Adult skaters - questions from a newbie

[amethyst]

I've been a fan forever but I cannot skate! Well, I can get around the ice without holding on to the wall most times (with some balance checks and wobbles) but that's the extent of it, and that's on a good day.

I've considered learning to skate for a long time but I am 32 (and pretty out of shape) and am wondering if it's too late to learn. So I had some questions, mostly for adult skaters but anyone's free to answer. I'm curious as to what I can expect:

1. When did you start skating (age)?

2. How long have you been skating?

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )?

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Thanks for your answers!

(edited to add 2 more questions ;) )

[JDC1]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
37
2. How long have you been skating?
1 year and 1 month

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
I skate 4 times a week - about 6 hours worth
4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I take group lessons every week and then every other week (when I can afford it) I take private lesson as well as groupl.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
I owned my own (very cheap) skates and think it's fine to learn the very basics in rental skates.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
I almost have my flip and lutz, I can do a salchow, toe loop and waltz jump and once in awhile a loop. I am just learning to spin, scratch spin, sit spin and back spin, can get few revolutions on each one.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Hopefully within the next month land my lutz and flip on one foot, I can land them both on two feet pretty much every time I try them.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? No serious injuries, bruised my tailbone and that really hurt.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Sure but I scrimp and save, it's not a cheap sport.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
The easiest has been learning to jump and footwork the most rewarding has been the patience I've gained while trying to learn to spin and when I learned back 3 turns!

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Spinning and realizing that you can "lose" moves very easily.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Enjoy yourself, don't compare yourself to anyone else and when you buy your own skates take your time and comparison shop, particularly if you have any feet issues.

[KJD]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 35

2. How long have you been skating? 3 1/2 years

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? 1 1/2 - 2 hrs per day, 5-6 days per week (but I started doing just once or twice a week for an hour for the first 10 months to a year, then it went to 3 days, then 4, then......)

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Started in private, if you can afford it, its the way to go

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I never skated in rentals as I know they don't sharpen the blades except maybe once a year!

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? I have an axel, and a double sal about 30% of the time, starting double loops. My spins suck, but I have a flying camel, camel sit/back sit and the beginnings of a layback. I'm testing Intermediate moves in January.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? To pass adult gold moves on Oct. 27 and my Gold free a month after that.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? Not on the ice but tore a calf muscle last spring doing off-ice jumps.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Not yet but as my kids get better at it, there will come a time when we either choose (and it'll be them) or win the lottery

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? edge jumps, and jumping in particular are quite easy for me and the most rewarding has been acquiring an axel and passing standard track moves and dances (I started in dance and passed through my bronze dances)

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? For me without question, spinning. I did dance for the first 18 months of my skating because I couldn't spin and thought freestyle would be out of reach because of it. Finally on the 3rd coach, found someone who could teach me to spin.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Go for it! Its never too late and I'm in the best shape I've been in years.

[Canskater]

Hi there:

In my book, there's no such age as "too old to skate". If nothing else, skating is a wonderful exercise and, like swimming, is one of the very few activities which exercise all muscle groups. Having said that, while nearly everybody can learn to skate, not everyone will become as accomlished and polished as the skaters we see on TV. But, if the desire is there, I'd say go for it .... if nothing else, it's good physical activity, a great way to meet new people, a chance to get out of the house, office, or other sedentary ho-hum routine .....

So, to answer some of your questions:

A. When did you start skating (age)? -- I started skating at age 6, but really didn't "get it" until around age 10.

B. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week -- Three days per week .. approximately 5 hours per week.

C. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? -- One 15 minute group lesson, one 15 minute private lesson, per week.

D. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? -- I have always owned my own skates. Since I have no experience with rental skates, I don't know what to advise.

E. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? In an earlier lifetime I had all singles, and all doubles except axle and loop. These days, I am having a good day if I can complete the rotation on a salchow.

F. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? -- Most serious injury was a torn PCL which required orthoscopic surgery.

G. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? -- The finance thing was the reason why I stopped skating as a kid. Now as an adult, I can well afford the training I get .... not exactly at elite level !!

H. What advice would you give to a newbie? -- If you love the sport, persevere with it. You'll have your good days, the so-so days, and the days you wonder why you ever put on a pair of skates. However, the good days are so rewarding that it makes it all worthwhile.

Hope this helps.

-- sheilagh

[garyc254]

Welcome to the ice!!!!!

OK, answers.

I'm male and started skating about 13 months ago at age 47. I was not in terrifically good shape. I skate about 4-1/2 hours a week now.

My girlfriend, who skates on an adult synchro team, and several of her friends gave me this advise when I decided to start skating: Get your own fitted skates and get a coach for private lessons. I swallowed hard, coughed up the money for new boots and blades, then got myself two coaches for private lessons. I was taking one half hour lesson on Saturdays and a 45 minute lesson on Mondays.

I can tell you from experience that learning on rental skates is difficult at best, but not impossible.

Due to financial considerations (hey, the economy sucks :lol: ) I'm now only taking one group lesson a week.

Due to my advanced age :lol: and bad knees, jumping will be out of the question. My main immediate goal is to learn smooth consistent 3-turns at speed.

Injuries beyond bruises, yes. About 1-1/2 months after I started taking lessons, I was learning a simple two footed 3-turn. My coach told me to practice it 100 times on the boards (rail) before trying it on the open ice. I tried it a dozen times on the boards, went out on the ice, fell and fractured my wrist. The first thing my coach said to me was "You didn't do it 100 times on the boards, did you?" I've listened to all of her advise ever since.

Skating is easy, hard, most rewarding, and most frustrating all at the same time. I've never truly left a session feeling that I didn't have fun, no matter how good or bad I did.

My advise to you is the same given to me:

Get your own skates. New, if you can (Christmas is coming) or used if you must. Make sure you get somebody that's qualified to fit them for you.

Get a coach. For private lessons preferrably or for group lessons. Self teaching is tough.

Good luck and welcome to the ice!!!!
Gary

[flo]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
29

2. How long have you been skating?
12 years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
2-3 times a week, perhaps 4 hours. More when I'm competing.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
Started in group lessons. Went to privates w/in a couple of months. Now privates 1-2 times a week.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
Own my skates. Check out the used skate sales. Much better than rentals, and not as costly as getting new ones.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Jump - double salchow. Spin - camel-jump camel-back sit combination. Pairs - death spirals and overhead lifts. Achievement - 7 adult national medals.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
clean up the double sal, work on a new edgy interpretive program.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?
My Physical therapist is on speed dial.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
It can get very expensive when you start to compete. You can also enjoy it on a variety of levels and budgets.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
Easy? Hmm. Most rewarding has been the feeling skating a good performance, and also when it gets recognized.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
Educating the USFSA as to what adult skating is, and is not. Lack of available pairs partners.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
You can begin skating at any age. People will tell you that age makes no difference. It makes a great deal of difference, both positive and negative. Adults are great to teach, and many coaches prefer teaching them to kids. We also have the maturity and experince in many things that help in learning new tasks. We also have older bodies, and they don't recover as quickly as younger ones. I know that with enough practice, time and other resources, I could probably do a number of doubles and other skills, but at what cost? Injury, exclusion of other things? My best advice is to have fun, and set realistic goals, and have fun.

[backspin]

don't have time to answer all the questions, but quickly:

started age 27. now age 35, been skating 8 years in January. currently not taking lessons, but planning to start up again in the new year.

mainly I do ice dance. I'm on my last silver dance. I can easily land my single jumps through flip, lutz is coming & will be here soon.

spinning is hardest for me, hence I still only have a semi-decent scratch spin & a wobbly backspin. Sit spin, after 2 years, is actually respectable.

I started coaching ice dance about 3 years ago & also teach group classes a couple times a week, so here are my thoughts from a coach's eyes:

1. If you can afford to, get your own skates. Jackson makes very good beginning level skates for around $80.00, blade & all. Believe me, it is worth it! You cannot learn to skate if your blades are slipping out from underneath you & your ankles aren't supported.

2. Group lessons are best for learning the basics, unless you turn out to be very gifted & fly through the basic stuff. Most people need time to practice each step along the way before they move on to the next little step. You can do that in a private lesson, but then you're paying someone a hunk of money to watch you slither across the ice when you're at a point where that's all you can do (believe me, it's frustrating for the coach too!). Better to start out in a group, where you'll have time to yourself to work on those little things.

I'd say private lessons are appropriate once you can do forward & backward crossovers, and are reasonably comfortably on one foot glides backward & forward. Once you start working on 3-turns, mohawks, edge rolls, that kind of thing, you may want to start thinking about a coach--although you could certainly continue w/ the group lessons longer than that. I started private lessons when I got through all the basic skills levels & was starting to learn to jump (which is when I switched to dance). Even if you only do one session of group, I think it will save you a lot of money in the long run (our group classes run in 10-week sessions). It's pointless to pay someone $20.00 per 1/2 hour to teach you forward swizzles. My 2 cents.

ALSO, you'll meet lots of people in your group classes, which is also a big part of the fun of skating!

I also take that all back if your rink does not offer adult-only classes. ;)

[backspin]

lol, flo, I know what you mean about the speed dial! My chiropractor & my massage therapist love me! :P

[Designdiva]

Only answers.

1. 25

2. 3.5 years

3. About 6 hours... 1 hour before work 4 times a week then 2 hours on Saturday.

4. Privates. I take two half hour lessons a week.I took group lessons until Freestyle 2, then got a coach. My first coach cleaned up my basics. When I got all my singles except axel, she suggested I change. My current coach has a lot of adult students.

5. I've always had my own skates. My suggestion to a newbie is go to a local skate shop and explain you want to take lessons and get a good beginners boot that will give you support and will last through the basics. If you like the sport and are learning more difficult moves, you can switch boots/blades.

6. I'm working on axel (two-foot issues) and double-loop (harness).

7. Pass the Adult Silver Freestyle test. Then move on from there. I'd like to get the axel nice and clean and a nice camel-change-camel.

8. Not really.

9.I've been sliced and diced. I got the heel of my free blade lodged into my shin during a loop jump. It left a gash about 1/2 inch deep. The emergency room doctors wouldn't stitch it, just bandaged the wound and sent me home. I was back on the ice the next day. I've slit my ankles on numerous occasions. D*mned free leg.

10. Easiest part has been jumps and moves. The most rewarding part is when one climbs over a plateau. I thought I was stuck on the camel spin, then the door magically opened.:D Skating is the gift that keeps on giving.

11. Spins. Spins are really hard for me. I get extremely dizzy and sometimes feel like I'm going to puke. I learned a loop jump in 10 minutes but it took me 10 months to do a decent spin. I spend the a lot of time on the most basic parts of spins.

12. Get out there and try it! Skating is SOOO much fun and so addictive. The adult skating community is so wonderful and supportive. Remember that skating is like life: If you fall, just get up and keep going. The great thing about being an adult skater is that you don't have some psycho skatemom telling you to get your skates on. You are totally in control.

[garyc254]

Originally posted by Designdiva
The great thing about being an adult skater is that you don't have some psycho skatemom telling you to get your skates on. You are totally in control.

Too funny!!!! :lol: :lol:

[jenlyon60]

1. When did you start skating (age)?

23, but took a 14 year break. Started skating again 2 1/2 years ago.

2. How long have you been skating?

5 years, then a 14 year break, then 2 1/2 years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

3-5 days per week, 45 to 90 minutes per session.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

Private lessons, 2 30-minute lessons per week.

