Awesome or plain Awful ? 15/6-21/6

[katz in boots]

Being in Oz, it's already 15th June here, so I'll start things off.

Awful:
major fights with husband about money this week, he told me we can't afford for me to skate any more !!!! :cry: He did give me money to skate yesterday, but my mind wasn't in it and I skated really badly. I couldn't imagine a life without skating, it was too awful to think about.

He also gave me money to skate today, as he wanted me to take our DD.
The ice hadn't been cut since I skated on it yesterday morning, so it was pretty cut up, and very hard & brittle. Every flip took out chunks of ice, and I swear I wasn't banging the toe in. Also made spinning hard, get tripping on ruts.

Awesome:
Me, & DD, according to a group of teenagers skating today. Ah, nothing like some public session adoration from recreational skaters to make me feel good.

Skated quite well, despite the awful ice, jumps were pretty good today. Still getting used to the new skates though.

Even more Awesome: when I got home husband took one look at my glowing face and said we would just have to find a way for me to keep skating. I'll have to be very frugal and not waste my money, but I can keep skating !:)

[Mrs Redboots]

*Hugs* Money is such an issue in skating, isn't it?

For us today:

Awesome: We rechoreographed the part of our free dance that really wasn't working and didn't work in competition. I hope we have it sorted now, but won't know until next time we skate.

Awful: The ice was, as expected, manic as this afternoon there is our major club competition, and people were having last-minute practices. And even ten minutes of dancing with Husband made my thumb hurt like anything - I had thought it was getting better, but no..... Coach says to strap it before I skate on Tuesday, but am not quite sure how.

[Helen88]

Averaging...?

Test tomorrow :o

I've never done a test before, I'm petrified!! If I skate it how I did today in practice, I should be fine. If I forget to breathe, and start shaking like I generally do in music exams...well, we won't go there!

And I have to be up at 5.30 :giveup:

Never skated at that time of the morning...dubious, to say the least.

[abbi_1990]

good luck! im sure you will be fine. Let us know how you get on :)

[Petlover]

Helen88 - good luck and have fun!

Katz - I know what you are going through. My husband finally realized that skating was so good for me mentally and physically, that he definitely wants me to continue.

Awful - Work has been so busy that I have not been on the boards for a long time, and I have missed all of you!

Awesome - 4 weeks ago, after 11 years of skating, at age 54, I landed my flip. And, I have done it every time I have skated since, I'm so afraid of losing it! It's baby, a bit cheated, but it's there, and I can build on it. I can also, about half the time land it in the waltz jump - half loop - flip combination. Also, I have lost 20 pounds since January on the South Beach diet, all my skating dress fit again hooray!

[Skating Jessica]

Helen88 - good luck and have fun!

Katz - I know what you are going through. My husband finally realized that skating was so good for me mentally and physically, that he definitely wants me to continue.

Awful - Work has been so busy that I have not been on the boards for a long time, and I have missed all of you!

Awesome - 4 weeks ago, after 11 years of skating, at age 54, I landed my flip. And, I have done it every time I have skated since, I'm so afraid of losing it! It's baby, a bit cheated, but it's there, and I can build on it. I can also, about half the time land it in the waltz jump - half loop - flip combination. Also, I have lost 20 pounds since January on the South Beach diet, all my skating dress fit again hooray!

Yay! Congrats for all those accomplishments!

Awesome: Our summer skating schedule begins this week, which means much more ice time! I can't wait because I narrowed my coaching schedule down to two days (don't know how I managed that one, LOL!), so I have nearly every morning free to skate...and the rest of the afternoons to lay out poolside. 8-)

[Stormy]

Well, I am testing Gold free again tomorrow morning, and I really didn't skate all that well this morning. I'm chalking it up to an off day. I'll be fine tomorrow. I'm looking forward to just having the test DONE with!

[singerskates]

Well, I am testing Gold free again tomorrow morning, and I really didn't skate all that well this morning. I'm chalking it up to an off day. I'll be fine tomorrow. I'm looking forward to just having the test DONE with!

Take it from me. It's always good to have a terrible skate before testing or competing. It gets all the bad stuff out of the way. On the other hand, I find that if I skate a perfect program or dance in practice before testing or competing, I'm in for major screw ups. But then not everyone is like me.

[dbny]

Even more Awesome: when I got home husband took one look at my glowing face and said we would just have to find a way for me to keep skating. I'll have to be very frugal and not waste my money, but I can keep skating !:)

That's really great! Is it possible for you to do some kind of work, or even volunteer at the rink for extra money or free ice time?

And even ten minutes of dancing with Husband made my thumb hurt like anything - I had thought it was getting better, but no..... Coach says to strap it before I skate on Tuesday, but am not quite sure how.

I found a VIDEO (http://tinyurl.com/63x9u4) that is quite detailed.

Averaging...?

Test tomorrow :o


Good luck!


Awesome - 4 weeks ago, after 11 years of skating, at age 54, I landed my flip. And, I have done it every time I have skated since, I'm so afraid of losing it! It's baby, a bit cheated, but it's there, and I can build on it. I can also, about half the time land it in the waltz jump - half loop - flip combination. Also, I have lost 20 pounds since January on the South Beach diet, all my skating dress fit again hooray!

Congratulations!

Well, I am testing Gold free again tomorrow morning, and I really didn't skate all that well this morning. I'm chalking it up to an off day. I'll be fine tomorrow. I'm looking forward to just having the test DONE with!

Hope you can stick a fork in it tomorrow :)!

Awesome:
I didn't practice today, just taught, first a small class, then a few private lessons. After that I skated around a while, tried some FO figures, got frustrated with them, and for no good reason at all, decided to do FO3's in the figure pattern. I always warm up my threes first in several small stages, but this time I just pushed off and did them - no problem. Did the same with the FI's and they were so good that had there been a smaller crowd on the public session, I would have tried to hold on to complete the entire circle. I seem to be finally be over my F three turn fear! I also later on, just did a few RBO threes, again no fear. I was able to do a few prelim power threes also, and am getting the speed back up again.

[ibreakhearts66]

Just Plain Awful
Yesterday was terrible. I got a retry on my preliminary moves. I'm so frustrated/upset/discouraged. It was the alternating 3's that killed me. Normally I do those beautifully. But not when it counts.

I'm just humiliated that I didn't pass my PRELIMINARY moves. WTF! Who does that? I do apparently.

Oh, and it was my birthday too.

And OMG my hands. They hurt so badly while I tested. It was too cold. I'm a tough girl and I can take a lot of pain, but I got off the ice and burst into tears because they hurt so badly. They weren't just cold, but they burned and felt like they were being stabbed with pins and needles.

Happy 18th birthday to me...:roll::roll::roll:

Awesome?
One comment I did get from all of the judges is that I'm a powerful skater. They said I just need to learn to control it. I'm gonna start taking MIF lessons, so hopefully next time I'll pass (like I know I can).

Blarg.

[Skating Jessica]

Just Plain Awful
Yesterday was terrible. I got a retry on my preliminary moves. I'm so frustrated/upset/discouraged. It was the alternating 3's that killed me. Normally I do those beautifully. But not when it counts.

Sorry to hear that! That's rough, especially on your birthday. :(

The thing with Preliminary MIF is that many of the moves require lots of body and edge control, like the spirals and the alternating 3-turns. Take a few more MIF lessons like you said, and I'm sure you'll get it next time!

Don't be discouraged, frustrated, and upset. The comment about the power: that's fabulous because when you do pass your Preliminary moves (which you totally will) and work your way up to the Intermediate test, for example, you'll be ahead of the game, as that's typically the "power" test.

I know it doesn't seem this way now, but the Preliminary test is just a short chapter in your skating career. Try not to be discouraged and use your frustration as motivation. Take it from me. I just passed to my Novice freestyle after finally passing my Intermediate freestyle test in April on the fourth try. So, believe me...it can be done.

Did your birthday go well otherwise?

[ibreakhearts66]

Sorry to hear that! That's rough, especially on your birthday. :(

The thing with Preliminary MIF is that many of the moves require lots of body and edge control, like the spirals and the alternating 3-turns. Take a few more MIF lessons like you said, and I'm sure you'll get it next time!

Don't be discouraged, frustrated, and upset. The comment about the power: that's fabulous because when you do pass your Preliminary moves (which you totally will) and work your way up to the Intermediate test, for example, you'll be ahead of the game, as that's typically the "power" test.

I know it doesn't seem this way now, but the Preliminary test is just a short chapter in your skating career. Try not to be discouraged and use your frustration as motivation. Take it from me. I just passed to my Novice freestyle after finally passing my Intermediate freestyle test in April on the fourth try. So, believe me...it can be done.

Did your birthday go well otherwise?

Thanks for the nice/encouraging resopnse. I need that right now.

I normally do have decent body control, and I did get good marks on the spirals (although I did have a few issues on the inside edge spirals, but most people do). But they're right, I don't know how to control my power (probably because skating with power isn't something I've done for very long, I used to be a very weak skater).

The rest of my birthday was pretty unremarkable, TBH lol. I got home from my test and slept. I did go see "Sex in the City" with a friend, and I loved it.

I'm going to continue the celebration throughout the week probably. I want to go get something pierced, and my sister will probably take me to do that tomorrow.

[dbny]

Just Plain Awful
Yesterday was terrible. I got a retry on my preliminary moves.

Awesome?
One comment I did get from all of the judges is that I'm a powerful skater. They said I just need to learn to control it. I'm gonna start taking MIF lessons, so hopefully next time I'll pass (like I know I can).



I know lots of people who got retrys on Prelim MIF. It's usually the lack of power that gets them, so you are actually ahead of the game.

I'm 8O that you didn't have some MIF lessons specifically to prepare for the test. You really need to know what the judges are looking for, and what they are sticklers on in your area. I also know lots of people who passed Prelim MIF who would not have in many places. I've seen some extremely sloppy threes on the line pass. For example, stepping forward a foot from the line because the skater can't check the turn enough to make it all the way back without retrogressing. I've seen a 5'5" tall skater pass with 8 threes on the line instead of 4 - tiny, tiny lobes. I'm sure with some MIF lessons you will breeze through next time.

Re control - there is nothing better than figures. If your coach teaches figures, you could start those too. Since you won't be testing, but doing them for the discipline, you don't absolutely have to have a scribe.

Hope the birthday wasn't spoiled by the retry - 18 is a major milestone and deserves a celebration!

[ibreakhearts66]

I'm 8O that you didn't have some MIF lessons specifically to prepare for the test. You really need to know what the judges are looking for, and what they are sticklers on in your area. I also know lots of people who passed Prelim MIF who would not have in many places. I've seen some extremely sloppy threes on the line pass. For example, stepping forward a foot from the line because the skater can't check the turn enough to make it all the way back without retrogressing. I've seen a 5'5" tall skater pass with 8 threes on the line instead of 4 - tiny, tiny lobes. I'm sure with some MIF lessons you will breeze through next time.

Re control - there is nothing better than figures. If your coach teaches figures, you could start those too. Since you won't be testing, but doing them for the discipline, you don't absolutely have to have a scribe.

Hope the birthday wasn't spoiled by the retry - 18 is a major milestone and deserves a celebration!

I definitely think the judges played a part in the retry. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming the judges, but I know I would have passed in other places.

As for not having moves lessons--I don't even know that they would have helped. My coach would never have let me test if she didn't think I could pass. I guess I just choked. I don't have very much experience with testing or competing, so I haven't really learned how to deal with skating under pressue. I'm trying very hard to look on the bright side re: power. Before my break, I was a very weak, very stiff skater. Recently, my old 2nd coach has told me that I have become a much stronger skater, and this test validated that.

I'm hoping to work on figures as well. My coach is offering a figures group lesson, but I'm sure she we could work on them in privates.

Maybe if I combine figures with moves/ice dance lessons, I'll be unstoppable!

[vesperholly]

I'm 8O that you didn't have some MIF lessons specifically to prepare for the test.
ITA — coaches are essential, but especially for moves! Moves are so detail-oriented. You have to have someone not only teaching you the moves the right way, but giving you the right corrections. An objective eye is key. I could never imagine doing moves without a coach.

That said, I'm sorry you failed, and on your birthday, too. :( I'm sure you'll respond to lessons very quickly and pass the next time!

As for not having moves lessons--I don't even know that they would have helped. My coach would never have let me test if she didn't think I could pass. I guess I just choked.
I think I'm misunderstanding — do you take moves lessons at all, or are you saying you should've taken more? Did you test against the wishes of your coach?

[Thin-Ice]

Good luck to Stormy and Helen88! Let us know how it goes.

[Thin-Ice]

Just Plain Awful
Yesterday was terrible. I got a retry on my preliminary moves. I'm so frustrated/upset/discouraged. It was the alternating 3's that killed me. Normally I do those beautifully. But not when it counts.

I'm just humiliated that I didn't pass my PRELIMINARY moves. WTF! Who does that? I do apparently.

Oh, and it was my birthday too.

And OMG my hands. They hurt so badly while I tested. It was too cold. I'm a tough girl and I can take a lot of pain, but I got off the ice and burst into tears because they hurt so badly. They weren't just cold, but they burned and felt like they were being stabbed with pins and needles.

Happy 18th birthday to me...:roll::roll::roll:

Awesome?
One comment I did get from all of the judges is that I'm a powerful skater. They said I just need to learn to control it. I'm gonna start taking MIF lessons, so hopefully next time I'll pass (like I know I can).

Blarg.

If you have power on your preliminary moves you'll be great on Pre-Juve and Juvenile since those are mostly power tests. You were probably unnerved by the burning sensation in your hands as well as the entire idea of testing. Testing is a completely different skill than anything else.. it's like jumping or spinning. The only way to learn how to do it is just to do it. You can simulate it.. but it's not quite the same. See if you can have your coach (or you, if you know someone) set up a critique from one of the judges who saw your test. Then you'll have a better idea what judges in your area are looking for and what you can do to meet those expectations. Also, if you have a judge come critique you and they see you do better they sometimes feel responsible for that and you are then "their skater" -- and they take pride in your accomplishments. That's not saying they'll pass you because you talked to them once.. but they MIGHT feel more protective of you and if you ask for advice, then take that advice... well, sometimes it's like a parent's pride in their kid.

