FO change three--Figures 3rd test 26 a/b

[coskater64]

Does anyone have a diagram of this figure? Or can you explain it to me? Is it normal 3x your height size? Where is the 3? @ the top of the circle and then do you glide through the center backwards and go to forwards w/ another 3 turn and then push in the center and repeat 3x?

Help.

[daisies]

Does anyone have a diagram of this figure? Or can you explain it to me? Is it normal 3x your height size? Where is the 3? @ the top of the circle and then do you glide through the center backwards and go to forwards w/ another 3 turn and then push in the center and repeat 3x?

Help.

Hi, I have a diagram of it I can e-mail to you if you want to send me a Private Message with your e-mail address.

But basically you do a forward outside to inside serpentine, and then do the FI 3 at the top of the third circle. You'd glide back into center on the BO edge, then push off BACKWARDS ... so you'd be doing a back outside to inside serpentine, and do the BI 3 at the top of the first circle. Then you'd be coming into center on a FO edge. Repeat.

Each circle's diameter should be three times your height. So, if you use a scribe, the scribe should be 1 1/2 times your height when you stand it up.

[saras]

Does anyone have a diagram of this figure? Or can you explain it to me? Is it normal 3x your height size? Where is the 3? @ the top of the circle and then do you glide through the center backwards and go to forwards w/ another 3 turn and then push in the center and repeat 3x?

Help.

a bit more detail if the verbal descriptions help - it's a 3-circle figure. Each circle is three times your height. Start doing the first half of the middle circle on a FO edge (L or R - you'll do it both ways, two versions of the same figure). At the top of that circle, change to an I edge and go around one end circle. At the top of *that* circle, make the inside 3 - complete that circle on a BO edge. Push off, make the other half of the middle circle on an BO edge, change to a BI edge at the start of the second end circle, do a BI 3 at the top of that end circle, complete the end circle on a FO edge.

clear as mud eh?

Sara

[manleywoman]

I'm working on my 3rd figure tesst right now (hoping to test in March, but want to get past Sectionals first!). i could fax the diagram to you if you needed it.

[mikawendy]

a bit more detail if the verbal descriptions help - it's a 3-circle figure. Each circle is three times your height. Start doing the first half of the middle circle on a FO edge (L or R - you'll do it both ways, two versions of the same figure). At the top of that circle, change to an I edge and go around one end circle. At the top of *that* circle, make the inside 3 - complete that circle on a BO edge. Push off, make the other half of the middle circle on an BO edge, change to a BI edge at the start of the second end circle, do a BI 3 at the top of that end circle, complete the end circle on a FO edge.

clear as mud eh?

Sara

I sketched it out as I read your description and that makes sense to me. What boggles my mind is the edge control required to sustain the energy enough to finish the figure--same with any of the paragraph figures. When I saw those diagrammed in a book, I thought, "oy!" I have much respect for anyone who works on figures.

[blue111moon]

I'm working this figure now for Mountain Cup and the part up to the first forward turn is easy. It's getting enough speed out of the back push to carry you all the way through the edge change to the back turn AND get you back to the center for the forward push that's tough. Fresh ice and absolutely nick-free blades are a must, plus it helps if I use my ancient patch blades (without the front king pick) instead of my freestyle blades.

Double threes wer last year's challenge for me. This year I'm learning FO loops which was always a goal for me. I can't do them yet - the loops are huge! - but it's fun and an amazing workout. You wouldn't think just skating in little circles would induce sweat but they do!

[coskater64]

Thank you all so much I know have a very good idea of which figure this is and I actually got to practice today. Like Blue Moon I am doing this for the mountain cup, so I'll see ya there. It's only been 18 years since I did a figure and they are just like I remembered. SLOW

Thanks everyone.http://www.skatingforums.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=216184#

[Beccapoo2003]

So good to hear about figures. I am learning them and have a great respect for you guys. Just the other day, I challenged a kid Novice skater to trace my forward outside figure 8 and her edge was all wobbly! She couldn't hold a steady edge!!
Go figure! ;)
Becca

[Mrs Redboots]

I don't think I'm doing figures this year - it's a temptation! My FO and FI 8s are getting a lot better, but I still can't do a serpentine for love nor money! Been teaching them (unofficially!) to another friend, and of course hers are really great.... sickening, isn't it! :giveup:

[blue111moon]

Last year when I did Silver Figures, I had one figure that I knew I could do (the Back 8), one figure that I could sorta do (the change 3) and one new figure that my goal was just to get around without falling (the double three). But I had no competition so it didn't matter how well I did any of them. I got around them all but it wasn't pretty.

This year I have two figures I can sorta do (the change 3 and the double 3) and one new figure that I'm praying that by June won't make the judges double over laughing (the outside loop). And I can't even complain because I'm the one who suggested loops to Barbara because "I want the challenge" and I'd always wanted to learn loops but didn't get the chance before my club dropped patch ice. Is there a "What was I thinking?" smilie? I should have remembered how long it takes me to learn new things.

But it will be fun to have a competition in figures. The judges were really kind and encouraging to me last year.

Can I ask how much patch time you're all getting? I've been lucky enough to wrangle an hour a week (on clean ice!) by coning off a strip in the middle of Beginner Learn-to-Skate but I'm not sure how long that will continue. It's not regular, either, because I sometimes have to fill in for a missing coach or help with crawlers. But on the plus side, I get advice and instruction from all the coaches who have done figures. Every week a different one "wanders" by to offer a suggestion - and they don't charge me for a lesson!

[Mrs Redboots]

The older coaches all long to teach figures, I've noticed! And grumble like crazy about how skating standards have dropped since their demise, etc etc. This morning, because I was only just getting back after illness, one of the exercises I had to do was inside & outside semicircles, coming back to the line (my pushes are uneven, alas!). And when I got to the far side of the rink, it was easiest just to hold the inside edge round in a circle (except then my coach made me go back again without stopping, which at that stage I found hard to do!).

[saras]

I'm working on my 3rd figure tesst right now (hoping to test in March, but want to get past Sectionals first!). i could fax the diagram to you if you needed it.

Me too! I mean ditto on working on the 3rd figure test, and ditto on testing in March.

wow! I had no idea there was another human on the planet working on the 3rd figures test right now, LOL

Sara

[saras]

Can I ask how much patch time you're all getting? I've been lucky enough to wrangle an hour a week (on clean ice!) by coning off a strip in the middle of Beginner Learn-to-Skate but I'm not sure how long that will continue. It's not regular, either, because I sometimes have to fill in for a missing coach or help with crawlers. But on the plus side, I get advice and instruction from all the coaches who have done figures. Every week a different one "wanders" by to offer a suggestion - and they don't charge me for a lesson!

Ha HA. I get zero official patch time. That said, I usually manage to patch daily. I go on "open" sessions and just camp out at one end of the rink. Before it gets too crowded I usually get some "test" layouts along the hockey circles.

Mostly, at my club folks have learned to co-exist. My concentration would be a whole different animal if I could patch without MIF and doubles whizzing close to my figures. But, I've learned to keep a peripheral eye out for MIF and jumps, and others have learned to keep a peripheral eye out for my figures patterns. This wasn't clear until one session and there was someone new - a good skater but she was not used to figures co-occuring. Let's just say they wigged her out...

I am lucky in that there are several less-attended open sessions at my FSC. Sat and Sun ams I share the ice at 7 am with 2-3 upper Novice/Junior level skaters - for at least the first 45 minutes or so they stay pretty clear of my patch, and then they start in with full-sheet-of-ice MIF patterns and program run-throughs. Tue and Fri afternoons I go to an open session that's a little more crowded than that, but it's still pretty manageable for at least 1/2 hour. I continue to patch for over an hour - but pull off to the edge when folks are running their program. Working on loops takes up way less space, though I find that I'm more likely to not see someone coming b/c my focus is much more "down" with loops.

I covet any club that still offers patch time!

Sara

[icedancer2]

Figures Rule!!

In Portland we have one official Patch session on Sunday morning. It is AMAZINGLY well-attended!! There is a coach who sets up all of the patches with lines and everything and then she goes around and scribes out circles for the kids. You can pay her some small fee if you want her to work with you (she works with each kid about 10-minutes and just goes from patch to patch) -- or if you're an adult like me, you can just do your figures on your patch and nobody bothers you!! It is awesome to see the kids working on figures... the only "problem, as I see it, is that they just use the one scribed circle and do everything on it, not worrying about tracings and centers and all that, but at least they are getting the feeling of the edges and turns. I highly doubt that any of them will be testing, especially with only oen hour a week.

At my regular rink that I skate at during the week, there is an early morning (8:30-9:30) session that used to be Patch (back in the day) and then changed to "Patch and Freestyle" in the early '90s where they would cone off some of the ice for figures. Then for years now it has been just "Freestyle", mostly attended by adult dancers -- but I have been setting up figures on that session now for a little over a year -- now I noticed that they are calling it "Patch and Freestyle" again (Yea!). One of the coaches is teaching figures to her adult students and my coach is starting to get her "kids" to do some figures too.

So maybe figures are catching on again, in some little way. It sure is fun to do them again, but man, they are hard (started working on my Silver test in December -- yikes -- BO 8's. !!)

