Fresh Honey Crisp Apple or still at little green 9/22-28 Practice Thread [Archive]

jskater49

09-22-2008, 10:18 AM

Honey Crisp apples are here! In the US, I don't know if you other folk have them but they are wonderful!

Unfortunately today was a pretty green day

Power class - all I could do was skate fast, if she asked us to do 3 turns, mohawks or jumps, it just wasn't happening...

Ran through my program and fell, but it was good practice for me to get up and finish the program. I supposed the loud "Oh crap!" as I fell would not be a good idea in a competition.

Honey Crisps - Great two foot spin, beatiful half lutz with my arm over my head...ran through the Swing Dance pretty much on time...

Still a little green - edge entry into a one foot spin is still rushed and so not there, 3 turns into my mazurka and half flips...I can do 3 turns at speed from power 3s and even in my program before my spin, but I just can't seem to do a decent 3 turn to set up for these jumps.

j

jazzpants

09-23-2008, 12:40 AM

Fresh Honey Crisp, Juicy Sweet Apple

Doo doo-doo doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo...

ICE ICE BABY!!! :twisted:

Yes, my home rink is FINALLY reopened just in time for Monday night skate and my very first lesson at this rink since Labor Day!!! And it's GOOD to be back at this rink again!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:

Had a decent enough lesson with primary coach trying to make some more changes to my technical program. Yes, folks!!! I will ATTEMPT (not necessarily get) a lutz jump this year!!! 8O I will also attempt a flip-loop this year as well (if I don't end up chickening out and doing a flip-toe loop first... or maybe we'll do a lutz-toe loop instead... :?? )

Still a little green:
Since they are still building up the ice and hardening it, we can't do ANY jumps 'til THURSDAY!!! :frus: (But hey, I'll take getting back my old home rink and schedule over sluffin' myself all the way to Oakland on BART at dark o'clock in the morning...)

sk8lady

09-23-2008, 06:55 AM

Honey crisp: Took two days off to go to Boston for the PSA seminar, skated yesterday and I CAN STILL DO A LOOP!!! I'm sooo afraid it's going to just vanish.

Little green apples: What exactly were they thinking when they moved power pulls to the Adult Silver moves? "Hmmm, what will be most likely to give older skaters instant arthritis so we can get rid of the geezers? I know, let's put power pulls in there!" I can just about do all four sets one after the other but by the end my knees are going, "Crack...crack...crack" with every pull and they hurt so much I have to hang out by the boards pretending I desperately need a drink until they ache a little less!
Plus I have a mild groin pull from practicing the loop forty times a day. Ouch.

Mrs Redboots

09-23-2008, 10:36 AM

Little Green Apples: We have a competition in ten days or so - enough said! You know what it's like, the run-up to a comp; you are always so convinced you aren't ready, you'll never be ready, you're going to make a total tit of yourself....

Honey Crisp (don't know these, can I have Russets instead?): Not sure....

Skittl1321

09-23-2008, 11:03 AM

Doo doo-doo doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo...

I haven't skated yet this week, so I've got nothing on topic to say- but jazzpants you've got the bass-line all wrong. That's "Under Pressure"
Vanilla Ice's goes like this:

Doo doo-doo doo-doo-doo-doo *ding*
Doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo...

:lol:

Sorry- I had to add that, because one of my favorite memories of vanilla ice is the interview where he explained why he DIDN'T rip off Under Pressure, and that was the difference. So I was cracking up when I saw your post. I can't find the video on youtube right now, but I know it's there somewhere...

jazzpants

09-23-2008, 12:56 PM

I haven't skated yet this week, so I've got nothing on topic to say- but jazzpants you've got the bass-line all wrong. That's "Under Pressure"
Vanilla Ice's goes like this:

Doo doo-doo doo-doo-doo-doo *ding*
Doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo...

:lol:

Sorry- I had to add that, because one of my favorite memories of vanilla ice is the interview where he explained why he DIDN'T rip off Under Pressure, and that was the difference. So I was cracking up when I saw your post. I can't find the video on youtube right now, but I know it's there somewhere...Oh, geez!!! They're the same song!!! Even he admits it!!! (Well, in 2008 he did...but he finally did (http://media.www.huntington-news.com/media/storage/paper600/news/2008/04/10/TheInside/Vanilla.Ice.ice.Ice.Baby.Never.Gets.Old-3314720-page2.shtml)...) :twisted: :lol: :P

Doo doo-doo doo-doo-doo-doo *ding*
Doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo...

ICE ICE BABY.... Vanilla ICE ICE BABY!!!

(Let's get this on ISk8NYC's mind so she'll be humming that on her drive home today...MUHAHAHAHAHA....) :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :P :lol:

Bill_S

09-23-2008, 02:13 PM

Still Green...around the gills

I caught something this past weekend, and it scuttled my Monday morning skating plans.

Still have it (cough, cough, sniffle!), and I'm deciding whether to skate this afternoon, or to rest instead.

Rest would be wise, but you know how it goes.

LilJen

09-23-2008, 02:22 PM

RachelSk8er

09-23-2008, 02:34 PM

Skittl1321

09-23-2008, 02:46 PM

Fresh Honey Crisp: Passed my adult silver free!

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!

Rusty Blades

09-23-2008, 03:00 PM

Green! Thunderstorms started at midnight and kept going ALL NIGHT! Every few minutes I was awakened by a tremendous KABOOM!!! When I got to the rink, the humid weather had left the ice full of condensation mountains and a couple of holes nearly through to the concrete!

Cripsy! Still working on "down in the knees" skating and my quads (and knees) are getting better - EVERYTHING is hugely better with down-in-the-knees and back edges are getting scary fast! (Dang but that feels good!)

Green: Need to put together a preliminary cut for a new Interpretive tonight - coach wants to hear what I have in mind - and I would rather SLEEP! (if there are no more @$#%$# thunderstorms!)

singerskates

09-23-2008, 06:33 PM

Fresh Honey Crisp: Passed my adult silver free!

Free program was solid, passed way over by all 3 judges. I'm glad I can put my program back to the competition version and actually WORK on it now for Buckeye...haven't really worked on the siver competition version since Grand Rapids because I was testing my prelim free, had to compete bronze at Wyandotte, etc.

So now I'm officially moved up in freestyle, and hopefully next test session I can bang out my pre-juv free (should have just done it today...oh well) and maybe the pre-gold dance I need to qualify for gold solo dance at ANs.

Why are you testing both reg. stream and the adult stream? And yeah, you could have probably tested the Adult Gold and passed too. I knew I was way out classed at Wyandotte. It was a pleasure to watch you skate while I was waiting for my turn to compete!

momsk8er

09-23-2008, 06:40 PM

Crisp apples - I had an epiphany today! Last week my coach told me that I was stepping too wide on my loop entry, and I need to keep the step close. Also, judges on my last moves test said the same thing, stepping too wide from my 3 turn on the power threes. So I've been trying to correct that, and keep my weight over the skating foot, and it is really helping with a lot of things. But today, I realized that for years I've taken the spin advice "step into the middle of the circle" much too literally. Not supposed to really step into the middle of the circle, are you? Supposed to step inside the circle, as opposed to outside the circle. What a difference. I've had this little hip hitch in my spin entry for oh-so-long. But now I realize its because I'm taking a wide step into the spin and getting off balance.
Yahoo - funny thing the English language - how just a little misinterpretation can cause so much frustration.

singerskates

09-23-2008, 06:41 PM

Green! Thunderstorms started at midnight and kept going ALL NIGHT! Every few minutes I was awakened by a tremendous KABOOM!!! When I got to the rink, the humid weather had left the ice full of condensation mountains and a couple of holes nearly through to the concrete!

What you discribe here is what my ice was like leading up to my Wyandotte, MI, USA competition. When I got to Wyandotte, I wasn't use to getting speed so I didn't push like I should have pushed.

What I want to know is why do the arenas turn off the humidity machines to controll the conditions in the arena. We'd have much better ice if they would take care of the ice better.

It's no fun going over a mountain of ice or a deep crator left from above dripping pipes. It's down right dangerous. Those conditions really played with my head and I didn't get over it until two weeks after competing.

Isk8NYC

09-23-2008, 08:20 PM

Oh, geez!!! They're the same song!!! Even he admits it!!! (Well, in 2008 he did...but he finally did (http://media.www.huntington-news.com/media/storage/paper600/news/2008/04/10/TheInside/Vanilla.Ice.ice.Ice.Baby.Never.Gets.Old-3314720-page2.shtml)...) :twisted: :lol: :P

Doo doo-doo doo-doo-doo-doo *ding*
Doo-doo-doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo...

ICE ICE BABY.... Vanilla ICE ICE BABY!!!

(Let's get this on ISk8NYC's mind so she'll be humming that on her drive home today...MUHAHAHAHAHA....) :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :P :lol:You're so bad.

Still, it's better than the song that WAS stuck there on the way home -- the muzak song I subconsciously heard at the supermarket! lol

I skated TWICE today.

This morning, I (finally) made it to Coffee Club, only to find that the zam was broken. So I just goofed around doing very bad MITF and spins. A buddy came on to skate and we did a Canasta Tango together. His part was good (as always), my part was bad (as always.) lol

I taught this afternoon and realized that the very nice, and very empty, public session was starting right after the ice cut. (Sure, NOW the zamboni's working.) Did figures for a while - my circles were lopsided, but at least I could see that; I'm getting better. Have to make the serpentines smaller I think, but instead just reused my existing tracings.

MITF were good except the FI spiral patterns.
Spins were meh - I'm still trying to get used to the 1/2" ROH.
Skidded through everything, and fell doing stupid little 3-turns and brackets.
Couple of jumps then I did off-ice, which went well.

Oh, and my inside spreadeagles are good for some reason. Still can't get to the outside edges, but it's getting more and more straight-line, so that's progress.

Thin-Ice

09-24-2008, 02:09 AM

Fresh Honey Crisp: Passed my adult silver free! Free program was solid, passed way over by all 3 judges.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Thin-Ice

09-24-2008, 02:10 AM

Why are you testing both reg. stream and the adult stream?

I don't know why Rachel tests both standard and adult track... but I do it because I can use all the experience I can get in front of the judges. (Besides, then I can collect more of those cute little pins for each test from USFS!:lol::roll:)

Isk8NYC

09-24-2008, 07:21 AM

Fresh Honey Crisp: Passed my adult silver free!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Mrs Redboots

09-24-2008, 07:24 AM

Fresh Honey Crisp: Passed my adult silver free!

Congratulations! That is awesome.

As for me:

Crispy: Working on Skating Moves today and Coach1 picked out a couple of the Level 1 Moves he didn't think I'd be able to do - and I did them. Including the figure 8 of forward and back crossovers which he said were a lot better than he'd expected - I had to admit they were a lot better than I'd expected, too! So on to Level 2 Moves, which I can't really do... well, one of them I can, and half of another, but.... I want to get them to test standard, not that I need to test them, but for my own satisfaction.

Green: Found out what was wrong with our Variation, or rather, where we slow down on it, and Husband, trying to step it through for himself, appears to have absolutely no idea what the steps are! I think his feet bypass his brain when he skates... And when we did the Prelim Waltz, he over-rotates to the point that I can no longer do my 3-turn.... sheesh....

RachelSk8er

09-24-2008, 07:46 AM

Why are you testing both reg. stream and the adult stream? And yeah, you could have probably tested the Adult Gold and passed too. I knew I was way out classed at Wyandotte. It was a pleasure to watch you skate while I was waiting for my turn to compete!

Thanks.

I do both for free because up until this year we had to have the adult tests for nationals, they would not take the standard equivalent. I decided to throw out adult silver just so I don't have anything to worry about in terms of qualifying for silver at nationals (I finished 2nd last year in bronze so no excuse not to move up). With competitions so few and far between, testing both also gives me just another opportunity to perform in front of judges (in what I find to be a MUCH more stressful situation that competing). Competing free is a VERY different mindset from years of synchro that I am still working to develop. For dance I only do standard.

I'll do pre-juv free eventually but there is a forward-back scratch on pre-juv free and I struggle with that (back scratch-forward scratch is really easy for me though so that's what I do), and a picky judging panel may have issues with my lutz (also required on pre-juv free)...although truthfully with yesterday's panel I would have been fine. But I'm not putting that out until I have either a pre-gold dance or two or my junior moves ready to go, too, because I end up taking a day off of work to test regardless and would rather do more than one test and save my vacation time, and since I'm running low on days I may not be able to test until December or January. I don't want to risk not testing at all until January, not passing my free, and having to do bronze again at ANs. And now I get to spend the next few months focusing on getting at least 1 pre-gold dance that I need to qualify for gold solo dance at ANs without having to worry about having to pass a free test. (I work full time and go to law school at night so my life is hectic and skating time very limited.)

I actually would not pass the adult gold test, an axel is a required element and I do not have an axel. Actually an axel is usually needed to be competitive in Silver I at nationals too, although people have done very well without one if everything else is strong. (Hopefully I'll have that soon.) I think a spin with a change of foot and position is also required and I don't have one of those to a passing standard, either. Nor do I have the doubles that are required to actually be competitive at the adult gold level so I'll probably spend the next two years at silver (unless I pull off a miracle and medal at nationals). I just started freestyle this past February, no reason to rush things.

Rembember...I'm in my 20s...so I compete age class I. What you see in therms of a competition program in age class I is, on average, harder than what you'll see in the same level at a higher age class. (And the test stream in Canada is a little different, too. I think skills are a little easier than moves and I guess in dance they only ask for a solo if the partnering is questionable? I wish that were the case with standard track here, the solo is usually what gets me!)

Skittl1321

09-24-2008, 08:34 AM

Honey Crisp I asked my coach for an extra lesson this week, because Saturday was a rough practice- and that extra lesson was FABOULOUS. With the exception of dodging kids throwing off patterns, it was really really great. If I can skate like that I will pass without a problem.

Still green Group lesson coach pointed out that my weight was shifting wrong on the crossovers for the power 3 turn, so on that last push I wasn't really on an inside edge. So he worked with me on keeping that weight over my leg, but then I couldn't put my foot down to step into the 3 turn. So to work on that step we did the alternating 3-turns on the line- and thank the Lord that got removed from the adult tests because OMG it's hard. But during my lesson I was able to do the step, and while I'm still not really over that edge, I'm getting better.

Also annoying was the number of kids who I had to dodge while on pattern. I skate on a public session, so I absolutely do not mind dodging public skaters. They have no clue, and I don't expect them to. But some of the kids who were getting in my way were figure skaters- who SHOULD know to stay out of a pattern. Figure skaters who I previously yielded to in the earlier half hour when they had lessons, but had no inkling of providing the same courtesy to others in their lessons during the later half hour. I also nearly took out a little girl on double runner blades, but thankfully have a reliable back snowplow and a coach with a loud yell. That was entirely my fault- but it's hard to see tiny people when you are focusing on the "looking up" part of the ending. I don't think the little girl knew how close I got to hitting her, so all was good.

Also green The honey crisp apples we bought last week :( We are going to give them another week or so to get the real good ones in the store. Because man are those apples heaven when they are ripe. (Are they a new thing, or a midwest thing? I had never heard of them before I lived in Iowa. But then again I only heard of Rainer cherries about 4 years ago and those are amazing)

Isk8NYC

09-24-2008, 09:07 AM

Also green The honey crisp apples we bought last week :(I just bought some of these yesterday, lol! Before I understood the thread title. Maybe I should leave them out to ripen a bit?

Skittl1321

09-24-2008, 09:11 AM

I just bought some of these yesterday, lol! Before I understood the thread title. Maybe I should leave them out to ripen a bit?

I'd give one a try and then decide. Last weeks might have just been a bit early- they were the first we'd seen in the store.

Rusty Blades

09-24-2008, 09:33 AM

Fresh & Crisp: Well my coach was skeptical when I first mentioned it and I thought she was going to disown me when I suggested the music for my new Interpretive .... but I played the music for her in lesson this morning, we talked about the overall theme and approach, discussed elements of choreography and how I would "play it" and now she's on line with the new program. She even suggested I compete it at the end of November 8-)

Brown and rotten! (Way beyond "green"!) My knees are still bothering me and if things don't improve I might not have a Freeskate in the future :cry:

doubletoe

09-24-2008, 12:48 PM

Thanks.

Rembember...I'm in my 20s...so I compete age class I. What you see in therms of a competition program in age class I is, on average, harder than what you'll see in the same level at a higher age class. (And the test stream in Canada is a little different, too. I think skills are a little easier than moves and I guess in dance they only ask for a solo if the partnering is questionable? I wish that were the case with standard track here, the solo is usually what gets me!)

Yep, Class I can be pretty competitive! Congratulations on your medal last season and a big congratulations on your Silver test! :D

jskater49

09-24-2008, 01:35 PM

Honey Crisp
Also green The honey crisp apples we bought last week :( We are going to give them another week or so to get the real good ones in the store. Because man are those apples heaven when they are ripe. (Are they a new thing, or a midwest thing? I had never heard of them before I lived in Iowa. But then again I only heard of Rainer cherries about 4 years ago and those are amazing)

I saw them for the first time only a couple of years ago. Then there was a thing on the news about how the country was going crazy for them. They are a new breed. They are expensive because they don't keep well, they don't travel well. And they are only around in the fall. But when they are good, they are just the best thing you have ever tasted in an apple.

j

jazzpants

09-24-2008, 07:41 PM

Congrats to you, RachelSk8er!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:

Fresh Honey Crisp Apple:

Back to my home rink... and everyone else is quite happy and relieved to be back working (particularly my secondary coach since it was a MAJOR inconvenience for her to teach at the alternate rinks. :bow: )

I miss my old FS crew too!!! So happy to see them all at the rink!!! (I even have one gal who returned after a few months of recovery from an ankle injury. So happy to see her back on the ice!!! :bow: )

Still A Little Green:
My skating!!! :frus:

I am having trouble cross those legs on the scratch spin, though there is some "ripeness" in that the spin was pretty centered. I need to practice skating on very straight (as in locked knees) spirals!!! And as for the Chinese spirals, we've discovered a "physical limitation" with my back (DUH!!! NOW she finally believes me!!! :frus:) and says I need to stretch the back so I arch my back more. (Which means for now, laybacks are out for me too!!! :giveup: ) Needless to say, she will put my personal trainer to good use. (Keep in mind... I am the secondary person my personal trainer has to keep happy! My SECONDARY coach is the one to please!!! Ironic that in the end *I* have to do the work, huh??? :twisted: )

I also have to practice my cross strokes. I got a good exercise to practice the underpush part of the cross strokes too! (Needless to say, I'm FAR from testing Silver Moves at this point.) :giveup:

Kim to the Max

09-24-2008, 09:56 PM

[Fresh Honey Crisp]
Coach gave me a new drill to do to help my axels and while I am still not landing them, they are feeling better if I focus on the feeling of the drill. I am hoping that I can bust out this axel soon and test my juv free and then start either coaching or registering to coach with my club to get the reduced price ice.

Moves are going well. Still working on pattern #2!

[Just a little Green]
Not skating related, but went to get the milk out of my fridge this evening and found that the outlet that it is connected to got tripped somehow and everything is spoiled. I e-mailed our associate director to see what can be done because the only other thing attached to that outlet is my microwave, which I never use and haven't used in over a week, so there is no reason why the outlet should have tripped.

Only got to skate about an hour this evening. Other than that, it's the same ole', same ole'.....that stupid axel! :roll:

ibreakhearts66

09-24-2008, 11:14 PM

Mix of the past two days---

Honey Crisp Apple
-Had my first lesson with my new jump coach. He is a guru. Honestly, he's seen every problem there is. The lesson went really well, but it was exhausting on my right leg. We did lots of double loops and double loop combos.
-Moves have gotten about a million times better in the past week. My primary coach finally explained something in a way to make me understand it. What used to be one of my worst moves is now, as my secondary coach says "A really good move for [me]." Still worried about hitting the wall though. But yeah, my secondary coach said she was really, really pleased with all the progress I had made and that I was clearly working very hard. I was!
-On a side note, I was talking to one of younger skaters at the rink, starting to say how much I felt my moves had improved, but before I said that it was my moves that had gotten better, he went, "Yeah, you've gotten MUCH better." So maybe all my hard work IS paying off with the rest of my skating.
-Jennifer Kirk was at my rink yesterday, and today there was a guy doing 8O triple axels

A little green
-Double flips were off yesterday. I didn't do any today as my hip was really bothering me.
-I hurt myself demonstrating a SHOOT THE DUCK! It was for Ballet on Ice, and I was showing a shoot-the-duck in a sit spin position (back straight, leg turned out, etc etc). I was skating on my left foot, right leg extended in front of me and my entire quad just cramped up. Now I can hardly walk. I'm sure it's totally minor and will be fine tomorrow, but it just brings back memories of when I tore my quad freshman year and spent months and months healing.
-Now that I have three coaches, I have no idea how I'm gonna pay them. Right now, I tutor one kid, three hours a week, max. However, he usually ends up canceling one day because he has no homework, has a doctors appointment, stuff like that. But lets just say every week, I tutor him 3 hours. That's $150 (yeah, I'm a pricey tutor--that's my discounted rate too). Sometimes I'll teach a class or two of group lessons. But generally, I'm pulling in 100-150 dollars a week. With three coaches, 30 min lesson each, thats $120. Since I'm testing soon, I'll probably want a second lesson with either my moves or primary coach. That's $160 dollars. I think you guys can do the math...

So basically, I'm broke.

singerskates

09-25-2008, 02:35 AM

Fresh Tart Crip Mac Apples (I don't like sweet tasting apples.): Coach said that my edges have improved since my first skills lesson.

Loop: is landing on one foot but I can't glide out yet and end up doing a loop on the ice before getting out.

Waltz: higher and more flow.

Toe Loop: same as Waltz

Salchow: finally is popping into the air again.

Flip: didn't have time to work on the flip with coach, he had to leave.

Pretty Green Still:
LFI op Mo and LFI3's are head trips for me. Need to work on my grey matter so that it doesn't matter.

Second half of the Waltzing Mohawk Skill in Prelim Skills, I get to the point of the first LFI op Mo and I freeze. For some reason, I can't do the second half at the same speed I'm doing the side with the RFI op Mo. But so what, the LFI op Mo are new for me.

Waltzing Threes Skill: I keep forgetting to do the forward step before changing feet to do the next 3. But it was the first time, I've learned this skill. What I wan't to know is why couldn't they have made it so that we could step on to the 3's from a preceeding backward step. That would make it so much easier to do them. Having real issues with the LFI3. Help!

Fresh Crip Apples:
Ran through my freeskate and did mostly a better job with my jumps except that I left out the Lutz because the other skater was passing behind me when I was going to take off.
Did 1 and half revs on the camel before changing to a 2 rev sit before changing to a 3 rev upright to end my freeskate.
Got my freeleg to cross just below the knee during my sitspin. I can feel that I'll be getting my sit to clean up soon.

Change edge spiral: changing the edge a little better. Gaining more control.

Bad Apple: My back is giving me issues on RBI edges during skills and after changing from RFI to RFO during my spiral sequence. I'll be seeing my chiropractor after skating today to fix it. (Yes, I haven't gone to bed yet.)

I've got really weak forefeet. Are there any exercises to strengthen my feet?I hadn't noticed how weak my feet were until I've started learning skills. After skating my feet were really tired and sore.

Thin-Ice

09-25-2008, 03:03 AM

I've got really weak forefeet. Are there any exercises to strengthen my feet?I hadn't noticed how weak my feet were until I've started learning skills. After skating my feet were really tired and sore.

If it's just the front part of your feet, my sports med guy gave me a couple of really good exercise. Take a hand towel and lay it out flat so the length of it extends out in front of you when you are sitting on a bench or chair or the side of a bed. Put both feet so your toes are on the end closest to you. Now use your toes to grab the towel and continue gathering it up by scrunching up the fabric with your toes.When you get the entire towel scrunched up, lay it out again and do the same thing with first one foot, then the other. (Is this explanation clear?)

The other exercise he had me do was to pick up marbles using just my toes. It sounds easy.. but by the time you get to about the 20th marble... well, it's not quite so easy. He had me do 25 marbles per foot.

Thin-Ice

09-25-2008, 03:08 AM

(snip) Keep in mind... I am the secondary person my personal trainer has to keep happy! My SECONDARY coach is the one to please!!! Ironic that in the end *I* have to do the work, huh??? :twisted: )

Not only do you have to do the work to satisfy both your personal trainer and your coach.. you have to PAY both of them too for this privilege too! Good thing you like to work hard and keep them happy.:??

Isk8NYC

09-25-2008, 08:07 AM

I've been up since 4:30am and I am very tired.

MITF - meh. Struggled with inside spirals and every three turn in creation. Gak.

Spins - meh. I can't find the spin spot on my regular spins unless I do a sit spin. Backspins are okay.

