Skate UK passport - Does this seem right?

[Caris]

Hello all,

For my level 10 I had to do......

Back cross overs in a figure eight

Forward crossovers in a figure eight

Step sequence

Two footed glide in a spiraling curve finishing in a two footed spin.



So I start my bronze skate uk passport and have to do the following....

Waltz jump from back cross overs

Forward outside spin on one foot from backward crossovers, five rotations

Spiral

Step sequence of Chasse chasse, outside 3 turn, step round inside three turn.


I thought that was a fairly big jump up in difficulty, thankfully as i messed about with things and copied the better skaters after my levels lessons I had mastered all these so am ok, but I had read that bronze was spiral, waltz jump, two footed spin three rotations, and bunnyhop into fwd drag. That seems like a more reasonable step up to me. A lot of the people in the class had never tried a waltz jump or a one footed spin and were expected to go straight into it from crossovers and ended the session feeling a bit deflated.

Does anyone know for sure which set of skills is right? It's got me wondering what they have planned for silver and gold now!

[mintypoppet]

Hi Caris,

The details of what is on the passport are here:
http://www.skatingforums.com/showpost.php?p=303310&postcount=13

Waltz jump (or 3 jump) is bronze freeskate
Upright spin + entry is gold freeskate
Spiral is bronze freeskate
The step sequence you mention is similar to the 3turns for bronze dance, but trickier!

If your group lessons are anything like mine were, they teach from the whole passport and throw in other things as well. It's more challenging than the SkateUK levels, and I know lots of people who took months to pass it (if at all!) because they were stuck on individual elements.

[Derek]

If I am correct in assuming that you are in a group taking Bronze ...

This is a scenario that I have encountered during my LTS experiences, particularly at level 10, where we ended up having an assortment of instructors, due to the regular instructor being on extended absence. One instructor seemed determined to 'put down' the students by giving them absurdly difficult elements, eg a step sequence including inside backward 3 turns (L and R), without even demonstrating how to approach learning those elements. I was the only one who spotted what was going on, although other students did comment on how ridiculous it seemed.

Having said that though, it is part of the learning process to be exposed to stuff which is challenging, and is slightly ahead of immediate targets, so as to maintain the bigger picture.

I am also at the pre-Bronze stage, only private lessons are available here, not group, and seem to spend all my time concentrating on minute, but essential details, like arm position and depth of edges. I recognise that this quality is necessary though, before I look at stuff needed for Silver (and Gold).

[Mrs Redboots]

If I am correct in assuming that you are in a group taking Bronze ...

This is a scenario that I have encountered during my LTS experiences, particularly at level 10, where we ended up having an assortment of instructors, due to the regular instructor being on extended absence. One instructor seemed determined to 'put down' the students by giving them absurdly difficult elements, eg a step sequence including inside backward 3 turns (L and R), without even demonstrating how to approach learning those elements. I was the only one who spotted what was going on, although other students did comment on how ridiculous it seemed.

That usually happens when the instructor is bored.... been there, done that! Didn't have to do passport in my day, but I well remember the day the "dance class" instructor (you progressed to the dance class after passing all the rink's basic skills test, this was back in the days before FunSkate/Skate UK/whatever they call it now) was bored so decided to teach us to do twizzles.... most of us still struggled with FO3s!

[Derek]

Boredom was my conclusion too, sadly. I recall being given my step sequence for level 10, the then instructor (now my coach) demanded that I include L & R barrel rolls (inside mohawk plus back crossover) which was my nemesis. However, she recognised my distress, and explained that in her opinion a level 10 student should be able to handle that element, so I had to deal with it ... Unfortunately, not everyone has the stubbornness to persist on apparently impossible obstacles, and after floundering for a period, they fall by the wayside ...

Hope this is not taking the thread too far off topic ...

PS like the term - Funskate - :)

[Caris]

Thanks every one,

I had that on my level 10 step sequence too Derek!

There are seperate groups for bronze silver and gold in my session so i was surprised to be doing the harder stuff.

On another tangent, can anyone help me with spins, I'm not bad but when I watch others going into theirs they are really controlled and slow whereas i feel like I'm kinda fliging myself about.

We've not had any instruction on how to actually do them, just 'ok forward outside spin from back cross overs off you go'. Is it right that you glide forward into a three turn and spin from there? Also I can feel and hear that my picks are scraping the ice!
I really wish we would actually have some technical instruction, I can't really afford private lessons and have been loving the groups sop far. I only started about four and a half months ago and have been lucky to find everything easy going through the levels. I feel I'm at the stage where actual technical pointers are needed from the coach though so I don't end up damaging myself!

Lol I have taken my own post completely OT sorry!

[Mrs Redboots]

We've not had any instruction on how to actually do them, just 'ok forward outside spin from back cross overs off you go'. Is it right that you glide forward into a three turn and spin from there? Also I can feel and hear that my picks are scraping the ice!Everybody does that at first!

Yes, it is more or less that, but you need to control the entry into the 3-turn. Practice pushing off from the line, and don't actually turn the 3-turn until you have come right back to the line. And, of course, I expect when you learnt outside 3-turns they taught you to keep your head still to help the check - when going into a spin, you don't do that, but let your head go with you. You should be looking in the direction you're going; i.e. if you spin anti-clockwise, as the majority of people do, look over your left shoulder.

One skater on a now-defunct mailing list once said you remember about spinning by this particular mnemonic:

Hug the tree - your arms should be in the "hug" position at first, and then pull in.
In front of me - where you should be looking
Have to pee - you should bring your legs in tightly together as if you were bursting!

[sk8_4fun]

Everybody does that at first!

Yes, it is more or less that, but you need to control the entry into the 3-turn. Practice pushing off from the line, and don't actually turn the 3-turn until you have come right back to the line. And, of course, I expect when you learnt outside 3-turns they taught you to keep your head still to help the check - when going into a spin, you don't do that, but let your head go with you. You should be looking in the direction you're going; i.e. if you spin anti-clockwise, as the majority of people do, look over your left shoulder.

One skater on a now-defunct mailing list once said you remember about spinning by this particular mnemonic:

Hug the tree - your arms should be in the "hug" position at first, and then pull in.
In front of me - where you should be looking
Have to pee - you should bring your legs in tightly together as if you were bursting!


:P ROFL!!! I wont forget that in a hurry, thanks Annabel!!:bow: