To all skaters who compete here. What is a day at competition like?

[FSWer]

Say, this is to all competitive skaters who post here. I was wondering what a competitive skaters day on at a competitition really is like? Also is competitive day for a young skater,any different from the day of an adult? I would love to hear from the skaters who post here in their own words about that.

[kander]

Say, this is to all competitive skaters who post here. I was wondering what a competitive skaters day on at a competitition really is like? Also is competitive day for a young skater,any different from the day of an adult? I would love to hear from the skaters who post here in their own words about that.

I haven't competed in over 30 years, but from my observations adult skaters are much more supportive of each other.

[Rusty Blades]

... adult skaters are much more supportive of each other.

That's the honest-to-gawd truth!

My first competition was in March this year, the Canadian Adult Championships. I had never competed before, never tested, and only been skating for a little over a year but I wanted SOOO much to go and I entered a "Pre-Introductory Interpretive" program (the lowest skill requirements there are).

The competition with in Calgary so I flew out the weekend before and had practice ice booked every day leading up to the competition to get acclimatized to the higher altitude. Other adults started arriving the same day (a few I knew from online) and I was immediately made to feel like one of the family. We chummed around together, shared cabs to and from the rink, and had some meals together for the three days prior to competition.

My event was to be the afternoon of the first day so I went over early to register at 8 a.m. and went back to the hotel to rest and relax before practice ice at 11:30. My competition coach was at the boards for practice and gave me a few pointers and after practice I went to sit in the stands and cheer for the other adults. (I also had a very obnoxious hand bell, so I wasn't just cheering ;) ) My flight was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. so after a light lunch I found a quiet place to hide out with my iPod, listen to my program music a hundred times, and try to keep my mind off what I was about to do.

About an hour before my ice time, I met my coach in the dressing room, put on my makeup and my costume, went pee 50 times, and sat with my coach. She did all the logistical stuff like keeping track of the schedule, whether we were running late, etc., and tried to keep me distracted. Twenty minutes before my flight, coach had me boot up and we moved to a quieter place and she outlined the "competition strategy". Just before my warm-up ice, coach moved us up to the "ready area" and watched the warm-up from the boards and gave me some feedback when I came off the ice. She kept me distracted while the skaters ahead of me did their numbers and gave me a big hug when my name was called.

When I took to the ice after the announcement, the crowd cheered and whistled - I felt like a million bucks!

I didn't skate my program very well - I had forgotten to stretch before hand 8O - but I played to the judges and hammed it up.

When my music finished, the cheering started again and down came the rain of stuffies :mrgreen: I couldn't have felt better if I had just won an Olympic gold medal!

I returned to sit in the "kiss & cry" with my coach and wait for the marks. I didn't place in my group (less than a point behind Bronze) so I didn't have to stay in my costume and skates. I went back to the dressing room with my coach, changed into my street clothes, and then joined the others in the stands.

For the next two days I was in the stands (with my bell!) for every adult performance and hung out with the other adult skaters.

It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I can't wait to get to the next Adult Championships next spring. I have two more competitions before then (both of which I will be competing against my coach!) so I'll be "an old veteran" by the next championships. Hopefully I will skate better to!)

[Mel On Ice]

you day starts with not sleeping, not eating, not breathing and pretty much does downhill from there... :lol:

[jazzpants]

One word: NERVEWRECKING!!!! 8O 8O 8O :P :lol: :giveup:

[singerskates]

Some of us we show up to the competition sick and/or injured but after paying for the flight, hotel, meals, training all year and the competition entry fee, we compete anyway.

Me, I got off of the plane in Calgary on the Monday, rented a car and drove to Edmonton to train with Ben Ferreira for two days. The first day, I had to deal with jet lag when practicing in Edmonton. The next day, I thought I was going to skate better but I felt even more off. The only thing I had working was the flip Ben had worked on with me. On Wednesday morning on the way back, I started to get a huge headache and the chills. By Wednesday night, I was exhausted from the affect of coming down with a flu and also had to take my usual morning shower at night. The next morning had me rushed to eat breakfast at 6 AM in the morning to be at the rink to do an interview with Calgary's CityTV Breakfast TV just before my official freeskate practice. By the time I made it to the rink, I found out that the flu I had gotten from a coach at my home rink (wish she would have stayed home the week prior to Adult Canadians) was an intestinal flu. I had to visist the bathroom serveral times before my interview, between my interview and freeskate practice, between my freeskate practice and freeskate event, between my freeskate event and my interpretive practise and even got off of the ice early to see the ladies room. By the time I made it near the end of my freeskate, I didn't have the energy to fully rotate my second flip or do a decent job on my last spin. When I got back from lunch and living at the restaurant bathroom, I got changed into my interpretive outfit in between using the ladies room. I barely had enough time to skate my interpretive program which I downgraded because I was soooo tired and felt like the ice was coming up to get me the whole time I was on the ice. I stayed to watch my friend/local area skater do her interpretive freeskate program in the kiss and cry and then had to rush off to the ladies room again. I stayed to watch some of the others skate as much as I could in between bathroom visits. All this happened the first day of competition. I just started to feel better on the second last day being there.

