2010 Adults National: "Bloomington or Bust" thread

[jazzpants]

I will be a "bust" this time. I am working on the Silver Moves tests. Just need a mental break from competing for a while and work on those things I need to work on to improve my skating w/o distraction. I might still do a program just to keep my speed up, in case I change my mind!!! :)

Who's going? If you are a pre-Bronze lady working towards going, there might be a champagne torch for 'ya... ;)

[flying~camel]

I will be there COMPETING this time!

Right now, the plan is A/D Interp 1 & LE/C Interp 1. Whether I do freestyle will depend on whether I can pass my Silver tests before 1/15 (it all depends on time & health, right now).

[rsk8d]

Does anyone know where adult Easterns might be next year? Thanks!

[TreSk8sAZ]

I'm hoping to be there. It will depend on a couple of things. First is health - I'm still not back on the ice, but I'm going to try to get back on after graduation in a couple of weeks (really don't want to do something to the knee or anything else before then - law school graduation on crutches would NOT be fun). Second thing is money - I haven't yet found a job, and the legal market is not good right now. I might not have any money to use to go!

But if I do, I'll stay at Silver I FS and Light Ent/Comedy I, then solo dance at some level. Realistically, FS might not be able to happen if the knee isn't good and I can't get everything back, so that might drop and I just do dance and artistic.

[phoenix]

I'm hoping to go; it will probably mainly depend on finances. I'll do gold solo dance again...unless they add in the in-between levels in which case I'd be able to do pre-gold. Hoping they stay clear of the Argentine Tango!! Hoping for Quickstep! **cross fingers and hope hope hope**

[Hannahclear]

I'm a maybe at this point. If I do go, I'll probably do interpretive and maybe Silver. I'm going to be working on passing the FS test. I wouldn't be competitive, but I might just skate my test program. I really just want to pass Silver FS.

Also, I need to know the dates before I can be sure. Maybe next month for those?

[Skittl1321]

I've put off Silver Moves to work on Bronze Free- but with lessons down to 10 minutes a week, I'm not sure if I'll be able to test in time. I have a program all ready to go- problem is, I can't do the jumps that fast :(

[NoVa Sk8r]

Also, I need to know the dates before I can be sure. Maybe next month for those?The dates for next year's AN are already set: April 13-17, 2010.
http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_details.asp?id=42207

(I'll be there for singles. Not sure about pairs yet!)

[vesperholly]

I'll be there with bells on! For sure, Gold solo dance (provided I pass my Kilian) and Masters art/dramatic interp 1, Masters light ent/comedy interp 1.

Still undecided on moving up to Gold FS - I have a clean axel but I've never landed it in competition. Stamina is also a struggle for me, so a 2:40 program might not be advisable. :lol: I'm concentrating on passing Senior MIF first, so if I don't have time, the freestyle test will be the first to fall by the wayside. Buuut ... I've been Silver forever, and I'd really like to compete under IJS. We'll see! :)

And I just realized that I have two more years as a I instead of just one year. Sheesh, I'll never be a II!

[jazzpants]

And I just realized that I have two more years as a I instead of just one year. Sheesh, I'll never be a II!Believe or not, even though I got my butt kicked at Skate SF, I was happy to be a II this past Nov. if nothing else b/c I get to say that I'm a II one last time!!! :P

Not happy to be a Bronze Ladies III. THAT is a VERY LARGE...and TOUGH group of talented ladies there!!! 8O :giveup:

[Thin-Ice]

Count me in for AN 2010. In my first day back on the ice, my coach started working on "new and harder footwork". I haven't even thought of music yet.. but she's never let a little think like that stop her!:roll:

[flying~camel]

Sheesh, I'll never be a II!

That is EXACTLY how I feel! Unless they change the rules AGAIN, 2010 will be my last year as a I!

[RachelSk8er]

I'll be there!

Silver Free (starting new program next week), I'll be silver for a while, not making any concrete plans to move up while in law school (if it happens, it happens...basically, if I have a consistent axel and am in the top 3 at AN two years in a row, or if by some miracle I get a consistent double, I'll move up because at that point I should, but I'm not setting a timeline).
Masters I A/D interp (keeping same program)
Masters I Lt Ent/Comedy interp (new program I didn't have time to put together this year)

As for solo dance, I'll do it for sure but what level is up in the air. As of now, I'm staying silver, because other than testing 1 pre-gold soon, I'm taking a break from dance for a bit to finish my JR and SR MIF tests. (With moves changing, I want to get those done...dance isn't going anywhere). If pre-levels get added, I'll consider moving up to pre-gold. Don't want to make the jump to gold just yet, even though it's really only one gold dance if the structure stays the same. It will also depend on what the dances are. If the Killian is being competed for gold (or pre-gold if it's added), forget it I'm staying silver. Ha ha.

I'm a I until 2013. I will turn 31 in January 2012, but since my birthday is a few days after AN apps are due, I'm still a I. That will be a strange year, because any of the spring comps that have apps due after my birthday will have me at II, but AN, Mids, and anything else due before my birthday will have me compete as a I (provided there are enough entries to split I and II).

[Clarice]

Assuming we pass our tests, my partner and I will be there in Pre-Bronze Dance. I'll also do solo dance and an interpretive (first year in IV), but probably not a free skate. I want to concentrate on dance this next year, and do my First Figure Test.

[alliegator66]

I'm in for this one for sure at silver ladies 2. My best girlfriend lives in Minneapolis, so I'll stay with her :) My 1st and only AN was a disaster for me, an awful skate and last in my qualifying group, and now I get the chance to replace that memory with a better one.
I'm lucky it's planned for MN, if it were anywhere else I probably wouldn't go as I'm saving my $ for Mountain Cup '10.

[liz_on_ice]

If I pass Pre-Bronze and Bronze this summer while I'm working with my USFSA coach, I may go. I have relatives in Minneapolis to visit and maybe stay with. It's an ambitious goal, but not out of reach, we'll have to see. :D

[Thin-Ice]

Assuming we pass our tests, my partner and I will be there in Pre-Bronze Dance. I'll also do solo dance and an interpretive (first year in IV), but probably not a free skate. I want to concentrate on dance this next year, and do my First Figure Test.

Hurray!!! I'm looking forward to FINALLY meeting you. I'll also be in Interp. IV. Do you plan to do an artistic/dramatic or a comedy/charachter/light entertainment?

[flo]

I'd like to be returning for my 16th, but who knows.

[sk8ryellow]

Wow I see you all are planning WAY ahead of time...

[Mel On Ice]

I really missed being on the ice this year and am gung-ho for skating in three events next year. Who knows, maybe I'll take a few dance tests and enter solo dance for a giggle.

Let's hope I get the camel and lutz back in this post-pregnancy training!

[Terri C]

I'm considering next year, but can I recover from last week first??

[techskater]

I'm in - started my new Gold FS program this morning. If it doesn't kill me...

[looplover]

I'd like to think so, but I'm currently on break from skating! If I'm back in the early fall then I'm going.

[daisies]

I just got my vacation request at work approved for next year, so I intend to be there! No. 16!

Definitely doing Masters Novice again and might also try to qualify again for Championship. I have to wait and see when and where Adult Sectionals are to make sure I can take that time off work.

Solo dance ... hmmm. Don't know. Definitely not doing Silver again, but I still need to pass a pre-Gold before I can move up. I intend to start working on a couple of them soon, it's just going to depend on when I can get lessons. I don't think there will be any "pre-" levels next year; this is a two-year trial for Bronze, Silver and Gold and only after that can anything be changed, and it would have to go through GC. (Hopefully anyone who wants the addition of "pre-" levels said so on their Solo Dance survey in your competitors packet!)

If I don't do solo dance, I will do Interp. This year was the first year in 15 years that I didn't do Interp, and I must admit, it felt a little odd!

[sk8rpinkLisa]

I plan on going too if things keep going well with work. I'm putting together a brand new program. Ladies Gold III :lol:

[sk8ryellow]

I thought if I was good enough we were doing regionals?

[doubletoe]

I'll be there with bells on! For sure, Gold solo dance (provided I pass my Kilian) and Masters art/dramatic interp 1, Masters light ent/comedy interp 1.

Still undecided on moving up to Gold FS - I have a clean axel but I've never landed it in competition. Stamina is also a struggle for me, so a 2:40 program might not be advisable. :lol: I'm concentrating on passing Senior MIF first, so if I don't have time, the freestyle test will be the first to fall by the wayside. Buuut ... I've been Silver forever, and I'd really like to compete under IJS. We'll see! :)

And I just realized that I have two more years as a I instead of just one year. Sheesh, I'll never be a II!

If you cut & choreograph a 2:10 Silver program and a 2:30 Gold program, you can compete Silver at Sectionals and Nationals but skate up a level to Gold at a local competition that uses IJS judging for Gold. Best of both worlds! :)

[sk8ryellow]

I still don't get why theres a thread on this when its a year away...

