What happens on a typical competition day?

[Jeanmarie]

I've entered the Pac. Coast Adult Championships (No-test I)
This is my first competition and I have no idea what to expect. My coach has never been to a USFS adult competition and the lack of details, what I do, when I do it, what I'm up against and so forth, is stressing me out.

Also,
I was thinking of taking a lesson (or two or three) at the competition site, by one of the coaches at that rink. Is it kosher to do so?
Can anyone recommend a coach in the LA area? The Culver City Ice Arena has a long list of coaches but no info on them.
http://www.culvericearena.com/professional_instructors.htm

Any and all advice welcome, Thanks!!!

[doubletoe]

Hi!

Well, first of all, I'd suggest warming up at another rink a few hours before your competition time, if your schedule allows. The closest rink is the Toyota Training Center in El Segundo, but there are also others, such as Pickwick, Panorama City, Harbor City (Torrance), Paramount, etc. Just make sure you are at Culver at least 45 minutes ahead of your competition time. When you walk in the door, hand in your music and tell them your name and what even you are in.

You will get a 6-minute warmup before you have to skate your program, and if you are the first to skate (check the skating orders posted on the outside of the warmup room when you enter the rink that day), then you need to stop when you hear the announcement that you have one minute left in the warmup. That way, you can catch your breath before you skate your program.

The ice at Culver is pretty hard, so make sure your blades get sharpened about 2 weeks before Sectionals and make sure you keep your knees bent deeply so that you get your edges into the ice. Also, nerves tend to make your knees either stiff or jello-y, so keep shaking out your legs and bending your knees before stepping onto the ice to skate your warmup or your program. And as you wait to take the ice, breathe slowly and deeply to help keep the adrenaline at bay. You will feel more secure if you come up with an off-ice warmup routine and get into the habit of doing it, so that when you do it at Sectionals it will put you in a familiar state of mind.

Culver is my rink and I know all of the coaches, so if you tell me what you need help on, I can probably suggest the right coach for you. :) PM me!

[daisies]

Honestly, it's no different than any other local competition, and if your coach isn't well versed in those, well .... no comment. But doubletoe outlined what to expect very well.

It's up to you if you want to take a lesson from a new coach that close to the competition, but I would not advise it. Everyone has different techniques and philosophies, and if they vary too widely from what you've already been taught, it could confuse you.

The ice at Culver is pretty hard, so make sure your blades get sharpened about 2 weeks before Sectionals...

Your mileage may vary on this one as well. It depends on how sharp you like your blades and how often you skate. Me, I get my blades sharpened at least ONE MONTH before I compete -- but I only skate about 2 hours a week. Back when I was skating about 4 hours a week, I still got them sharpened a month before, because it takes me time to adjust to them.

Good luck!

[doubletoe]

That's a good point. How often you sharpen your blades depends on how many hours a week you skate and how sharp you're used to having them. Daisies has such excellent skating technique that she can skate well even on duller blades. Me, not so much, LOL!
As a general rule, I sharpen them every 30-40 hours of skating, and I find that the more often I sharpen them, the less of an adjustment I need to make between dull blades and sharp blades. When I sharpen them every 30 hours, they might feel a little "grabbier" for the first hour I skate on them, but then they just feel great.

[daisies]

Daisies has such excellent skating technique that she can skate well even on duller blades.
Aww! Thanks!

I agree with you about the more often you sharpen them, the less of an adjustment is needed. You don't want to get them so dull that a sharpening is a shock!

[doubletoe]

Funny you should mention that. This morning was my first skate after sharpening my blades on Wednesday night and I totally forgot that I had just sharpened them! I didn't remember until after the session was done and I had gotten off the ice, LOL! (missed you, BTW)