Still getting used to the 1/2" ROH. This may have been a bad idea.

slusher

09-25-2008, 08:51 AM

Waltzing Threes Skill: I keep forgetting to do the forward step before changing feet to do the next 3. But it was the first time, I've learned this skill. What I wan't to know is why couldn't they have made it so that we could step on to the 3's from a preceeding backward step. That would make it so much easier to do them. Having real issues with the LFI3. Help!

.

It's all about control. I think that's the focus of the skill actually on the sheet, control of forward 3 turns. If you turned into the three from another rotation, it primes the turn and it flips around, which, yeah, is easier. By having to step off one lobe onto an edge that *begins* the next lobe, it shows that you have control of the actual 3 turn.

It will come. For the majority of skaters, the LFI 3 turn and also the LFI mohawks are the tough spots. Don't worry about calling it an open mohawk either, some sort of steppy change foot step (my judge friends are cringing at the moment) will do. The idea is to get power from that step, and the key point in that exercise is not exactly the mohawk, but the push back or landing position step that follows. Practice mohawk in to landing position stretch back, both ways.

Skittl1321

09-25-2008, 08:57 AM

Honey Crisp Synchro was a lot of fun last night. We learned our new block footwork, and I didn't die doing the bunny hop! It's actually a lot more secure holding on, then on my own. We get to do arms off the end during our chasses, instead of just holding them down, and I love that. I also got picked to do a move in isolation- a scratch spin with another girl. I'm SO excited about doing this, because I have such a rough time with synchro sometimes and it's nice to be able to be recognized as good at something. Of course, its kind of sad that I get to do the spin, because I'm replacing a new member who isn't going to be able to skate with us after all due to competition conflicts with students he coaches :( But it's still a fun spin, and I learned a new entrance for it- from a 3 turn instead of crossovers.

A bit green Of course, now that I'm doing that, I no longer am IN the pinwheel to start, but have to CATCH the pinwheel- and even though I more or less wait for them to get to me, rather than catching them- OMG are they going fast when they pick me up. That's going to be the hard part!!!

My knees still hurt from Tuesday, and I have a lesson tonight- but I am so ready to rock my test on Saturday...

LilJen

09-25-2008, 10:45 AM

Green:
-Running score: FO power 3s: 2; Jen: 0. Detailed stats: one blade click of death, one pitching over backward & sideways & flying backward to land (fortunately) on my bum to scare my coach (who was sure I'd broken something). Lordy, lordy, lordy.
-For the last few weeks I have NOT been able to spin. At all. Two feet or one foot. Managed ONE 2-foot spin today but only from a standstill. 3-turn entrance? Forget it.
-coach accused me of trying to hide my crappy salchow. I guess I am just not getting my weight over the takeoff foot. Just standing in place on the takeoff foot with hips/shoulders/arms all in the right place? I can't even hold that!!!! :giveup:

Honey Crisp:
Learned (sort of) the Fiesta Tango, thanks to dance buddy. Cha cha coming along.
Worked with coach on 5-step mohawk & much improved. Much need for practice but a much better idea of where I need to be.

dbny

09-25-2008, 04:26 PM

CONGRATULATIONS RachelSk8er

Honey Crisps:
Forced myself to go practice today and got in a good hour totally alone on the ice! Prelim power threes are almost back to their best, which is passing for Bronze, but still short of passing Prelim. Did two sets of spiral stretches, with the second one better, as usual. Worked on figures, including BO eight, which was OK. Did F & B power XO's for fun, and also cross strokes. Had to do the B twice because I was a little hesitant the first time. Even worked on F power pulls a little.

Green & Bitter:
Spinning is so bad that I set myself the task of just doing 2 foot spins from one end of the rink to the other (on the narrow hockey lines) so I could see my tracings clearly. The object of the exercise was to feel everything tight and in place and focus only on that. Was going along fine until I did FI threes on the line and then back to spins. Somehow got scared during the threes, nothing happened, just got that bad scared feeling. Went to begin another row of two foot turns, stiffened from the fear, caught an edge and fell on my L hip. I was already down in the knees so it wasn't too far to the ice, but I felt it jar all the way across my pelvis. I made myself do one more spin, which was quite good, then left, as once I'm scared, it's not safe anymore. Going to take a nice strong prescription NSAID now.

Rusty Blades

09-25-2008, 05:44 PM

I've been up since 4:30am and I am very tired.

Slept in? ;) Around here days start at 4 a.m., except Sunday, then I sleep in until 5:30!

Fresh: I am going to have fun with my new Interpretive 8-) It is going to be a blast!

Green: Me! Started coming down with a cold yesterday.

Fresh: But I skated anyway and started the choreography for the new program.

Green: The other 3 skaters on the ice were getting ready for a competition so it was program music over and over. Wouldn't have been so bad except they had it so LOUD I couldn't hear MY music with ear buds and my MP3 player turned up full!

Skate@Delaware

09-25-2008, 06:13 PM

Fresh Honey Crisp Apple: went to the rink for drop in freestyle and was the only one on the ice! Was a bit down today...stressed from work/school/hubby/kid etc.... and it was REFRESHING to skate for ME!!! and alone at that! Things that were good today: Waltz jump (always working on that one), salchow is going well now that I'm holding the back edge of the 3-turn and trying to kick through on the jump; and then there is the jump I'm finally falling in love with: TOE-LOOP!!! I did a few that were so smooth and truly vaulted!

Still a little green: spins......yeah! Still having big issues with them. Not sure what's up with them-I remember (back in the day) when I used to do scratch spins like the dickens! Ok, so now I can't even center them unless I hold the entry edge longer, ARCH my back, and really try to hold my free leg up higher...sheesh! Backspins were bleh..got a little dizzy and managed a few at a whopping 3 revs...whatever.

then there is the loop jump. At least it doesn't freak me out do them; and I didn't catch my pant leg this time (no I didn't wear just leggings <g>) I just keep putting my free foot down. But on one, I landed on the right foot then tapped down, so I guess that's a bit of progress?

And I'll put this under "green" because I'm still working on them-crossovers. forward and backwards. I'm still too far back on my heels, but I didn't feel uneasy and did about 10 loops around the circles for fwd/back. Tried to get 5 crossovers around each circle. I'm sloooowly getting there.

Good session, still jazzed about the toe-loops! I remember when I HATED doing them, because I hated 3-turns (really I didn't do them well).

Kim to the Max

09-25-2008, 07:49 PM

[Fresh Apples]
Had a lesson with coach today...although, she took me earlier than she normally does, which just screws me up...

[A little green]
We worked on moves not freestyle...

[Greener still]
Coach mentioned testing my novice moves....IN NOVEMBER...

[Even Greener]
The rocker/choctaw pattern is just giving me horrible fits...

[Extremely green]
We did my program...I forgot all of the fluff we put in...and the footwork sucked...only marked jumped, but I also need remedial forward double-3s...I'm not really "skating" my program yet and coach wants to see it start to flow...which, at this point, I'm not worried about the program, I'm more worried about the actual jumps and spins...

[As Green as Green can Be]
My axel...

Isk8NYC

09-25-2008, 08:08 PM

Slept in? ;) Around here days start at 4 a.m., except Sunday, then I sleep in until 5:30!lol I am NOT a morning person - my 4:30am would be the equivalent of 1am for you! I can't believe I actually got my feet to move that early and I didn't get hurt. The iPod helped and I stuck to easy stuff like moves.

I coached one of my private students tonight during the freestyle. On the same session, I watched one of the guys with whom I teach groups doing beautiful alternating FI twizzles down the ice. (He also did a bunch of beautiful change-edge spreadeagles. Spreadeagles are the sexiest thing a guy can do on the ice, IMO. There's just something attractive about a well-done spreadeagle on a guy. But, I digress.)

After we finished teaching groups later, he and I spent a few minutes working on twizzles. Could the the blade sharpening, could be the different check he had me use, but I'm satisfied either way: My RFI is not half-bad and I managed a few LFI's without touching down. Only managed one rev on each, but they're really fun! They're back on my practice list again!

(I still miss you, Lov2sk8! You're my good-luck charm for most things, lol.)

jazzpants

09-26-2008, 12:59 AM

Not only do you have to do the work to satisfy both your personal trainer and your coach.. you have to PAY both of them too for this privilege too! Good thing you like to work hard and keep them happy.:??
Yeah... isn't this just AWFUL!!?!? 8O Darn AOSS!! :frus: :giveup: :twisted: :P :lol:

ETA: Just got my skating dress... and the SPANX undergarment that I *will* wear along with it. (Oh, dear!!! The rest of me is okay but the paunch... :frus: )

Thin-Ice

09-26-2008, 02:11 AM

Prelim power threes are almost back to their best, which is passing for Bronze, but still short of passing Prelim.