(I also take 2 hours of off-ice ballroom & swing dance lessons per week.)

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

Yes. Rentals: bare basics depending on how well the rink maintains their rentals. I bought a pair of decent beginner skates about 2 months after I started skating, way back when.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

I do ice dance, am working to complete my USFSA Pre-Silver dances. I also occasionally do interp, and my coach and I are working on a free dance.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

Pass the last of my USFSA Pre-Silver dances.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )?

Not while skating....only skiing. Worst skating injuries have been 1 badly bruised knee and 1 bruised tailbone.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Not currently. Time and availability of ice is my limiting factor.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

Learning the basics was the easiest.

Mastering the basics was the hardest and occasionally the most rewarding (when I improve on a skill that has been giving me frustration).

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

Mastering the basics, like clean, crisp, flowing 3-turns, and getting good soft kneebend and strong stroking with good posture and well-extended free leg.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Don't stress out when things don't want to work. And don't stress out when the expectations on the performance of a skill change or become more picky.


--jsl

[flippet]

1. When did you start skating (age)?

Started at 24, after about one round of lessons at 11, and general pond skating from time to time.

2. How long have you been skating?

I'm 28 now, so off and on for about 4 years, not counting the occasional stroll around as a kid.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

Right now, not at all. :( I simply haven't had the right combination of time, money, and energy. I've put my skates on a grand total of once since June, and I haven't had lessons for about a year. :( When I was skating regularly, I skated about 4 days a week for 50 minutes, plus an hour lesson/practice one evening a week.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

I took group lessons, more for the affordability and social aspect of it. Honestly though, I'm also largely self-taught. It's hard to get good individual attention in a group lesson, especially when you're so far ahead of the rest of the group. But honestly, everyone's self-taught to an extent--a coach may give you pointers, but you and your body have to figure out your own agreement on your own! :)

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

I own. At the very basic levels, rentals are fine, as long as they are NOT broken down, and are leather, NOT NOT NOT the hard plastic boots. It's a good way to get started and find out if you'd like to continue with lessons. But once you decide that you do, it's better to get your own equipment. The boots will be better, the blades will be better, and you'll progress better and faster for it. If all the rentals you can find are old and crappy, you might want to just start out with good boots---trying to find an edge in a broken down boot is so frustrating that you may not want to try again!

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

When I stopped skating regularly, I had waltz/toe/sal, was learning loop and flip (sort of had the flip, but it wasn't techincally 'correct'), and was trying to polish up my scratch spin. In the intervening year, the jumps have kind of sagged, but the spin has improved.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

Um. To actually skate on a regular basis again! :) And if that ever happens, I want to finish learning the single jumps and get a couple more spin positions. And that darned backspin. :evil:

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )?

Nope. Well, not skating. Here's a tip---the faster you're going, the less it hurts. Honestly. The worst falls I've taken are when I'm just standing around gabbing, and the skates just do their own thing! Or, when a spin went south one time...the straight up/straight down thing kind of hurts. Falls on jumps just make you slide.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Definitely. If I'd have had more money, I'd have taken private lessons, and would probably have progressed even faster than I did. I also would have been able to afford skating on more actual freestyle sessons, rather than searching for the cheap and hopefully uncrowded public sessions.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

Easy...hum. I don't know that any of it has been 'easy', but it hasn't been particularly difficult either. (Well...except for the backspin! :evil: ) The most rewarding...setting goals for myself and actually reaching them. Looking back and seeing how far I've come.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

The most frustrating thing is the lack of money, time, and convienent places and times to skate. Working full-time really puts a damper on skating. I just don't have the energy to skate in the early morning, and even if I did, I'd have to work later, and I really wouldn't have the time to do anything else but work, commute, and sleep.
Previously, the most frustrating thing was the fact that the closest rink was an hour away, and I simply didn't have the time or resources to skate as often as I would have liked.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Get out there and get started! Find a good coach (group is fine) who likes to work with adults, and sign up for lessons. Make sure you also get in some other practice time during the week--lessons just aren't enough. Be patient with yourself--everyone's learning curve is different. This isn't as easy as it looks, but sometimes it isn't as hard, either. :) And the biggest newbie advice? Bend your knees! :D (Seriously--that's the key for stability, and for quality skating.)

[batikat]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 37 - I'd only been on ice a couple of times in my life before that.

2. How long have you been skating? 3 1/2 years

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
When I started I did 1/2 hour practice 1/2 hour lesson and then 1-2 hours of the public session to practice what I'd learned in the lesson all on a Saturday.
Now I skate 3-4 times a week for 1-3 hours a time.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I started in group lessons - mixed age and it was no problem skating with the kids (I was not the only adult in the class), once a week. I'm now on 2 x 1/2 hour private lessons a week plus a couple of group classes for edges, dance moves etc.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
It is possible to learn with rentals but if you go that route then ask for a reasonably sharp pair and refuse them if they are blunt. By the time you are ready to learn 3 turns/mohawks etc you will find your own boots a godsend. I would recommend checking out the used skate sale as it is cheaper and you avoid the often painful breaking in period which causes some people to give up. Don't get boots that are too big for you. A snug fit makes everything so much easier. If you do go for new, do make sure that you are given a beginners boot. Don't make the mistake of thinking more expensive = better. You don't need a boot suitable for landing doubles when you are starting out - they will just be impossible to break in.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
UK level 2 dance (the baby dances!). Winning the 2 minute Original Dance in an Open competition. Getting 2 revs on my sit spin! Am just starting to learn the single jumps having done mostly dance up til now.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
to pass UK level 1 Free skating elements test (3 jump, salchow, cherry, upright spin, step sequence)

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? Not yet! I know people who have but they are all still skating

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
Am spending far too much at the moment but this sport is addictive. It is not cheap and if you want to skate competitively it only gets worse. It's worth it to me and I would sacrifice other things to keep skating.


10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
None of it is easy - as my coach says "if it was easy everyone would do it" and more importantly he adds "if it was easy you wouldn't need me!!!"
But it is intensely satisfying to learn a new skill. The most rewarding has actually been competing - not so much for the winning or losing but for proving to myself that I can get out there and do something that I had only previously dreamed about and also seeing the marks I get improve year by year. Also the social side of adult skating is great.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
The hardest for me is the jumps. I suffered with back problems - now virtually cured by my chiropracter - and bad knees and a lack of courage to actually leave the ice. 3 years down the line I feel I am ready to tackle the jumps and really enjoying it.
Most frustrating is learning to spin.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Get out there and do it! Don't worry about what anyone else thinks or compare yourself to others. Learning as an adult is harder than for a child but we are doing it because we love it. Practice time is as valuable as lesson time - in fact you should spend a lot more time practising than in lessons other wise you are wasting your money.
Enjoy!

[Mrs Redboots]

No, it is never too late to learn. There was a woman at the competition that Batikat and I did on Sunday who is 63, yet she skated the pants off both of us, and I know she is a relative beginner.

1. When did you start skating (age)? 42

2. How long have you been skating? 7.5 years

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? Usually 3 days/week, maybe 4 or 5; between 5 and 8 hours.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? I take a total of 1 hour's lessons per week; 30 minutes with my husband/dance partner and 30 minutes solo.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? Yes, I have my skates, but it's perfectly possible to start in hired skates - when you find a pair that you like, make a note of the number and ask for them each time! But once you know this is a sport for you, go and buy your own!

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Being able to dance the 14-step, which is a mid-level dance, and being able to walk through (but not yet dance) one or two high-level dances like the Blues and the Paso Doble.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? To beat friends of ours at the next competition at which we skate against each other!

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )? No.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Well, I take comfort in the fact that my niece's sport (dressage) is even more expensive than mine!

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? The easiest part has been falling in love with it; the most rewarding people's kind comments when I compete about how much better I've got.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? The hardest part has been becoming competitive at my level (I only just am!); the most frustrating thing is being held back by fear and an appalling lack of body awareness.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Enjoy it! It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on.....

[manleywoman]

1. When did you start skating (age)?

I skated from age 7 to 13, then quit cold turkey. I started up again at 25, and am currently 31. Adult Nationals was just starting when I got back into it at 25. Woo-hoo!

2. How long have you been skating?

6 years as a kid, 6 as an adult. Much more fun (I think) as an adult.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

4 days a week, averaging 1.75 hours each day

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

Privates. Always one 45 minute freestyle lesson per week and one half-hour figures lesson (no, I'm not kidding) every other week. When I'm feeling rich I take an occasional spin lesson from a spin specialist nearby, and I hire an awesome local choreographer once a year for my program.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

I own mine. I would highly recommend a good beginner boot. They'll last you a long time since A) your foot has stopped growing and B) you won't be learning anything at first that will break to boot down tremndously. Very worth it to have a good boot and blade.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

Skill I'm most proud of now is 2salchow-2loop combination! I landed it for the first time ever just days before my 31st birthday! Now it's about 50% consistant.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

Passing the Novice Free test on November 30th, so I can skate Junior at Adult Nationals.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?

In 6 years the worst thing I've done (knock wood) is fractured a finger. I slipped doing crossovers and slid into the boards, finger-first. Otherwise just bumps and bruises, but lots of them.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Not my enjoyment, but I would absolutely love to skate more and just can't afford it. I would love to take more lessons to progress faster. I've applied for a sports grant (didn't get it) and buy the occasional lottery ticket! Now if I had only married a rich guy...

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

Easiest: spinning.
Rewarding: two things:
1) the feeling of really using my body to not only push myself physically but express myself artistically.
2) Finally overcoming my major weakness (presentation...I used to look sooo constipated when I skated!) to win Champoinship Adult Gold two years ago and get my picture in Skating Magazine! Had to buy multiple copies for my proud dad. I still have people tell me what a difference there was in my skating between the year before and my winning year. I just really worked on my presentation. Now I think it's one of my assets. Because frankly, as a drag queen friend of mine once said, "even if you fall, you have to do it with a wink and a smile!"

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

Hardest: getting jumps consistant.
Frustrating: not having the money to skate more, because I know I could really improve fast with more ice/lesson time.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Don't get frustrated. Know when you start skating that this is a sport that requires a lot of practice and repetition. But it's very rewarding even when learning the smallest steps.

[quarkiki2]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 28

2. How long have you been skating? 7 months

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? about 3 hours a week

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Group lessons, ISI Beta Level

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I bought my skates (Reidell Gold Stars) after I passed Pre-Alpha. I have very flexible ankles and I'm overweight so beginner or rental skates didn't have nearly enough support for me. My Gold Stars have never caused a blister, though my feet cramp in them if I'm cold or working too hard on inside edges. They're not quite broken in, but my skating improved DRAMATICALLY when I got them. I think it's ok to do your first group lesson in rentals to see if you and skating are a match.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? I have a weenie waltz jump and weenie toe loop at the boards. I can do about 3-4 revolutions in a two foot spin and in a two foot sit-spin. I have a great lunge!

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? Backwards crossovers, forward outside threes and inside mohawks. I'm minutes away from all of these skills!

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? Nope. I can't say I've really fallen, either. But I haven't really done anything too difficult yet.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Yes. I'm dying for a pair of Coronation Aces, maybe for Christmas! Time is more of an issue -- two jobs = not much time to skate.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? The easiest part is enjoyment -- I'm having a terrific time and generally don't take myself too seriously. Hubby and I take lessons together and spend much time laughing and cheering for each other.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Fear. Fear. Fear. Clearly I have good balance, since I've only fallen three or four times, but you simply cannot convince me of that when I'm skating backwards!