[doubletoe]

I just got my vacation request at work approved for next year, so I intend to be there!

You ARE a planner! LOL!!

[techskater]

I still don't get why theres a thread on this when its a year away...

Because most adult skaters are OCD/perfectionists/etc who make sure we know what the plan is. I've been planning my vacation to Mexico for November since LAST November.

[TreSk8sAZ]

I still don't get why theres a thread on this when its a year away...

We put this thread together to let each other know what our goals are, who is going, and also to encourage each other as people test, put together new programs, or try to move up to the next level. The adults who partipate in ANs (and adults from elsewhere who support us) are a community and we do what we can to help each other out - even if that's just a thread on a skating forum.

[sk8ryellow]

oh, cool!!!!

[jazzpants]

To add to what everyone else says, it's a yearly tradition... it started when I was still a Pre-Bronze skater and it was my way of psyching myself up to work hard so that I would pass my tests. As you see from my signature here, I passed my test in late 2006 (working with your mom's coach and another coach) and this past AN is my second one!!! I've continued the tradition of posting this thread for next year as a way to have someone else psych themselves up to pass their Bronze FS so they can prepare their programs and go!!!

The other tradition now is that there will be a new recipient for the Pre-Bronze Peanut Gallery champagne torch, where a worthy Pre-Bronze skater who posts here on the lesson/practice thread and has been working for a while thru their Pre-Bronze and Bronze tests to move up to Bronze FS. Unfortunately, it will be whenever Terri C decides to pass on the torch, since I passed it to her this year and Mel On Ice passed it to me the year before. (Never mind that I'm not going next year but for other reasons...)

[daisies]

You ARE a planner! LOL!!

It's my Virgo-ness combined with the fact that two people can't be out at the same time at work ... gotta get my requests in before others do!

[RachelSk8er]

It's my Virgo-ness combined with the fact that two people can't be out at the same time at work ... gotta get my requests in before others do!


Yeah I need to get my PTO request in for that week, too.

[Thin-Ice]

I just got my vacation request at work approved for next year, so I intend to be there! No. 16!

Lucky you! Where I work we're not allowed to request vacation for anything until January 1st (which always makes it difficult to get New Year's Day off!). And then they take their sweet time approving vacation requests... so I always have to assume I will get the time off for Adult Sectionals and Adult Nationals when I submit my entry forms. This year I didn't get official approval for AS until February 1st and that was after pressuring everyone who has to sign off on the forms, and it was mid-March before I received the treasured "pink vacation approval" for AN. Of course, I had already booked flights, room, etc. eons before that. (I'm not a real Virgo, but am on the cusp and have many of the Virgo tendencies... so I'm only "SLIGHTLY obsessive". :lol:)

[jazzpants]

Well, back when I HAD a job, I made it a contigency that I get a couple of sets of time off. One was my SIL wedding. Another was Christmas (which ended up being not much of a surprise since my now ex-company was forcing employees to take their vacations by the end of the year... :frus:) Third one was... Adults National. (My (now ex-) boss thought my being a figure skating competitor was KEWL. I guess his wife and three daughters sorta trained him REALLY GOOD, huh? ;) )

My DH is a Virgo too...and every bit obsessive about vacation times. :lol:

[LilJen]

Well, coach wants 3 of us adults to go to Mids at least. If I can get Bronze FS, swell; if not I could go for Bronze solo dance (working on the last 2 pre-bronze dances and would need to get a Bronze dance under my belt, obviously). . . It's a 10-hour drive, though. . .

Lucky for me as a self-employed person I can declare vacation whenever I want. . . so long as it works for my clients, my 7yo daughter, dh, the bottom line, paying the bills, y'know, that kind of stuff. . .

[Black Sheep]

I'd love to be walking without pain by next week! :lol:

Seriously, though....Truth is, I really miss skating in shows. This year, both my practice rink and my club rink had theirs during AN. At my practice rink, I watched kids working on show numbers. How I longed to be a part of that instead of "throwing myself to the wolves" in competition again! In the fall, I'm going to ask the skating director(s) if they'd like to have me participate! 8-)

[Skate@Delaware]

It doesn't look good for me next year (hmm last year was due to injury) as I should be in nursing clinicals. If so, then there won't be any skating for me during the spring of 2010. :cry: Or the following year.

I don't know how I will stay sane! 8O

[Stormy]

If you cut & choreograph a 2:10 Silver program and a 2:30 Gold program, you can compete Silver at Sectionals and Nationals but skate up a level to Gold at a local competition that uses IJS judging for Gold. Best of both worlds! :)

I did that, and worked out quite well. I actually did Open Gold at Easterns, and Silver at Nationals.

Barring any unfortunate circumstances, I will be in Bloomington! My time in Class I has expired, after being lucky enough to get bumped back down to I this year after being II last year, I am now back in II again. So, open Gold II and I'll definitely be trying for Championship again.

[RachelSk8er]

I did that, and worked out quite well. I actually did Open Gold at Easterns, and Silver at Nationals.

Barring any unfortunate circumstances, I will be in Bloomington! My time in Class I has expired, after being lucky enough to get bumped back down to I this year after being II last year, I am now back in II again. So, open Gold II and I'll definitely be trying for Championship again.

Boo that's right. That means irregardless of when I move up to gold, we won't be in the same group until 2013 since I'll get stuck in I at AN an extra year d/t when my bday falls. I guess that means we've each got 3 more years of a coach at ANs :)

[Terri C]

So does anyone know any particulars about the Bloomington area, besides also being home of the Mall of America?

[RachelSk8er]

So does anyone know any particulars about the Bloomington area, besides also being home of the Mall of America?

If it's the same rink they used for synchro midwesterns a gazillion years ago (1997), it's pretty nice. It was roomy for that competition, which is the biggest competition USFS holds every year in terms of numbers, so we'll be fine. But then again this is MN and there are rinks on every street corner, so it may be a different arena :)

[Terri C]

I tend to think that since it's a three surface facility, that even the practices will be there as well!!
Any good suggestions for hotels, restuarants, etc out there?

[flying~camel]

A couple of the 2010 co-chairs were at AN 09, so we got (and gave) a little bit of info from them.

It is a 3-rink facility, so practice & competition will be in the same rink, but they said there aren't really any hotels, restaurants or shopping very close to the rink (sounds like it will be similar to the AN 07 Bensenville rink).

[jazzpants]

So does anyone know any particulars about the Bloomington area, besides also being home of the Mall of America?Starting with WHICH airport? Can't plan/budget for a trip with that info. ;) (Ooooooh!!! MALLS!!!! :mrgreen: But there goes the budget right there!!! One would have to budget for that HUGE shopping trip!!! )

[Stormy]

A couple of the 2010 co-chairs were at AN 09, so we got (and gave) a little bit of info from them.

It is a 3-rink facility, so practice & competition will be in the same rink, but they said there aren't really any hotels, restaurants or shopping very close to the rink (sounds like it will be similar to the AN 07 Bensenville rink).

I did hear someone saying that there will be shuttles to and from the airport, hotels, rink and mall. Hopefully that's true, might not need a rental car in that case!

[techskater]

Starting with WHICH airport? Can't plan/budget for a trip with that info. ;) (Ooooooh!!! MALLS!!!! :mrgreen: But there goes the budget right there!!! One would have to budget for that HUGE shopping trip!!! )

Airport is Minneapolis/St Paul (MSP)

[SkateGuard]

So does anyone know any particulars about the Bloomington area, besides also being home of the Mall of America?

Bloomington is a rather large area. Of course, you have the Mall of America (and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport right across I-494). 98th street (which houses the rink) runs parallel and about a half mile or so south of I-494. Along 494, from the mall to MN-100, you have every possible chain/class of hotel, restaurants, and shopping.

The rink is a park district facility, but very nice. As a result, it's in a residential area (much like Bensenville), but there are some restaurants and a Lund's grocery store (kinda like Whole Foods) somewhat nearby (a few blocks) that I think houses a Caribou Coffee (a MN chain that competes against Starbucks locally, but has outlets throughout the Midwest), as well as a prepared food section where you can get sandwiches, salads, sushi, etc.

For ice dancers, the annual Minneapois Ice Dance Weekend is held at the Bloomington Ice Garden in late July....if you can make it there, it's a great way to scope out the area.

side notes: there are no sales taxes on groceries or clothing in MN, MSP is a huge Delta hub (the home base for Northwest, which will probably be gone by then) but has to compete with Southwest and AirTran, there is a train that goes from the MOA to downtown Minneapolis (which has a ton of cool bars/clubs), and for you Dunkin' Donuts fans...there is not a single store in the state of MN.

I am currently planning on going because I have quite a few friends living in the area who want to see me skate, but I can't commit until I deal with some other financial issues.

As for the people requesting vacation....I'm still trying to figure out what I need to do for Peach, which is two weeks after my current contract is supposed to end. Then again, I am an Aquarius....:P

SkateGuard
former member of FSC of Minneapolis