Next time I see a sick coach before a big competition at my rink, I'm not sticking around. If I wasn't sick this past Adult Canadians, I could have won a medal, not the Gold but maybe another Bronze or maybe the Silver in the freeskate. I should have also tried to get some medical help from the medical staff at the competition.

[jskater49]

I would agree adults are more supportive with the exception of my daughter's former club - small club with only one coach --everyone went together, often several would compete against each other in the same group and everyone would cheer everyone and hug anyone who didn't skate well. The coach had an amazing knack for fostering a healthy competition so they did want to skate better than their friend, but they still wanted their friend to do well and even though deep down they may have been unhappy if their fried beat them - they never let it show. I think that was a unusual situation.

Typical competition day for both me and adult, or my daughter - get up early--too early for breakfast in the hotel, have some juice that we brought from home and fruit or granola bar.

Go to early morning practice. This practice it's too late to fix anything egregious, try to make small fixes, remind yourself of what you need to think about for each element.

We get to the competition an hour and half before the competition. Start warming up about a half hour before putting skates on. More warm up after skates on.

My daughter is always in a big group with two or even three warm ups so she doesn't put on her skates until the group before her warm up is skating. That's never a problem with me.

If it's possible to wait in a warmer place than near the ice, do that. When it's time for the warm up, we have routine we've practiced, for me it's stroking, cross strokes, slaloms, dipping to get my knees bent, backward skating, then I do the jump easist for me - half lutz, then half flip, spirals, then waltz jump, then spins last because they make me dizzy. If I'm the first skater I get off at the 1 minute warning. If I'm competing dance, I usually get off early because dance is tiring!

I don't mind watching my competition - I watch and cheer. My daughter will not watch her competition....it makes her nervous.

Name called- go out there - do your stuff. Get off and coach will usually say what you did well first ...and after you've calmed down, she'll go over what the problems may have been.

If you are in a group of three, keep your skates on because you will be in the picture. My daughter was taught never to act like you know you are going to win so she always takes her skates off if she's in a large group. I think she also thinks that will jinx her.

For my daughter it can take an hour or more to get results - intermediate is always the largest group...and the chances of her medaling in fs these days is pretty slim so she usually changes her clothes. She usually always medals in dance so she'll keep her dress on then.

We hang around talking to folks until the results come in. Try not to be the first one looking at your results. Walk over non-chalantly like you don't really care. Try not to spend too much time looking if any judges put you higher...

If you medal, run and put your skates back on, get your medal and your picture taken. Buy your result sheet...if you finished higher than last. Go change. Be sure to pick up your music before you leave!

j

[altamaleskater]

I can't give a perspective of a younger skater since I didn't start until I was 34. When I skated my first Adult Nationals in Calgary this March it was a little more nerve-wracking than any other competition.

I was to skate on the second night of the events (held over about 3 days). First day I was up at another arena in the city practicing, which left me gasping for air because it was high up on a hillside! By the time I had done 2 program run-throughs I was sucking wind.
Next day (event day) I was watching some of the a.m. events, then had to practice in the early afternoon in an arena next door to where the competitions were being held. My coach could not make it to the competition so 2 very dear friends who introduced me to skating filled in for her. I had worked my toe loop to death the day before as it had given me so much trouble in the week leading up to the competition. After practice it was sweating bullets most of the day.....I could hardly eat because of the nerves! It was even worse when I arrived at the rink to get ready. My stomach was in knots & I thought 'what have I gotten myself into???!!!!!'. I do not dare watch the events immediately prior to mine, it makes the anxiety worse. Some of my friends from skating came down to help me get ready for my actual skate & tried to cool me down, I was so nervous. Even during the warm-up one of them had me come off about a minute early as the adrenaline was starting to take over. Unfortunately that's what it did in the competition as I botched 2 elements because of sheer nerves. However it was something else to hear my fellow competitors screaming in the bleachers after I hit my toe loop, which was probably the one thing that went right that time. Once it was over I had to skate back into the corner where my friends were watching to pick up all the 'stuffies' that had been thrown on the ice. Although it was like getting hit in the stomach to hear my marks - I did not do so well - it was enough to make it through without falling once LOL!
I think that the more one does compete, the more one gets used to doing it in front of a crowd. This is only my 2nd year of competing and I'm far from being used to it.

[looplover]

Say, this is to all competitive skaters who post here. I was wondering what a competitive skaters day on at a competitition really is like? Also is competitive day for a young skater,any different from the day of an adult? I would love to hear from the skaters who post here in their own words about that.

I've only competed twice, and the first time was terrifying (second time 1/2 as terrifying) - but both times I found that the kids like to cheer for the adults, which is a lot of fun. And last time some of the kids and I were practicing jumps in the locker room, which really helped me to warm up!