The passing mark for both Preliminary and Bronze is 2.5... the power threes should be considered as passing at the same level for both tests. Are your judges really giving that much leeway to adult testers? Around here, if the standard varies, it's usually a bit higher for adult tests! (even though they are supposed to be the same)

black

09-26-2008, 07:15 AM

Fresh: Got my sit spin even lower and more turned out - so much so that the outside of my boot was skimming the ice! :D

http://www.beginningtoseethelight.org/temp/sitspin.jpg

Green: Didn't eat enough yesterday :cry: and as a result I wasn't as energetic this morning.
This has just been rectified ;) why do they bother putting calories per cake? - just tell me how many for the whole box!! :twisted: :twisted:

Mrs Redboots

09-26-2008, 08:26 AM

got in a good hour totally alone on the ice!

The other 3 skaters on the ice

went to the rink for drop in freestyle and was the only one on the ice!

What's with skating at the moment? We had a fantastic practice, too, with only two other skaters on the ice, and nobody else wanting the music! And after Husband left, I was alone on the ice for about 20 minutes.

jskater49

09-26-2008, 08:48 AM

Congratulations RachelSk8er !:bow::bow::bow:

6 am Moves class

Green - crosstrokes and doubles 3s for me translates into swing rolls, 3 turn, two foot turn and even those were horrible.

Then she goes to brackets and I've had enough doing a baby version of these hard things and ask if I can work on 3 turns. "Only if you try a couple of brackets on two feet - this will help you with your 3 turns" Okay. it wasn't so bad.

I tell her about my problem doing 3 turns at speed so she has me go on the circle, do two crossovers, and then a 3 turn...This actually helps, but I won't figure out why until our lesson...

Lesson - Green 3 turns turn to honey crisps

So in my program I do a half lutz - LO3, Mazurka, half flip and the 3 turns in this sequence are the worst part. So she reminds me about how I did the 3 turns on the circle and I realize that doing the 3 turns on the circle reminded me that I have to set up those 3 turns ON AN EDGE...in my program I was trying to turn going straight and flat. No wonder. So I tried it by slowing down and thinking first about setting up the 3 turn, on the edge, very much like I set up for my mohawk in the Swing Dance. Walla! Instant improvement. Man I love those quick fixes! Instead of thinking "I have to do a mazurka or half flip" I need to think first, set up the edge for the 3 turn. Again, as in many other problems that I thought "oh I'm too scared to do a 3 turn going fast" - no - it's not fear, it's that my body is set up so incorrectly it is IMPOSSIBLE to do the 3 turn. Set it up, 3 turn happens.

We went through the program and we had to fix my waltz jump after my back spiral - same problem, not setting up the edge and trying to do a walz jump going straight on the flat. Can't do it. That was a little harder to fix because I just have problems with the waltz in general, but we're getting there.

And I end with a two foot spin with my arms over my head and she reminded me to straighten out my elbows, head up, but shoulders down. I really like the detail. Some coaches will say - put your arms over your head...but my coach explains exactly how to do that so it looks pretty. Doesn't come natural to me so I appreciate the details.

Still a little green Last 5 minutes "pick a move" she says - so I say back crossovers. I'm making progress, I'm on the middle of my blade rather than totally forward but she wants me back more on my heels. She suggested thinking about pressing my back arm down more.

j

Rusty Blades

09-26-2008, 10:06 AM

What's with skating at the moment?

I skate a competitive session, 7 -9 weekdays, and they are usually quiet. Except immediately before a test or competition, there are usually less than 6 skaters. It is awkward, because I have to make up time at work, but there is SO MUCH mutual respect you never have to worry about what is behind you or where somebody else is going ..... BOY AM I SPOILED!

Bill_S

09-26-2008, 01:08 PM

Honey Crisp:
My cold has improved enough to return to the ice. Worked on power, footwork and spins yesterday. Not terribly great, but not shabby either. I left satisfied and very tired after 1-1/2 hours.

Two freshman skaters showed up to practice synchro. It looks like the university rink has enough students interested this year to form a synchro team once again. That's nice to see.

liz_on_ice

09-26-2008, 03:23 PM

honey crisp - did both lesson and practice this week, which is way more skating than I've gotten any given week the last few months. Worked with coach on spins, BO3, and my loop. Didn't land the loop but have plenty to work with trying. My spins are improving - forward and back - since I've been paying attention to advice given and practicing them hard.

still green - starting on sit spins - which with summer coach means doing something like a squat spin (two foot). interesting. feels pretty awkward and dorky, but I'm willing to believe in it.

doubletoe

09-26-2008, 05:08 PM

Fresh Honey Crisp
I patted myself on the back this morning for skating a nearly clean program even though I was a little tired and had only skated my program twice in the past 4 weeks. I was also proud of myself for making good headway on my new combination spin and finally fixing the wonky flying camel (looks like the fix is for real this time!).

Still a Little Green
Although made a little more progress on fixing the takeoff and air transition for the double sal, I was too tired to really go for the double and see if it was going to work. I'll test it out Sunday when I'm more rested. . . It would be nice to have that jump back.

Bill_S

09-26-2008, 05:13 PM

Honey Crisp:
Did the late afternoon session today. The session started quietly enough, but by the end, there were more axels, double-axels - and one young woman working on triple axels - than I've ever seen before. She managed to land one. Wow!

I got caught up on the excitement and tried my cheated axel-ish jump from long ago, and landed it fine. It's cheated (pre-rotated) on the takeoff badly and jumped around, but it's fun to spin that quickly in the air. Wish I had proper form though.

My footwork was getting aggressive today too. If I rotated/bracketed/landed on a too-deep edge, I just held on. I fully expected to go down with the risky things I was doing, but didn't.

Because it's homecoming at the university, there were lots of visitors around. One of them was my former coach - and it was good to see him again.

ibreakhearts66

09-26-2008, 09:13 PM

Still a Little Green
Although made a little more progress on fixing the takeoff and air transition for the double sal, I was too tired to really go for the double and see if it was going to work. I'll test it out Sunday when I'm more rested. . . It would be nice to have that jump back.

Ah, I think you mean that it will be nice when you have that jump back.

Honey Crisp
-Pre-juv moves continue to get better
-2loop2loop is pretty solid
-Spins are getting better. I'm able to do quite a few variations on sit positions.

A little green
-Double sal double loops were NOT happening today.
-Double flips are still quite moody
-Change of edge on the back sit is not working for me. My left leg always wants to come up and do this really weird thing that I can't even describe. Oh well, it should come in time.

RachelSk8er

09-27-2008, 10:06 AM

Honey crisp: Did some really nice patterns of the Blues! And 3 solid patterns of the Starlight and Paso. OK run-thru of my JR MIF test considering I've hardly worked on it since the beginning of August...power pull/quick rockers were actually somewhat decent today. It's really just the choctaws that are holding me back from testing. And my hatred for MIF.

Still green: Evvvvvvvvvverything else. Ran the current competition version of my sliver free and it was baaaaaaad. Other than my layback and step sequence, at least. Jumps were garbage today. Change of foot spins garbage. Back camels garbage. Did manage to pull off one somewhat nice camel-catch foot (then the change of foot to a sit spin after was ick). And the stupid Kilian. I hate that dance.

And it was back to working on axels today after about a month of being too busy working on other stuff. My fully rotated two footed touch down that I had this summer has gone back to me chickening out and doing a bell jump. BUT with some of the work I've done off ice with my trainer I am getting more height. Just need to quit being a chicken.

Skate@Delaware

09-27-2008, 12:13 PM

What's with skating at the moment? We had a fantastic practice, too, with only two other skaters on the ice, and nobody else wanting the music! And after Husband left, I was alone on the ice for about 20 minutes.
I'm not sure...all I can say for my rink-it's still the season for summer sports so the kids are still out. And the freestyle session is at an unusual time (3:30-4:45) so kids are still in school and most people are working.

'cept me - ;)

singerskates

09-27-2008, 01:27 PM

Crisp Fall Tarte Apples:

Waltz - higher, more upright on the landing

Toe Loop - picking better

Salchow - getting more pop on the take off, so much so that now I have to check out earlier so that I don't do more than 1 and quarter rotation.