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Don't expect too much of yourself! Have fun! Join a group class full of other adult beginners and make some good friends! Crack your instructor up regularly -- the kids don't do that and they love people with a sense of humor!

[dcden]

OK I guess I might as well weigh in.

1. When did you start skating (age)? I first set foot on ice at age 21, but first skated on a more-than-once-a-month frequency at age 27

2. How long have you been skating? 5 years, the last 4 being with a coach. So you can do the math and tell how old I am!

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? 45 mins - 1 hour, 4 or 5x a week.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Private lessons, 2x a week

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I own my own skates, custom Harlicks with Pattern 99 blades. This is my 3rd pair of boots and blades. I would strongly suggest not to learn on rentals. Even a cheap pair of store-bought skates would be better.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Axels and two-footed double Salchows. Flying camels and various change foot combo spins. Tested up to Preliminary MIF, but I use Pre Juv & Juv MIF as warmup exercises during daily practice.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? Qualify for Ch. Gold Men at AN 2003.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? When I first learned my Axel I would get a lot of groin pulls. Once when I fell on a jump years ago, I slammed my hand to the ice and I could swear I broke one of my little wrist bones because it hurt for weeks afterwards. I'm a wimp when it comes to pain.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Even if I had more money to spend on lessons, ice time, etc., I don't know if I'd have the time or the enthusiasm to go and do it. I can afford my current level of commitment to the sport, but I like to be involved in things outside of skating too, so it isn't like skating is my life.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? I've had a relatively easy time with jumps. What's rewarding for me is when I hit a program in competition, especially after having had bad practices leading up to it.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Spins and field moves. Frustrating: when you lose skills you thought you had!

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Don't make your goal to go to the Olympics... yes I know that sounds funny, but there are some adult skaters out there who think they're going to make it to Olympics. (As much as I would love to name names and say who they are, I won't.) Also, don't compare yourself to other skaters... progress at your own level and don't beat yourself up for not having a skill that someone else has. Don't obsess over a placement at a competition, be it 1st, last or somewhere in between -- rather, focus on how well you skated, what you learned from the competition experience, and what things you need to work on for the next competition.

And for heaven's sake, don't skate to Malaguena, Don Quixote, Rhapsody In Blue, Carmen, or Swan Lake unless you're sure you know what you're doing.

[1lutz2klutz]

Age when I first started to skate: 38
Skating for 7 years.
I started with a private 15 min lesson every other week, then increased to one every week, soon it was 2 half hour lessons every week. This sport can really suck you in!
I skate 4-5 mornings a week on the 6-7:15 am session before going in to work.
Do spend the money on some half decent skates- you won't get any where in rentals. Make sure someone who knows skates helps you get fitted.
Highest skill learned: lutz-loop combination on a good day, just starting to learn camel-sit spin. Spins are generally weak for me- my footwork is truly pathetic! Jumps are easier for me to learn.
Ever been injured? Well, my screen name is a big clue! So far, one broken wrist, one concussion, and one herniated lumbar disc (from trying to learn the lutz-loop combo!) I wear wrist guards on the ice all the time except when I'm competing, because I'm an orthopedic therapist, and can't work without my hands.
Most rewarding thing? Anytime my coach says "That was good!". Most frustrating- things that you can do one day and the next seem like you've never done before.
Best piece of advice for a new adult skater- don't expect to learn things as quickly as the kids do. It takes a lot more work to learn new motor skills as an adult, especially in a sport like skating that is a combination of strength, agility, endurance and grace. Do it just because you want to and enjoy!

[skaternum]

Come on out and hit the ice with us! Skating is a wonderul sport, and you're never too old. Here are my answers:

1. Right after my 30th birthday.
2. 7 years.
3. 4 1-hour sessions a week.
4. Started with group. It's been private for about 4 years.
5. This is my 3rd pair of skates. I think it's possible to start in rentals, but if you like it after about 4 months, I'd invest in a pair.
6. I'm working on an axel. I have solid singles and combos of all the single jumps.
7. To not humiliate myself in competition at the Adult Silver level. (I just tested up to this level.)
8. Not really, but I do have chronic lower back problems which are aggravated by the skating, especially pairs skating.
9. Not really. It's a priority for me, but I don't go hog wild on stuff like costumes.
10. Easiest has been jumps. Most rewarding has been mastering a camel.
11. Hardest is spinning. I suck at spinning.
12. My advice for a newbie would be (1) get started! and (2) set realistic and achievable goals. Skating decently is an achievable goal, but it does take a little work and practice.

[dbny]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
53
2. How long have you been skating?
2 years
3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
1.5-3 hrs/day, 3-4 days/week

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
1/2 hr private lesson once/week
5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
I own, you can start with rentals
6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Juvenile cross strokes, F & B
7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
B Inside & Outside three turns
8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?
Colle's fracture of R wrist about a year ago
9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
I skate to the limit of my finances
10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
form (because I was a roller skater), feeling at ease on the ice
11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
fear stands in my way almost all of the time
12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
It's never too late to start. I was a couch potato and only
got halfway around the rink my first time. I have lost 45
pounds through skating and Weight Watchers. Go for it :D :D :D

[MissIndigo]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
Started skating at 12. That lasted for about a year and a half. Picked it back up again when I was 24. I'm 26 now.

2. How long have you been skating?
For what really counts, almost 2 years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
Unfortunately, it varies with the seasons. I don't have a year round rink in my hometown so in the summers I have to travel about half an hour. During the regular season I skate two sessions a day (one lunch, one after school); summers...I can go up to every other day but it usually ends up being twice a week for about 2 hours at a time.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I take private lessons once a week with a coach. I often tag along with the group freestyle class too when my hometown rink has it.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
Definitely have my own skates. I first learned in rentals, and began teaching myself simple moves in them (then again, I was 12.) I got up to a lunge, spiral, bunny hop, and a two-foot spin on my own after about three sessions, then mom and dad decided I needed my own skates. The rest is history! I don't recommend rentals though--they treat your feet like chew toys. Ouch!

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Jump on ice--flip jump; jump off ice--axel. Spin--layback

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Get the flip consistent, and start on-ice practice with my axel by the spring.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?
These days, no. I'm much more cautious than I was when I was young. (Perhaps that's why my spins are two levels higher than my jumps! I looove practicing spins.) I have hit my head though on a flip attempt. Took me all summer to work up nerve to try that jump again. Most brutal jump for me has been the loop--have taken many softball-sized lumps on the hips and butt for that one.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
Not usually, and I live off a graduate student's salary. The key is skating on very sparse public sessions, which in my area are half the cost of a freestyle. I don't do other things like buy new clothes very often (uh, that new skating dress doesn't count!) or eat out much. I rent the DVD instead of going to see the movie. Hence, my boyfriend appreciates the fact that I am a very cheap date. ;)

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
Getting my blurred scratch spin back was the easiest. I am very proud of that move. When I'm on, I can spin on a dime, sometimes for more than 20 revolutions. The most rewarding thing has been reviewing the beauty of some of the most basic edges and turns, and the physics behind them. I have a degree in physics so I'm always looking for the physical principles that govern my skating! I also found it very rewarding that I could do backward inside 3-turns almost off the bat, a maneuver that many have great difficulty with. My strengths definitely lie in my good balance, natural center, and ability to really feel my edges.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
Hardest aspect has been getting over the fear of getting hurt. I am not afraid to fall or try new things. I just don't want to be too banged up. I work with my hands a great deal and move around a lot during the day, and I don't want that compromised if at all possible. The most frustrating aspect, by far, has been the lack of a year-round rink. There is an obvious demand for one in my hometown. We cannot seem to bring in a private investor, or get the city interested in operating a year-round rink. (Heck, they don't even publicize the fact that's there's ice at the coliseum!) When we do have ice in the fall and winter, much of it is dead during the day. The arena staff do not want to come in early and open the place up so we can have an hour freestyle before school. I would turn into an early bird for that, and I am about as night owl as they come. They will not let you walk in and pay for a freestyle if you want to come in at an off-time either; liability maybe. I dunno.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Have fun! Take your time learning. This is an activity for YOU, and you are free to set your own goals and move along at your own pace.

[Mel On Ice]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 28

2. How long have you been skating? 4 1/2 years

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? 1 hour a day, 4 days a week

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? private/group

Details/frequency of lessons? I"m in ice dance, moves and synchro group, private for freestyle

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I've never tried skating without my own

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? most difficult thing I can do is a flip and loop, and those aren't consistent.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? USFSA bronze, freestyle 4

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? I have a slash on my leg from a blade and a scar from falling on another skater who caught me with her toepick on my arm.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? It did as a child.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? Easiest was adapting roller skating skills to the sport. Rewarding has been the friends, the travel, the team, and the fact I'm not sitting on my butt at night.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Learning to skate backwards and not passing levels as quickly as I would like to. Also, the sticker shock of traveling, competing and lessons.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? One of the coolest things about this sport as an adult is the overwhelming support you get from your friends, family, coworkers and fellow competitors. Rare is the person who thinks it's not cool, most people think its pretty neat and rather brave for you to go out there.

[Chico]

Heres the info. I'm in my 30's. I've been skating 3 years. I skate 4 or 5 hours a week. I get one 1/2 hour lesson a week. My hardest jump is the 2 sal. My personal hard jump is the lutz. I own my own skates. Good boots are important! My personal goal is a double loop, awsome footwork, and a good program. I get bruises and bangs daily skating. Worst injury is hitting my head on the ice. The loop is my personal easy skill. Hardest is making myself work on things I dislike, but know I need to do. My most rewarding experience skating is doing what I once thought I couldn't, and finding it easy now. My most frusterating experience has been the backspin. My advice? Get your own boots. Start with group lessons. Make friends at the rink. Choose a coach carefully. Have FUN and work HARD. Be positive even on the "bad" days. Never quit after a bad anything, but do stop when you have a really good outcome. Example" You land a wonderful " ", don't keep doing it. Leave the positive skill in your brain. Work on skills on both sides of your body. Learn the basics!

Chico

[amethyst]

Thank you so much for all of your responses, reading this thread has been very encouraging! I looked at schedules and info online for 3 local rinks today. I'm working up my courage to go and just do it. I've wanted to skate for so long now, but for some reason I've been afraid to take the plunge. You have all helped! :)

[garyc254]

YOU GO, GIRL!!!!!

Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!!!! :D :D :D

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by amethyst
Thank you so much for all of your responses, reading this thread has been very encouraging! I looked at schedules and info online for 3 local rinks today. I'm working up my courage to go and just do it. I've wanted to skate for so long now, but for some reason I've been afraid to take the plunge. You have all helped! :) Good. Now go and do it!

There is a woman at our rink who, until very recently, was a skating mother. She had her third lesson today - she has only just found her balance, and isn't very stable on her feet yet, but she was able to move on her own, and beginning to do lemons (swizzles), even if she did sit down in the middle of one. But she got up again by herself, without having to be hauled.....

Apparently my coach uses me as an example of what can be achieved: "He said you go all over the world with your skating!"

Well, I suppose that's true - maybe in 7-8 years, you will be, too!

