Flying or falling: 8/30 - 9/6

[flo]

In honor of my first flying trapeze class.

Flying: A couple of friends, including another skater took a two hour flying trapeze class. It was great. I was able to fly and be caught twice. It should be great for developing uper body strength for doubles.

Falling: Another expensive sport.

[Debbie S]

Wow, flo, you are brave! (I didn't even know there were such classes offered - shows how adventurous I am :) )

Flying: My coach and I are working on my jump technique. She's tinkering a bit with my arms and free leg before and during my jumps. It feels a bit bizarre, since I've done things a certain way for so long, but it's all in the name of improvement. After seeing the video of my recent competition, I can see that my jumping and spinning techniques cry out for improvement. ;)

Falling: I sent my skates back to SP-Teri for some minor work - I want to get the lambswool tongues - and I still don't have them back yet. It's hard to skate in my old skates, so I've been taking it easy, but I would like to start working on some things that I need my current skates for.

[gregyoshi]

Since I'm a newbie, hopefully I'll do this right.

Flying: I practiced today for 2 hours. Worked on 3 turns on a line/both feet and inside/outside edges and am real happy I'm not hopping on them or skidding anymore. Lots of power stroking, forward crossovers (always need work) and spins. I worked for...ever on my sitspin. Ho hum results. One day I'll get it. Didn't do any jumps.

Falling: I never know what to expect with our ice. One day it's bitterly cold and the next practically melting. One day they cut after every FS session, the next they skip it and the ice gets to look like they had a hockey game. Sometimes public sessions are completely dead (especially weekdays-usually a handful of people at most) and they cut the ice midway. On the weekend they are very busy and the ice is crowded and they skip it. Does it make any sense? Nope. Does it do any good to ask about it or complain? What do you all think?

I'm getting bitter about that. I know, I know-I shouldn't blame my skating problems on anything but myself but I have been getting bummed out about the conditions. I think of safety because it's far easier to get hurt on cruddy ice than smooth ice (since the physics involved and you slide on clean ice rather than stick to it when it's rough) and I hold off on the jumps because of fear of getting hurt bad.

[Terri C]

Flying:
My program!! I had the best run through of it in lesson today! I did my entire straight line footwork sequence without having to stop and figure out where I had to be!

The only thing falling was the back half of the program. It's a stamina issue, since the tempo of the music is super fast, except for the beginning. It's the fastest program I've ever done!


Greg yoshi, you are not the only one who hates it when the ice is not good.I've complained to my rink management before and they did lose my business for a month when the boilers in the rink broke down and the ice was awful!

[dbny]

Falling:

I haven't been able to get to the rink more than once a week for months now, and that's for a public session. I also gained 10 pounds 8O and am totally out of shape. Today I called the rink at 1 PM just to confirm the 3:00 freestyle, only to be told it was from noon to 3! I'm not going to make it to a freestyle yet again this week.

Flying:

Got myself on the Nordic Track today, and haven't overeaten yet, but the night is still young. Will not go to the kitchen when hubby gets home from work around 11.

[backspin]

Falling: Failed my American Waltz for the 2nd time on Sunday; needs more expression. Frustrating when the timing & pattern were correct (which was noted on the judges sheets).....they're really obsessive about expression on this dance. Meanwhile according to the rulebook, the only purpose of the solo at this level is to confirm the skater can skate a reasonable pattern, on time to the music......... :frus: :frus:

Flying: went on ebay & bought a camcorder so I'll get to see just how bad the expression is, & I'll understand better how to fix it! A picture's worth a thousand words..... Also, I felt I skated very well on the test, MUCH better & stronger than the last time, & didn't freak out at all.

[skatingatty]

Flying: hmm... not much, given that I returned from a cruise and gained a couple of lbs. :( Don't believe the hype about those cruises with skating rinks-- there's hardly any ice time and the rink is tiny and gets snowy quickly.

Falling: my skating's regressed to the point where I had a hard fall on a lutz jump this morning! Ow! What a mess. Axel is now 20% or less landed. Maybe tomorrow will be better. The Peach Classic is this weekend.

[luna_skater]

Flying: Rockers exercise. No problems, it is just getting stronger. Expanding Exercise (Sr. Silver) is also improving! I am quite confident with the pulls and stops, and am getting better at the rocker to bracket step.

Falling: Literally. :evil: In the past year and a half, I have never fallen in a lesson. In the past two weeks I have wiped out twice, both doing back brackets, which are apparently my new nemesis. I just can't get the feel for them. Tips would be appreciated!

[NCSkater02]

Flying: I've been working on 3turns on the official's crease to get used to the size to put them together for prebronze moves. My coach was pleased with the progress I've made on them. Also, my question with the lutz--am I on the outside edge--was answered; I am, and she was impressed with that too.

Falling: Still the scratch, and add the back scratch to it. I drop my right side going into it, so I don't get far. I did do a couple where I managed to get my foot across and actually do a spin, but it is usually an exercise in frustration. :frus: I know, I know--it will come one day. :roll:

[Terri C]

Flying:
The first half of my program is just coming along so smoothly for a change!
I also got a comfirmation e-mail from the IceWorks SC comfirming that they received my Halloween Classic application!!
For those who are considering going, the deadline is two weeks from now (9/15)!

Falling:
The rink for whatever reason today (it's always a different excuse) :roll: didn't cut the ice as scheduled today and 45 minutes into my practice, it was awful!