Loop - Fully rotated, landing on correct foot & edge

Camel - has a better position

Sit - lower with free leg crossed in front and much faster including with broken leg after 4 or 5 revs

Forward Upright - faster

Corkscrew Forward - faster

Hold the blade from behind arched back forward spin (don't know the name of this) - really fast - coach said it looked really good.

LFI 3's are starting to come

LFI Mohawk - I'm starting to get use to doing them at a snails pace in and out of the Waltzing Mohawk pattern

Still Green:

Loop - landing - can't ride out the edge yet once I land it on the RBO edge - I'm stuck and end up doing a one rev loop or backspin on the ice.

Camel - dies after one and half revs or my body just has to go in either the sit position or the upright before getting out of the spin. Want to get a nice 4 rev Camel with no humps. ROTFLOL

Didn't have time to work on the Flip with coach.

Didn't work on the Preliminary Circles/Edges

More Crisp Apples:

Started playing with footwork with my coach using some of the Prelim Skills and other steps that I've gotten from other coaches (dances from higher levels and so on) in to the section of my program where the royal ball music is playing. I also on my own added some of the hand and arm movements they were doing during the movie in their dancing (will watch movie again to check out the arms more) to put with the footwork which has my Flip/Toe and my Salchow/Loop as part of the footwork sequence.

celticprincess

09-27-2008, 03:07 PM

Man another hard practice today, Im seriously extremely tired right now and I have to work to 11..hooray:x

Fresh red crisp tart apples(yummy):
-Started out the session with dedicating a half hour to warm up and moves and stuck to it.
-I LOVE doing brackets...they are improving everytime!
-Double threes are getting alot steadier and less of a whipping action.
-Power threes are getting even more powerful and consistant
-Put together a combo involving bracket, step step, double three, step step, aerial barriels(you know those half loop..jumpy things..in dance their called aerial barriels) and then into twizzles. Its fun:-)
-Sit spins are coming along nicely and Im able to hold them longer and switch into a back sit.
-I had a few very nice camel spins today which I am VERY proud of. I think that should get the Most Improved spin of the day award!! So hooray for my camel spin :bow:
-Got really nice height on my flying broken leg spin and was able to hold the spin rather well.
-Did 10 waltz jumps in a row for my jump warmup..oh boy 8O
-My salchow is getting a very nice pop to it. Im getting very close to the 2salchow. I just dont really pull in.
-JUMP OF THE DAY GOES TO.....:bow:MY LOOP!!!:bow: Hooray! Absolutely hands down that jump has definatly come a long way. Its very consistant and really fun to do. My coach even gave me permission to start working on the 2loop. I tried it a couple times and they weren't all that bad. I have the rotation, now i just need to land it.
-Flips were much better today!! Im starting to trust in my toe pick and jump backwards rather than sideways. Its getting much better.
-Lutz was good as always.
-Few axel attempts were alright but Im landing them on the wrong foot.
-Blocked my 'Evolution' showcase programme and started blocking my 'Lady In the Water" one. :)
-Had a great off ice lesson before the session which really helped my on ice practice.

Mushy Green Apples:
-Despite all the good things I did have some strange falls today:
-The first involved me going into a jump and falling out of the edge. I was one again sitting there like 'wtf'! 8O
-The second involved me during a run through of my 'evolution' programme and I had to do a stag jump. Well I guess in mid air I short of stopped or hesitiated and down I went. That one actually hurt!:frus:
-My final strange fall involved me doing a camel and for some reason I got dizzy fell onto my knees. It didn't hurt at all, I was just sitting there laughing for a moment.
-I am still struggling with my camel despite it being the most improved spin of the day. I just keep going on my toe and sort of hopping out of it. GRR
-Backspins were not really behaving either.

I guess thats about it! Overall it was a very good practice!!:D

doubletoe

09-27-2008, 03:44 PM

Ah, I think you mean that it will be nice when you have that jump back.

Yes, exactly! Thank you for that correction. ;)

jskater49

09-27-2008, 03:49 PM

I only skated about a half an hour - better than nothing I suppose. Lots of little girls that bless their hearts, they are learning to be aware, but are slow and you still have to watch out for them.

Honey crisp - worked on my 3 turns - the 3 turn from my half lutz to a mazurka is improved 100% - I'm treating it like a move in itself -not just a way to get to the mazurka....

Green - the 3 turn from the mazurka into the half flip --better, but I'm still muscling it.

Honey crisp - There's a section in my program where I simply hold an inside edge and do an arm movement - I love it. Well at first I went from that to a two foot turn...then was trying a mohawk - since it's the direction I like to turn. I realized I was putting my foot down, then stepping to a mohawk on the same foot I do the edge on - why not try to hold the edge and go straight into the mohawk. AND I DID IT! For me to have that kind of control when I have suffered so from mohawks --quite an aheivement. Yay me!

Green - so this is a figure free style session, not club so we don't have our own music, but there was a portable player on the boards everyone was using. I play my Swing music and do a half a pattern and I'm really staying on time and doing well and then WHAM - they start playing other music on the loud speaker and I can't hear my music anymore. Great everyone else gets music except me. Feeling very petulent and having other things to do today, I called it a day.

j

Skittl1321

09-27-2008, 04:35 PM

Honey Crisp Apple I passed Bronze MITF!

Here are my judges comments:
Forward crossovers- 2.5- Nice positions but more knee -- push!
Backward crossovers- 2.5- Again positions good but bend knees
Forward power 3 turns- 2.5- Less toe- more knee. Check 3 more
Landing edges- Ok- little flat/shallow
Five Step Mohawk- edges/ext ok- should flow not step/march

Overall comment- Don't be afraid to use your knees & get speed.

A little green Does anyone else get the feeling that I need to bend my knees?

Kim to the Max

09-27-2008, 04:53 PM

Honey Crisp Apple I passed Bronze MITF!

Congratulations!!!

mikawendy

09-27-2008, 05:21 PM

dbny

09-27-2008, 06:28 PM

The passing mark for both Preliminary and Bronze is 2.5... the power threes should be considered as passing at the same level for both tests. Are your judges really giving that much leeway to adult testers? Around here, if the standard varies, it's usually a bit higher for adult tests! (even though they are supposed to be the same)

The passing mark is the same, but the Primary focus is not. For Adult Pre-Bronze it is "Continuous flow and strength", for Preliminary it is "Power". What I think the really big difference is, is that for Prelim, the skater better have that continuous flow and strength in addition to power, whereas Adult Bronze will get a pass on the power as long as there is continuous flow and strength. I've seen several skaters who are doing both tracks pass the Adult move (not just this one, BTW), and fail the corresponding Standard track move. It's agreed that standards vary greatly across the country. I've never heard of judges being more demanding on adults, though! I can't see how that makes any sense at all. Adults are not going to represent us internationally at the Junior or Senior levels.

Honey Crisp Apple I passed Bronze MITF!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Are you putting this out on youtube for us?

Skittl1321

09-27-2008, 06:32 PM

Are you putting this out on youtube for us?

I'm working on it. I got the last 2.5 moves taped. (Quarkiki was acting as my coach- and she was focusing on "coaching" and not taping- and didn't get the first 2.5 moves, so it picks up on the second side of the power 3s)

Edit: They're up
Power 3- left foot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq6efrju27c
Landing edges- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVeSCh2I_aU
5 step mohawk- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thk-ZO3oJi4

jskater49

09-27-2008, 08:15 PM

:bow:Honey Crisp Apple I passed Bronze MITF!

Here are my judges comments:
Forward crossovers- 2.5- Nice positions but more knee -- push!
Backward crossovers- 2.5- Again positions good but bend knees
Forward power 3 turns- 2.5- Less toe- more knee. Check 3 more
Landing edges- Ok- little flat/shallow
Five Step Mohawk- edges/ext ok- should flow not step/march

Overall comment- Don't be afraid to use your knees & get speed.

A little green Does anyone else get the feeling that I need to bend my knees?

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:bow::bow::bow:

And honey, we ALL need to bend our knees more!;)

jazzpants

09-28-2008, 12:37 AM

Honey Crisp Apple I passed Bronze MITF!YAAAAAY!!! YAAAAAY!!!! YAAAAAY!!!! Congrats, Skittl1321!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:

http://www.cosgan.de/images/kao/musik/c040.gif http://www.cosgan.de/images/kao/musik/k015.gif http://www.cosgan.de/images/kao/musik/k055.gif

(Okay, I admit I'm slightly jealous!!! It took me 3 tries over a FOUR YEAR PERIOD before I finally passed that :frus: :frus: :frus: Bronze Moves test!!! And to this day, I STILL need to bend my knees more!!! :roll: )

Mrs Redboots

09-28-2008, 04:14 AM

Honey Crisp Apple I passed Bronze MITF!

Congratulations!!!!
Thought you would! And am glad you did.

As for us:

Honey crisp: Good runthrough of our free dance and of the Prelim Waltz.

Green and bitter: We are spoilt and the rink was a bit crowded - its usual weekend self - and couldn't get run-throughs of much else without having to abort. And Husband's feet mis-remember the steps of our Variation, which is a bit o f a pain.

phoenix

09-28-2008, 09:59 AM

We all need to bend our knees more, no matter how much we're bending them now!! It never ends.

It's interesting to see moves done in other areas--we do the 5 step a little differently here---the 3rd step is done as a push back (like to landing position) with the free foot behind, rather than in front the way you do it. Your edges on that one were nice though. Congratulations!!

For me:
Honey Crisp (which I just tried yesterday for the first time--yum!!): Had a really good lesson this week. Worked on Viennese (for AN) most of the time, tweaked some things, worked on some of the weak areas. I think it will get there in time (good thing I started so early!!). At the end we worked on Paso, and I got those words that are so sweet to a student's ears: "It's a LOT better--I can tell you've worked on it!" Yay! And he's right--I did indeed kill myself working on it over the last week. It paid off! So I still have hope of having it ready to test in Dec.

Green Apple: My skates are getting too dull, so I was backing off a bit on the edge exercises we did at the beginning. He's wanting them big, fast, and DEEP, and I was holding back a shade because I didn't quite trust the edges. Going to try & get them done later today.

doubletoe

09-28-2008, 12:04 PM

CONGRATULATIONS, SKITTL!!!

It's agreed that standards vary greatly across the country. I've never heard of judges being more demanding on adults, though! I can't see how that makes any sense at all. Adults are not going to represent us internationally at the Junior or Senior levels.

Now that I've tested the same moves under both Adult and standard track, I can vouch for that! I passed every move on the Adult Gold MIF test on the first try, but could not get the extra 0.2 required to pass the brackets or double 3's on the Intermediate test even though they had improved since my Adult Gold test. :roll:

LilJen

09-28-2008, 01:19 PM

I'm working on it. I got the last 2.5 moves taped. (Quarkiki was acting as my coach- and she was focusing on "coaching" and not taping- and didn't get the first 2.5 moves, so it picks up on the second side of the power 3s)

Edit: They're up
Power 3- left foot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq6efrju27c
Landing edges- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVeSCh2I_aU
5 step mohawk- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thk-ZO3oJi4

Thank you for the sneak peek! I've just started to work on my Bronze moves and I always like to have some passing standard moves to help me along. My coach has said the same about the 5-step--each one needs to be a STROKE, not stepped or marched.

Skittl1321

09-28-2008, 01:24 PM

My coach has said the same about the 5-step--each one needs to be a STROKE, not stepped or marched.

Yeah- my coach told me that too, and sometimes I'm even able to do it. During the test I was just trying to keep the cadence even though, which is probably how it got march-like, another coach really stressed that on this move the timing is really important. And on the 3rd step I kept thinking "push"- because that's the one I'm least likely to push on, but I'm not sure I ever did it. It's the thought that counts- right?

Thanks all for the congrats :) I'm still so excited.

jskater49

09-28-2008, 03:18 PM

Yeah- my coach told me that too, and sometimes I'm even able to do it. During the test I was just trying to keep the cadence even though, which is probably how it got march-like, another coach really stressed that on this move the timing is really important. And on the 3rd step I kept thinking "push"- because that's the one I'm least likely to push on, but I'm not sure I ever did it. It's the thought that counts- right?

Thanks all for the congrats :) I'm still so excited.

I think the cadence is the thing -I think that's why I passed those even though my mohawks are pretty slopping and I could not seem to get the last step on an outside edge...but I counted them like a dance. I also made an effort to touch my feet before each step because I heard they don't like wide stepping on that move.

j

Skittl1321

09-28-2008, 03:44 PM

I think the cadence is the thing -I think that's why I passed those even though my mohawks are pretty slopping and I could not seem to get the last step on an outside edge...but I counted them like a dance. I also made an effort to touch my feet before each step because I heard they don't like wide stepping on that move.

j

Yeah- all the coaches I worked with on that move (my coach, my group coach, and my synchro coach) told me to be really careful about wide stepping. Doubletoe mentioned the foot in front on the 3rd step- and I don't know if that's "the way it's done here" or just something a coach had ME do, because the landing edge position was causing a wide step. Other people did the move for the pre-juv test, and I watched them all, but I don't know which way they did it. I was watching more for "swing" mohawks, vs one stepped to the instep, because of something a coach had said to me earlier in the day. I can't remember if I originally did the leg the other way or not. I know my group coach told me that the leg positions are optional but they have to have good extension wherever you put them.

I do know when I started this move my group coach told me I looked like what he imagined a toy soldier would look like when they did the move. Apparently with NO knee bend at all, it becomes very marchy. I swear my legs were NEVER as straight as he seemed to think they were!

The last step is on an outside edge? I hate that stupid slip step, but I thought it was an inside edge?

RachelSk8er

09-28-2008, 04:25 PM

We all need to bend our knees more, no matter how much we're bending them now!! It never ends.

Ha ha seriously I've been hearing that from coaches in every discipline I've done, judges etc for 20 years now.

Just watched the DVD from my last comp (finally got a copy from my friend)...need to jump higher, lower sit spins, and actually lay back more on my layback, and little things like more toe point, better extension, and putting more meaning behind movements (i.e. arm movements coming from the ribcage--more lean, etc). You know, this type of stuff that it always *feels* like you're doing, but when you watch it in video, it may not be enough? I need to ask my coach to start taping me more, hopefully he got his video camera fixed. And I'll get DVDs from Buckeye next month to compare.

And I've decided that I'm not wearing my red dance dress again until I lose about 20 lbs. Way too open in the back without nude fabric for the bit of back flab I've developed the past few years (ick....man do I miss college when I had time to spend 3 hrs/day in the gym). At least working full time, going to law school at night, and spending most of my weekend locked up studying (aside from the few hours I manage to escape to skate) has me basically subsiding on Turkey/veggies on wheat subs from Subway, water and diet coke. That should help matters. Goal for this week is to start making it to the rink an extra morning and the gym during my lunch hour more than once a week (although my gym is at the Jewish Center next to my office and it's closed for the holiday Monday and Tuesday).

looplover

09-28-2008, 04:58 PM

Congratulations Skittl!!!! :bow::bow::bow::bow:

Fresh Honey Crisp: oddly, my back power pulls are suddenly powerful - I accidentally got into the right position and the light bulb went on. This is good since I have that part of novice (?) moves in my footwork. I practiced that part of silver moves a lot today because I was lucky enough to be the only person on the ice for a public session for about 20 min - on a Sunday! Also worked on the beginning of my new program and making the presentation better, which I think is going ok. Eight-step in silver moves is pretty solid.

A little green: a lot of stuff for this one...haven't been practicing as much as I need to practice. Had trouble last week doing loops at fast speed, so I have to work on setting them up quickly. The flip hell is still ongoing, so the lutz is not even a factor. Back sit - uh no. I just have to come up with the cash for more practice and that's that. I'm concerned that if I don't, my bronze program will be very basic except for footwork...my skating will be powerful but with low level jumps. Ooh also green - those 3 turns in the silver moves - they look great with tiny lobes but that won't pass! :frus:

ibreakhearts66

09-28-2008, 05:14 PM

Congratulations Skittl!!!! :bow::bow::bow::bow:

(snip)
A little green: a lot of stuff for this one...haven't been practicing as much as I need to practice. Had trouble last week doing loops at fast speed, so I have to work on setting them up quickly. The flip hell is still ongoing, so the lutz is not even a factor. Back sit - uh no. I just have to come up with the cash for more practice and that's that. I'm concerned that if I don't, my bronze program will be very basic except for footwork...my skating will be powerful but with low level jumps. Ooh also green - those 3 turns in the silver moves - they look great with tiny lobes but that won't pass! :frus:

Well if bronze FS is anything like pre-pre, preliminary or pre-juv, powerful skating with lower level jumps will be rewarded over more difficult jumps with weak skating. Trust me, I know :roll:

And in regards to the knee-bending discussion, add me to the list of people that need to bend their knees. It doesn't help that my legs are longer than the average skater. But yeah, I'm far too stiff in the knees. I'm working on it though!

