So what do you do well?

[sue123]

I figured, a lot of people always focus on the negative aspects of their skating, so it's time to focus on the positives. However small it may be, if you do it well, be proud of it.

Me, I am good at:
-backwards transition crossovers
-back crossovers
-skiing (I think also called tandem skating)
-centered, fast 1 foot spin with a lot of revolutions
-LFO 3-turns

Those things, my nitpicky coach hardly ever has to correct. Everything else, it'll be good one day and the next, they just don't work. I think I feel more confident when I'm doing those things.

The skater in my head, on the other hand, well, she's an Olympic champion who can afford pretty sparkly dresses. She's also about 15 pounds lighter.

[phoenix]

In general I do well with dances that feature long, flowy edges/presentation. Waltzes, foxtrots, the Blues, things of that nature. Partly because I'm very tall with VERY long legs, and I think also partly because that's more my personality. My partner says my strengths are extension and flow.

And I've been told I have good posture (but not by my coach!!)

The 2 best things my coach has said to me are "you work 'f-in' hard" :lol: , and on one extremely rare occasion when I was discouraged & made a comment that I wanted so much to be a great skater someday, he said, "I think that one day you will be a great skater." He almost NEVER hands out compliments of any kind, so that one meant a great deal to me.

(you're right, it was very hard to write this without pointing out the things I'm not so good at & need to work on--I had to keep deleting and starting over. Great thread!) :lol:

[Isk8NYC]

Outstanding sit spin, both feet, change-of-foot, even with a creaky knee.

Haven't been able to do them lately, but I HAD an awesome loop jump with delay ability.

[Skate@Delaware]

Even on crappy days when I don't feel good, I can spiral....it may not be as high as Sasha's, but it's mine.;)

On good days I have a very nice salchow, scratch spin, alternating crossovers (egads-not backwards) and nice stroking (basic but important).

I have 2 sparkly dresses (one is my daughter's that I wear when she's not at the rink:halo: !!!)

[icedancer2]

I have good flow, good deep edges and decent knees.8O

[dbny]

I've been told I have good flow and good, deep edges. Don't feel like much is good these days since I rarely get to practice and am still having L foot problems, but I do enjoy showing off F and B cross strokes, which have become comfy enough to have some fun with them.

[FrankR]

What do I do well? You mean, besides infuriate my moves coach/choreographer until his face looks like this: 8O ? lol :lol:

I've been told I jump well (especially the axel). I've also had several people tell me that I have a nice line.

My goal for this year is for my spins to improve to the point where I'm told I do those well too. Let's just say that's a work in progress. :giveup:

Take care,

Frank

[jenlyon60]

Drive my coach nuts with my mental problems concerning dance intro-3 turns.

[Mel On Ice]

good question, I'd like to know the answer :frus:

[jazzpants]

Drive both my coaches NUTS about...just about anything!!! :lol:

I suspect it's an act, but usually nothing I ever do is good enough for them!!! :twisted:

If I have to pick something that I'm good at... well, I would have to say that I have decent to good spins and nice flow and good speed for a Pre-Bronze Ladies skater!!! Also, can't say much for going up against a male skater though, but I often like to skate with the boyz to improve my speed!!! If I get my moves and jumps in order, I probably will do well in pre-Bronze Sectionals.

[doubletoe]

Hmm. . . I guess I'm a "poser", LOL! Even on my worst skating day, I can always do an outside spread eagle that goes around for two circles, an outside spread eagle into a lutz, a change-edge spiral and an outside Ina Bauer. :)

[Hannahclear]

~Loop jumps
~Back scratch spin
~Forward Outside Spiral

I have a good amount of power and I'm told that I'm very steady and smooth. My jumps are better than my spins. I stand up reasonably straight.

[NickiT]

I think I can say I do a good loop jump and a good sit spin.

Nicki

[e-skater]

See signature block!!! :lol: ;)

[Mrs Redboots]

I'm good at being very, very, very slow, and at bottling out of turns at speed.
I'm good at blaming the Husband for everything that goes wrong (well, it is his fault, of course!)
I'm good at clowning around on the ice - sometimes the judges even like it!
Can't think of anything else, and am not going to ask Husband, who has just come in. He would say "Nothing", which is probably true.
Although having said that, my forward cross-rolls aren't too bad, and nor are my changes-of-edge from outside to inside.
But you can't ever be good at anything in skating, because as soon as you are, they make it more difficult. Which is part of the joy of the sport!

[TimDavidSkate]

My jumps ~ :halo: Artistry ~ :halo: Speed & Power ~ :halo:

[mikawendy]

The 2 best things my coach has said to me are "you work 'f-in' hard" :lol: , and on one extremely rare occasion when I was discouraged & made a comment that I wanted so much to be a great skater someday, he said, "I think that one day you will be a great skater." He almost NEVER hands out compliments of any kind, so that one meant a great deal to me.

LOL, phoenix, this reminds me of a skate pro I know--once we were talking briefly in passing about one of our fave skaters who placed well at Nationals this year in the Novice level and the pro said, oh yeah, X skater is going to be good. (I thought to myself, "going to be!?! X skater is freakin' good ALREADY!")

[e-skater]

My jumps ~ :halo: Artistry ~ :halo: Speed & Power ~ :halo:
Oh, that I could EVER say the same.........:twisted: :P

[NCSkater02]

I've been told by more than one coach that my jumps are "powerful" Not sure if that is good or bad. Then they say I'll do doubles at some point in the future.

I usually ask what drugs they are on and if I can have some, too, since I'm only doing half jumps at this point.

[sunshinepointe]

I've got a ballet background so I'm always told I have nice lines, especially in my spirals which get pretty up there :)

Other than that I'm told my single jumps are very nice - when I'm NOT being videotaped apparently! :roll:

[figure_skater]

hmmm. what do i do well...
-artistry
-spirals, ina baurs, chinese spirals...
-sit spin
-pancake spin
-scratch spin
-catch camel
-camel (kinda)
-attitude spin
-other spins...
-basic jumps
-other stuff...

:)

[slusher]

What do I do well?

Ina Bauer, spread eagles (was born with those hips)...

flow...

a huge toe loop...

making up stupid lyrics to go with skills music...

standing by the boards drinking my coffee....

[sk8er1964]

good question, I'd like to know the answer :frus:

You show a joy of skating when you're out there competing (even when nervous), improvement every time I see you skate, and a great amount of support for your fellow skaters.

[sk8er1964]

I think it's my axel, which I rarely miss now. Maybe my bauer too. Footwork - the harder the better (although my current footwork is giving me fits - :twisted: - but I'll conquor it before Mids).

[luna_skater]

Deep edges, knee bend, extension, posture. I'm often asked if I have an ice dance background. I do have my gold dances, but my skills come from having a good synchro coach my whole life. She focused on the things I mentioned a lot.

[Rusty Blades]

Having only 2 hours on the ice following a 36 year absence, I discovered last Saturday that what I remember best from so long ago is how to take a fall! 8O Did it perfectly, not even a bruise!

I had VERY powerful legs and started to feel some of that coming back now so I am looking forward to having acceleration, speed, and good jumps later on (assuming I continue to fall well!)

[Raye]

I love doing fast, intricate footwork, and I can hold a forward outside spiral till the cows come home.

[VegasGirl]

Having passed FS2 and working on FS3 I don't have a really big repertoire yet... with that said I've been told that I'm pretty good at the following:

- Three-Turns
- Toe-Loop/Half Flip-Toe Loop combination
- Spiral
- Chinese Arabesque
- Shoot-the-Duck (and that at age 40 :) )
- Forward/backward lunge

My 1/2 Lutz is getting there as is the 1/2 Lutz-Ballet Jump combination... and what I'm the most proud of is my Spiral-Ina Bauer-Waltz Jump Combination, tied with this move I do and I have no idea what it is called... but I skate forward bring up my right foot, grab on to it with my right hand and stretch my leg up infront of me... I then release the foot and without bringing it down go into a spiral... that one doesn't look all that good yet but I'm just proud that I even can do it. :D

[techskater]

Axels and laybacks are two elements that I miss so rarely. The axel generally gets comments for height and distance and as a thing of beauty and the layback gets a lot of comments from parents at our rink.

Spread eagles are probably the one edgy element that I can just always *do* and it helps get the feel of the ice.

[aussieskater]

I've been told I have a very good run on the blade. (I gather this is a Good Thing, because Coach generally follows that comment with something along the lines of I get far more reward from my pathetic pushes than I deserve). He also reckons I'm developing neat feet and sort of nice knees. Shame about the speed - if I move fast enough to make my hair move, the knees and feet disappear into the maelstrom... but I always say that Rome wasn't built in a day. It took them centuries, and it will me too.

[TwirlGirl10]

All of my coaches tell me that I am a very pwerful skater and I can Jump!!! All the coaches at my rink comment about how high my jumps are. One coach even said to me one day "hey, can you give my student some of your spring, you have about 4 inches to spare!" It Just comes naturally to me. Although I make up for my awsome jumps with my not so awsome spins! still working on that dang layback and flying camel! Also, im kind of lacking artistry. It stinks, sometimes I feel like a jumping machine, and not a skater:frus:

[kayskate]

Impersonating a sprinkler while spinning.
Spinning.
Skating fast, lots of power.

Kay

[Mrs Redboots]

Impersonating a sprinkler while spinning. :lol: I have a friend who does that, too! The following move is usually to gently wipe the back of the sleeve across the nose.....