You'll do better next time and good luck with the moves lessons!

Oh, and I failed a test on a major birthday too... and then on my Mother's birthday... I'm beginning to think tests should not be taken on birthdays of people we know!

[vesperholly]

Take it from me. It's always good to have a terrible skate before testing or competing. It gets all the bad stuff out of the way. On the other hand, I find that if I skate a perfect program or dance in practice before testing or competing, I'm in for major screw ups. But then not everyone is like me.
That happens to me, too! I had a miserable week leading up to when I passed Novice MIF - tweaked the ankle I sprained six months prior, didn't do full test runthroughs for four days, slept poorly the night before, ripped my competition tights and practically missed the test warm-up. After surviving that, the test was nothing! :mrgreen:

Stormy, I know you will kick butt and take names! Good luck!! :bow:

If you have power on your preliminary moves you'll be great on Pre-Juve and Juvenile since those are mostly power tests.
I've seen a lot of kids fail PreJuv because of the F/B 3-turns. IMO it's worth it to spend the extra time getting the alternating 3's really good before tackling the F/B pattern.

[Mrs Redboots]

I found a VIDEO (http://tinyurl.com/63x9u4) that is quite detailed.Thanks!



Yesterday was terrible. I got a retry on my preliminary moves. I'm so frustrated/upset/discouraged. It was the alternating 3's that killed me. Normally I do those beautifully. But not when it counts.

Bad luck! It happens - I did that in my last Moves test; simply didn't skate as well as I could, and duly failed. Sigh..... More moves-specific lessons are a good idea, I think - or at least get your coach to have you run through them at least once every lesson so s/he can see what you need to work on.

Belated happy birthday for yesterday - in this country I'd be asking how you'd enjoyed your first legal drink, but I believe in the USA drinking age is a little older than 18? I had a birthday on Saturday and drank pink champagne..... which was nice!

Helen - how did you get on? Enquiring minds want to know.

[Thin-Ice]

Belated happy birthday for yesterday - in this country I'd be asking how you'd enjoyed your first legal drink, but I believe in the USA drinking age is a little older than 18? I had a birthday on Saturday and drank pink champagne..... which was nice!

Helen - how did you get on? Enquiring minds want to know.

And belated happy birthday to you Mrs. RB!

[RachelSk8er]

AWFUL! (Techinically this was Sat the 14th)....was planning on getting in 3 solid hous of practice to get my progarm back together (competing in Grand Rapids in just 2 weeks), but woke up with a slight headache...which as I took a shower and started to get dressed to go to the rink turned into a full blown migraine (and me on my bed curled up in a ball crying), vomiting, the works. Didn't get to skate at all. I was able to fall asleep eventually and woke up ok a few hours later.

I'm trying to pick up extra ice at this Friday morning (and maybe actually get with my coach and have a lesson) but the morning sessions are for high tested freestyle skaters...I *think* it'll still be ok, my coach is the director of the summer program. Even though I'm only silver free (technically bronze, haven't tested yet), I'm on junior MIF and pre-gold dances, so I can hold my own in terms of strength and won't get in the way...I'm much better off on that session than the general session where there are a ton of little kids and I can't get anything done because the coaches don't teach them how to look out for other skaters.

[Stormy]

Awww, Rachel, that sucks! I'm glad you're feeling better! Don't worry about Grand Rapids....you're going to be great!

[RachelSk8er]

Awww, Rachel, that sucks! I'm glad you're feeling better! Don't worry about Grand Rapids....you're going to be great!

Thanks :) Keep me posted on testing, you'll kick butt this time!!!

[FlyAndCrash]

Awesome: I skated this morning! It's been over a week and a half since I've been on the ice, but I had a lesson with my coach this morning and summer ice opens at my rink today. Later, I have another contract, two group lessons, and an off ice. Super excited.

Awful: My jump run-thru was wonky for some reason. Instead of gliding back after the pick on my flip, I'm going around; I've never had this problem. My entrance edge to my lutz is also weak... Grrr, it's benn a long time since I've had major issues with these jumps! Hopefully it's just muscle fatigue from lack of use and flying so much this past week. And temporary. My program afterwards sucked. I missed the first 5 or 10 sec of my music because it was playing too softly. And then I finished super late. Not to mention the fact that I wanted to stop dead and start panting in the middle! I guess endurance fades quickly too when I sit on my butt all week.

Awesome: I might be able to bump my lesson count up to 3 from 2 each week.

Awful: My axel and double sal weren't cooperating today. I think it's because of the loss of muscle tone from getting fat this past week. :roll: Anyways, I'll try them again later today. Hopefully they will work then.

Awful/Awesome: My test date is next Friday!!! I totally lost track of time. My program is decent and most likely passable, but I'm starting to freak out at this impending date!!!

[Helen88]

Helen - how did you get on? Enquiring minds want to know.

Passed!! Thank you all for the good wishes, they obviously worked :D

I need to work on being neater - which isn't a surprise really. I was the first on - first skater in the first group :o which was interesting...hopefully, I'll be much more relaxed next time, as I'll know how it all works. I think I seemed a bit unenthusiastic when I got off the ice actually - it was just relief talking though!

Oh, and belated happy birthdays to you and ibreakhearts :)

[Skating Jessica]

Awful/Awesome: My test date is next Friday!!! I totally lost track of time. My program is decent and most likely passable, but I'm starting to freak out at this impending date!!!

Good luck on your test! What level/discipline are you testing?

Passed!! Thank you all for the good wishes, they obviously worked :D

Congratulations! That's fabulous! :mrgreen:

[ibreakhearts66]

ITA — coaches are essential, but especially for moves! Moves are so detail-oriented. You have to have someone not only teaching you the moves the right way, but giving you the right corrections. An objective eye is key. I could never imagine doing moves without a coach.

That said, I'm sorry you failed, and on your birthday, too. :( I'm sure you'll respond to lessons very quickly and pass the next time!


I think I'm misunderstanding — do you take moves lessons at all, or are you saying you should've taken more? Did you test against the wishes of your coach?


I don't take moves lessons at all. My coach looked over them, and they were passable then. I didn't test against the wishes of my coach. She signed off on the test, which she wouldn't have done if she didn't think i could pass. I just don't think moves lessons would have helped because (I think) I just choked. Oh well :giveup:

[jskater49]

I don't take moves lessons at all. My coach looked over them, and they were passable then. I didn't test against the wishes of my coach. She signed off on the test, which she wouldn't have done if she didn't think i could pass. I just don't think moves lessons would have helped because (I think) I just choked. Oh well :giveup:

Are you talking about a separate moves class that you didn't take --because surely your coach taught you the moves and went over them with you?

j

[Mrs Redboots]

Passed!! Thank you all for the good wishes, they obviously worked :D

Well done! Were you doing Moves, or Elements/Free? And isn't it a lovely feeling when the judge extends their hand and everybody cheers?!

[jazzpants]

Congrats to Helen88!!! WHOO HOO!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:

FlyAndCrash: Good luck on your test Friday...

Stormy: Well???? Well!?!?!? Inquiring minds wanna know... :P ;)

[FlyAndCrash]

I'm testing my pre-juv free next week. My last free test (prelim) I totally choked and was lucky to pass. I skidded on a power-3, barely did a backspin, and had a really crappy sal and waltz-toe. It was just bad, but I had only worked on it for about two weeks. That said, I should have been able to do all the elements at a much higher level. This time around, I will, hopefully, be much more calm and able to get through my program without any major mishaps.

And someone (not my coach but rather a skater that I'm friends with and does some coaching, well... I hope not my coach) thinks I should get my juv moves learned, tested, and done with before I go off to college in the fall.

[Stormy]

AARRRGGH! Phooey, phooey, nuts! Got another retry on Gold free. My axel took a vacay yesterday and I only landed one on the warm up, and I two footed it in the program. But I smiled and said to myself to not give them any other reason to fail the program and I did every other element strongly. So of course I had to reskate the axel and the judge said I could warm it up and do it, or just do it. I said I'd just do it. I didn't want to do it twice. And I did land one, not wonderful but landed. And, apparently, cheated. Because I got retrys from two judges saying it was cheated, BUT, everything else was great. The judge that did pass me did say to work on a clean axel as well. At least everything else was good. And I'm not nearly as upset as I was the last time. I'm dissapointed, but oh well. I'll just do it again. It sucks because my axel was really strong, clean and consistent a couple weeks ago. Why do they dissapear at really inconvenient times?

[RachelSk8er]

AARRRGGH! Phooey, phooey, nuts! Got another retry on Gold free. My axel took a vacay yesterday and I only landed one on the warm up, and I two footed it in the program. But I smiled and said to myself to not give them any other reason to fail the program and I did every other element strongly. So of course I had to reskate the axel and the judge said I could warm it up and do it, or just do it. I said I'd just do it. I didn't want to do it twice. And I did land one, not wonderful but landed. And, apparently, cheated. Because I got retrys from two judges saying it was cheated, BUT, everything else was great. The judge that did pass me did say to work on a clean axel as well. At least everything else was good. And I'm not nearly as upset as I was the last time. I'm dissapointed, but oh well. I'll just do it again. It sucks because my axel was really strong, clean and consistent a couple weeks ago. Why do they dissapear at really inconvenient times?

But you have your juv free so you get to compete gold next year regardless :) Not that you won't get it by then anyway. I've seen you do plenty of clean axels.

That's like when I decided to test silver free right after getting back from AN and my body decided it didn't feel like doing camel spins on warmup, in my program, or on the retry, so I failed despite everything else in my program being well above passing standard. And the judges on my panel all knew I could do a silly camel spin, they had seen me do them before, but couldn't pass me (one did). Such is life!!!

[Stormy]

Such is life!! :) I know I don't have to have the test now, but I just want to have it since it's an accomplishment to me. Although I do ask myself how I passed Juvenile free with a worse axel than I have now, but fail Gold twice. :giveup: Such is skating!

[Kim to the Max]

Stormy, I'm sorry to hear about the retry...that sucks :( But, just keep trying! It will happen...

For yesterday....

[Awesome]
Did some good axels...they are starting to feel better...although, I am still pulling out too soon so they are a tad bit under rotated and I think I only landed one on my toe last night...

Starting to get the feel of the back camel...

Moves are starting to come along...which makes me very happy :)

The rink on campus opened on Saturday, however, my friends who went said that the ice is very fragile and soft...they have about another 1/4 of an inch to put on, which means that we all could screw up the ice easily :( I'm not going to go there until Wednesday, so we will see...they put the athletic symbol (women's hockey just got Varsity status here) instead of the school seal...although, they painted the studio rink ORANGE...

[Plain Awful]
Double sals are still not quite going right...they will come, I just need to work on them..

[ElinorD]

from 6/15:
Awesome:
my Pre-Bronze MITF are getting closer to being ready for test. Not sure when that will be, but I don't even mind working on them :oops:
I like being able to work them out on my own, and then show my coach. It's much easier than starting from scratch.

Awful:
The thought of testing *bronze*. Sit spins! Oh My!
And jumping. :(

MEH:
I have to get a skating dress! eiw!

[ibreakhearts66]

Are you talking about a separate moves class that you didn't take --because surely your coach taught you the moves and went over them with you?

j

correct, i didn't have any lessons with a specific moves coach

anyways, just got back from the rink, and skated fairly well.

awesome
-Landed all of my doubles through 2flip. Didn't try any 2lutz
-Did a nice camel-change-camel with lots of speed

my coach had an awesome explanation for why all of my joints have been aching. I blame a CFS flare-up, but I do prefer her reason--my jumps have gotten so big that the impact is harder on my body.

just plain awful
not a whole lot. the general achiness was no fun.

i did have a painful fall. I decided to try to land the 2nd 2toe of a 2toe2toe combo on a sideways edge. those don't usually work too well...missed my hip pad too

[Terri C]

Awesome:
Had some good spins today. Landed a sal toe combo on the first try.

Awful:
No loop today. Ice was not cut and the crap that goes on at my rink gets better. Starting in July they are going to have contract ice and it needs to be paid up front. The prices are going up as well. Now keep in mind that this rink has tried and failed at the contract ice arrangement several times because RINK MANAGEMENT will "cancel" or cut sessions at the last minute. Oh and they cut the ice whenever they feel like it.
Good thing is is what was the Little Rink in town is renovating to a regulation size rink that will reopen in August. Needlesss to say, several of us will make a move there then.

[FlyAndCrash]

Awful: I am super exhausted. I skated this morning and went back on the ice tonight. It was fun, but an extra 2 hrs on ice and 1 hr off ice after 1 hr this morning was draining. And the fact that I haven't eaten in 8 hrs...

Awesome: I was able to land my double sal tonight. Most of them were 2footed though. It is completely a mental thing. GRRR... And my axel is semi-fixed so that it is kicking through more. It definately needs much mental persuasion and a dose of confidence wouldn't hurt. Whenever I don't land it or take a break from it, my take-off usually loses the kick because I'm hesitant and scared...

Awful: I did two run-thrus tonight of my program, but they both sucked. I gave up halfway on the second run-thru and skipped a spin and all of my arm stuff... I really need to work on the endurance. I blame it on a killer off-ice session and having skated so much today.

Awesome: The contract I did tonight was really empty: just me and another girl. And she is also testing on the same day I am, so she is going to give me a ride to and from the rink! :)

[doubletoe]

Passed!! Thank you all for the good wishes, they obviously worked
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! :D

AARRRGGH! Phooey, phooey, nuts! Got another retry on Gold free. My axel took a vacay yesterday and I only landed one on the warm up, and I two footed it in the program. But I smiled and said to myself to not give them any other reason to fail the program and I did every other element strongly. So of course I had to reskate the axel and the judge said I could warm it up and do it, or just do it. I said I'd just do it. I didn't want to do it twice. And I did land one, not wonderful but landed. And, apparently, cheated. Because I got retrys from two judges saying it was cheated, BUT, everything else was great. The judge that did pass me did say to work on a clean axel as well. At least everything else was good. And I'm not nearly as upset as I was the last time. I'm dissapointed, but oh well. I'll just do it again. It sucks because my axel was really strong, clean and consistent a couple weeks ago. Why do they dissapear at really inconvenient times?

Stormy, I'm sorry about your retry, but it sounds like you kept it together and did as well as you could have done with the axel acting up. Those axels are definitely very temperamental creatures. I had two on my Gold test program, just in case I fell on one of them, which I did, LOL! Thank goodness I landed the second one and held on by a toepick!

I don't take moves lessons at all. My coach looked over them, and they were passable then. I didn't test against the wishes of my coach. She signed off on the test, which she wouldn't have done if she didn't think i could pass. I just don't think moves lessons would have helped because (I think) I just choked. Oh well :giveup:

Ugh! I'm so sorry, sweetie! Test-taking is a whole separate skill in itself, especially MIF tests (trust me, I know, LOL!) It's not that you can't do the moves, it's just hard to do them perfectly when it's dead silent and all you can hear is the scraping of your toepicks as your knees shake.:roll: But it's a lot easier to work through the nerves if you do the moves over and over and over in practice, especially if you make yourself do them cold, with no warmup, to simulate the stiffness you get from nerves. As my MIF coach always says, "You have to have them 130% over passing, because you lose 30% just from nerves". So don't let this beat you! You can lick it! But a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY anyway!!

[jazzpants]

Stormy and ibreakhearts66: Sorry to hear you didn't pass your Gold FS and Prelim Moves test, respectively...

Stormy: Try again... I think if axels are your only sticking point that you will pass it on the next test session. I know you can do this test!!! :)

ibreakhearts66: I know of one kid that get a retry on the pre-prelim moves. Unfortunately the kid didn't know the waltz 8 pattern, even though the coach had instructed her before. She did pass it the next month when she took the test again. Also, I know one other person who probably can't pass her prelim moves test now if she took it... ME!!! (Those spirals are KILLER!!! I would not take it myself until those spirals are up to snuff. The power 3's need work too! They are a bit rusty, but they're not bad.

Awesome:
Waltz (Nice kick thru!!! WHEEEEE!!!)
Sal
Loop
Flip
Lutz (beginning)
Sit spins at the end of the session
Practice beginning of the interp with reflection of glass. Not bad... :)
And since I probably have to test for the ISI Adult Champ... I can do the ISI FS 3 change foot spin easily! :)Awful:
Oops! Forgot to do toe loops!!! :oops:
Lutz (After about 4 good lutzes too... I think I got tired.)
Camels
Sit spins at the beginning
Back Sit. Still squatting. :giveup:

[singerskates]

Awesome: Finally finished re-editing my freeskate music; Ever After Suite (Utopia, Ever After Main Title, Danielle's Wings, Ever After Main Title, Marguerite, Going To the Ball, Happily Ever After) in 2 mins 4 secs.

Plain Awful: Lost an hour of ice time because I waited for my music to be finished.

Awesome:
Got to have a lesson with my coach for the first time since he went off on vacation right after testing at Spring School.

Coach said my spirals are much higher and stronger than before. Yeah, right. Not in my spiral sequence in lesson.

After practicing my edges and stroking for the last two weeks they way they are done in part of the Junior Silver test the way my coach has shown me them, my edges are much, much more quiet and stronger. Coach likes the improvement of my forward and backward crosscuts. Left side is still weaker but my edges and crosscuts miles above what I did at Adult Canadians this year. We're really working on the PCS (presentation scores in 6.0 ).

Did my freeskate opening with power in lesson and surprised my coach with an almost clean but fully rotated high loop from the Mohawk entrance. He's never seen me do a loop from the Mohawk entrance. This is something I worked on by myself while he was away on vacation.

While warming up before my lesson, I landed about 7 almost clean and fully rotated loops from the Mohawk entrance but felt frustrated that I kept doing either a backspin on the landing (one foot) 4 times before I could ride out the edge or I did a slight two foot 3 times.

Did a really big flowy Waltz jump that just rode the exist edge like what seemed forever. Went back to check out the exist edge and found that I covered a quarter of the ice with the exist. Cool! Now why can't my other jumps ride out that way? Hmm?

Spins, coach was impress with my corkscrew and sit spin speeds and asked me if I was dizzy. I said, "No."

Plain Awful:
My spiral sequences attempts in my lesson; my skating hip was locking on me and would not allow me to change edge with my freeleg up in position. I got so frustrated that at the end of one of them, I did a one footed show stop and then slammed my free foot's toe pick hard into the ice in disgust. I was mad.

Had a problem with my camel spin too. I could not transfer my wait over into the camel position. My hip just locked on me. How maddening!

Flips just were out of control yet fully rotated. My arms just kept on going on the landing making me two foot the landing even though they height. The first one I did was a severe Lip.

I only attempted one Lutz which was two footed on the landing and Flutzed.

I have an idea, what if I were to say my Flip was a Lutz and my Lutz was my Flip? Would that fly with the judges? LOL Curious???

Plain:
Toe Loop was OK.

Attitude spin (not quite a Layback because I can't seem to get my head back) was OK.

Spiral Sequence came back so-so after I remembered to do the crossing under stretches my coach showed me (really for the crosscuts) and the bringing your free foot over and to the side of your skating hip alternating to stretch my hips out. It wasn't strong but at least the edge finally changed again and within the count of 1, 2, 3. I also practed doing straight spirals down the length of the ice and doing power pulls in spiral position. This also helped my spiral sequence. I was so desperate.

Awesome:
After coach was gone and I had stretched out my hips as said above, I tried my camel spin again and finally got into position to do one and a 1/3 rotation before doing another rotation to exist in an upright spin.

LBI Catch Foot Spirals are getting cleaner (almost no toe pick at all) and on a definate crisp edge covering a good amount of ice.

Awful:
Rink had piped in music so my coach couldn't play his boombox to play my freeskate music.

[Skating Jessica]

Nothing awful today!

Awesome: Summer skating started today (technically yesterday) with me skating the 6 a.m. session, which meant that I had the ice all to myself aside from one or two other people. 8-)

I did a few run-throughs of the Viennese Waltz before my dance lesson; all patterns felt really powerful and edgy, so maybe I'll actually pass it when I [re]test sometime in July (depending on who/where a Gold panel is).

I also squeezed in a few spins before my lesson, mainly camel-sit-back sit and flying camels. I've decided that I'm not that strong a spinner in the morning (perhaps because I'm not awake, LOL!), but that despire my tiredness, I'm still able to pull out several 7-8 revolution flying camels. I'm pretty sure they're consistently hitting that mark too, so I'm going to aim for 10 revolutions in them by the end of summer. :D

Combination spins were decent too, but I've done stronger.

Dance coach taught me the last of my Gold dances: the Westminster Waltz. She really likes the way I'm "powering it out". We started learning the introduction steps to the music, but for now I'm suppsoed to focus more on the pattern and steps, which we'll put to the music maybe next week. So, I officially know all my Gold dances!

[RachelSk8er]

I don't take moves lessons at all. My coach looked over them, and they were passable then. I didn't test against the wishes of my coach. She signed off on the test, which she wouldn't have done if she didn't think i could pass. I just don't think moves lessons would have helped because (I think) I just choked. Oh well :giveup:

I've never really spent a ton of lesson time on moves either. I started working on them as a teenager (I was 16) and by that point I had already been on a senior synchro team for a few years, so I was a strong skater and found the moves very easy (this was the mid-late 90s before moves tests were required and a lot of us didn't really test a lot--especially since cross skating was more common so you would skate intermediate or novice and also junior or senior...kept us busy enough)! I only did one hour of dance/moves (total) each week, with a 15 minute lesson, since that was all I had time for and also all we could really afford outside of synchro, and I wanted to spend that time working on dance partnering. I'd sometimes have my coach show me the moves when I first learned the test, but after that I worked on them on my own, maybe having her look at them when I was ready to test. I got through novice when I was 18 and then pretty much stopped working on them when I went off to college, just picked back up last fall (when I was 26).

I've gotten a little more work with a coach for junior, but not nearly as much as dance or freestyle. (I get a 3-40 min lesson a week, only every other week in the summer, and we spend at least half on dance and haven't touched moves in a lesson since probably November.) I'm close to being ready to test so I'll probably work with my coach a little more. I've yet to fail a moves test, so I want to try and keep that streak going through senior!

[Kim to the Max]

I don't take moves lessons at all. My coach looked over them, and they were passable then. I didn't test against the wishes of my coach. She signed off on the test, which she wouldn't have done if she didn't think i could pass. I just don't think moves lessons would have helped because (I think) I just choked. Oh well :giveup:

Wow...I think coach and I do moves at every lesson...I only do 1 45 minute lesson a week (I wish I could increase that, but until my salary triples and Coach gets more time in her day, that's not going to happen).

It is rare if we don't do at least one of the moves from my level a week...but, Coach and I are trying to get me passed as many tests as possible...especially now that I am out of Intermediate H*LL :)

[Skating Jessica]

I'm testing my pre-juv free next week.

And someone (not my coach but rather a skater that I'm friends with and does some coaching, well... I hope not my coach) thinks I should get my juv moves learned, tested, and done with before I go off to college in the fall.

Oooh, good luck! I'm sure you'll do fine this time around.

And, I definitely agree about learning/test the Juvenile MIF if only for the fact that you'll need to have them passed before you can take your Juvenile freestyle test. ;)

[Kim to the Max]

Oooh, good luck! I'm sure you'll do fine this time around.

And, I definitely agree about learning/test the Juvenile MIF if only for the fact that you'll need to have them passed before you can take your Juvenile freestyle test. ;)

I also agree with testing the Juv moves...if you think that you might possibly skate Synchro in college, you may need your Juv moves depending on if the teams is Open Collegiate or Collegiate (open does not require the test, collegiate does). We have a skater at the college where I work right now who wants to skate on the collegiate team, but needs to pass her juv moves...hopefully she does that this summer!

[Skating Jessica]

I also agree with testing the Juv moves...if you think that you might possibly skate Synchro in college, you may need your Juv moves depending on if the teams is Open Collegiate or Collegiate (open does not require the test, collegiate does).

LOL, I was gonna add that!

Even if you do decide to join a team, it helps to have as high of your tests passed (freestyle, MIF, dance) as possible.

I did an open-collegiate team the last two years of college and all of us had Senior MIF passed and at least our Intermediate freestyle. The division, while "open", is getting highly competitive with some of the teams out there, so the more tests (MIF, dance, freestyle) you have, the better advantage you'll have.

And, I believe (though I may be wrong) that the open collegiate team may start requiring MIF tests in the near future. I'll have to check on this for sure or perhaps someone else can confirm...

[Helen88]

Well done! Were you doing Moves, or Elements/Free? And isn't it a lovely feeling when the judge extends their hand and everybody cheers?!


Haha yeah it was great, thanks :D. I was testing moves, probably starting elements next.

[FlyAndCrash]

LOL, I was gonna add that!

Even if you do decide to join a team, it helps to have as high of your tests passed (freestyle, MIF, dance) as possible.

I did an open-collegiate team the last two years of college and all of us had Senior MIF passed and at least our Intermediate freestyle. The division, while "open", is getting highly competitive with some of the teams out there, so the more tests (MIF, dance, freestyle) you have, the better advantage you'll have.

And, I believe (though I may be wrong) that the open collegiate team may start requiring MIF tests in the near future. I'll have to check on this for sure or perhaps someone else can confirm...



Thanks for the info. I don't think I'm going to be doing synchro, but it's nice to know. I really want to test up to my juv free. I could probably eek out a pass if I worked on it for a few months and got the will to work on my layback (which I HATE!). And that is the only reason I would ever consider doing juv moves. I've heard that they aren't that hard though... And there aren't that many patterns.

[momsk8er]

Congrats everyone on passing tests. Wish me good luck, hoping to test Adult Pre-B free and B moves this weekend. My runthrough today was not that great, I'm afraid I need to get my skates sharpened again. When I got them done the last time they really give them enough of an edge. Also, I'm wiped still from yoga on Sunday, and skating Sunday too. My yoga class is not for the feint of heart and I've missed it for 3 weeks for family activities. So I was really pushing it.

Ok enough excuses. The free skills are fine, no real worry there as long as I am careful to let my free leg come around and not try to pull it in the spins. If I wait patiently for the spin to happen its fast and centered. If I push it, well.. I can still probably eek out 3 revs with an optional foot position.

Moves test is more iffy. Power 3s - I think I did them better when I first started working on them. Maybe I'm just more critical now. Having a lot of trouble stepping onto a clean inside edge. Have to do a pretty wide step, which sometimes gets me off balance. My daughter failed her prelim test for stepping on an outside edge and then switching. Are they sticklers for this on the adult test too?

[Skating Jessica]

Moves test is more iffy. Power 3s - I think I did them better when I first started working on them. Maybe I'm just more critical now. Having a lot of trouble stepping onto a clean inside edge. Have to do a pretty wide step, which sometimes gets me off balance. My daughter failed her prelim test for stepping on an outside edge and then switching. Are they sticklers for this on the adult test too?

I'd say that depends on the judges. I'd think that they'd be a bit more lenient with an adult as you can't necessarily hold a young child and an adult to the same standard, but then again, you're still expected to do the correct movement/edge by the adult standard, so I'm sure the judges are still looking for the correct edge (inside) on the transition from the power 3 to the crossover. Perhaps ask your coach.