*JennaD*

09-28-2008, 05:57 PM

Crisp Apples: I finally had a dance lesson with my dance partner yesterday!!!! I hadn't seen him in about 2 months....! so ya, we started working on my Killian again!! My double sals were ALLLL only 1/4 turn cheated which is soo good for me!!! I'm so excited that they were all so close to clean :) and I was pulling in superrr tight in my double loop !

A little green: I was pulling in SO tight in my double loop that I got my blade caught in my tights about 3 times and fell really hard because of that 8O And my skills were horribleeeee yesterday...:frus:

jskater49

09-28-2008, 06:41 PM

The last step is on an outside edge? I hate that stupid slip step, but I thought it was an inside edge?

I'm so bad at describing this stuff--no I meant the 4th step on the forward outside edge from the back edge...I would tend to go my flat. The slip is an inside.

j

Stormy

09-28-2008, 07:08 PM

Honey Crisp- I almost landed double toes today! They were completely clean, correct (no toe axels) and just a little two footed! I haven't tried double toes in years and years and my coach had me try one on a whim and to my shock, they actually rotated! I have to do them out of a split jump, but they were really good!

Little green: Everything else. I am sick with a head cold, so that messes up my head and it's hard to spin and do axels.

doubletoe

09-28-2008, 10:06 PM

Thin-Ice

09-29-2008, 02:17 AM

The passing mark is the same, but the Primary focus is not. For Adult Pre-Bronze it is "Continuous flow and strength", for Preliminary it is "Power". What I think the really big difference is, is that for Prelim, the skater better have that continuous flow and strength in addition to power, whereas Adult Bronze will get a pass on the power as long as there is continuous flow and strength. I've seen several skaters who are doing both tracks pass the Adult move (not just this one, BTW), and fail the corresponding Standard track move. It's agreed that standards vary greatly across the country. I've never heard of judges being more demanding on adults, though! I can't see how that makes any sense at all. Adults are not going to represent us internationally at the Junior or Senior levels.

Oh, of course you're right about the difference in focus. That had slipped my mind. Thanks for reminding me! When I said some judges can be more demanding of adults taking tests, I meant adults taking standard track tests, since many seem to expect more of the 27 (or 57) year old beginner than the 7 year old beginner taking Pre-Pre or Preliminary tests.... not sure why this is, since I don't recall there being a "cuteness" mark. :lol:

jskater49

09-29-2008, 05:21 AM

Oh, of course you're right about the difference in focus. That had slipped my mind. Thanks for reminding me! When I said some judges can be more demanding of adults taking tests, I meant adults taking standard track tests, since many seem to expect more of the 27 (or 57) year old beginner than the 7 year old beginner taking Pre-Pre or Preliminary tests.... not sure why this is, since I don't recall there being a "cuteness" mark. :lol:

I think part of the problem is that bad skating just looks worse when an adult does it than when a kid does it.

j

Thin-Ice

09-29-2008, 06:08 AM

I think part of the problem is that bad skating just looks worse when an adult does it than when a kid does it.j

You mean there's more leg that's not fully extended and more room to show the knee isn't really bent? And that the arm is really just hanging there in some sort of half-way not-really-a-position and that the head is sort of dropped? This completely describes my skating most days!

But as my coach says "you can look really good, if EVERYTHING is where it's supposed to be.. but when it's not, it really shows because there's so much of you!" (I'm 5'8" tall -- and she's 5'2" if she REALLY stretches.. which of course, she always does!)

jenlyon60

09-29-2008, 07:09 AM

I think also it's because a lot of adult skaters seem to skate out on the ice with body language that comes across as "tentative" or "cautious".

Debbie S

09-29-2008, 08:58 AM

What I think the really big difference is, is that for Prelim, the skater better have that continuous flow and strength in addition to power, whereas Adult Bronze will get a pass on the power as long as there is continuous flow and strength. What I've gotten from reading the description of "power" in the moves manual and talking to judges, is that "continuous flow and strength" is basically power minus acceleration (IOW a constant rate of (high) speed and flow but not necessarily increasing throughout the move....although for some moves, namely the Gold MIF power circles, acc is definitely expected). I don't think there's a specific definition for continuous flow and strength in any manual or rulebook - would be a good idea, esp since some judges basically disregard that and judge according to the standard track standard. As for whether judges are tougher or easier on adults vs kids, I've seen it both ways, at low and high levels. Like with everything else in skating, it's subjective and depends on the judge(s).

LilJen

09-29-2008, 09:08 AM

Green: Last night's synchro practice. Seemed to be an awful lot of tension and moaning and groaning among many skaters :cry: I don't know how this project of having an adult synchro team with skills ranging from "competed at senior level as a kid/teen" to "I can barely stand up" will end up. Our range wasn't quite this wide last year. We've been doing a lot of work on basic skills at our practices, which is good, but it gets VERY monotonous to do 15 minutes of the Dutch waltz over and over simply for the benefit of the skaters who don't know the steps yet. 'course I'm not one to talk, having only recently left the ranks of barely standing up.
Also scary: For the full synchro (adults and teens) coach is talking not just twizzles but brackets--eek!! Yes, I am three moves tests away from even officially needing brackets. . .

Honeycrisp: Well, the easier stuff in the first minute of our program is coming together and getting smoother, even if we did need about half an hour to figure out how to get from a 4-spoke to a block :roll:
Did actually manage a few choctaws (LFI-RBI) for the higher-level team work : ) That is at least less scary than the idea of brackets and probably steadier than my wimpy twizzles.

Pgh.Coach

09-29-2008, 09:32 AM

What I've gotten from reading the description of "power" in the moves manual and talking to judges, is that "continuous flow and strength" is basically power minus acceleration (IOW a constant rate of (high) speed and flow but not necessarily increasing throughout the move....although for some moves, namely the Gold MIF power circles, acc is definitely expected).

That's how I'd define "power" as well: continous flow and strength.

Like you pointed out, acceleration is slightly different from power, but typically a judge will not expect strictly acceleration unless a move specifies it.

jenlyon60

09-29-2008, 10:19 AM

I try to look at not only the speed/consistency of flow down the ice, but also "is the rate of movement consistent" or is there a noticeable "slow down/speed up".

I also look at the blade action. If the strokes appear extremely steppy with stiff knees or very little knee action, then to me, there's generally not much "continuous flow and strength". But if there's a bona fide attempt at consistent pushes from the blade and/or some attempt at a soft knee action, then, especially at the Pre-Bronze/Bronze level, I generally consider that to suffice.

Of course having said all that, it also depends on how well the elements are skated. Jerked/ripped 3's distract from "continuous flow and strength". Or chopped mohawks, etc....

dbny

09-29-2008, 12:44 PM

When I said some judges can be more demanding of adults taking tests, I meant adults taking standard track tests, since many seem to expect more of the 27 (or 57) year old beginner than the 7 year old beginner taking Pre-Pre or Preliminary tests.... not sure why this is, since I don't recall there being a "cuteness" mark. :lol:

Yes, I have heard of that too! I know an adult skater with beautiful form, flow and killer alt threes on the line who failed Prelim moves because the judges said her free leg wasn't high enough in the spirals. I have seen kids pass that test with worse moves all around, including spirals, so I really think the judges were simply hostile to adults in the standard track in that case.

I think part of the problem is that bad skating just looks worse when an adult does it than when a kid does it.
j

ITA

I think also it's because a lot of adult skaters seem to skate out on the ice with body language that comes across as "tentative" or "cautious".

And I think this is why the adults look worse than the kids. I call it the "scared adult skater look" and dread it above all else.

As for whether judges are tougher or easier on adults vs kids, I've seen it both ways, at low and high levels. Like with everything else in skating, it's subjective and depends on the judge(s).

I think moves could use a system similar to the CoP to help objectify the judging.

Pgh.Coach

09-29-2008, 12:56 PM

As for whether judges are tougher or easier on adults vs kids, I've seen it both ways, at low and high levels. Like with everything else in skating, it's subjective and depends on the judge(s).

Yes, but you must also remember that regardless of whether an adult (or any aged skater for that matter) is taking a standard or adult track test, there are still passing standards for each level that need to be met. So, while judges may not necessarily expect an adult to have a spiral as high as a 7 year old's, they are still expected to attain a basic spiral position (head up, back arched, toes turned out and pointed, strong extensions, leg at hip level [or higher], etc.).