[coskater64]

I usually practice my figures on a Rec skate that is after my 3-4 FS/dance sessions. My LFO loop is fairing better than the right but for day 2, I have hope, no giant alley ooops and breaking my backside.

la

[daisies]

I love reading about all of you doing figures! My rink still has one patch from 7:45-8:30am, Monday-Saturday. I had been doing it until last July, when I passed my 8th. I decided not to continue doing it mainly to save money, but also because after doing them for so long I was burnt out. (And I admit I also like sleeping in a little longer!)

But now that I'm seven months removed from that, I am really enjoying reading about your patch experiences. I hope you all continue doing them as long as you can and that more people realize what an asset figures are to skating!

[Figureskates]

I am the only one doing patch at my rink. The rules of engagement is I can do patch on basically an empty session, which is mid morning when the kids are school. I can then bring out the scribe and patch to my heart's content.
The guy who runs the Zamboni is a good friend and he makes a nice clean, smooth sheet when he knows I am going to patch.

I plan to test pre figures and Figures 1 this August at Lake Placid since they don't test figures around here.

[manleywoman]

The management lets me do figures on an end of the rink if the session isn't too crowded, and the kids think it's fascinating, so they don't care if I'm hogging a strip at the end. Very cool of all of them.

Until Easterns are over, I'm only doing my weekly lesson, but prior to that I did figures 3 hours/week. That's why it's taking me so long to pass each figures test (about a year each) :frus:

[daisies]

Until Easterns are over, I'm only doing my weekly lesson, but prior to that I did figures 3 hours/week. That's why it's taking me so long to pass each figures test (about a year each) :frus:

That's actually really fast, Manleywoman! It took me 10 years to pass only three tests (6th, 7th and 8th), and I was doing about three hours a week!

[coskater64]

But those are three incredibly hard figure tests. Do you do the FM? Congrats on passing the 8th, that's really impressive.

la

[Beccapoo2003]

I usually get about 1/2 hr patch in when and if the ice is clean on a sparse 9am-11 session. The kids are fascinated with it and often follow me around on the circles! Some of the coaches are actually now starting to teach some figures to the kids, much to my delight. (power in numbers) ;) I more than willingly draw the circles for them, with my kool scribe I got on Ebay.
Now all I need is some figure blades! (size 9 3/4 or thereabouts)
Becca

[daisies]

But those are three incredibly hard figure tests. Do you do the FM? Congrats on passing the 8th, that's really impressive.

Thanks! Granted, I did take the 6th and the 8th in halves ... I spent almost two years on the second half of the 8th, and still *barely* passed!

I did do field moves .... since I passed my Novice FS as a kid, I grandfathered in at that level and took the Junior and Senior MIF only. I passed the Senior in 1999 but haven't even tried them since! ;)

[saras]

I usually get about 1/2 hr patch in when and if the ice is clean on a sparse 9am-11 session. The kids are fascinated with it and often follow me around on the circles! Some of the coaches are actually now starting to teach some figures to the kids, much to my delight. (power in numbers) ;) I more than willingly draw the circles for them, with my kool scribe I got on Ebay.
Now all I need is some figure blades! (size 9 3/4 or thereabouts)
Becca
Ack! I still have my old blades for you. I promise, they're yours, I just have to get them packaged up etc.

sorry! Sara

[Mrs Redboots]

My friend & I had a good go at the figures this morning - at least, she did, while I just did semi-circles along the line, figures-style. We reckoned that you, BlueIIIMoon, were really brave trying loops - it's all we can do to do them as a move, never mind a figure!

[coskater64]

What is most is exciting is my choice of blades to use. Either MK dance blades or my 99 K picks, both are pretty fun. Currently my loop circle is pudgy but the loop does enter at the center. It's just I'm so tall, almost 6'2" w/ my skates and almost 40" of leg the loop ocassionally gets a little swingy. I did have good luck w/ the change today, I am making it easily around the circles, the back change is a little exciting, but it's nice to know others are doing these and that others work on them as well.

thanks yall'

la

[Figureskates]

Height is a definite killer. I am almost 6 feet without skates. The higher center of gravity can be very unforgiving at times and produces some curious wobbles in my figures from time to time.

My coach kids me and sez if i were any talller, we could just use the hockey circles. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[icedancer2]

What is most is exciting is my choice of blades to use. Either MK dance blades or my 99 K picks, both are pretty fun.


Interesting that you are using your MK Dance for figures -- my coach this week said that she thought that if I wanted to get new dance blades for my new boots, that I wouldn't have to get Figure Blades or some other altered long (normal length) blade to do figures, that I could just put a figure sharpening on my old MK Dance and they would be fine for figures.

I keep thinking they are too thin for figures, but she really didn't think so. Interesting food for thought.

Still obsessed about blades in general, I guess.

:roll: