Am I behind?

[Luckster013]

Im 15 and I just finished basic 8. I really want to pursue skating and get really far, but I keep wondering if it is too late. I know that techincally 15 is nothing, but there are 6 year olds on the ice rink that are doing these huge complex jumps and im still practicing my waltz jump. Is it too late to get really good and go to major competitions? Did anyone else start this late?

[vesperholly]

If you mean major competitions like U.S. Nationals and beyond, yes, you're probably too late. But the vast majority of skaters, even the ones who DO start at 4, don't make it to Nationals. Heck, most skaters don't even make it out of Regionals.

There is still a lot you can accomplish. You can compete as an adult when you turn 21. They have a Nationals too, and it is quite competitive. There are lots of tests you can take. You can still get really good. :)

[dbny]

ITA with vesperholly. You are most definitely not too late to become an accomplished skater, but don't make nationals your heart's desire.

[Mrs Redboots]

Many of us didn't start until we were three times as old as you are now, quite literally, and although we have no dreams of going to our Championships (although one man I know did go to the Solo Dance championships when he took up skating again after a 30-year gap, until they changed the age rules so he couldn't), we do compete internationally against people of our own age group and ability level.

So you see, skating isn't just for young kids, but it's a lifelong sport. The oldest regular competitor I know will be 87 this year. So even if you don't get as good as the Olympic champions, you will have a sport you can enjoy for the next 70-odd years!

After all, only an absolute maximum of three skaters or teams from each country (and very often fewer, if any) go to the Olympics - but an awful lot of people love to skate!

[fmh]

I have to say that i feel like i started too late being at your level when i was 10, but it doesnt mean nothing is possible. Keep working at it because, by the time you are in your 20s and 30s you may be capable of being a national adult champion, or you could work on your skills and become a dancer.

[Isk8NYC]

I started skating when I was 16 and I would say the biggest challenge is making the time to skate. I went on to compete and finished with a boxful of trophies and medals. When I stopped, I could do axels/double loops, flying camels/sit spins, and I had the most wicked sit spin - front or back! LOL

Yet, the moments I remember most are the ones that involved friends. Like the time my blade came off during a competition warmup - my friend Juan helped me off the ice and worked feverishly to get that sucker back on before I missed my event. Winning or losing isn't what matters - it's how you got there, what you've achieved, and who you met along the way.

[dooobedooo]

.... one man I know did go to the Solo Dance championships when he took up skating again after a 30-year gap, until they changed the age rules so he couldn't....

Does anybody know why they actually changed the age rules on this? I think it's a maximum of 24 years old now. It seems a bit harsh on people who can actually meet the standard.

[Mrs Redboots]

Does anybody know why they actually changed the age rules on this? I think it's a maximum of 24 years old now. It seems a bit harsh on people who can actually meet the standard.
As far as I am aware, they changed it purely because of this skater, and the skater from Oxford who also qualified..... and there is a great deal of anger about it on the adult circuit, especially among the younger adults who could qualify were it not for this stupid regulation. One skater, last year, who was in her last year of being able to skate in the elite championship, achieved her ambition of winning the National Championships, the Scottish and Welsh championships, the British Adults AND the Scottish Adults!