[Kim to the Max]

Thanks for the info. I don't think I'm going to be doing synchro, but it's nice to know. I really want to test up to my juv free. I could probably eek out a pass if I worked on it for a few months and got the will to work on my layback (which I HATE!). And that is the only reason I would ever consider doing juv moves. I've heard that they aren't that hard though... And there aren't that many patterns.

Juv moves really are not that bad. The back power 3's are evil and the 8-step mohawk tends to trip some people up, but other than that, they are not too bad.

While you are not planning on doing synchro, you never know :) you could get sucked in!

[phoenix]

ibreakhearts: Around here people generally keep on their sweaters/jackets and gloves for moves tests. See if it's acceptable in your area as well--that would help with your cold hands for sure.

Awesome: Drilled Killian exercises yesterday in penance for my bad test Sat. I think it's going to be pretty much all Killian, all the time, until I pass this thing! I do get to work on Paso for a couple of weeks for a competition, but other than that I need to be more disciplined about running lots of patterns.

Awful: Broke a lace, so lost a good 15 minutes getting new ones & re-lacing the boot!

[jskater49]

Moves test is more iffy. Power 3s - I think I did them better when I first started working on them. Maybe I'm just more critical now. Having a lot of trouble stepping onto a clean inside edge. Have to do a pretty wide step, which sometimes gets me off balance. My daughter failed her prelim test for stepping on an outside edge and then switching. Are they sticklers for this on the adult test too?

My understanding is that it is a BIG NO NO to step on the outside and switch...for anybody ...I would work on making sure you step right down on the inside edge. Pidgeon toe your feet if you have to.

j

[jazzpants]

Moves test is more iffy. Power 3s - I think I did them better when I first started working on them. Maybe I'm just more critical now. Having a lot of trouble stepping onto a clean inside edge. Have to do a pretty wide step, which sometimes gets me off balance. My daughter failed her prelim test for stepping on an outside edge and then switching. Are they sticklers for this on the adult test too?Yup! They sure were with me when I took my Bronze Moves test!!! They are also sticklers (on the Forward Power 3's) for not letting you switch edge when you step into that FO edge for the 3turn too!!!

My suggestion: practice the alt. back crossovers and make sure that you put slightly more weight on your outer foot (the one you that steps out) b/c you want to curve back in. As jskater49 says, pigeon toe your foot if you have to... Do exactly the same for when you step out for the back crossovers on the power 3's.

ibreakhearts: Around here people generally keep on their sweaters/jackets and gloves for moves tests. See if it's acceptable in your area as well--that would help with your cold hands for sure.Yup, you should ask. Of course, in MY case, my primary coach would NOT allow me to wear gloves OR sweaters at moves tests!!! Heck, he was picky as to the TYPE of gloves I should be wearing on my WARM UP at competitions!!! (No weight-lifting fingerless gloves! He wants "something more feminine.") I'm not even gonna speculate on the reasons why, but I suspect it's for HIS asthetics reasons. :roll:

[dbny]

Power 3s - I think I did them better when I first started working on them. Maybe I'm just more critical now. Having a lot of trouble stepping onto a clean inside edge. Have to do a pretty wide step, which sometimes gets me off balance. My daughter failed her prelim test for stepping on an outside edge and then switching. Are they sticklers for this on the adult test too?

My understanding is that it is a BIG NO NO to step on the outside and switch...for anybody ...I would work on making sure you step right down on the inside edge. Pidgeon toe your feet if you have to.

j

I have seen both Prelim and Adult Bronze fail for that - and also seen them pass with that mistake :roll::?:8O. Aside from getting a good clean BI edge, you could find out what the tolerance of the judges in your area is like for adults.

Awesome & Awful:
Just this week I realized that when turning at will, I always turn CW.
Then I realized that the CCW choctaw in the Prelim power threes is the one giving me trouble. I put it together, and in my lesson today asked my coach if she thought I might be a CW skater who was mistakenly put on the CCW path way back when I was in roller. Sooo... I tried a few CW two foot spins, then did a perfectly centered, rock solid CW one foot spin of three revolutions on my first try. Coach said my weight was exactly where it should be. There was no leaning to one side, no bobbles, etc. Then I tried a stepped through CW waltz jump just to see if I could rotate that direction, and it was also fine. HOW have I gone so long without realizing this? I now have to decide if I am going to switch or not. I can see backspins becoming twice as challenging if I do.

Awesome:
Most of my lesson was spent on figures - meaning only the FO eight. We focussed on getting a good initial push with no lurch and shoulders and free leg aligned properly. I really love figures. When everything is right, it's like meditation. Did move on to FO and FI threes, which are still improving. Then I did my pathetic FO double three figure, which coach said was not all that bad. It brought back the memory of competing the FI double three figure on the day Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswold. My parents saw it live on TV in Ft. Worth, while I was busy putting my foot down on the last BI three (and losing a tie breaker for 3rd place) over in Dallas. Am I really that old?

[Terri C]

Awesome:
Paid a last minute visit to the podiatrist and boy did it pay off this afternoon!
Landed a couple of clean flips for Secondary Coach.

Awful:
How's this for prepaid contract ice:
$9.50 for 30 minute moves session
$15.00 for 60 minute low/mixed freestyle
$17- 19/ hour for high level freestyle
$22 for 50 minute power skating class

Needless to say, no one is going to do any of that, unless it's the bare minimum. We are having a meeting on Thursday night to discuss this.

Secondary Coach has strongly suggested that I consider skating at the other rink across the bay if things can't get worked out.

[vesperholly]

Power 3s - I think I did them better when I first started working on them. Maybe I'm just more critical now. Having a lot of trouble stepping onto a clean inside edge. Have to do a pretty wide step, which sometimes gets me off balance. My daughter failed her prelim test for stepping on an outside edge and then switching. Are they sticklers for this on the adult test too?
I see a lot of people have problems with this, and not just on this move. You have to hold the BI edge a long time, and then turn your upper body facing to the boards before you step down on the opposite BI edge. Once you get the placement corrected, the widestep is much easier.

[Thin-Ice]

Power 3s - I think I did them better when I first started working on them. Maybe I'm just more critical now. Having a lot of trouble stepping onto a clean inside edge. Have to do a pretty wide step, which sometimes gets me off balance. My daughter failed her prelim test for stepping on an outside edge and then switching. Are they sticklers for this on the adult test too?

As a judge, that is what I look for MOST on that element whether it is standard or adult track. I won't pass the element if it's consistently the wrong edge to start and then the weight transfers over.. and if it's done really well and held long and clean, I will give it one-tenth up.. since the skater not only can do the element well but also understands that correct edges are one of the main points of that element. But as one of the other posters said.. it does depend on who the judges are for your test. Good luck!

[Mrs Redboots]

I tried a few CW two foot spins, then did a perfectly centered, rock solid CW one foot spin of three revolutions on my first try. Coach said my weight was exactly where it should be. There was no leaning to one side, no bobbles, etc. Don't discard your ordinary anti-clockwise spin, though - bi-directional spinning is very much a plus! I prefer spinning clockwise, but my coach makes me do both ways.

*Hugs* Stormy. Next time, for sure....

As for me:

Awful: Got up to go skating yesterday and realised I couldn't go - had a wretched sick headache, which kept me flat on my back all day and I still can't skate today. Maybe tomorrow? Worst thing is that I missed our lesson for this week. Sigh!

[Skittl1321]

Awful I've completely lost my nerve. I've had too many bad falls in the past month, and knowing that my equipment needs replacement has really caused me to freak out. Although I actually passed it in December, I didn't pass Freeskate 3 today (which is fine, I'm not ready to be in Freeskate 4). I totally chickened out on the back inside 3s (though by the end of the class managed to do one on each side) and I can't do the backspin anymore (though also by the end of class I managed a few revolutions crossed). I'm worried that the instructor is going to think I have a bad attitude about it, because honestly I am scared to try these things right now and don't really want to do it.

My swing rolls were also quite pitiful.

And my ankle bone was really really hurting in my boot. I thought I was getting a blister so I put a band aide on it, but it didn't really help. This morning I looked at it and I have a silver dollar sized welt- I think I may have gotten a bite or something.

Awesome I had a good practice after the lesson. I managed to do the bronze 3 turn pattern, slowly, but without freaking out about the three turns. (Of course I still freak about the 3 turns to start the other patterns. Since "entry steps are optional" will the judges will care if I start the back crossover patterns with a counter rotational turn?) My forward crossover pattern is feeling really good and has a nice rip sound.

I don't think my camel is getting better, still just two bad rotations, but when I come out of it I'm able to cross my foot into a scratch spin now, instead of an ugly stork position or just falling. That's improvement :)
I also worked on my layback (hah!) and that was fun, if not very good.

[RachelSk8er]

LOL, I was gonna add that!

Even if you do decide to join a team, it helps to have as high of your tests passed (freestyle, MIF, dance) as possible.

I did an open-collegiate team the last two years of college and all of us had Senior MIF passed and at least our Intermediate freestyle. The division, while "open", is getting highly competitive with some of the teams out there, so the more tests (MIF, dance, freestyle) you have, the better advantage you'll have.

And, I believe (though I may be wrong) that the open collegiate team may start requiring MIF tests in the near future. I'll have to check on this for sure or perhaps someone else can confirm...


No MIF for next year for open collegiate, I don't think it's ever even been proposed (only open level with a MIF requirement is open junior). You need juvenile MIF for collegiate division per the USFS, although some teams, particularly those at the top, require or at the very least prefer higher. The only chage pertaining to collegiate synchro for next year was cutting the collegiate division program down from 4:30 and following senior free requirements to 4:00 and following junior free requirements (thank god).

For open collegiate though, you should be able to competently do double 3s, single twizzles, power 3s, choctaws, counters, rockers, etc. It's not judged under IJS, but most of the top teams are choreographing as if it were. You'll find a range of skaters with everywhere from no tests to 2 or 3 gold medals in this division. Some teams do have test levels that they require or at the very least prefer, but that's up to the individual team/coaches.

[momsk8er]

Thanks for the advice everyone. One more question on the power 3s - is the step after the 3 turn, onto an inside edge, a step or a push? I've been doing it as a push, which requires a bit of a hook. I thought that's why they are called power 3s. Or is my pushing technique wrong? I'm pushing like I would for back inside edges. or am I? ahhh now I think I understand the pigeon toe advice. With a back inside edge push I'd be very pigeon toed. Not sure I am when I'm doing this.

Thanks for letting me think this through out loud.

[jenlyon60]

It should be a push, not just a step-down.

In addition to what Thin-Ice commented, I look to see if the skater "plops" the other foot down after doing the 3-turn. I want to see some level of control on the 3-turn and the exiting BI edge, and I want to see some control in putting the new skating foot onto the ice. If that is consistently lacking, I will generally mark the move below passing average.

Being on the wrong edge (e.g. BO instead of BI on the transition) is actually specifically called out as a "common error" in the MIF manual, and the test standards specify "The judge should expect the following... correct edges throughout..."

Hope this helps.

[Skating Jessica]

Thanks for the advice everyone. One more question on the power 3s - is the step after the 3 turn, onto an inside edge, a step or a push? I've been doing it as a push, which requires a bit of a hook. I thought that's why they are called power 3s. Or is my pushing technique wrong? I'm pushing like I would for back inside edges. or am I? ahhh now I think I understand the pigeon toe advice. With a back inside edge push I'd be very pigeon toed. Not sure I am when I'm doing this.

Thanks for letting me think this through out loud.

I tell my students to think of using four pushes in this move:

1. At the axis going into the 3-turn
2. Going into the back inside edge
3 & 4. The crossovers (especially the push under)

And, although I believe we've all determined that not stepping on the inside edge following the 3-turn is incorrect, I'd just like to add that the USFSA Moves in the Field manual states that not stepping on the back inside edge following the 3-turn is a common error that judges are supposed to look for, regardless of whether or not a skater is an adult.

[Thin-Ice]

It should be a push, not just a step-down.

In addition to what Thin-Ice commented, I look to see if the skater "plops" the other foot down after doing the 3-turn. I want to see some level of control on the 3-turn and the exiting BI edge, and I want to see some control in putting the new skating foot onto the ice. If that is consistently lacking, I will generally mark the move below passing average.

Being on the wrong edge (e.g. BO instead of BI on the transition) is actually specifically called out as a "common error" in the MIF manual, and the test standards specify "The judge should expect the following... correct edges throughout..."

Hope this helps.

I agree with this... I want to see control of the edges AND the power.. not just a skater flinging body parts around hoping some of them look good enough to pass.

[Thin-Ice]

Since "entry steps are optional" will the judges will care if I start the back crossover patterns with a counter rotational turn?) My forward crossover pattern is feeling really good and has a nice rip sound.

At least where I am "entry steps are optional" means just what it sounds like. Of course there are the traditional ways of getting into things.. but if someone does a 3-turn or a mohawk or a bracket and whichever direction works for them to get into the position to start the pattern, I don't care, as long as they get into the pattern with the correct number of steps (most of the time it says "not to exceed 7 steps" or something similar on the element). What I don't recommend for the entry optional is doing something incredibly well, and then stumbling into the actual element. I've seen it happen... and it's not good.

[Debbie S]

One more question on the power 3s - is the step after the 3 turn, onto an inside edge, a step or a push? I've been doing it as a push, which requires a bit of a hook. It is a push, but the push comes from bending the ankle of the 'stepping' foot and shifting your weight to the new foot. You shouldn't be doing a push like you did for consecutive edges. Make sure your transitions are perpendicular to the axis, b/c judges will mark you down if they're not (guess how I know this) and make sure that when you do the back crossover, not only should your 'outer' foot be on the inside edge, your 'inner' foot (the one you're doing the turns on) should shift to an outside edge. Same for the back perimeter stroking - if that foot stays on an inside edge, or a flat, you'll likely be marked down (again, guess how I know this :oops:).

Good luck on your test! (Where are you testing, btw? I didn't know there was a test session in DC this weekend.)

[Skittl1321]

What I don't recommend for the entry optional is doing something incredibly well, and then stumbling into the actual element. I've seen it happen... and it's not good.