[RoaringSkates]

1. When did you start skating (age)? I was 30 when I started skating. I'm 34 now.

2. How long have you been skating? Four years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? Usually just once per week for my lesson. I practice right before or right after. My schedule is very tight, and the rink is not nearby. I want to do two nights per week, but that usually doesn't work out! So, I do a 1/2 hour lesson, and maybe another 1/2 hour or hour of practice. Not much, but it's what I have time for! I hold two jobs, one days, one evenings, so I don't have much time. I am also taking violin lessons, so need what few evenings I have for practice.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? I take private lessons once per week. I started right up with private lessons - did not skate before this on my own or in a group lesson. I wanted to learn to skate, and I like individual attention. I took an advanced group class this summer in addition to my private lessons, just for exercise.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I did not own my own skates at first - I'd only skated maybe three times in my life before I started at age 30. I started in rentals while I made sure that I liked my coach and wanted to stick with skating. I skated about 4 lessons in rentals before I bought skates. I went to the skate shop and skate pro that my coach recommended, and got nice skates that I still have.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? I can do a one foot spin, am working on a sit spin, do a poor waltz jump, working on a salchow. I have a 1 1/2 minute program that I can do to music.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? I just want to keep skating and improving. I have no specific goals regarding moves. I just do this because it's fun and good exercise.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )? Yes, I fell backwards in a spin and got a lovely concussion. I went right back out there the following week. I learned that, once I'm exhausted, I should stop skating and go home. I caused my own fall by being too tired to pay attention to what I was doing!

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? No. I do skating instead of a gym membership, and I am employed full time at a good job making ok money. I also work a second job at night.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? I was happy that I never had to shuffle - I was able to stroke as soon as I put skates on. That was good. Most rewarding is being able to go out there and skate with some power.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? It often takes me some time to learn a move, and any move I learn tends to go away occasionally. This is mainly because I only can skate once per week, and often have to skip weeks due to travel for business.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Try it and don't be afraid or embarassed. There are lots of adult beginners out there, even if there are few at your rink. You'll be surprised how much you'll improve if you stick with it regularly. Also, you will not progress as quickly as the children do - you're an adult, and you have less time for this. It's normal.

Don't worry about being in your 30's and out of shape. As I mentioned, I was 30 when I started. I was also 175lbs and out of shape. I did just fine. It's great exercise, and you can progress at your own pace. I love what it's done to my legs and butt! :D

[Yazmeen]

1. When did you start skating (age)? I'm on of the oldies here--started at age 41. Had only been on the ice perhaps half a dozen times in my lifetime before that.

2. How long have you been skating? Three and 1/2 years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? About 3-5 hours per week "in season," 2 hours per week in the summer.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? I started in groups, and have had a private coach now for just under three years. I usually have one half hour lesson per week, that will increase to two half hour lessons per week in November.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I started on rentals, then had used boots with new blades for three years (not a good move in the end) and am currently breaking in new custom boots and completely different blades.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Prior to the new boots (I'm relearning skills right now as the boots are very stiff and the blades are curved completely differently, but the catch up time is quick), I had most of my half jumps (save half loop), a scratchy but reasonably rotated salchow, and was beginning one foot spin.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? To pass Adult pre-bronze MITF and Freestyle, also to compete this year at ISI Freestyle 1 (Competition prep will come first).

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? A very minor wrist sprain when I was first learning mohawks--my blades "kissed" and I flipped over. I utilize
"SkatingSafe" pads on my knees, hips and tailbone as I have a family history or osteoporosis, am at risk myself, and don't want to be stupid to put it bluntly.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? To be blunt, I'm a physician, and finances, thank God, are not an issue for me.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? Easiest for me was adapting to an absolutely wonderful coach--she is unbelievably supportive and terrific. Most rewarding? The original goal was to learn to skate forwards and backwards. Even though my progress is usually slow, I'm light years beyond that original goal!!!

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? For me, three turns, although my old boots didn't help--too big, cut too high, and the blades were misaligned. Hopefully, they should improve just like stroking, crossovers and edges have with the new skates.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? 1. DO IT!!!!! Start with rentals (try to find a rink that has the nice leather Reidells versus plastic skates if possible). Group lessons are also a great way to begin. I skated with kids intially, but they were great and I really enjoyed it. 2. GET PROPER EQUIPMENT!!! I'm so mad at myself about how badly my old skates fit that I could scream. I wasted a lot of time struggling with them. If you find you like skating, go to a GOOD pro shop and get fitted for proper skates. I don't mean spend a ton of money, every manufacturerer has basic boots with attached blades--but find out what brand is right for you. Not everyone can wear Reidell, or SP Teri or Harlick--even if you're still in groups, get advice on where to go from some of the coaches in the rink. If you buy used, which I don't recommend after my experience, ABSOLUTELY HAVE BOTH THE SKATES AND BLADES CHECKED--boots for proper fit, blades for proper alignment. 3. Take you time--there is no rush for skills. Everything for me is millimeter by millimeter, but I enjoy every minute of it, even when its frustrating. This is supposed to be fun--make sure it stays fun for you!!!

Good Luck, and You go, girl!!!

Beth

[Luenatic]

Hi Amythest, hope you'll enjoy your skating experience. Like everyone here said, once you know skating is for you, definitely save up some money for a good pairs of skates. I know you're from the Seattle area. Here in Portland, we have an excellent skate Pro that can fit your skates if you've decided to go with a good pair of skates. She fits all of John Nicks' students (including Sasha) and Sarah Hughes. In the future if you want to pay her a visit or talk to her about your skates, let me know. But I'm sure Seattle has excellent Skate Pros as well.

Anyway, have fun. :)

[melanieuk]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 8 and 32

2. How long have you been skating? approx 5 years

3. How often do you skate? At the moment, just 3 days, 6 hours a week

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? one or two 15 min lessons a week - I figure I need more practise!

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I learned nothing in hire skates, other than skating came naturally to me, to skate and stay on my feet!

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Was an (almost) axel, but now it's a lutz.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? to pass level 3 (UK NISA) tests.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )? Not yet!

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Finances and time.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? getting my single jumps back after 20 years has been rewarding - nothing has been that easy!

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? axel and backspin respectively!

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Don't give in - go for it :D

[mikawendy]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
26

2. How long have you been skating?
10 months, only last 7 in lessons (quarkiki, you and I have been skating about the same amount of time and are about the same age--and I'm a bunhead too --the only difference is that you're in ISI lessons and I'm in USFSA lessons)

[B]3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
Twice per week: 1/2 hour lesson and 1/2 hour practice ice beforehand; then another 2-3 hour public session sometime later in the week

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught?
Group lessons. When I get past Freestyle 6, I think I'll take private lessons about once every 3-4 weeks.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
The rentals were killing me, so I own--Riedell 275s with (ugh) Wilson Excel blades. My next pair may be Graf or SP Teri with Coronation Ace blades (if I win the lotto, I'm getting Klingbeils)

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
RFI spiral, can sort of do crossrolls

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
FI 3-turns, mohawk, $&%^one-foot spin, back 3-turns. My eventual goal is to get all the single jumps and to attempt the axel to see if I want to try to get it.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )?
Hardest fall is when my weight was too far forward on a forward spiral and I was going really fast to start out with. I fell hard on my stomach/hip/knee and was pretty rattled for the rest of the session. I wear crash pads on my knees now.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
Somewhat. I figure I'd rather spend my money on skating lessons and skates than on traveling to watch skating. I find time to be a greater limitation--before skating, I didn't have enough time to stay at the level of dancing that I wanted; now I find I have to balance my time at home with hubby-to-be with my skating time. I can't imagine what it's like with kids, esp. if the kids and hubby don't skate, too!!

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
Easiest--getting out there and doing it. I don't mind taking lessons alongside kids (even though some of them can skate circles around me!)
Most rewarding--meeting new friends of all ages who like skating *and* the "a-ha" moment when my body finally understands a new skill. It's like a light suddenly going on.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
Hardest--Getting the body to do what the mind understands quite well! :D
Most frustrating--Getting my body weight far enough back--as a dancer I'm so used to being forward on my toes and turning out. This helps sometimes but can really throw me off (like in spins).

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Have a good time! :D If you decide buy skates, get fitted by someone who knows what they're doing (see some recent threads for advice). Make sure the skates are right for your level of skating. (And make sure to dry them off after each time you skate.) If you're watching $$, try group lessons instead of private. And (this is something I always have to think about): BEND YOUR KNEES.

Good luck! If you start taking lessons, then maybe we'll see you in the weekly practices/lessons thread.

[icenut84]

I don't really count as an adult starter like the others, but I was over 16 so I guess I do! :) Anywayz...

1. When did you start skating (age)? 17

2. How long have you been skating? 1 year and nearly 8 months

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? Once per week, just under 2 1/2 hours.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Group lesson once per week, one private dance and one private freestyle lesson once per week (usually)

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I own my own skates. It is possible to learn at first in rentals, but if you can get your own, it's a good idea. Rentals aren't very good - they are very stiff, plastic, and the blades don't usually have very good edges or toe picks.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Highest jump that I can do - loop. Just started working on the flip. Didn't start learning freestyle moves till after quite a while.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

My goals that I want to achieve by Christmas - I want to have started working on the lutz, I want a much more consistent forward upright spin, and some good forward edge spirals (I hardly ever work on them).

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?

No I haven't, touch wood...

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Not yet, luckily. It doesn't cost me as much as it might because I don't skate more than once a week. That might change when I get to skate more often though.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

Easiest? I'm not sure. I guess it helped that when I started I already was fairly flexible and agile, and have always done sport. The most rewarding? That's a hard one! It's a totally new avenue to my life. I love to skate. It gives me exercise, it's fun, it's something I've always wanted to do, it's a great feeling when you do something for the first time or when you finally master something, and is a great sense of achievement.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

The hardest? For me, it's been something I had to pursue a lot in the beginning even to start. I'd wanted to start skating for so long (nearly 7 years) but there is no local rink. About 5 or 6 months before I started, I did my homework, found out where the nearest rink was and when and how I could take lessons. I was all set to start (even though it meant having to get the train there and getting up really early), but then there was loads of problems with the rail system, I don't remember all the details but IIRC it had a lot to do with bad flooding. That happened a few times, that I was really excited at the thought of starting lessons and then found out I couldn't. Even now it's a problem, the distance and transport mean I simply can't go more than once per week. The only exception is if I have a day off college, but that only happens once every few months or something, not often. The few times I have been on a weekday though, and there's sometimes only been less than 10 people on the ice, it's such a difference. I always make a lot of progress - some of my biggest breakthroughs have come at these times, when I have space and I know nobody's watching me, and I can just relax and concentrate. I've even been able to try out a bit of choreography I made up, and see how it works (it did :) ). This gets into the most frustrating aspect too though - Saturday mornings, when I skate, it is usually very busy. One person estimated about 120 people on the ice at once. This makes it very hard to stay motivated and to have enough room to practice things. This in turn can affect how quickly I "get" something, consistency, and really going for it. This is also affected by my not skating as often as I'd like to, especially consistency.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Enjoy yourself! Try not to get too disheartened if something seems impossible, we all feel like that sometimes and you do get it eventually. I read a bit of advice a while ago that you should tell yourself there is a certain number of times you need to practice each move or element in order to crack it. Nobody knows how many it is for each particular element, and it changes from person to person. But as you're practicing it, you know you're getting closer and closer to the magic number when you get it. :)

[Imo]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 19

2. How long have you been skating? 7 years

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? 9.5 hours/week

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Private lessons, 1 hour/week of dance, half hour of freestyle, half hour of stroking/misc.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? Own. Definitely need to own good skates.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Cdn. Gold Dances, Class 1 (Gold) Skills, have landed up to 2loop, but not anymore... love to spin (esp. layback & sit)

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? Finish US Gold Dances (I have the Viennese and the Quickstep)

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? Sprained wrist, 2 mild concussions. That's it in 7 years...

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Well, I really stretch my budget to fit as much skating in as possible. Whenever I have spare $ it goes right into skating... (ie - no movies, no new clothes, no dinners out) but that's entirely my choice, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? Enjoying it - there's always something new and fun to work on! Learning new skills and passing tests that others told me I'd never get to has been pretty rewarding.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Learning the blues choctaw is easily the most frustrating thing so far, with the argentine twizzle a close second... but I suppose that's not really what you mean.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Have fun! :)

[singerskates]

"I've considered learning to skate for a long time but I am 32 (and pretty out of shape) and am wondering if it's too late to learn. So I had some questions, mostly for adult skaters but anyone's free to answer. I'm curious as to what I can expect:"
Never too late to learn to skate. At the beginning when just learning stroking, you don't need to worry about being out of shape. Just keep stroking but do other things like walking, lifting light weights for many reps, swimming and get your feet check out my a foot doc before buying a decent pair of beginner skates from a Skate Shop. Have fun.


1. When did you start skating (age)? 37

2. How long have you been skating? 3 years

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? 4 days 1 to 2 hours a day.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? I take private lessons but then I'm freeskating/jumps/spins and stuff. For beginning skating take a Learn To Skate/CanSkate in a group.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I used a cheap pair of Dominion recreational skates until I could do the basics and then got Jackson Competitors when I started with freestyle. I now use Graf Edmonton Specials. Find out what type of foot you have. Match the boot to your foot along with your wallet and level.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Loop jump.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? Flip, lutz and backspin

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )? Yes, broke wrist and then another time broken Elbow, tore leg muscles and got achilles tendonitis. Things happen. No big deal. Just get check out by doc and follow instructions to heal up fast.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Well, not exactly. I did search for a job, when my hsuband's job was getting lean. Now I have an almost full time job to pay for my skating and my teens' broomball (they compete provincially).

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? Getting on the ice. Having fun learning.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Backspin and salchow (found out that ovarian cyst was hampering my salchow and backspin).

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Have fun. Don't take yourself too seriously but do forge forward. Listen to your coach, they know skating. Listen to your body. If it hurts, check it out. Wear a helmet until you know all the basics. Get you feet check for foot problems that could lead to orthotics. Match the boot to your feet and wallet. Not just to your wallet. Find out what type of foot you have. Stretch, stretch and stretch but not before warming up (running on spot or skipping) and after skating stretch too. Drink lots of water.

Thanks for your answers!

(edited to add 2 more questions ;) ) [/B][/QUOTE]

[Debbie S]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
I took lessons for about 6 months when I was 8, and then I stopped. I started up again, from scratch b/c I'd forgotten almost everything I'd learned before, when I was 29.

2. How long have you been skating?
13 months

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
I have one 1/2 hour lesson a week, with a 1/2 hour practice beforehand. I try to go to one 1-hour freestyle session a week to practice.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
The group lessons at my rink. I may shift to the club practice/lesson time at another rink closer to my house when I finish the group lessons.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
I started out in Riedell 117s - basically your average rec-level skate. When I got to Basic 5 (USFSA sequence), I moved into my current skates, GAM 65s. My next skates may be SP-Teri's. My GAMs are nice, but they are a bit too narrow for me (and I have skinny feet!). I had the right one stretched, and that helped, but they're still not great.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Toe loop, scratch spin (when I'm not whacking my spinning leg w/ my free foot), forward spirals (trying to get an attitude spiral just for fun), back edges (blech!)

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Salchow, and those darned back edges. Also: back spirals, sit and camel spins. Eventually, I'd like have all the single rev jumps, including the axel. I don't think I'll ever be able to land doubles, but you never know....

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?
I've had a couple of hard falls, but I've never seriously hurt anything (knock on wood). Usually, I fall when I catch an edge just skating or turning. I've fallen forward a couple of times on spirals (gotten too far forward, up on my toe) and a couple of times on a spin (it's been the exit that gets me)

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
Not in terms of practice time or lessons, but I'm thinking long and hard about buying new boots, b/c of the expense. And of course, I'll be stretched even further next year if I do end up going back to school to get an MBA.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
The jumps are coming much easier to me than I thought they would. I'm doing the spirals pretty well, too. What's most rewarding is being able to do skills I'd previously only seen on TV, plus being able to identify turns and such while I'm watching skating comps. It's hard to get skills sometimes, but there aren't many people I know that can do these things, so it's a great satisfaction (esp. since I never did well in traditional sports) to be able to do them.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
Spinning - ugh! And forward crossovers in the CW direction - mainly b/c usual rink traffic is CCW, so you get used to going that way. Also very frustrating to "have" a skill, and then "lose" it.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Have fun! If you're in lessons with mostly kids, just enjoy it. They're fun to watch and can be motivating. Definitely ask your instructor to clarify things or look at what you're doing, to give feedback. Sometimes instructors focus on the younger ones, b/c they usually have the most difficulty w/ new skills. Make sure you get equal time from your instructor. Hey, you're paying for it!

Also, don't get frustrated if some skills come easier than others. Just practice and keep a positive attitude. Everything will come in time.

[TashaKat]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by amethyst
I've been a fan forever but I cannot skate! Well, I can get around the ice without holding on to the wall most times (with some balance checks and wobbles) but that's the extent of it, and that's on a good day.

I've considered learning to skate for a long time but I am 32 (and pretty out of shape) and am wondering if it's too late to learn. So I had some questions, mostly for adult skaters but anyone's free to answer. I'm curious as to what I can expect:

1. When did you start skating (age)? 32! I'm now 39 and was still going strong until I firstly damaged the ligaments in my knee falling down the stairs and THEN broke my wrist ......

2. How long have you been skating? about 6.5 years if I don't count my year of injury :(

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? Was doing 4-5 days a week, 1.5-2 hours a time

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Private, 2 hours a week in total (I do Dance and Free). I did group lessons to begin with but moved quite quickly onto private just because I found it better for me. I, personally, would never advise self-teaching if you're serious about wanting to do stuff, you can pick up FAR too many bad habits which will be very difficult to unlearn at a later date!

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I bought skates before I started skating just because I knew that I'd love it! You CAN learn in rentals but you will probably find that you want to move onto your own boots after a while (start saving ;) )

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Working on axel and doubles, backspin (boo!), working on UK Inter-Silver (or whatever it is now) Dance test and what would have been UK Inter-Bronze (?now Bronze Level III) Field Moves, Free (programme) and Elements

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? Getting back on the ice! Erm, cracking the Axel, improving the Backspin and ...... passing my tests!!!!!

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )? Oh yes ..... suspected skull fracture about 18 months ago when I stood on my own blade (stupid moo was wearing Free blades for Dance) doing the 14-step mohawk! I flew through the air with the greatest of ease and hit the ice head-first .... apparently the shock waves could be felt half the rink width away! Colles fracture August 13th when I fell over and landed on my own hand doing piggin back 3's!!!

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Mmmm, like most addicts I sacrifice stuff to skate! I've been a lot better off since I've been off injured .... I'll still go back though!

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? Easiest?? Is there an easiest? The most rewarding HAD to be passing my Prelim Field Moves (I NEVER thought that I'd ever be 'good' enough to pass them) and passing UK Bronze Dance (this was as far as I thought that I'd ever get!). The first semi-reasonable back spin was a good day and I'm looking forward to my first clean axel! Also rewarding is when you skate on patch with the kids and they accept you as a friend rather than a klutzy adult! For my UK Prelim Free test I went to start my programme and there was this line of kids at the barrier, as I took up my position they all started cheering and hooting :) It was embarrassing but SOOOOO nice .... and when I passed my Bronze Dance test they all charged at me, I was covered from head to foot in kiddy hugs :)

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? For me, spins, I've never been a natural (I always struggled with pirouettes in ballet), I can jump and jump and jump but spins have always been a trial. Frustrating? Has to be NOT being able to do the things that I want to do ..... and having the kids make them look SO easy!

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Don't be so hard on yourself (you WILL be) and don't 'apologise' for yourself when you're on the ice! It took me a LONG time to learn those lessons! Always be aware of other people and take time to get used to programmes and dance patterns. Be courteous and most people will be courteous back :) Enjoy, bend your knees, look up not at the ice ...... and get used to the idea that you're going to be an 'AOSS' sufferer ;) (Adult Onset Skating Syndrome .... if I can ever find the link I'll post it!)

GOOD LUCK


L x

[ClevelandDancer]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
I was 24 when I started; previous experience was 3 public sessions in my LIFE!

2. How long have you been skating?
8 years

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
It has varied over the years, from 1 hour per week up to 6, except for months completely off. Probably averaged 2 hours per week over the whole 8 years, breaks considered. Currently at 1.5 hours/week, trying to convince myself to bump it to 3.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? I started with group lessons, added private lessons when I passed ISI Gamma, dropped group lessons once I started taking USFSA mainstream tests. I currently take 15 minutes of dance/MITF the week. The most I've ever taken in a week is 45 minutes.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I do own my skates, I'm on my third "real" pair. It's possible to learn the very basics in rentals, as I passed my ISI Alpha test in rentals. I don't think I'd try to go too much beyond that in rentals, though I have seen kids in low-low freestyle still in rentals.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? I've done mostly dance. I've passed one USFSA Bronze dance (Hickory) and I'm getting close to test ready on the other two. I can kinda do all the Pre-Silvers slowly. I've passed standard track Pre-preliminary MITF (several years ago now) and I'm now working on the Adult Bronze MITF ... in the ballpark on everything, but need to polish up (note: I've blown off MITF for year now!). I've also passed the Adult Pre-Bronze freestyle test. Truthfully, my freestyle abilities haven't improved much in the last 6.5 years but I haven't been working much on them either (a couple times a year just to see if I remember anything really). I have a solid waltz jump, can tack a toe-loop onto anything but have problems with it solo, an inconsistent salchow, almost can land a loop, close to a flip (2-footed).

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Passing last two Bronze dances and Adult-Bronze MITF. I would expect to pass all these in the next 12 months, assuming I keep up my grueling 1.5 hours a week (haha) and don't get injured.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? I've screwed up both shoulders (left on a freak fall, right from synchro) in ways that made them hurt for a few months but didn't require/seek medical attention. I knocked the wind out of myself once. Really, I hurt myself in real life way more often. For example, I slipped on a wet bathroom floor 4 years ago and sprained my ankle so bad that I couldn't walk on it for 4 weeks and was off the ice for 6 months!

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? It is expensive, but since I don't have time to skate more than I do the cost is reasonable for me. I won't need skates this year, not planning to compete more than a couple times, thinking at my current burn rate I'll be around $800 for the year ($350 ice fees, $450 coaching for ~37 15-minute lessons @ $12 each). It's linear, if I crank up to 3 hours (double) the cost will about double.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? Stroking, edges and dance. I absolutely love the feeling of gliding across the ice!!!

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Jumping ... I'm a big 'fraidy-cat!!! I haven't hurt myself jumping (or falling on a jump either ;) ) and I know it consciously, but I haven't been able to convince my subconcious yet.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Remember this is a HOBBY. If you have more than one digit in your age when you start, you are not going to skate in the Olympics. Enjoy it, work hard, but don't stress about it. Also, ignore the "skate moms" for the most part. There are some nice ones out there, but there are some real b****es too that will hate you for taking up little Susie's ice!