[jenlyon60]

Flying: Alternating forwards and backwards power crossovers (aka the first 2 moves from AB MITF). Coach was very happy with them today, said they were very quiet and he liked the way I moved across the ice. Personally, I thought I had my free leg bent too much on one side.

Tango also was Flying today. Well the first half, up to the promenade, which is the part we worked today with and without the music. Coach said he could tell my solo practice and gym time is paying off, that I feel rock steady in the dance hold.

Falling: The ice schedule this week is really weird because one sheet is melted down for annual maintenance this week. Only 3 or 4 early morning FS/Dance sessions, then hours and hours of hockey.

[Mrs Redboots]

Back on the ice after almost a week, this time visiting Tashakat's old rink.

Flying: Our Willow waltz - okay it's still rough and ready, but we really are going to be able to do this next year! If it's this good now.... Robert has finally worked out, I think, how to help me in the RFO 3, and we did the dance twice last night with no problems. I still am not quite sure of the timing of some of the steps - we both rush our Mohawks, which doesn't help the other skater, and I can't get the timing of the steps after the RFO 3 quite right yet. But we haven't had a lesson on it yet. I'm really pleased, as it's a lovely dance, and I want to be able to do it well.

Falling: We got lost en route (there was a diversion due to road works), so were late and missed the group class. And I bottled doing the Fiesta Tango with Robert, but luckily his Other Woman was there, and they are debating doing it at a competition in October, so they didn't at all mind having a chance to practice a bit more!

[jenlyon60]

Flying:

Tango was much improved in lesson today. Coach had me working the bit from the ladies left forward outside 4-beat edge through to the end of the dance. Well, I didn't do the RFI3 solo, but I did everything else, and we tweaked it. Fixed a couple of free leg/hip placements on my solo practice and fixed how I "aim" the RFO for the cross-3 after the 4-beat edge. End result was much much easier to skate.

Then we skated that whole section through to the end together, and things were a lot better for the pair. And I did the RFI3 and it was much closer to being a "don't have to think and dread" to make it work.

Falling:
The rink decided to do maintenance on the speakers mounted in the center ceiling of the rink WHILE we were skating (the other pad is melted down right now for maintenance). But the results will be good, because one or more speakers had't been working very well.

[tidesong]

Flying (mostly):
Landed some double salchows both tues and today which was alot better than last week. Its so frustrating because this jump has been off and on for so long now and never gotten back to where it was before my ankle injury.

Worked on double toe with coach and worked out some of the reasons why I feel insecure in that jump and I have some more things to work with for this jump which has been confusing me for a long time. The good thing is that I am rotating it fully quite often now which is a good sign... but on the other hand I lose concentration and mess the next take off after a good try which breaks the momentum.

Falling:
Even on a day when I'm not falling badly all over the place, I managed to hurt myself by trying to stretch for a spiral... I have no idea how it happened but the hip area hurt after that.

[kisscid]

Flying: My camel spin is coming along nicely. I hit a few good ones last night

Falling: (Hard too - ouch) stupid lutz yet again, and change foot spin. grumble groan
Cid

[flo]

Flying:Skated Tuesday, and Mika helped with the program opening.
Falling: No show from coach, and I spent all day yesterday having the new washer installed!

[slusher]

flying

Got skates sharpened today.
Paid my club registration.
Drove around and looked at 4 arenas today, okay well I was on errands but was just checking them out. Yup, same old cold and smelly places.
5 days to go until I'm back!

falling

My coach is full and I can't increase my lessons like I was hoping to do. :cry:

[CanAmSk8ter]

Flying: Nothing. I can't really skate b/c my old blades are so dull, and there's really nothing left to sharpen. I skated Monday and couldn't do so much as a lobe of the American. I can do the Tango mohawk, but not the inside three- a sorry state of affairs, considering I passed my Tango back in May! I have done quite a bit of off-ice- my abs are killing me but in a good way, and I've rollerbladed a lot. I did 8 miles last night.


Falling: My blades couldn't be rushed after all. I won't have new skates until Tuesday or Wednesday- which is when my coach comes back:( Tuesday I have classes so I don't anticipate getting down to get them until Wednesday. I've been watching skating videos and rollerblading but it's not the same. I miss my friends and I wanna skate!

Ok, I'm done whining. Sorry. :oops: I do plan to skate tomorrow regardless of how my old skates feel. Rinks are closed Monday for Labor Day so technically I only have to get through Friday and Tuesday with my old pair. My coach comes home Tuesday and we have to work out a schedule. The rink schedule changed in his absence and he isn't gonna be happy.

[Debbie S]

Flying: Got my skates back! It looks like they used my old tongues and just stripped off the spongy stuff and put the lambswool on, which is fine with me since the tongues' edges are trimmed in the places where they were rubbing my ankles - now I don't have to replicate that with completely new pieces of leather. They also gave me new laces, and it looks like they put polish on a few parts which were kind of banged up.

Started Bronze MIF today. We worked on the forward perimeter pattern. I seemed to have solved the stepping over problem on the CCW crossovers, but the CW ones still need some work, plus more extension. We also worked a bit on the backward perimeter move.

Falling: Banged my knee on the side of a desk at my class today, so I have a nice little red bump on the upper part of my left knee (the same knee I fell on hard last fall doing back crossovers). Luckily, it didn't affect my practice and lesson today.