Oh don't worry- I won't do it well :)
Right now my entry is 4 pushes and doing a CCW 3 turn out of the last push, which gets me backwards to do the back crossovers. What I'm hoping to do is 3 pushes and a CW 3-turn then a weight shift to get my momentum going the right way.

My last coach was a stickler that I could never turn against momentum. (Like out of a landing position, I would always turn the "wrong" way to get into my next element, instead of keeping the circle) but my new coach hasn't really said much. Right now I'm practicing it with the CW turn, just because she wants me getting into the move with speed, but I didn't know if it was acceptable to do that on the actual test, because it seems like that if you are doing a move that circles the rink CCW you should turn into it CCW. But if the entry steps are optional- can they really count it against me? And it would really relieve two huge nervous spots for me- since right now I can't even start the move half the time because I freak out. It seems stupid to fail a test over optional steps, if the other ones are okay, just not the norm.

[Debbie S]

Right now I'm practicing it with the CW turn, just because she wants me getting into the move with speed, but I didn't know if it was acceptable to do that on the actual test, because it seems like that if you are doing a move that circles the rink CCW you should turn into it CCW. The official pattern starts horizontally across from the red dot in the hockey circle. As long as you are doing a back crossover by that point, whatever you do before that doesn't matter (well, I think if you fall, that might count against you, but I'm not sure about that).

FWIW, what you are doing sounds really difficult to me (or are you a CW skater?). When I did that move, I did a few steps forward, then a RFI mohawk to get backward, then 1 back crossover before starting the pattern - so my mohawk was before the red dot axis line and then my first back crossover (which was not part of the move) was done on the quarter circle before I was (horizontally) across from the red dot. For the forward perimeter, I didn't do an extra crossover - I just stroked forward and went into the first pattern crossover as I started rounding that first hockey circle.

[Skittl1321]

FWIW, what you are doing sounds really difficult to me (or are you a CW skater?).


Yes- I am a CW skater. I've gotten very good at turning against my momentum and then getting back to where I should be with a weight transfer because otherwise I'd be trampled in synchro. Thankfully our team is low level enough that the coach doesn't care that I don't always turn the right way as long as I keep working on it. (When we are hooked up I can do the turns, so that's not an issue. It's just going fast!)

Once I get into a "groove" I can do the CCW turns, but there is just something about that first one that gets to me. On the power 3 turn pattern, if I get the first one, I can get the entire pattern, and even gain momentum, but I'm still working really hard on making sure I don't freak out about the first one, same thing with the mohawks (though the angle of the 5 step mohawk is a bit better, and I can go at it a bit slower).

It just seemed that so much of my nerves and issues with this test would be relieved if I can get rid of 2 of the turns that freak me out the most about this test, and aren't really even part of it- the turns on the other two backward crossover patterns. Obviously I can't get rid of it on the 3-turn pattern :). ) I suppose if I get picky judges and they don't like it and fail me, it's alright and I'll keep working- maybe I shouldn't be able to pass a bronze test if I'm not comfortable turning both ways equally, but right now I feel like I do the moves well and that it's the entries holding me back.

[momsk8er]

My coach makes me do the right FI mohawk, even though I'm a CW skater. He says it looks too weird if I do a left one. I've gotten used to it now, but it was really hard when I first started. I agree with you, though, that first mohawk is the worst. The rest of the on the 5-step are not as bad for some reason. I really don't have trouble with them. I had the same problem on that first right inside 3 on the Pre-bronze.

Testing at the Gardens, I hope. We are still working on getting one more judge.

[Debbie S]

Testing at the Gardens, I hope. We are still working on getting one more judge.Good luck! If that test session doesn't work out, there is one at Ice World (Harford County, MD) on July 7.

[kimberley801]

Awesome: I'm finally starting to get off my toepick on spins, and some of my spins were actually centered. Nice Salchows from a mohawk entry. The Salchow is now my favorite jump. :D

Awful: Toeloops. Many bad falls onto my right hip caused me to lose my jump by the end of an hour. I really do hope it comes back next time. Not sure why I'm falling either. The jump feels fine until I get to the landing, and then *BAM!* I hit the ice. :frus:Perhaps it was just a bad toeloop day.

[jskater49]

Awful
Since "entry steps are optional" will the judges will care if I start the back crossover patterns with a counter rotational turn[/I]?) My forward crossover pattern is feeling really good and has a nice rip sound.


I think I know exactly how you feel about those 3 turns because for a year I've been starting all backward Bronze Moves first with a counter rotational two foot turn, then a 3 turn from a standstill and now I have finall gotten up to a big powerful stroke and a 3 turn....and I'm going to tell you something you may not want to hear.

You probably are not ready to test those power 3s until you are at the point that you can do a 3 turn in at a fair amount of speed in your intro steps. And you NEED the power from a 3 turn at speed. Keep working on the power 3s and you will feel better about the 3 turns in your intro steps.

So no, the into steps don't count (although my coach warned me that if I don't do a standard 3 turn intro they will wonder why ...and be on the lookout for a weakness) but if you can do power 3s, you should be able to do a 3 turn in your intro...

The good news is if a wimpy 3 turn coward like me can get to that point - anybody can.

j

[Debbie S]

(although my coach warned me that if I don't do a standard 3 turn intro they will wonder why ...and be on the lookout for a weakness) In my area, everyone does an FI mohawk to get from forward to backward in their intro steps (well, unless the move starts forward and then it's just stroking into it). I guess it depends on what goes in your part of the country. I would recommend watching some Bronze tests, if you can (or if there are none, then watch the Prelim and Pre-Juv tests). That way, you'll get an idea of what judges expect in both intro steps and the actual move.

[doubletoe]

Moves test is more iffy. Power 3s - I think I did them better when I first started working on them. Maybe I'm just more critical now. Having a lot of trouble stepping onto a clean inside edge. Have to do a pretty wide step, which sometimes gets me off balance. My daughter failed her prelim test for stepping on an outside edge and then switching. Are they sticklers for this on the adult test too?

It sounds like you might be trying to step onto the inside edge before completing the full arc of the preceding edge. You need to let each edge curve until you are certain you have *passed* that imaginary center line and are drawing a C on the ice, not a (. If you are doing it correctly, when you finish each edge and step down onto the new inside edge, you aren't on a diagonal, you're actually traveling across the width of the rink. That lines you up so that your feet are closer together and in a nice T position when you step down, giving you better leverage and power and putting you a true inside edge.

[jazzpants]

Everyone in my area does a FI mohawk to the back crossovers pattern. And yeah, it's scary, but I figured that I may have to do it in the future when I do choreography anyway. Step wide after the FI mohawk to get that strong underpush! That should help you get more push on the "under" part of the back crossover.

Awful:
Yup! We're back to the task of fixing my toe-waltz problem again. I could (pretty consistently too) do a REAL toe loop at slower speeds but toe loop at faster speeds are still a problem.

Loop jump needs a bit more work at much faster speeds, though I can still land them clean, the landings are a bit shaky and funky... 8O

During my choreography session we tried out the back power 3's... at slower speeds, it's fine. At faster speed... it's WAAAAAY funky looking and out of control!!! 8O We agreed not to put it in leading to a loop jump but may put it in at a later point as choreography footwork. Needless to say, I still want to eventually put this in... so I'll keep working on it. :mrgreen:

Awesome:
Secondary coach commented that she is seeing a nice "lift" and just a tad more height on my jumps that she doesn't normally see in my jumps today and she is THRILLED to pieces b/c of that!!! :mrgreen: (And she definitely credits my figure skating personal trainer for that, as do I... so thank you to her!!! :bow: )

Finally got my interp program music cut, thanks for secondary coach!!! As usually, she did a fine job!!! :bow: And just in time for my choreographer and I to continue on right after her lesson. Lots to remember!!! And I mean LOTS!!! Thankfully, he's patient with me and I am getting the questions I want answered (like at which point of the music do I do this particular movement? Where should I have my feet?)

Short of the costume questions and trying to stay slim for the costume, I am very confident about this program!!! Very tickled about it actually!!! :mrgreen:

[jskater49]

In my area, everyone does an FI mohawk to get from forward to backward in their intro steps (well, unless the move starts forward and then it's just stroking into it). I guess it depends on what goes in your part of the country. I would recommend watching some Bronze tests, if you can (or if there are none, then watch the Prelim and Pre-Juv tests). That way, you'll get an idea of what judges expect in both intro steps and the actual move.

Oh I didn't mean doing a mohawk...I meant doing something really out of the ordinary - like turning the opposite way (like I wanted to do) or a two foot turn (like I wanted to do)...

I'm sure if you do everything else well it doesn't matter...I think my coach just told me that to get me to work on doing a normal 3 turn entry. I'm still not comfortable enough with mohawks to that for my intro...

j

[Kim to the Max]

[Awesome]
Skated this morning and this afternoon...woo hoo for vacation days!!

Last night was good...jumps were good including my axels and double sals...

This morning I focused on jumps and spins and this afternoon I focused on moves...

Spins were okay....

Moves are getting better...

[Plain Awful]
Axels and double sals were not happening this morning...they were okay, just not the best...

Laybacks are not as centered and as far back as I would like....my back camels were also sucking it up...

[dbny]

Awesome:
I am most definitely a CW skater! CW one foot spin was so on today that I had to do a CCW one just to see if spinning in general was better, and found that it's CW that's helping me. Did a few little hopped CW waltz jumps and then did RFO three and hopped thru a salchow - which I have never done CCW. Did two more CW one foot spins from T push, but still need more work to feel confident on them. I just find that spin spot sooo easily when going CW.

Worked a bit on Pre-Bronze three turn pattern, which felt pretty good. Did a nice run thru of 5 step mohawk with extension on the mohawks. Allowed myself to do the CCW choctaw in the power threes any which way I could, and actually did move down the ice faster than a snail. I'm starting to be able to do the initial LFO three in that pattern with more speed. I think it's figures that is helping, and DH agreed, saying that to do a 3 with more speed, you need to be able to do it on a larger circle, which seems correct when I think about it. Also did just once across the blue line with LFI/RBO threes. Now have to make myself work on the LBO's too. Just for fun, I did a very, very slow and halting Paso Doble and found that I can get all the edges. The thing that really stops me is that RFO swing into the RFI mohawk. The swing was optional in roller, and I never did it. I practiced just the swing/mohawk along the wall and then was able to do just one, and very shaky away from the wall. I will not pretend that I "danced", but it was fun.

All in all, I'm just feeling very comfortable on the ice these days, and much less afraid of everything that used to scare me.

[Skittl1321]

I am most definitely a CW skater!
<snip>
All in all, I'm just feeling very comfortable on the ice these days, and much less afraid of everything that used to scare me.

Great job finding your true direction and getting over fear. Since you started CCW, I'd try to keep practicing that way- it comes in handy. (Especially since I think you teach. I had to learn to do a competent 2 foot spin CCW for synchro and for classes!)

[RachelSk8er]

Awesome: My session today! Some good spins, jumps are good, got the 30 new seconds of my program laid out (moved up to silver, and just doing a lengthened version of my bronze program).

I just started working on back camels at the end of May, and today I was able to do a back camel-forward camel-catch foot combo. Might put it in my program at GRO in a few weeks, we'll see how it goes between now and then.

Awful: Sit spins have become my new nemesis. I think because I pulled my quads in my softball game on Monday.

[flying~camel]

Awesome:

Saturday - Silver moves run through! All of my patterns were clean, except 1 and that's only because someone got in my way.

Wednesday - Outside-inside & inside-outside 3s in the field run thoughs. I didn't go through the rest of the moves because there were too many young lower level kids not watching where they were going.

My Silver moves test is next week! 8O

Awful:

Saturday & Wednesday - camel spins. Why oh why can't I get this spin consistent?! I can do a flying catch camel with no problem, but a simple forward camel is like rocket science! Argh! :frus:

[jazzpants]

Awesome:
I am most definitely a CW skater! CW one foot spin was so on today that I had to do a CCW one just to see if spinning in general was better, and found that it's CW that's helping me. Did a few little hopped CW waltz jumps and then did RFO three and hopped thru a salchow - which I have never done CCW. Did two more CW one foot spins from T push, but still need more work to feel confident on them. I just find that spin spot sooo easily when going CW.Welcome to the DARK DIRECTION!!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: My coaches couldn't understand why I skate CW when my "natural direction" seems to be CCW... of course, I still wouldn't switch, even though they have threatened to make me switch on more than a few occasions. :roll:

All in all, I'm just feeling very comfortable on the ice these days, and much less afraid of everything that used to scare me.Glad to see that you're becoming more confident on the ice. Can't wait to see how you look when I come and visit in a few months. (We have to eat at that culinary school restaurant thing that you mentioned about!!! :twisted: :yum: )

[Thin-Ice]

Oh don't worry- I won't do it well :)
Right now my entry is 4 pushes and doing a CCW 3 turn out of the last push, which gets me backwards to do the back crossovers. What I'm hoping to do is 3 pushes and a CW 3-turn then a weight shift to get my momentum going the right way.

My last coach was a stickler that I could never turn against momentum. (Like out of a landing position, I would always turn the "wrong" way to get into my next element, instead of keeping the circle) but my new coach hasn't really said much. Right now I'm practicing it with the CW turn, just because she wants me getting into the move with speed, but I didn't know if it was acceptable to do that on the actual test, because it seems like that if you are doing a move that circles the rink CCW you should turn into it CCW. But if the entry steps are optional- can they really count it against me? And it would really relieve two huge nervous spots for me- since right now I can't even start the move half the time because I freak out. It seems stupid to fail a test over optional steps, if the other ones are okay, just not the norm.

If you can make it a smooth transition into the element, I wouldn't worry about it. I don't know of any judges who would "count that against" you. They might notice that it's a different way of doing it.. but here at least, they'd be counting the number of steps, and then judging the element, not the entry patterns. If you know any judges, ask them what is local policy where you test... or ask your test chair if s/he can give you the names of a couple of your more experienced test judges and just call or email them. Their names and emails and phone numbers are in the directory you get with your rulebook every year. That's a pretty easy question for them to answer over the phone or by email. Good luck!

