurricane Charlie hitting Punta Gorda.. Thursday when my mom called my brother, my mom thought she heard my brother say that he was only going to go two miles from the trailer park where he lived.


Winners: My brother called my mom from Fort Pierce clear across Florida on the Atlantic Ocean. but only had two or less minutes to call because of the long line of evacuees also where he was. We were relieved to know that he was alright.

Another winner is my Competitive Adult Skaters group. One of the members there is a member of the Hurricane Knitters and pass the info on to the knitters group.
They were very helpful.

Brigitte.

[jazzpants]

Winners

Went to the Snoopy Rink again after about a year!!! KEWL!!! 8-)
Got my blade realigned again, but this time from a really good blade guy!!! He knows his stuff!!! I feel a bit more secure with my edges.
Thru said blade guy, I met the infamous Skippy Baxter!!! GAWD, if he's 84, he doesn't look it!!! He's still very young and skates pretty fast for an old guy! I guess it's true that the ice preserves one's age (in terms of appearance), huh? :mrgreen: Wit is still sharp as a tack too!!! When I said "It's an honor to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you!", he says "It's not true! Really!!! It's a rumor!!!" :lol:
Spinners

My lack of a scratch spin is not just b/c of a blade alignment problem -- also b/c it's ME!!! (There was a skating coach standing by watching and she confirmed that I didn't raise my free hip high enough...) *sigh* Not surprised. Haven't worked on them in quite a while. But the blade alignment seemed to help the spin itself. And I did managed to get ONE good scratch spin at the end of the public session. (So not a complete "spinner"...)
"Dog on a fire hydrant" free legs. :frus:
The long drive back from the Snoopy Rink! GRRRR!!! :evil: :frus: