GREAT News / Graf update

[Casey]

(Backhistory: Been a while since I posted - my Graf Edmonton Specials have a defect which has caused the heel to separate somewhat from the boot, allowing the heel to shift left to right depending on which side of the blade pressure is applied to, and I haven't been able to afford new skates in the meanwhile, so I've just kept skating on them).

So today I asked the fitter to tighten up the screws holding the blade on my skates which had worked quite loose on the heel (and I've already broken the head of one of the 4 off (all the screws are in my blades), so I didn't want to risk the other 3 any further). He looked over my skates, and asked if I wanted a new pair of the same kind. I said I really didn't have the money for it, and would have sent those off for repair if I could have tolerated being without skates for so long. He said it would be free. I exclaimed that that would be awesome, and he explained that Graf for a while had been denying any manufacturing problems so demanded the old boots to be sent in for repair, however they had apparently discovered that a lot of boots coming off the bench of one particular guy had a lot of heel problems, so they were now willing to just ship him out brand new pairs in advance exchange for the damaged ones.

WOOHOO!!! I get new skates!! :D :D :D

The fitter, upon looking over my skates, said that they were quite clearly thrashed, so it wouldn't be any problem, adding on the compliment "Good Job", I guess for the amount of abuse I've put them through. That made me feel kind of good as a skater. :twisted: ;)

WOOHOO!!! I get new skates!! :D :D :D SO HAPPY!!!

[jenlyon60]

Congrats!!!!!!

[Isk8NYC]

Yay! You have been rather quiet, Casey. Thought you'd left us for good.

[jazzpants]

Good!!! FINALLY!!! Now to work on getting lessons (at least very cheap ones anyway...)

[icedancer2]

Good!!! FINALLY!!! Now to work on getting lessons (at least very cheap ones anyway...)

I second that -- you might want to ask your skate fitter for lessons, too, while you are at it. I know he is a very good instructor.

Yes, I realize he's an ice-dancer and all that, but a very good skater nonetheless (I am biased of course).

Glad to hear you might be skating again, in any case!!!

[jazzpants]

Yes, I realize he's an ice-dancer and all that, but a very good skater nonetheless (I am biased of course). And if nothing else, to get lessons in moves. Trust me! It's worth its weight in gold. (And if nothing else, you can't take your FS tests w/o passing the moves anyway!) :twisted:

[icedancer2]

Hey Casey -- did you get new blades, too, or are you going to stick with the Gold Stars??

[phoenix]

Yes, I realize he's an ice-dancer and all that, but a very good skater nonetheless...



SOOOO offended....... ***ice dancers are the best skaters of all....ask any ice dancer!! :!:

[Casey]

Hey Casey -- did you get new blades, too, or are you going to stick with the Gold Stars??
No, they wouldn't have any reason to give me a free set of blades, and I cannot afford new ones. The gold stars are working out quite nicely anyways - with any luck the new boots will hold up better and I won't have to get another pair of skates for another year or two at least.

Who are you, anyways? If you know the fitter, then I presume you skate at the rink?

And to everyone, I am already taking as many lessons as I can afford, which is a single 30-minute lesson every 2 weeks with my former coach. Okay, so it's not much. At all... But it's what I can afford. I started them back up a month ago. I figure something, if infrequent and short, is better than nothing. And honestly, I think I'm getting more out of the lessons now, because I focus more on them more because they aren't as frequent, and it's easier to measure progress in the things I focus on between lessons.

[singerskates]

Greaat for your Somelinuxguy on your free new Graf Edmonton Specials.

I don't see them exchanging warped Grafs for new ones though. Plus it's been like 3 or 4 years since I bought them. Anyway, I've already purchased new Gam Ultra's. My Gam's are not too tight in the ball of the foot and hold the heel of my foot in place well. Plus, I wasn't exactly a Graf C width nor a Jackson D Width but somehow the Gam's are smack dab right in the middle with their C Width. I was able to get a pair of Gams at no extra charge because I didn't have to go with a D width ($30 extra for D Width).

Happy skaitng Somelinuxguy!


singerskates

[Mrs Redboots]

SOOOO offended....... ***ice dancers are the best skaters of all....ask any ice dancer!! :!:Definitely! No question......;)

[Casey]

The thing you all forget about this "ice dance" thing is the same thing that prevents me from trying pair skating - a prerequisite is finding a willing partner, and it's surprisingly difficult to find others who are willing to die by your hand (or toepick trippage as the case may be)!!

Heh, couldn't resist a little sarcasm. I'm not really too interested in dance, though some lessons focusing on details and precision of basics and moves would do me rather good...so...maybe someday. ;)

[samba]

<Dance v Free> One takes patience and application, the other takes courage and guts, both are bloomin difficult.

Welcome back Casey, thought you had gone into hibernation.

[icedancer2]

What I notice about guys and ice-dance

What I notice about guys and ice-dance is that when they are starting out they are always concerned about getting a suitable partner.

Girls (women) know that the possibility of finding a partner is so remote that a) they will start dancing anyway because it is fun and may help their other skating, b) find a [possibly very handsome] coach to skate with them and take them through tests, (c) dance with adults who just want them to enjoy dance or (d) find any member of the male gender who might possibly be able to stand up in a pair of skates and work with them at any level so they can have a partner.

Just an observation after many years of enjoying ["permanent"-partner partnerless but social] ice-dancing.

Welcome back, CAsey. You don't have to do dance if you don't want to. 8-)

[samba]

What I notice about guys and ice-dance

What I notice about guys and ice-dance is that when they are starting out they are always concerned about getting a suitable partner.

Girls (women) know that the possibility of finding a partner is so remote that a) they will start dancing anyway because it is fun and may help their other skating, b) find a [possibly very handsome] coach to skate with them and take them through tests, (c) dance with adults who just want them to enjoy dance or (d) find any member of the male gender who might possibly be able to stand up in a pair of skates and work with them at any level so they can have a partner.

Just an observation after many years of enjoying [partnerless] ice-dancing.

Welcome back, CAsey. You don't have to do dance if you don't want to. 8-)

Ruthless but so true.

[phoenix]

Probably true, but I would have never gotten the partner I have now if I hadn't spent all those years dancing alone. It's no fun to try to skate with someone who isn't strong on their own.

[Raye]

I agree with Phoenix, Samba and Icedancer2. There is a scarcity of dance partners... so I have been competing and enjoying the 'Solo Dance' event for the past two years.

I did manage to connect with a partner for Autumn Skate in Ottawa this year, only to have the event cancelled at the last minute!!! :giveup: sigh.... always a bridesmaid....... :roll:

[jazzpants]

Heh, couldn't resist a little sarcasm. I'm not really too interested in dance, though some lessons focusing on details and precision of basics and moves would do me rather good...so...maybe someday. ;)That's what I had in mind for you, actually. :twisted: (I know you're not interested in ice dancing... well, at least not unless you find a pretty girl who's willing to work with 'ya...but that's another story...) ;)

Of course, I say this specifically since I got a lot of good tips from a fellow skater on the weekends who happens to be a Gold Level ice dancer... ;)

I have no plans of partnering either, though I might go into solo dance someday depending on how my lower back is... :evil:

[samba]

<icedancer2>Welcome back, CAsey. You don't have to do dance if you don't want to. 8-)

I forgot to add, to this one, no you dont have to dance but its always a good idea to have the odd lesson even if its just one a month. There are an awful lot of free skaters out there (myself included) who can jump and spin but actually cant skate very well, a lot of free skaters tend to spend so much time achieving new free elements that the basics get neglected, this I found to my cost when I had a go at a dance competition for the first time this year after many years away from it, it will be a long long time before I try that again! :oops:

Cheers
Grace

[Mrs Redboots]

this I found to my cost when I had a go at a dance competition for the first time this year after many years away from it, it will be a long long time before I try that again! :oops: Grace is putting herself down again - there wasn't that much wrong with her dancing, only really lack of extension, and heaven knows, if I accuse her of that it's a case of the pot and the kettle....

All the same, I think that at the beginner level it's a really good idea to do both - the dance gives you the technique, the edges, the extension and the grace, and the free skating gives you the speed and the turns and the lack of fear..... wish I'd done more free skating, although I don't and didn't enjoy it!

[Skate@Delaware]

My edges and crossovers REALLY improved when I took a session of ice dancing. I sucked at ice dancing (kept forgetting the dance steps :frus: ) but the precision of the edges, extensions, and improvement in the quality of skating was worth the embarrassment of having to carry around my "cue card" of the steps.... :oops:

[samba]

My edges and crossovers REALLY improved when I took a session of ice dancing. I sucked at ice dancing (kept forgetting the dance steps :frus: ) but the precision of the edges, extensions, and improvement in the quality of skating was worth the embarrassment of having to carry around my "cue card" of the steps.... :oops:

He he I know what you mean Skate@Delaware, I have to do that too, memory of a goldfish, I should have added that a good memory is also desirable for dance with all the different dances to remember.

Thanks Annabel, I will keep trying.

Cheers
Grace