[RachelSk8er]

[/B]Saturday & Wednesday - camel spins. Why oh why can't I get this spin consistent?! I can do a flying catch camel with no problem, but a simple forward camel is like rocket science! Argh! :frus:


Welcome to the club. Mine are so inconsistent. Some days they're really good-7 revolutions with good speed. Other days I can't even do them.

I hate spinning.

[looplover]

Awesome: FUN lesson today - worked on axels on the harness! Just for fun...I got on the harness in the first place for flips. Did two textbook flips on the harness, still battled them off, so it's just mental and that's helpful. I don't think I actually did an axel on the harness but one of the coaches thought I may have, so awesome experience indeed! I am dying to try more. I think if I'd had 15 more minutes on that harness I would have had a good axel on it today, but it was the end of the lesson. I'm much more confident with edge jumps than toe jumps so it wouldn't surprise me a bit if I get the axel before the lutz. Also actual toe loops were better today, I think I'm getting the hang of the real ones. They're tiny for now though.

Awful: My sit spin...lack of practice. My flips outside of the harness but really they were better than they have been. Still, there's no reason for this continuing issue - my mind won't allow that left leg to go up. So odd, I will just roll my eyes at myself :roll: Couldn't do a lutz on the harness!

[momsk8er]

Awesome: Coach says I'm checking my 3-turn too much on the exit, and if I relax the check I'll be able to more easily step on the back inside edge for the power 3s. yeah! seems to work.

Awful: Ice was really bad last night. Also worrying about whether my skates are sharp enough. Hate that feeling two days before a test.

[singerskates]

Awful: Ice was really bad last night. Also worrying about whether my skates are sharp enough. Hate that feeling two days before a test.

Don't have your skates sharpened right before your test. Have your coach stone them on the day of your test so that you grab the ice nicely but not too much. It's too late to sharpen your skates right before a test with only a few days to get use to the sharpening.

[je]

Awesome: Took my Ten-Fox test last night and was very pleased with how I skated.

Awful: Got a retry (my first ever). I really don't mind, though, both because I felt like I did my best, and because I knew there was still room for improvement. The judges agreed with me on the latter. ;)

Awesome: One test paper had nice comments on my edges, flow, and soft knees.

Awful: One paper said that I two-footed my 3-turns. Not sure what that judge saw, but I know I didn't do that.

A question for dancers: I've looked in the rule book, but couldn't find the answer to this question. Am I right in thinking that you must take all dances at one level to complete that level? I've been testing standard, even though I qualify for masters. I do plan to finish Bronze standard, but theoretically, could I pass the Ten-Fox (my last bronze dance) in the adult track and then get credited with passing the whole level as adult, or would I need to redo the Hickory and Willow at the adult level? Thanks.

Johanna

[jenlyon60]

I took Foxtrot and 14Step standard track, took European Waltz adult track (many years apart). I believe I was credited with Adult Pre-Silver overall.

If I had waited 2 more months to test the EW that last time, I wouldn't have needed to solo (which was then the only difference between Standard and Adult), and could have had the entire level as standard track.

[RachelSk8er]

A question for dancers: I've looked in the rule book, but couldn't find the answer to this question. Am I right in thinking that you must take all dances at one level to complete that level? I've been testing standard, even though I qualify for masters. I do plan to finish Bronze standard, but theoretically, could I pass the Ten-Fox (my last bronze dance) in the adult track and then get credited with passing the whole level as adult, or would I need to redo the Hickory and Willow at the adult level? Thanks.

Johanna


You must complete all dances at a level to complete it, but they can be done in any order.

You can switch at any time, I'm pretty sure even mid-level, but once you switch, everything you test from that point on has to be adult (unless you want to go back and re-test). If you switch mid-level, you'll get the "adult" test for that level.

My suggestion? Stick with standard as long as you possibly can, especially if this is only your first retry. If you can keep getting them on the first, second, or even 3rd try as standard, I think you're better off because it'll make you a better skater in the long run. The thought of not having to solo on silvers and up is nice, but having to do so makes you better.



__________________________________________
More Awesome: Saw this dress I've wanted to buy online for a while now in my local skate shop (in a different size) and it's even more awesome in person than in pictures. And best of all, all the dress is totally lined on the inside, including the nude mesh parts, so no need for strange bras. (Stormy, remember that brown one?)

Except now I feel that I NEED to have it, and NEED to have it for my competition in a week and a half, even though it doesn't go with my current program (it does go with my 2009-2010 music I have picked out already) and I bought 2 new dresses last year. But it would be nice if I did compulsory or something like that at Buckeye. Except I don't have an extra $143 sitting around. Hmm...next paycheck perhaps??

Watch me have super impulse buy and have them order it for me tonight when I go to pick up my skates from being sharpened. LOL.

[momsk8er]

awful - did one of those toepick things and fell splat! on my stomach. made a very loud sound. knocked the wind out of myself and bruised a rib. but I think I'll live.

awful - I'd sharpen my skates even a couple of days before a test, as I like skating in sharp skates. that is if I had a place where I could get them sharpened and still have time to go to work today. grrrrrh.

awesome - overall my session wasn't too bad. after two run throughs of both test I'm pretty tired, though, which shows how much I need to step up the pace in my normal sessions.

[Debbie S]

I'd sharpen my skates even a couple of days before a test, as I like skating in sharp skates. that is if I had a place where I could get them sharpened and still have time to go to work today. grrrrrh.
If you have time to go after work, you can go to Chuck at Piney Orchard (Bowie is closed for the summer). I think they're open until 8. I went there after work yesterday. Although, to be honest, I wouldn't recommend doing anything to your blades this close to a test.

Ouch about your fall. I hope you're OK.

[jazzpants]

Awesome:

Okay, so I've made peace this week with my primary coach!!! Of course, he wouldn't admit that he was in a bad mood last week, but something tells me that he knows he wasn't nice last week. ;)

Okay, so I also managed to get those exercises last week that he had me do this week before. He seemed MUCH MUCH happier with them.

He also seemed happy with my FI3-BO3 on the line. (Of course, wait 'til he tries to get me to do it on pattern... :twisted: )

Awful:
Cannot pull in all the way on my scratch spin. I just have a horrible time trying to do this. :frus:

Primary coach asks if he could switch me to Monday nights at our other Club Ice Rink. I told him "NO WAY!!! I hate that rink!!!" He said "It's just a question I'm asking. Nothing more." (Well, he knows how I feel about it now.) :)

[je]

Thanks, Jen and Rachel. I am planning on at least finishing the Bronze dances on the standard track. My coach thinks I should move to adult at Pre-silver. I do want to be the best skater I can be, but considering that I only started taking skating lessons at age 46 (I'm 53 now), I think I'll have sufficient challenge just passing the adult level. I'll leave masters for when I really need it.

Johanna

[Stormy]

More Awesome: Saw this dress I've wanted to buy online for a while now in my local skate shop (in a different size) and it's even more awesome in person than in pictures. And best of all, all the dress is totally lined on the inside, including the nude mesh parts, so no need for strange bras. (Stormy, remember that brown one?)

Except now I feel that I NEED to have it, and NEED to have it for my competition in a week and a half, even though it doesn't go with my current program (it does go with my 2009-2010 music I have picked out already) and I bought 2 new dresses last year. But it would be nice if I did compulsory or something like that at Buckeye. Except I don't have an extra $143 sitting around. Hmm...next paycheck perhaps??

Watch me have super impulse buy and have them order it for me tonight when I go to pick up my skates from being sharpened. LOL.


YES. DO IT. Impluse buy it!! I encourage that sort of behavior! :)

[jazzpants]

Rachel: I bought a dress ON IMPULSE at Adults National this year... and it was over $250. However, it was custom made for me... and the few times I've tried it on at the booth and looked at it in the mirror, I've had TONS of passerbys telling me that it looked great on me and to get it. Unfortunately I will have to wait 'til I change my technical program to use this dress. (I figured that since the dress was intended to be for a more classical piece that I'm more likely to aim for a classical program in technical than in interp. :P )

Let's hope though that I will retain my nice slim figure by then though... :P

[Terri C]

Awesome:
Am getting the gist of the secret combo spin that Primary Coach started me on. Also started working on sit change sit combination. Jumps are higher.

Awful:
We had a parent meeting tonight to discuss concerns regarding the contract ice that is basically being shoved down our throats starting in July. We have all agreed that no one will prepay or sign the contract in it's present form.
Our club president, secretary and Primary Coach will have a meeting with the skating director next week to discuss the concerns (cost of ice, reliability of the rink schedule, lack of quality ice, etc). If there is no resolve, we will not be there in July and therefore no lessons for me.
Why do I have to start my first season as a AN bound Bronze lady this way ??!!:evil::(

[dbny]

Rachel: I bought a dress ON IMPULSE at Adults National this year... and it was over $250.
<snip>
Let's hope though that I will retain my nice slim figure by then though... :P

8O 8O 8O That better be some spectacular dress! When do we get a pic of you in it?

Of course you'll retain that beautiful slim figure! I don't know anyone who works so hard at fitness as you do.

Awesome:
Today I decided that it was time to do some of the Prelim moves that I've been neglecting because I have no problem with them. I was a little worried that maybe my skills had decayed in the absence of practice on the specific moves - but:

I breezed through the F and B crossover patterns, even the final step forward from the B crossovers, which has always freaked me out a bit, and even the LBO transition from the CW circle to the CCW circle.
BXO's to BO edges were similarly rock solid. I attribute it to figures practice.

I've started skating the Prelim spiral pattern with extension, but no spirals. It's good practice while I work on stretching enough for the spirals.

Worked on some entry steps for the Adult Pre Bronze three turn pattern. I'd like to start with the LFI three, since BXO's around the end will lead naturally to the RFI threes. So far the one I like the best is the simplest - three forward strokes, CCW FXO with deep RFI edge, step to LFI. Anyone have suggestions for other entries?

I'm now doing an entire circuit of the two foot turns while looking in the glass. I do both directions before I start three turn practice. I love this exercise because it's so easy to know when it's done right or what mistakes I'm making when it's wrong. When it's right, I just keep moving smoothly onward with a soothing rhythm and no scrapes.

I'm still getting more good CW one foot spins than I do CCW's.

Awful:
Still having trouble getting to the back of the blade on LBO threes! Managed several near the wall today, but not doing them on the line with the RFI threes. I think this is another mental thing, and maybe I should just do lots of two footed turns to cement the feeling in my mind.

[Skittl1321]

Rachel: I bought a dress ON IMPULSE at Adults National this year... and it was over $250.

Sounds like a better deal than the $50 long sleeve t-shirt they were selling at synchro nationals.

So where are the pictures? (Even if you aren't in them...)

[Skittl1321]

Worked on some entry steps for the Adult Pre Bronze three turn pattern. I'd like to start with the LFI three, since BXO's around the end will lead naturally to the RFI threes. So far the one I like the best is the simplest - three forward strokes, CCW FXO with deep RFI edge, step to LFI. Anyone have suggestions for other entries?



Now, if you're a better skater than I was when I took PB (and I think you are) I don't necessarily recommend this, but for comparision,
For the PB three turn pattern I used the following entry: 2 pushes (from the hockey goal- because I would be going to fast if I started at the hockey dot), 2 foot glide, pick up foot to get onto edge to start pattern. (I did CCW first, whichever foot that was.) I watched the video to see what my end pattern was and it was: step forward, 2 pushes (not really even stroking, quicker than my entrance, but still pretty slow) and then a 2 foot glide to get looped around to start on the other foot.

Maybe judges expect different in your area- but what you're planning sounds pretty complicated for PB.


Of course, having just now watched on youtube to see what I did, I can't believe I skated that poorly last year!

[ibreakhearts66]

Awesome
Change-edge back camels are getting more consistent. I still wouldn't want to put one in a program or anything, but it's definitely getting close.

Laybacks felt good. I didn't have a camera, so I can't be sure, but I think they were nice.

Had a couple of decent 2axel attempts

Awful
I still pull out of the 2axel too early! It's so annoying--I have the height and rotation speed to land it, I just chicken out.

[jazzpants]

Sounds like a better deal than the $50 long sleeve t-shirt they were selling at synchro nationals.

So where are the pictures? (Even if you aren't in them...)I wish there were pictures of the dress, but I didnt find any on their website with that particular stoning at all. If anything, if they did show anything of their stoning works, I would have paid more attention to them actually. :) (The company is Frieda B, BTW.)

It's dance length (well sorta... it's still short enough for me to do jumps), purple color with some stone pattern shaped to look like little flowers. There is mesh sleeves with wedding finger rings and the hands also has that same flower stone pattern as well. Really nice and flowy!!! And believe me, it's a bargain considering that it's custom for my shape and torso. (The waist had to be raised so that I look like I have longer legs, per Thin-Ice's suggestion when she saw me trying on a model version of it.)

Long sleeve t-shirts for $20???? Pfffft!!!! You're better off buying some cheap rhinestones and stoning your own pattern on a cheap long sleeve t-shirt from Old Navy!!! :roll: :P

Given that, a skating friend and I bought a $30 t-shirt with stoning spelling out the word "Breathe" to give to my figure skating trainer for her b-day!!! Which almost always happens to be the same week as AN. It was VERY appropriate for her, both as a skater and as a personal trainer!!! :lol: )

Of course you'll retain that beautiful slim figure! I don't know anyone who works so hard at fitness as you do.NoVa holds the record for going to the gym. He's at 4 hours at the gym each session. And I think at least 3 times a week? Trust me! I'm lazy compared to him!!! :lol: (And has the strength and the flexibility to show for it too! :bow: )

[TiggerTooSkates]

...but I think it's cool nonetheless...

AWFUL: no public ice this week at my rink because of hockey camp. Ick. :mrgreen: AND I've had to work nights this week (I'm an RN), so I couldn't even do some freestyle time.

AWESOME: I have an amazing pair of new skates that I got for pennies of their original value, thanks to some savvy eBaying (brand new Gold Stars for $220 from a sporting goods store in MA - because they're an older model) and some lucky craigslisting (worn out custom SP Teris with Gold Seal blades with TONS of life on them - about a year and a half's worth, according to my sharpener - for - get this - fifty bucks; I tossed the boots and salivated over my blades)...

Yep, I know it's a lot of blade, and I'm sure there are those here who will say it was an unwise purchase, but if I'm going to be frustrated I'd rather be frustrated over fifty bucks than three hundred and fifty (which was the cost of the blades I was originally considering). And after reading some posts on here from Casey, who apparently started on Gold Seals (I think I'm remembering correctly), I'm encouraged because I know it can be done. My coach has told me I'm a strong skater, and I know I'm doing well, so while I'm expecting the adjustment period I know I'll survive it.

So I have about nine hundred bucks worth of skates for three hundred - which includes mounting and sharpening. He even touched up my Sno-seal job and didn't charge me for it.

I'm pleased. And I can't wait to try them out - regardless of how hard a time I have at first.

[Kim to the Max]

[Awesome]
Holy cow, I finally did some axels with my legs crossed!!! I am still trying to check out too soon, but holy crap! I did the first one tonight and Coach saw it and while another skater was clapping (it was a joyous moment), Coach said, "you have this much [showing about 2 feet or so with her hands] air left, stay pulled in!" hehehe...

In my lesson we worked on axels and double sals...both are getting better...I need to work on crossing my legs in my double sal as those are completely rotated with a crap load of air, but, with the way my legs are, there is no way I could ever land it...and my arms are a complete mess...with the axels...she was jumping like a 2 year old again who is in the middle of a tantrum because she was so excited....and she said that they are RIGHT THERE, so much closer than they were even a few weeks ago...

We also worked on moves...Coach was in a chase and push and work mood (which I don't mind at all...but she did acknowledge that I am often not the person who needs that)...so we did all of the novice patterns minus the bracket-3-bracket and the inside counters (and the left outside)...

I wish she had the time and I had the $$ for more lessons...but, at least I am making progress...that is what hard work and just plain time will do!

Oh...I was doing a flip and Coach was on that side of the rink and she didn't see the jump, but heard it and saw the landing and asked if I had just done a double...I, ,of course said, "HELL NO," she said, "well pull in and try," to which I replied, "Do you want me to kill myself?!?"...but the cool part is that she even mentioned that...maybe there is hope!! And maybe when she is not on the ice (probably when the students come back and I skate on the ice with a student I am friends with), I will actually try one...I get a ton of height on my single and just kinda' hang out in the air, so if I can get the timing down and actually pull in, I should be able to do it no problem...

[Plain Awful]
My spins have fallen apart...my sit spins are no where near centered and neither are my laybacks :( I really would like them to come back...I don't know where they have gone...did someone steal them??? Did the gnomes grab them? Please, where ever you are, come home, I miss you....

[kander]

Awful: The last two sessions were rather mediocre. The toeloop is still wildly inconsistent. I've been taking more falls than I'd like. Spins are hit or miss. I think I regressed on the loop in the last session.

Awsome: I set a new personal record skating tuesday night. I managed to burn 925 calories in 1 hour. Normally I wouldn't have thought that possible, but I guess working on axels for an hour will do it. My average heart rate over two hours was 159 bpm 8O The axel was pretty good tonight. Big and good distance.

[jazzpants]

My average heart rate over two hours was 159 bpm 8O WOW!!! That's pretty high heart rate... like over 90% for your age group. You SURE that's what your trainer wants for you? (For me, my max should be about 161bpm. That's about 90% for my age group and I'm about 5 years younger than you! 8O)

[Thin-Ice]

Awesome: (snip)
He also seemed happy with my FI3-BO3 on the line. (Of course, wait 'til he tries to get me to do it on pattern... :twisted: )

Hey, "the pattern" is just a longer (and imaginary) version of the line. I'm sure you can fake a line... when I practice those... sometimes my line is diagonal.. but it's still a line! You'll be fine on these -- TRUST me!

[Thin-Ice]

I wish there were pictures of the dress, but I didnt find any on their website with that particular stoning at all. If anything, if they did show anything of their stoning works, I would have paid more attention to them actually. :) (The company is Frieda B, BTW.)

It's dance length (well sorta... it's still short enough for me to do jumps), purple color with some stone pattern shaped to look like little flowers. There is mesh sleeves with wedding finger rings and the hands also has that same flower stone pattern as well. Really nice and flowy!!! And believe me, it's a bargain considering that it's custom for my shape and torso. (The waist had to be raised so that I look like I have longer legs, per Thin-Ice's suggestion when she saw me trying on a model version of it.)

This dress is GORGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL and ELEGANT! With the custom recut, she's going to look like she belongs competing with the kids just standing around. And it's the PERFECT color of purple for her... and the stonework was to-die-for. I can hardly wait to see her in the one that was actually made for her.. and to hear what music is finally chosen to suit this dress. And to quote the MasterCard commercial.. the look on her face when she was trying on the sample: PRICELESS... so it's a REAL bargain!

[Mrs Redboots]

I very nearly succumbed to a beautiful summer dress in a cheap clothes shop yesterday that would have looked lovely over my flesh-coloured leotard for compulsory dances. But nearly isn't quite.....

Awesome: Dutch Waltz not bad; don't know about Riverside Rhumba - we did it, but whether we did it well or not requires an outside observer to tell!

Awful: Rechoreographing part of the free dance a week before we compete it again.... still, it's done now!

[Stormy]

NoVa holds the record for going to the gym. He's at 4 hours at the gym each session. And I think at least 3 times a week? Trust me! I'm lazy compared to him!!! :lol: (And has the strength and the flexibility to show for it too! :bow: )


Ok....wow! :bow: Now I feel lazy!

And I also can't wait to see this dress! Freida B is great. Her shop is about 10 minutes away from me.

[Debbie S]

If there is no resolve, we will not be there in July and therefore no lessons for me.Your coaches can't teach at any other rink in your area? It sounds bad - I hope the situation gets resolved. When my coach broke her toe last September, I didn't have lessons for a few weeks. I could have had lessons with another coach, but my skating schedule wasn't real predictable around that time (Jewish holidays and other things going on) so I ended up just not having lessons. It wasn't that bad, and I saved money.

Awesome: I'm now able to skate 3 times a week, b/c a rink near my house added a Thurs evening FS session. Went last night and it wasn't that crowded, so it looks like I'll be able to get some good moves practice in - last night, though, was all about 'breaking in' my skate sharpening. But by the end of the session, I was able to stop normally. And I could do power pulls, too. :)

[Terri C]

Your coaches can't teach at any other rink in your area? It sounds bad - I hope the situation gets resolved.

The one rink near my house is currently closed for renovations and will re- open in August with a regulation sized surface. They from what I've heard has a open door policy.
The other rink across the bay that has great ice and really supports the skaters has a closed door policy on coaches. I spoke with the skating director this morning and she told me that they will be capping the freestyles at 24 skaters for safety reasons and I can understand that.

Needless to say, my skating has been all half hearted this week.

[RachelSk8er]

I wish there were pictures of the dress, but I didnt find any on their website with that particular stoning at all. If anything, if they did show anything of their stoning works, I would have paid more attention to them actually. :) (The company is Frieda B, BTW.)

It's dance length (well sorta... it's still short enough for me to do jumps), purple color with some stone pattern shaped to look like little flowers. There is mesh sleeves with wedding finger rings and the hands also has that same flower stone pattern as well. Really nice and flowy!!! And believe me, it's a bargain considering that it's custom for my shape and torso. (The waist had to be raised so that I look like I have longer legs, per Thin-Ice's suggestion when she saw me trying on a model version of it.)



Ooo I think I saw you trying this one on at ANs. It's really cute.

I bought a dress from them last year, and was VERY impressed with the customer service. I ordered it at Synchro Nationals at the end of February (tried on sort of the same dress at the competition but in a different color). They had it to me in plenty of time for ANs, but when it came, it was TOO BIG (not sure how that happened, the one I tried on was the same size and fit perfectly). It was basically way too long in the torso. I sent it back, they took the dress apart and fixed it so it fit perfectly, and still had it back in time for me to stone and wear at ANs (wore it for my interp since it's more of a dance dress). I also walked around in it for probably half the day before I competed because I like it so much...and my wonderful competition roommate Stormy witnessed me randomly putting it on one day earlier in the week and running/dancing around our hotel room in it because I felt like it.



So...skated this AM. The report:

AWESOME: My lesson :) First lesson in about a month since my coach was on vacation and we didn't have ice for 3 weeks. I warmed up all the jumps in my program, and skated back to him, and the fist thing out of his mouth was "what the heck have you been doing!? You're jumping much better." And truthfully the two lutzes I did (solo and combo) weren't even my best, nor was the loop loop! Did an ok run-thru other than not being able to do 2 of my jumps due to people being in my way. Then we just worked through some transitions to shape those up. Program is pretty basic for now, but we'll make the in-between stuff (my strength) harder after GRO and work on putting in an axel somewhere.

I was also able to get on the session for high-tested skaters! You're supposed to have at least intermediate free and be training for regionals. My coach is the director of the summer program, so he said I can skate on that session since I'm at the same level as a lot of these skaters in MIF/dance, and in terms of size, power, etc, I'm better off with that group than on the general sessions (packed with young skaters). That made it much, much, much more productive for me. It's also great being out there because even though I'm working on singles and kids around me are working on doubles and triples, I always feel very respected by them, the parents, and other coaches. I never get that "what are you doing, you're not going anywhere" kind of attitude.

AWFUL: Back camels today. Oh well. And camel-catch foot...I'm getting more flexibility so I'm having a harder time finding my foot to grab the blade!

[NoVa Sk8r]

NoVa holds the record for going to the gym. He's at 4 hours at the gym each session. And I think at least 3 times a week? Trust me! I'm lazy compared to him!!! :lol: (And has the strength and the flexibility to show for it too! :bow: )What? That's what I used to do when I was in grad school and was, in a sense, hysterical (would rather go to the gym than concentrate on my dissertation). I do far less than that, but I do go to the gym (it's on the way home from the rink :P) about 5 times per week, but that's mainly for cardio and stretching. My body requires mucho stretching!!!

[FlyAndCrash]

Awesome: I had a moves lesson with my coach today w/ another skater. We worked on double3's. It was interesting... I made it down the ice on both inside and outsides, not very well, but I made it without touching down or any major errors.

Awesome: I did a runthru of my program and it went very well. My coach appearantly forgot to put in the extra 7 sec. at the beginning though, so I had to ask someone to start my music for me. I felt a little bad because she was with a student. :oops:

Awful: I need to fix my stupid knee on my axel. I landed a few and a few of the seq. ones of axel-1/2loop-flip, but the jump is not as consistent or confident as I would like it to be.

Awful: My double sal is a pain. I can do it, I just can't land it clean consistently. I think I'm overthinking it because the one I did perfectly, I just did it.

Awesome: I got my test form. And my coach is going to request a later testing time for me! So, I get to skate the morning before my test, and I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to go take my prejuv free. :D

[Morgail]

Awesome:

-Started working on actual axels ( :o ) and flying camels! Flying camels are fun. I can't wait until I can do a good, fast one.

-all jumps were good today

-slide chasse pattern was good, and brackets weren't too bad

-camels were hit and miss.

Awful:

-cha cha. I couldn't seem to keep up with the music this morning.

-double 3s have seen better days.

-I aborted half of the power circles I tried because of tiny children.

[Kim to the Max]

I aborted half of the power circles I tried because of tiny children.

I hated having to do that with my intermediate moves... :( I always felt like I was going to kill someone or at least run them over with as much power as I got. I'm not looking forward to having to do those again for Junior!

[Kim to the Max]

[Awesome]
I worked on moves and spins today and didn't do too much jumping after doing so many yesterday...

Moves are coming along and spins weren't horrible...

[Plain Awful]
Didn't feel like jumping, so the very few I did were very lifeless and weren't even worth doing...I need to remember though that I skated really hard on Thursday, so I need that day or so to recover...we'll see what happens on Sunday!!

[ibreakhearts66]

I had an MRI with contrast of my knee today, and that was no fun. I didn't think I would be able to skate. I had my joint injected with 60CCs of fluid, so it looked like a swollen mess. However, the doc who injected my knee said it would be fine to play sports, and fine it was!

Awesome
I had a lesson! I rarely have lessons, so that was awesome by itself.
We worked on 2lutzes. I can do them! I haven't worked on them in a lesson in probably 4 years--since before I quit. I didn't actually land any, because I was so surprised to be standing up nicely that I promptly sat down, but I had them landed for a couple of feet before sitting.

2flips remained consistent

I can do a split-jump double toe sequence too! I didn't think I could, until I tried. They actually worked very nicely--I definitely suggest using that to work on 2toe

Just Plain Awful
2axels :frus::frus::frus::frus::frus:
I haven't even been working on them that long, but I feel like I'll NEVER be able to do one. They say that 2axels make or break a skater--It's gonna break me.

[kander]

WOW!!! That's pretty high heart rate... like over 90% for your age group. You SURE that's what your trainer wants for you? (For me, my max should be about 161bpm. That's about 90% for my age group and I'm about 5 years younger than you! 8O)

My max is usually a little over 170. The 159 average was also a record so it's never happened before. Typically my 2 hour skating average is somewhere around 145-150. At the gym I typically average around 120-130. My record high happend when I first started at the gym. I think I got it over 180 a couple of times 8O

I think my skating average is a combination of my size and the amount of effort I put into it. It takes energy to hurl 170 pounds into the air! I always look like I've just gotten out of a pool when I'm done.

