Greetings from Lake Placid Adult Week - August 2009

[2salch0w]

Hi everyone.

Having a great time up here in Lake Placid so far. I'm here with my extended family - 10 of us all together, so it has been a lot of skating balanced with non-skating family activities (hiking, kayaking, shopping, eating, sight seeing.)

Weather has been mostly good. Some rain and on the cool side, but some nice weather mixed in, too. Yesterday was a perfect day - sunny and low to mid 70s. Today is rainy and COLD - low 60s. This morning at 6am I was fuh-reezing!

This adult week seems to be pretty well attended. I've been mostly on the early morning sessions, and by 7:30 we have a pretty good crowd on the 1980 rink (but not too crowded). I haven't been to any of the group classes yet, but this afternoon we start the Pairs sessions and I'm looking forward to that.

Stephanie and I, along with Lee & Andrea and Karen and James, and perhaps another team, will be taking some pairs group lessons from John Zimmerman and The Protopopovs. Really looking forward to this. Steph and I worked with John on Monday and got some great tips on our twist lift, death spiral and throw loop.

It was nice to see some people I've met here before in previous years (Janet, Lou, Lara), and also to meet some new people.

More later ...

Tim

[2salch0w]

Hello again.

Today was really nice - very sunny and cool, maybe 70 for the high temp, which is even cold for LP in August. But it looks like it was cool in general in the Northeast.

The past 2 afternoons there were pair group lessons, which had about 6 teams on each. The first session was with John Zimmerman, then the second session was with the Protopopovs. On Wednesday we worked on throw jumps with John, which was really good. Today we did death spiral exercises and basic lift footwork.

The Protopopovs focused on stroking exercises, several of them, which were a real workout. It is just amazing how they still do these and make it look effortless, and the rest of us (all about 25-30 years younger than them) are getting totally wiped by it.

At the end of the lesson they treat us to a death spiral, that looks every bit as good as any you see today at the senior level.

In other non-pair news -- Seems like a few more skaters arrived for the latter 1/2 of the week. The morning was fairly busy.

The 1980 ice has been LOUSY, but the USA rink has been nice. I haven't been on the 1932 rink yet. They are doing some major construction on part of the 1932 building, which is kinda sad - a big chunk of it was torn down, including the part that had the Lussi rink (I think). But I don't think that room has been a rink for a while, from what I've heard.

For gossip lovers - there was an altercation in the ladies locker room involving an adult skater and a senior-level skater that is also training at the center. I don't know the details, but it has something to do with someone's bag in someone's way, some kicking of said bag, and it ended with a slap across the face. That's all the details I needed! MEOW!

Speaking of locker rooms, on TWO occasions I have encountered a female skater in the men's locker room. Not an adult skater, and they weren't lost. Just hanging out there with their partner, like it is totally normal. One time I was going to change, and I really wanted to just to make a point, but I didn't. Whatever - doesn't bother me much, it is just surprising.

Stephanie and I are signing up for the Saturday show, where we'll give our show/interp program a try. The music is U2's "Vertigo" and it is fun to skate to. We haven't done it in front of people yet - we'll see what happens.

I was checking out some other skaters' run throughs this week and I think there will be some great stuff in the show this year.

All for now ...

Tim

[happysk8tes]

Hey Tim,

I was up in LP for a glorious day on Wednesday. Sorry I missed seeing you.

Question: Are you taking John Zimmerman's "Butterflies" class today? And if so,,,,,,,,,,,, what's a skating Butterfly? Is it that move where he's on both knees sliding on the ice, with his hands extended?

Pat

[Pandora]

A "butterfly" is a type of horizontal twisting jump (like an arabian). It's sometimes done in a series (like flying cartwheels) or as an enterence to a flying camel.....But since this is an advanced move, I'm not sure if this is really what he is teaching...... (or if he is using the term to mean a completely different move)....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSM0AOAsWuY (butterfly at .28)

Would really like to go to Lake Placid for adult week next year. Sounds like tons of fun!!!:)
Was wondering.....where are the adult skaters staying?? Do the hotels/motels have discounted rates? Is there one that is specifically assigned through the program or do we make our own accomidations? Can anyone recommend anything??

[sk8lady]

A lot of skaters stay at the Golden Arrow, since it's right across the street. I actually got a better rate just walking in off the street than I saw when I looked ahead of time online (but I wouldn't generally recommend it--I don't know if it's typical.)

I didn't talk to anyone who actually saw the altercation in the locker room, but there were a lot of bad feelings all around, including between the local coaches and some of the visiting coaches apparently preparing numerous couples from their countries for the upcoming dance competition, due to the poor behavior of some of the visitors on the evening dance ice in the '32 rink (which I did see). I'm not sure why they didn't split up the ice times into high/low and put the low earlier, because the little kids (and the majority of adults) were afraid to get on the ice between 6-8, especially after one of the couples lost control on the ice, fell at a high rate of speed, and slammed into the wall, missing a 7 or 8 year old girl and her coach by maybe a foot. Some of the skaters and coaches were also pretty rude, shouting at little kids to get out of the way and sometimes just letting out a scream, I guess instead of saying excuse me. So there was some build-up ahead of time--it's wasn't just a couple of skaters having a cat-fight.

Not all the visitors were rude and some were actually quite nice to me, and some were excessively rude. By Thurs. night, when I was about the only adult left on the evening dance ice, they were actually a little better. But I think a lot of people were left with very uncomfortable feelings.

[Pandora]

Thanks for the info on the hotel. :D
Wow!! Sounds like a lot of drama going on there!!! 8O

[2salch0w]

As far as I know, ORDA doesn't offer any discounts for local hotels. There are many options in all different price ranges, though.

I have stayed at the Golden Arrow several times and it is a nice place. Great location and nice amenities (pool, beach on the lake, free use of their boats, very good gym.) The building is old and the rooms aren't anything special, but fine. I think the rates are a little high for the room quality, but I guess you're paying for location. The town is right there - it even connects to one of the shopping malls, and as someone else said, the Olympic center is across the street.

Another popular place is the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, which is right next to the Olympic center, just up the hill. Also a great location w/ a great view. The rates are slightly lower than the Golden Arrow. I haven't stayed here, but the pics of the rooms online look pretty nice and recently updated.

There are a few other places right in town, but I don't know much about them. On the other side of town, about a 10 minute walk to the Olympic Center, is the Mirror Lake Inn. This is a pretty high-end place, I think rooms start in the high $300s. I haven't stayed there, but have been in the hotel and it is very nice. Also right on the lake with beach and boat access, and very close to the north side of town.

As you get further out there are many other places to stay, including some motels that I'm sure are very economical. One thing to consider is that when you need to drive to the rink, you will also need to park, which is about $1/hr in most spaces w/ a 2-hr limit.

Tim

[LWalsh]

The summer is high season for Lake Placid so there are few discounts to be found for anyone. However there are many places to stay in various price ranges. I think that before I bought a place there I have stayed in just about all of them. The Crown Plaza and Golden Arrow are nice places for the money. The hilton and Mirror Lake Inn are more high end and very nice. The Adirondack Inn (right across from the Olympic center) is a little more basic but a good value. Art Devlins is also popular for the budget. Northwoods is probably the cheapest place within walking distance. The have great tempurpedic beds but it is more basic. The staff is very friendly there. There is one other motel within walking distance but the name escapes me at the moment.

Such drama in the locker room. But seriously why did it have to get to that???8O

Lara

[Pandora]

Thank you everyone for all the great info about the hotels and especially the parking info. (THAT makes quite a difference!!) I am definitely planning to go next August. :D
Will be looking forward to it all year....:D

[sk8lady]

Such drama in the locker room. But seriously why did it have to get to that???8O

Lara

Again, I'm not sure what the heck happened--but I know that the girl who supposedly did the slapping was pretty overwrought a lot of the time--she got hurt on the ice a couple of times and started crying, and started crying once in the locker room too. Don't think she spoke much English and the experience was probably pretty overwhelming.

I stayed in the recently renovated wing of the Golden Arrow in a suite they gave me for the regular room price, discounted for AAA, either because the hotel wasn't all that full or they felt sorry for them when I told them I had just checked myself out of the Bates Bed and Breakfast (not the real name, just a Hitchcock allusion!) and was looking for someplace else to stay. It was substantially nicer than the rooms I've stayed in there in the past--flat screen TV, giant tiled shower, and granite countertops included! However, I've heard Art Devlin's is okay too, and less costly.

I usually come in June and the prices are lower then anyway. I probably won't do August again, just because the ice is more crowded unless you're there for the 7 am session (my sinuses don't usually clear till about an hour after that, so although I skated a couple of those sessions I spent a lot of time after spinning standing around waiting for my vision to clear!)or later sessions towards the end of the week, when people are burned out. You might want to do June instead if you can get there then.

It's a lot of fun, and it's always helpful to learn new stuff not just from the coaches but from other skaters. I love watching other people's routines and practices--my two favorites were the gal who's working on a routine with a baseball bat (although it made me a little nervous, she never did let it get away from her!) and the former professional skater who did a whole warm-up with skates on her hands AND feet and used all four of them! (although I'm very visual and kept picturing hideous accidents that obviously never materialized.). She did not have a SINGLE OUNCE of body fat ANYWHERE!!!

[stacyf419]

The girl with the baseball bat is Steph, my friend and Tim's partner!! It's such a cool program, and she will be thrilled to hear that someone enjoyed it.:)