[Jeanette]

Long Story Short: Started skating at age 46, and I just had the big one this year (50.) Was in pretty good shape having been a gym rat for years. Wanted something different, and boy, did I get it! I have never tested because I am one big chicken, but I'm doing pretty well, I have three jumps, waltz, sal and toe loop, good spiral, good edges, three turns, outsides and insides, and I'm working on strength and extension and speed. Yes, I have been injured - broken tailbone and smashed up knee, but I recovered and never really stopped skating (didn't know the knee was fractured until a year and a half after the fact when I had an MRI for something else. ooops!) I have other elements too, and I'm constantly working on "owning" elements so they will be there consistently. I take one private lesson a week and usually go to a skating camp once a year. To offset the costs, I work as a rink guard, and they let me skate all week for free. I also have a side job teaching CPR (I'm an RN) and save this money to put towards skating.

Have fun! Jeanette

[batikat]

Originally posted by TashaKat
[ Enjoy, bend your knees, look up not at the ice ...... and get used to the idea that you're going to be an 'AOSS' sufferer ;) (Adult Onset Skating Syndrome .... if I can ever find the link I'll post it!)

GOOD LUCK


L x [/B]

here is the link you are looking for - well worth a read if you are a beginning adult skater - very funny and very true!!!!

http://www.cyberus.ca/~karen/recskate/adultSkaters.html#3.3

[NickiT]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
I was 24.

2. How long have you been skating?
That was 10 years ago!

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
Usually about 5 times per week, 1.5 - 2 hours each time.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I have one half-hour private lesson and one half-hour group Annie's Edge class per week.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
I have my own skates and bought my own Risport Lasers before I started having group lessons right in the beginning. If you are sure you're going to take to the sport I'd definitely say get your own skates right from the start.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Highest jump is my lutz (though it's still small and slow). Highest spin is my sitspin. In terms of tests my highest achievement is the Inter-Bronze Field Moves test. I'm only the second adult at our rink to pass this.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
To pass my Level 2 Elements and Free tests.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?
Yes. I badly broke my right ankle and tore all the ligaments after coming out of a forward spiral, losing my balance and trying to save myself with my foot. I had emergency surgery to repair it and now have a metal plate and screws in my ankle. That was nearly 3 years ago and I can still feel it so I am wary of re-injuring myself. Also sprained my wrist three times and badly bruised my coccyx!

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
I have to admit it does cost a lot, especially now that both my children skate as well. We have just come to accept that skating isn't cheap, but that it's worth it for the enjoyment we get from it.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
I can't really say that there's anything that has been particularly easy about skating. It's a difficult and challenging sport. There have been several rewarding parts though. Passing my novice free, prelim field moves and inter-bronze field moves tests were really rewarding. Also skating a clean programme in this year's adult opens was very rewarding for me even though I came 4th and just missed out on a medal.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
Obviously learning new and harder stuff is difficult and can be very frustrating. It took me a long while to get my sit spin just right and that really frustrated me. Plus when you are learning something new you find you have it one day and not the next. That's very frustrating. Also for me, coming back onto the ice after my accident was very hard and even now because I get a lot of pain in my ankle, I get very frustrated when I'm trying to land jumps and my ankle doesn't like it.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Go for it. I don't believe you're ever too old to learn to skate. We know if we start learning as adults we are never going to make champions but there are so many benefits - health, social and sense of acheivement.

[LoopLoop]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
Started when I was 30.

2. How long have you been skating?
4.5 years

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
I skate 4 days/week, usually 1.5-2 hours each time.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I started in group lessons and moved to privates within a year.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
It's possible to start with rentals, but I teach group lessons and I would advise getting your own skates once you get to back crossovers at the latest. If you do use rentals, find out if the rink has a way of identifying them (numbers on the bottom or something similar) and get the same pair every time. I got my own skates when I started taking lessons.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Cheated axel, flying camel, passed juvenile MIF!

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Get flying sitspin consistent enough for competition, land ONE clean double loop before the end of the year.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?
Just the bumps and bruises for me...oh yeah, tendinitis in my rotator cuff and a strained muscle here and there, but nothing significant.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
Not too much...I *could* spend more but I consciously try to limit it.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
I have good natural balance and therefore learned the basics very quickly, and I can easily do turns, etc. that require quick weight shifts. Most rewarding was when a coach (not mine!) asked me to demonstrate my spread eagles for her student.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
Hardest was the lutz...it still goes away occasionally. Most frustrating has to be the axel; my body can do it (off-ice they are SO easy) but I just can't pull in when I'm in the air.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Go for it! And remember that instructors have different teaching styles, just as people have different learning styles. If you enjoy it but the teacher you end up with doesn't work for you, don't give up! Just ask for a different instructor for the next set of lessons.

Marna

[Hannahclear]

1. When did you start skating (age)?

14, quit at 17 started back up at 21

2. How long have you been skating?

About 4 years, broken up

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

Ideally 3 days per week, 1 hour per time, sometimes 2 times per week for slightly longer, depends on how busy I am.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

Started out teaching myself--BAD IDEA, picked up weird habits that I am just now getting rid of. I take private lessons once a week with a WONDERFUL coach.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

I learned a bit on rentals, but beyond just stroking around the rink, you need your own.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

I can do loop and flip pretty well, and have back/forward upright spins. I am working on preliminary moves and free and am getting close to being ready to test.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

Passing preliminary level tests, landing lutz and axel (semi-realistic ;))

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?

Nope

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

No, you can keep the costs down with some effort.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

The easiest thing for me is the loop and the most rewarding is learning to stroke properly, took me forever!

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

Getting over feeling stupid on the ice.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Just do it!

[sk8er1964]

1. When did you start skating (age)? I skated from 8 to 16, then again now at 37.

2. How long have you been skating? 9 months as an adult.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? 1 hr a day, six days a week.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Private lessons for 1 hour a week.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I own my skates (and need new ones - mine are too big). I'd recommend getting your own.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Just got my axel back, clean landing about 95% of the time. Flying camel is coming along.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

Passing the Adult Gold Freestyle so that I can compete in the 2003 Nationals, and getting a couple of doubles back.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?

Sprained knee as a kid, but that's about it. The worst falls are when you don't expect them, such as like tripping over your toepicks. I had bruised knees for two weeks doing that!

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

If I was independently wealthy, I'd be at the rink all the time! I'm saving for a new pair of skates that fit better but I'd rather have them now!

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

The easiest part has been falling in love with skating all over again. The most rewarding has been passing three adult freestyle tests and one adult MIF test in the last three months.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

Getting my spin center. As I lose weight, it keeps changing.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Enjoy yourself and don't expect too much all at once. This is the greatest sport around - you'll get in shape if you're not already, and you'll stay in shape if you are.

[jazzpants]

1. When did you start skating (age)? I skated from 10 to 12 (no lessons...just messing around on public sessions once a week) Started again at age 31.

2. How long have you been skating? 3.25 years as an adult.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? 1.5 hr a day, four days a week.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Private lessons: Primary coach half hour a week. Secondary FS coach: half hour a week. Moves coach: 15 minutes a week.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I originally had rentals but decided after I started learning 3-turns to get my own skates. It's worth it to get your own skates!!!

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Inconsistent loop and flip (two foot landings) Working on backspins and camel (but have my sit and scratch.) Moves: I'm working on the Adult Bronze Moves... but certainly areas I have to go back to prelim. (Have to learn those dreaded alt-3's.) :P

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Passing the Adult Bronzes Moves and FS.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?

Pulled hamstring from overuse. Sciatica...I don't know how I got that.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Yeap! Not enough time to enjoy the sport and I'm paid too little to increase my lesson time w/my moves coach.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

Getting to the rink?? :P Seriously this changes all the time!!!

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

Learning moves is the hardest part.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Have fun!!!

Cheers,
jazzpants

[tjskate]

1. When did you start skating (age)? - 36

2. How long have you been skating? - 11 months

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? - started once a week back in January and now do 3-4 morning sessions plus two other ones with my regular coach (she doesn't do mornings) so 50-60 minutes a day, 6 sessions a week.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? - On the mornings a take a 15 minutes lesson out of the 60 minutes with my secondary coach and I take 30 or 45 minutes with my primary coach on the other two sessions.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? - I used my hockey skates at the very start (in the Canadian Canskate program) and then when I found how much I loved it I bought my own skates and started the private lessons.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Working on landing my lutz more than one out of 5 times.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? - Axel and double salchow.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? Nope

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? - Nope, there is no question it costs me a decent chunk of change each month for the number of sessions and coaching I take on but its worth it to me.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? - jumping, its so much fun

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? - spins, I'm just not a natural at them at all

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? - I've met so many adult skaters who do such a range of skating - dance, freestyle and such a range of ages (from 20's to 80's) that I'm sure you'll find whats right for you.

[arena_gal]

I'll just answer this question:

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Getting out onto the ice and standing up on the skates is more than what 90% of the rest of the population does. Don't try to measure yourself against the 10% on the ice. Make a small goal to work towards and celebrate that achievement when you reach it.
Last year when I was breaking in new skates, I had goals like "stay on the ice for 5 minutes before screaming in agony and ripping off the skates" and then it became 10 minutes, then an hour.
These days I'm working on my stroking after seeing a video of my toe-pushing self and realized that I hadn't been paying attention to basic skating in a while. It's back to basics in very small steps and I have little goals all along the way.

[sceptique]

I was browsing through archives (again!) and this thread grabbed my attention. Would be interesting if those who responded to it 3 years ago commented how much they progressed since then and what good/bad things happened during these years.

[TaBalie]

1. When did you start skating (age)?

Ages 7-9, 11-13, age 25, and now 30 (I restarted at age 30, and it has been just over 2 months).

2. How long have you been skating?

On and off 7 years or so, most recently, for 2+ months

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

Now, 3 times per week (around 3 hrs total)

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

Two 1/2 hour private lessons per week. I love group lessons, but adult group lessons are not offered where I currently live.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

I won my first competions in rental skates! :) As an adult though, we are heavy, need more support, so I think it is important to buy skates. Talk to your skate shop fitter and your coach, and they can recommend a skate that is good for your level. I have Grad Edmonton Specials with Phantom blades.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

Hmmm... I am kind of all over the place since I can do some advanced elemetns well, but then am awful at more basic elements. When I quit as a child I was doing all doubles, had all the spins, etc. Now I can do all singles except axel (and my lutz is 50/50), and some spins (no camel realy), though the spins don't have the speed, etc, that they did years ago. MITF are new to me (I did figures) so I am learning those from scratch.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

I want to land all singles (including an axel), and really do all the MITF gracefully, confidently, and with extension and power. I am not testing or competing, but I still want to master every level.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?

No, just MAJOR bumps and bruises are my knees two weeks ago that still sort of hurt a bit. But other than that, no injuries.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Not currently, but in the future I am sure finances will...

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

After 20 minutes on the ice, and my feet have stopped hurting/cramping, I feel wonderful and excited, energized -- it is hard to describe.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

The worst part is that I have a very painful auto-immune disease that often keeps me off the ice (or makes ice time very painful). Also, the foot cramps at the beginning of EVERY session make me want to cut my feet off (I got a size too narrow, it is my own fault :oops: ) I also get frustrated since skating has such a large mental element, and I see that is slowing me down (the fear and apprehension, especially with jumps).

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Enjoy and bask in every accomplishment! Don't feel pressured to test--ever.