[katz in boots]

Awful
Had a really lousy skate on wednesday night, couldn't do a thing right. Somehow hurt my right (landing) knee, and it wasn't better today (Saturday).
Hurt like heck every time I tried to do anything which required full weight on a bended knee on that leg. Severely limited what I could do today.

Awesome
I really enjoyed my session this morning, even though limited by my knee. Got some reasonable spins in, and one amazingly well-centred scratch. The tracing was possibly the best I've done in my almost 3 years since returning to skating after a 20 yr absence. That's something to feel good about.

Started learning ice dance today. I've done some Aussie Skate badge tests in different types of chasses before, now I'm going to learn the Dutch Waltz.
So funny, all dances have to be severely modified to fit on our 1/4 size rink, and even then it's gonna be fun squeezing it in.

And I really enjoyed the social side this morning. The Saturday morning public session is when skaters even older than me come, plus some younger figure skaters. Then skate school is on, and I get to chat with the kids and their mums, and it's really nice.

[Bunny Hop]

Awful
Started learning ice dance today. I've done some Aussie Skate badge tests in different types of chasses before, now I'm going to learn the Dutch Waltz.
So funny, all dances have to be severely modified to fit on our 1/4 size rink, and even then it's gonna be fun squeezing it in.
I was about to wish you good luck in fitting the Dutch Waltz into your rink. When we were there a couple of years back we had to bail out of it before doing the end of the pattern, and that was when we hadn't long been learning dance (so tiny swing rolls etc). I can understand why you need a modified version! I don't think we even managed the Canasta Tango, and that typically doesn't take the whole rink.

[Stormy]

Awesome: I am getting much more used to my Phantom blades. I had about 10 minutes between group lessons today so I did more spins on them. These blades are going to SAVE me. I adore them. Spins just hit and stick right dead on centered. Flying camels are much better with speed. The only thing I'm having a bit of a problem with is back camels, since I feel the pick slipping out as I push into it with my left foot. I love these blades. I can't believe how bad my Ultimas were compared to these. I thought I'd be struggling with them a lot longer since the rocker and the blade length is so different, but I can already jump and spin great in them. :bow: Phantoms!!

At the end of the adult group class I teach, we were talking about figures and how we'd like to do them, and I said I've never learned them and I'd love to. One of the other teachers showed us how to do a basic one and we're thinking of doing all figures at the next session of group classes, since a bunch of the adults actually have scribes. I'm psyched!!

[RinkRat321]

awesome: flying sits were good :)
awful: double flips = bad. so were 2lutzes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRYBGjbAmEY video from practice today

[momsk8er]

Awful - retry on Bronze moves. I skated pretty well, and one judge passed me on everything, another gave me retry on everything and the third passed half of my moves. Go figure. Or go MIF actually.

Awesome - passed pre-Bronze free. All judges on all moves. Got a couple of "good" and "well skated." DD passed Juv moves. Yeah for her!!

[FlyAndCrash]

Awful - retry on Bronze moves. I skated pretty well, and one judge passed me on everything, another gave me retry on everything and the third passed half of my moves. Go figure. Or go MIF actually.

Awesome - passed pre-Bronze free. All judges on all moves. Got a couple of "good" and "well skated." DD passed Juv moves. Yeah for her!!

Congrats for passing PB free and your DD Juv moves!!!
And if one judge passed you on the Bronze moves, you are definately close. Hope you pass next time around.

[jcookie1982]

awesome:Really improved my edges today, especially BI edges.
awful: my one foot spin is still non existent, and my daughter threw the worst fit ever at the rink after we got off of the ice.

[katz in boots]

I was about to wish you good luck in fitting the Dutch Waltz into your rink. When we were there a couple of years back we had to bail out of it before doing the end of the pattern, and that was when we hadn't long been learning dance (so tiny swing rolls etc). I can understand why you need a modified version! I don't think we even managed the Canasta Tango, and that typically doesn't take the whole rink.

Tee-hee, it isn't going to be easy, even modified. At our recent State Championships a couple of girls did Canasta Tango solo, they seemed to manage okay.
One thing about skating on such a tiny rink, most people develop strong edges and do really tight lobes in their dance.

[Mrs Redboots]

One thing about skating on such a tiny rink, most people develop strong edges and do really tight lobes in their dance.Like the skaters at Queens here (waves at Kateskate), who all have wonderful edges.

For us:

Awesome: Coach2 quite complimentary about our Riverside Rhumba, and really liked the new steps in our free dance.

Awful: There is one bit in the Riverside that is a bit muddled - and, alas, I can't blame Husband this time - so need to look at the words and see if we can work out what we need to be doing! Also another coach pointed out we didn't do a proper cross-behind.... sigh.... do we ever? It's a cross-in-front/cross-behind, which means keeping our feet in the right place, I think, if I am to get it crossed properly.

[jskater49]

Awful - retry on Bronze moves. I skated pretty well, and one judge passed me on everything, another gave me retry on everything and the third passed half of my moves. Go figure. Or go MIF actually.

Awesome - passed pre-Bronze free. All judges on all moves. Got a couple of "good" and "well skated." DD passed Juv moves. Yeah for her!!

Congrats on the pre-bronze and if one judge passed you and one passed half - that's not awful!

j

[stacyf419]

Awesome: I started a new 'question mark' entry into my salchow and the increased speed is both frightening and fun - it also makes me go much higher and further - I feel like I'm finally doing a 'real' salchow.

Awful: The loop. After falling on it and getting a concussion a few weeks ago, I've had a lot of fear with it. Now my coach has me backed off it completely and back to a half loop, which suddenly I'm not able to do either. Apparently, for whatever reason, I'm not rolling up to the ball of my jumping foot after the 3-turn - I'm taking off and landing too far back on my blade. That's probably why I fell and hit my head in the first place. It's so frustrating. I was really loving the loop and finding it easy - now it seems as though I will never get it. I hate being afraid, and I hate being unable to learn something instantly without months of practice. I wish I were 7 instead of 40.

After that nice whine, I'm going to go sulk and eat chocolate.

[Skate@Delaware]

i found out on Friday that my rink will be opening up on August 11, which is about 3 weeks earlier than normal!!!! They added 3 freestyle session, 2 of which I can attend (with my busy schedule). There is a move to also extend the season through June, either all or at least part-way.

Now I'm seriously getting back into skating shape!!!! I adjusted my gym workouts a tiny bit and will add plyometric training in August. And jump walk-throughs.

Still, once I'm back on the ice, no jumps/spins unless my coach is present.

WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! 2 months to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Skating Jessica]

Awesome: I started a new 'question mark' entry into my salchow and the increased speed is both frightening and fun - it also makes me go much higher and further - I feel like I'm finally doing a 'real' salchow.

Wow! Finally someone else who has heard of the question mark pattern! I teach my students that entrance into flips, (sometimes) salchows, and toe loops primarily. Most people who have never heard of it give me a crazy look until I explain it, LOL!

[stacyf419]

Wow! Finally someone else who has heard of the question mark pattern! I teach my students that entrance into flips, (sometimes) salchows, and toe loops primarily. Most people who have never heard of it give me a crazy look until I explain it, LOL!

I think it looks so pretty. I'm working on entering all my jumps that way, with minor changes in the stepout.

[Stormy]

I've never heard of it....how do you do it?

Awesome: Almost everything! After losing the axel, it slooooowly started to come back today. Spins were amazing. I'm trying back camel into illusions and I was able to do 3 illusions in a row! I worked on moves the 2nd hour and the rocker choctaw pattern was so much better due to the new blades. I truly am amazed the difference they make. And I'm also REALLY PO'ed I spent a year and a half wasting time on those Ultimas. And I can actually skate for more than an hour without pain since the boots are so comfy!

[doubletoe]

Wow! Finally someone else who has heard of the question mark pattern! I teach my students that entrance into flips, (sometimes) salchows, and toe loops primarily. Most people who have never heard of it give me a crazy look until I explain it, LOL!

OK, so are you going to explain it? :lol:

[Skating Jessica]

I've never heard of it....how do you do it?!

For the question mark, if you're a CCW skater:
1. Start by taking a large circle of crossovers in a clockwise direction about midway (or further) around the rink.
2. Begin cutting your crossovers into the middle of the rink.
3. Step forward on your left foot in a clockwise direction (so that there's no unnatural turn or step--you should keep moving in the direction you were skating backward).
4. Do a forward crossover (should be crossing your right foot over your left) to get you heading directly down the ice.
5. Set up and perform jump.

What you'll have then should look like a large question mark on the ice:

?

Think of the roundest or top part of the question mark as your back crossovers, the part where the question mark comes in as your transition to forward/set-up, and the "dot" as the actual jump.

Of course, this is much easier to do or understand in person. It can be difficult to explain, especially the first time, so I often have to physically walk the motions out with my students. There's a tendency for them to want to rotate CCW to step forward.

[techskater]

The Russian coaches call it the "question mark" (we have a couple coaches at our rink that tell their students Axel from question mark or soemthing similiar) but it was first introduced by Gus Lussi as a method to really step out on the Axel and multirev jumps. Check the opening delayed Axel in Dorothy Hamil's program at about 20 seconds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jjBG-rxU-o&feature=related

[jazzpants]

My secondary coach taught me the question mark entry to a jump too. Well, except for the fact that my question mark is flipped around. :P (I'm a CW skater.)

[Skating Jessica]

That's very interesting, techskater. And, thanks for including that clip. I was trying to find something earlier to show an example of it, but no such luck.

[looplover]

Thanks for posting about the question mark, I'm going to use this next time!

Awesome: OH MY GOD the flip. I landed at least 14 today. FOURTEEN :D:D:D:D:mrgreen::D:twisted::D. It might have even been 15. Ok and maybe 10 more that didn't happen. I don't care about those other 10, because 14 worked. I would like to thank the skatingforums posters, my great coach, my downstairs neighbor who moved out, allowing me more off ice practice, the academy, the Hollywood foreign press...

I did so many because I wanted to remember what was going on when it was working. I realized that for some reason when it works, it reminds me of ballet (er...I've never studied ballet. It just seems like ballet). That probably means my upper body is in proper position and I'm looking up. Also, I used "knee" as a cue word to get that free leg up.

Also decent: actual toe loops, think I have the hang of them, but they are very very small right now.

Awful: My sit spin. So really, is it too much to ask to be able to have a flip jump and a sit spin? Cuz they don't like to be in the same room together.:roll:

[dbny]

For the question mark, if you're a CCW skater:
.
.
3. Step forward on your left foot in a clockwise direction (so that there's no unnatural turn or step--you should keep moving in the direction you were skating backward).
4. Do a forward crossover (should be crossing your right foot over your left) to get you heading directly down the ice.



Actually, in step 3, you must step forward to an outside edge, which means that there is a change of direction. If you don't do that, you cannot do the CCW crossover. Hamill pushes from her BXO's onto a LFO edge directly into her axel, which would not be possible if there were no change of direction.

[Skating Jessica]

Actually, in step 3, you must step forward to an outside edge, which means that there is a change of direction. If you don't do that, you cannot do the CCW crossover.


Agh, sorry! :P You're right...as I said, much easier demonstrated. You do have to take an outside edge and the crossover is technically CCW (right over left).

[Skate@Delaware]

Wow, so that's what it's called...:D. My coach was having me "graduate" into that setup. I really really really like it for toe-loops (even tho I don't like tl's) but have yet to try it for any other jump (I'm off-ice now).

So, where do you "take off"? Between the hockey circles, the goal line? Wherever?

[Kim to the Max]

[Plain Awful]
I went over my package by at least 20 (read: $175)!! Dang I skated a lot this time...and that's with missing 2 weeks!! It's fine, I just need to pay $$$ :( ...I really need to land my axel and pass my Juv freestyle test so I can become a coach and pay $5 per session and start teaching LTS....

[Not quite Awesome]
Axels are getting better...so are double sals...actually got my feet crossed on a few of my double sals...however, didn't land any...

[ibreakhearts66]

RE: the question mark entrance

I'd never heard it called that, but I've used to for 2toe. I also like it a lot. It can be kind of hard to use in crowded freestyles though (at least from my experience)

[doubletoe]

Thanks for posting about the question mark, I'm going to use this next time!

Awesome: OH MY GOD the flip. I landed at least 14 today. FOURTEEN :D:D:D:D:mrgreen::D:twisted::D. It might have even been 15.

YAY!!!!! :bow: Doesn't the flip just feel great when it clicks?! Being confident and rested definitely helps because a strong, arched back is really the key to this jump!

Actually, in step 3, you must step forward to an outside edge, which means that there is a change of direction. If you don't do that, you cannot do the CCW crossover. Hamill pushes from her BXO's onto a LFO edge directly into her axel, which would not be possible if there were no change of direction.

The setup Dorothy Hamill was using for her axel in Techskater's video is one of the entrances I also remember learning for the axel. A crucial part of it is the change of edge that happens as you push off from the CW back crossovers onto a right back *outside* edge before you step forward onto the LFO edge. Is that also the case when you use it to set up jumps other than the axel?

[vesperholly]

I credit the question mark technique for me finally getting my axel consistent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STkt4hz_rJk

Though I do a wide step instead of just a change of edge on one foot. Never thought to do it into my "double toe", though. Hm!

[katz in boots]

My coach likes us to use the question mark for entries on flips & salchows mainly, except we don't get to use the crossover after the step forward. I think I would feel better set up if I did get to do the crossover.
I tend not to do it unless coach insists. On a 1/4 size rink, anything that takes up 1/2 the rink in crossovers against the usual flow of traffic is near impossible to practise regularly. Hence I do spins from a 3 turn entry rather than the crossover circle.

[Skating Jessica]

So, where do you "take off"? Between the hockey circles, the goal line? Wherever?

Usually, I find myself somewhere between the hockey circles or in one of them, depending on how crowded the session is. I do not suggest putting the take-off at the goal line since you'd likely hit the boards. Just leave yourself plenty of room as you'll probably have more speed and flow heading into the jump.