[sunshinepointe]

Oh my turn!

1. When did you start skating (age)?

Ages 21 - I skated from March until October, then I restarted again this year at age 24 in April....so a total of about a year?

2. How long have you been skating?

See above

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

3 times per week for about 7.5-8 hours total (but I'd like to skate more :roll: )

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

I have one 1/2 hour private, one 1/2 hour group. If I have extra money and my coach has extra time I'll pick up a private here and there.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

Definitely possible to learn in rentals, but the sooner you get your own boots and blades the better off I think you are. I skate in Jackson Competitors with MK Pro Parabolics and I love them.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

I have a great sit spin - goes all the way to the floor pretty much. I've just gotten my loop and flip pretty consistent. My scratch spin is very fast on good days. My coach tells me my spiral rivals Sasha Cohens :twisted: .I'm pretty graceful on the ice...sometimes...

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

I've started tampering with the lutz...haven't put too much effort into it really. The camel spin I've been working on for a few months and although its getting better, it's not good. I'd like to start working on my backspin and layback in the near future. I also see axels in the next year....but maybe I'm just being greedy.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?

I've never broken anything, but I've taken some very nasty falls and I've been very sore and bruised.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Definitely - if I had more money I'd be taking at least two privates a week and skating at least another 3 hours or so.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

The easiest part is just getting out there and trying stuff. I'm not really afraid to try new things and I think it's helped me progress pretty quickly. Plus it's just so much fun to feel like you're flying. I also have kids come up to me wide-eyed and ask if I'm training for the Olympics, or if I'm a coach - it makes me feel good about myself.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

You mean besides the stupid camel? The hardest thing is to remind myself that even though I'm not progressing as fast as some other people on the boards or at the rink, I'm taking my time to learn to do things RIGHT. I had bad coaching in the beginning and I would do things haphazardly and I didn't look like a skater - now I have some power, a lot more grace and CONFIDENCE about what I'm doing ...at the same time, its easy to get envious watching the "better" skaters and sometimes I just want to "jump ahead" and not worry about fine tuning stuff. Thankfully my coach keeps me in check there.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Have fun, and don't worry about your skating level and never compare yourself to other people. :D

[jazzpants]

I was browsing through archives (again!) and this thread grabbed my attention. Would be interesting if those who responded to it 3 years ago commented how much they progressed since then and what good/bad things happened during these years.Oh, GAWD!!! I was hoping I don't ever see this again... :oops:
1. When did you start skating (age)?

I skated from 10 to 12 (no lessons...just messing around on public sessions once a week) Started again at age 31.Answer still the same...
2. How long have you been skating?

3.25 years as an adult.It's 6.25 years now... :twisted:3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

1.5 hr a day, four days a week.
I now skate: 1.5 hrs on weekends and Mondays, 45 minutes on my two lesson days.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

Private lessons: Primary coach half hour a week. Secondary FS coach: half hour a week. Moves coach: 15 minutes a week.
Private lessons: Primary coach: half hour and Secondary coach: half hour. Both work on moves and basic skating pretty much... I haven't really worked on jumps and spins that much...
5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

I originally had rentals but decided after I started learning 3-turns to get my own skates. It's worth it to get your own skates!!!Same answer, except I would like to add that custom skates with orthotics are worth its way in Gold.6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

Inconsistent loop and flip (two foot landings) Working on backspins and camel (but have my sit and scratch.) Moves: I'm working on the Adult Bronze Moves... but certainly areas I have to go back to prelim. (Have to learn those dreaded alt-3's.) :PTHIS is embarassing... pretty much same answer! :oops: Okay, not totally the same. I pretty much have my backspins now and add lutz to my other two jumps with two footed landings! :evil: :frus: (I'm now fully rotated on all three of those jump. The loop and the flip I should be landing those on one foot. The lutz is fully rotated but the rotation is not always reliable, so I expected the landing on the lutz to be shaky for a while.) I have taken the Bronze Moves test once last year and I will be taking them again this year. :frus: Primary coach thinks this time I'll pass. I'll believe it when I see it though...
7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

Passing the Adult Bronzes Moves and FS.Same answer. :oops: Well, more mainly just concentrating on passing Adult Bronze Moves. I'm trying not to think about Bronze FS 'til the Moves are out of the way... (doesn't mean I'm not working on the Bronze FS program though...) ;)

It's been a long struggle trying to rework my basic skating and edges so I LOOK like a skater and feel more comfortable with my edges. But overall, I'm doing much better than before.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?

Pulled hamstring from overuse. Sciatica...I don't know how I got that.
Add banged up knees soon after I filled out that initiall questionaire and a couple of shin splint incidents last b/c my old boots were wearing out...

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Yeap! Not enough time to enjoy the sport and I'm paid too little to increase my lesson time w/my moves coach.
Same case, and my secondary coach essentially ditched my FS lessons and worked on nothing but basic skating too along with my primary coach. I've been pretty much concentrated more on my basic skating and my moves and have pretty much abandoned the FS part of my skating with the exception of my once a year competition (Skate SF.) Okay, I have the occasionally last 3 minutes to work on my primary coach's obsession with my BACKSPIN and maybe once in a while I get a 10 minute spin lessons. Even on crowded sessions, we don't work on spins... we work on CROSSOVERS, mohawks and 3 turns!!!

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?Getting to the rink?? :P Seriously this changes all the time!!!
Easiest part: forward stroking

Most rewarding: Concentrate on moves and my basic skating! Once that started happening, the rest became easier. Even the FS stuff became easier once I let it go for a while. (One of my fellow skaters who saw me skate around the time I filled out the questionaire just saw me skate a few weeks ago. She was like 8O (and she knows how much I struggled with moves too.) She also mentioned how confident I look on the ice now... No struggling and I was FAST!!! (I'm sure my ex-moves coach and Mistress Coach would be thrilled to hear...)
11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
Learning moves is the hardest part.
Same answer as before for both hardest and frustrating part! Maybe that's why it's also very rewarding... :P

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Have fun!!!
Same answer

[peshu]

If you can stand one more reply - I say go for it! You are never too old to learn. If you are out of shape, I would advise doing some sort of workout in addition to skating. Good muscle tone will help your ability to control your body on the ice. It isn't all leg muscles either; strong abs will help your posture on the ice which helps the feet get where they belong, and will help you when you start landing jumps.

When did I start? My first experience was as a very small child in double runners (shudder!) on a frozen puddle my dad made for me in the back yard. I progressed to being able to get around a rink in some fashion, and longed to learn how to skate properly but couldn't afford lessons. Finally at the age of 28, I took group lessons and got hooked. That was 20 years ago. I competed on an adult synchro team for 5 years, took a hiatus of 7 years due to limited ice availability and a lot of travel for my job, then started again with ice dance only. I've been on another hiatus of almost two years, and can't wait to get back on the ice again.

I started using rentals, but after a couple of lessons I realized I was going to be doing this for awhile and bought my own skates. Do not purchase the ones in the sporting goods stores, which have the blade riveted to the boot and the boots have no support. Your instructor or the person in the pro shop at the rink can advise you on a beginner boot and blade combination. Be aware that the position of the blade on the boot matters! This amazed me when I bought my first pair. I had always thought I had "weak ankles" because they fell outward in every cheap pair of skates I had when I was a kid. When I was fitted to my first good boot and was getting the blade mounted, I was stunned to discover that I could stand upright as easily as I do in bare feet. A good fitter will know how to mount the blade for you.

I think that group lessons are fine to start. They will teach you the basics, and people in these classes tend to encourage one another. If you want to just be able to enjoy yourself more at a public session and aren't too interested in jumping, dancing, or competing, group lessons may be enough for you. But if you do get serious about skating, you will need private lessons.

I am solely an ice dancer now. Not because I'm getting up there, but because that is what I truly enjoy. I did freestyle for some time, but I think too much to be good at jumping (you gotta just let go and do it, and I have trouble with that!). I think learning at least the basic dances is good for any skater, since it helps you with your flow and control. And if your rink has social dance sessions, those can be a lot of fun.

Injuries? I sprained a knee once when attempting a spin; I somehow got stuck on my toepick on the entrance to the spin, and my skating leg rotated from the knee up and didn't rotate from the knee down. That kept me off the ice just a couple of weeks. I also got some bone chips in my foot when that accursed toepick again stuck in the ice during synchro practice. I was off the ice for six weeks after that, but since then haven't had any problems.

When I start skating again, I will be working on my silver dances.

So start taking lessons, remember to breathe, bend your knees, and keep your head up and you will do fine!

[Raye]

1. When did you start skating (age)?17 the first time for 5 years, came back two years ago at 48 after a 25+ year absence.

2. How long have you been skating? Two years since starting over

3. How often do you skate: Nine hours a week

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Group stroking three mornings a week for 15 minutes at the beginning of the freeskate session and two private lessons per week, one in dance and the other in either skills, figures (yes - figures) or freeskate.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I have always owned my own skates and I have always bought them new. My folks had a pathalogical fear of used footwear and while I am not as obsessed as mom was, I still prefer to scrimp somewhere else and buy my skates - or any other footwear - new.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Waltz jump, toe loop, salchow, forward outside spiral, one foot spin and sitspin. Dances up to and including 14-step. Working on forward three to centre and back outside figure eight. Also in the past two years I have lost over 25 pounds and two dress sizes and I still get to eat. :yum:

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? I am THAT close to my flip and loop. I should have them soon. They are already sufficiently high and rotated, I am just to chicken to land them on one foot.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )? Broke my wrist once, when I was about 21 :roll: The fear of falling is much more of an issue than it was 30 years ago

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Not really. I skate to the fullest extent of my discretionary income

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? The most rewarding was representing Canada at Oberstdorf in June

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Frustrating - twofooting the flip and the loop all the time :frus:


12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Don't let anyone tell you you are too old. When I competed in Chilliwack, BC back in January there was a fellow in his seventies competing in freeskate and a couple in their seventies competing in dance.

[Chico]

1. age - 30's
2. how long - 5
3. lesson - 1 30 min a week - private - freestyle
4. how often - 7 hrs
5. skates - own my own rentals - I'd buy your own if possible.
6. highest achievment - Well....I've tried doubles. =-) Come close on a few occasions but mostly I can't say I do. I do have a high spiral and deep edges. I've been told this anyway. Oh, big jumps. Although they don't look that big to me on video!
8. realistic goal - good backspin, one foot axel, 2 loop, and a good program
9. finances - not really, just my better judgement
10. easiest - jumps
11. crossing my legs in jumps and backspin
12. advice - Don't compare yourself to others. Skate for the fun and enjoy the experience. Enjoy the little improvements you make. Most progress comes in little steps. Stay out of the political crap! Don't believe everything you hear. Dream. =-)

Chico

[singerskates]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 38

2. How long have you been skating? 5 years and then had to rest up because of herniated disks until 4 to 6 months after surgery (date unknown so far.)

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? I skated 4 days a week fall and winter and 3 during spring, hours varied with the day.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Two 15 minute lessons weekly.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? We don't have rentals where I skate, so everyone owns their own skates.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? 1 lutz, camel/sit/broken leg/catchfootspin 3 revs in each position, RFO to RFI combo change edge spiral to LBI spiral in bielman position into salchow.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? Getting strong again after corrective surgery to my herniated disks in my neck to get back on the ice to then get an axel and double toe and salchow along with flying spins and backscratchspin to 10 revs.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )? Yes,on ice injures were left broken elbow, right broken wrist all before I took one skating lesson or joined a skating club. Join a skating club for safty reasons. Off-ice work place injury, rotator cuff, torn left upper back music and two herniated slipped disks in my neck. AFter joining skating clubs, the ice has never been safer including safer than working at work.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? No, If I need money to skate, I get a job or create one for myself with the talents I have. If you love to skate, you find a way to pay for it.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? The easiest part of skating for me is the love of the sport. If you love what you are trying to do and do it with joy in your heart, you'll eventually learn what you're working on. The most rewarding is when I'm performing a program for the audience and they get into it, tied with teaching learn to skaters (CanSkate and preschool CanSkate).

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Trying to get a good backspin and nice one foot landings on my loops, flips and lutzes consistantly on totally warped to lean onto an inside edge boots which takes me off of my landing edge a milli second after landing. I need new boots when I get back on the ice. I'll be taking a level to the boots to make sure they are not warped before even trying them on at the proshop.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? To laugh at yourself and don't take yourself seriously, just have fun and remember you can only go upward.

[luna_skater]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 6

2. How long have you been skating? 19 years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? Synchro twice a week, and lessons/singles practice 2-3 times a week.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Private lessons, probably just one a week now that I'm back in school. I've only taken private lessons the past 2 years. When I was younger I had group lessons in Canskate and Canfigureskate.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? Have always had my own skates. None of the rinks where I grew up offered rental skates. In elementary school we always had a skating day, so most kids had a cheap pair of skates.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Have passed gold dances and gold skills. Just started learning freeskate in June -- most difficult jump I can do is a lutz, and I can also do all the singles in combination with a loop. Hardest spin is change-foot.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? Axel!

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL)? Yes, but not so badly that I've ever had to take time off. I twisted my knee pretty bad at a synchro competition practice once, and probably should have not skated the competition...I just taped it up and skated. :) That was about 6 years ago and the knee still bothers sometimes.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Not really in terms of big picture. I probably wouldn't have to live off a student loan if I didn't skate, but it's all I've known for my whole life...

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? The easiest part...enjoying it! The most rewarding has been seeing my hard work pay off...a few years ago, I never dreamed I could be a double-gold skater.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Overcoming my fears. Also, those days where nothing goes right and you wonder why you keep doing this...

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Never give up, and always remember why you started skating. Never lose the love of the sport. If you lose it, don't quit...just go out and find it again.

[blisspix]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
14, 1993

2. How long have you been skating?
12 years, but I was off for 2 years, went back for 3 months, then off for another 4 years until last month.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
Currently, 1.5 hours due to work scheduling. Usually one session, two if I'm lucky. I also take a 2hr ballet class once a week.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught?
I took group for the first year, then had a coach until 1998. Have not had a coach since but intend to.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
I had rentals for 3 months then bought beginner skates of my own. I am on my third pair of skates now.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Skated in state championships twice as a teen, though at a low level. Am currently working on getting back my doubles.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Test or competition in the next year (if I get a coach)

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )?
I had a chronic ankle injury caused by my old boots. It caused my ankles to calcify and swell enormously, all the time. I narrowly avoided surgery. I did get orthotics but they never suited the boots. Only went away when I quit the sport for a long time. Perhaps ironically, I had major knee surgery just a few months before I started skating.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
Yes. I didn't take many lessons growing up because I didn't want to burden my parents with the cost. Now, I have a good job so I spent big on my new skates, and I can afford a couple of sessions a week. The other big cost in my life is travel so I can't spend too much on skating though!

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
Easiest - jumps were always easier for me, not easy, but I took to them.
Most rewarding - a competition where I did my absolute best, and one of the judges gave me 3.9, I was very pleased.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
Moves in the field. I failed a test 3 times (aust. equivalent) and it made me want to quit for good.
Never medalled at a competition, except for silver at a beginners meet.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Have fun, don't listen to anyone else that tells you you shouldn't go for it, and make friends at the rink!

[vesperholly]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
I started in learn to skate lessons when I was 7. I started in private lessons at 13, and quit for four years during college.

2. How long have you been skating?
I am 25 now, so 18 years (!)

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
I skate approximately 4-5 hours per week

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I take private lessons. This fall I am getting 1/2 hour per week. When I start getting closer to my moves test, I will probably ask for more.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
Yes, I own my own skates, and I wouldn't recommend rentals to learn in. You need skates that are properly sized and decently built. They don't have to be anywhere near what freestyle skaters use - the basic pair from JC Penney's will be fine for learning.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
My highest skill is camel-back camel spin, axel jump and I passed Novice moves in June.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Pass my Junior moves, pass my Silver dances, compete at the 2006 ANs.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )?
I've sprained my left ankle twice, almost exactly 10 years apart.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
Absolutely, finances play a big part - I do not work in a lucrative field. I only buy two hours of club ice, and the rest of my skating is done on general skates (I am lucky enough to have them be freestyle-only). I haven't competed in a year and a half. I wouldn't say it impinges on my enjoyment per se - when I am out on the ice, I love it even when I suck. But I would rather go to fewer competitions than not skate at all.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
The easiest part is tying up my skates every day. I look forward to practice, and especially lesson days. The most rewarding has been the exercise and the motivation to exercise to better my skating. I really hate working out, so when I have a tangible goal other than "be thin" - like landing jumps or better endurance in programs - it helps enormously.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
The hardest is being hard on myself. I am twice as big, twice as old and skate a quarter of the time as all the little kids I work with, but I hold myself to very high standards. The most frustrating has been the lack of consistency - even after all this time I still don't have a solid camel spin - and dealing with people in my club who don't "get" adult skaters.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Take skating with a grain of salt - "It's only skating!"

[NickiT]

OK, here goes:-

1. When did you start skating (age)?
24

2. How long have you been skating?
It's been 13 years since I started skating, but the first few years I didn't skate seriously, plus I had time out due to pregnancies, injuries etc. I've been skating seriously for 5-6 years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
Before the summer I was skating 3 times per week. My total hours on the ice was 6.5 hours.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I take two half-hour private lessons per week and do one half-hour jumps class.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
I have my own skates - Gam 065 boots and MK Professional blades. I think you can learn in rentals right in the very beginning as long as you get a good pair with sharp blades. However I'd recommend investing in your own from as early on as possible.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
My highest jump is the lutz, and I am doing it as a lutz-loop combination. My hardest spin is a camel/sit/backsit. I have passed my NISA Level 2 Elements and Free Tests, and my NISA Inter-Bronze Field Moves Tests. I won my first cup this year at the Bracknell Adult Opens.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
I'd like to say the axel, but I think that's pretty unrealistic. My next goal is a camel/back camel.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?
Yes, too many times. I currently have my arm in a plaster cast so am off the ice at the moment. I have also broken my ankle quite badly requiring surgery and now have metal work in my ankle. Last year I cracked a rib and cracked my elbow. I've had several hard falls on my wrists, coccyx, hips etc. Unfortunately I do go for things and suffer as a result.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
I do feel that I have to cut back on other things to pay for the skating, especially since my two children skate as well. I really wanted to try dance but just can't afford it.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
I don't think there's ever been an easy part in my skating career. My most rewarding was passing my Level 2 and getting back to skating after my ankle injury as everyone thought I'd not make it back.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
For me it's competing. I need to compete to make myself improve but I suffer with nerves big time and I get frustrated when nerves prevent me from skating as well as I know I can.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Enrol in a group class to start with. When you become well and truly hooked get yourself fitted with the correct sized skates and start taking private lessons. Enjoy your skating and accept that it is a challenging sport - things often look a lot easier than they are, but lots of practice and you will get there.

Nicki

[sceptique]

1. When did you start skating (age)?

31.
But I won’t be technically correct if I say that I never set my foot on ice before that. I remember taking skating group lessons when I was 5 or 6. We learned forward stroking and “fishes”. I don’t remember skating backwards, though. I must have quit before that, I suppose. Shoot-the-duck killed me. I couldn’t do it to save my life (unlike now!).

After that I’ve been to public skating about 2-3 times – one of them to a famous mountain rink Medeo in Kazakhstan. I didn’t enjoy any of it – by the time I was a teen I’ve grown pretty tall and they never seemed to have my size boots, so they either were too small and hurt like hell or they’d give me male hockey boots which were too wide and wobbly.

So that’s how I ended up being a Siberian who almost never skated until she got to England where it almost never snows!

2. How long have you been skating?

According to my skating journal – 22 weeks.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

2 days per week: Saturday and Sunday, but I really go for it. When I started, I used to stay for the whole public session: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (that crazy! With coffee break and lunch, of course); now I moved to school patch ice so I skate 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., then have a break while the ice is taken by Skate UK groups and then skate again for an hour or so until it gets too crowded or I feel like I had enough.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

I took Skate UK group lessons to start with, but when I got to grade 8 I felt I could benefit from some 1-2-1 practice so I started taking an additional 30-min lesson per week. Now I take 2 lessons / week with different coaches – it works out well: Coach A is focusing on getting me ready for the tests, while Coach B is more of “let’s see if you can do this” experimental type.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

I bought my own skates after my one and only experience with Coventry Planet Ice rentals. As I said before, boots were the main thing that stood between me and my skating for my whole life, so I’d get my own even if it meant living on Tesco Value baked beans for a year. And since I didn’t have to sacrifice that much, it wasn’t even the question.

I guess it’s possible to learn with rentals, I’ve seen people doing it, but I just won’t do it myself.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

Jumps – I consistently land waltz, toe loop and salchow, by itself and in combinations, but the technique can surely be improved. Especially for salchow, which is a bit wicked at the moment.

Spins – nothing fancy. Basic forward upright, and not too good yet. Learning sit spin and upright back spin.

I have nice spirals for a pretty inflexible adult and I really like my backward crossovers.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

NISA Level 1 test, getting all my single jumps and learning to spin properly.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises?

Not yet (touch wood), but my legs always look as if I’ve been severely beaten by a street gang.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Not really. I used to have times in my life when a taxi ride would be an ultimate luxury and still find means to do things I wanted to do at that time. But I do tend to measure the price of everything in terms of skating time: well, this nice shirt is about 6 lessons – nope, I don’t think it’s that nice… etc. I actually found it’s now much easier to avoid “social spending”, like going to high street sales with you friend “just to keep her company” and ending up with pile of stuff you didn’t really want. You just say: “I need to save money for a skating dress” and that closes the subject.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

Easiest - getting my husband to accept that, after not seeing his wife for 5 days a week (out-of-town job!), she is going to start disappearing for half-day on weekends as well. He says: “now at least when you are at home – you’re with me, not like when you had that creative writing hobby!”

The most rewarding – feeling fulfilled. Skating closed many gaps and put lots of things into perspective. I’m much less stressed out now – it’s as if I got some pivot point around which I can start building things, a sense of direction. Almost a spiritual experience.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

Hardest thing – not being able to skate as much as I would like to. I’m keeping fingers crossed that my next posting will be in a town with a rink. (Actually, looks like Moscow is in the pipeline, which makes me a bit nervous. As good as they are there in Big Sport skating, it’s not the most adult-friendly skating environment. Although “sports are for kids, sofas and TVs are for adults” mentality has been somewhat changing in the past years, I won’t be surprised I’ll have to “tip” some rink managers to get to practice ice along with the kids. On the upside, they have some rinks that are open 24 hours!).

Most frustrating – relative lack of good skating resources – books, videos; instructional DVDs are almost non-existent. The ISU CD pack on jumps and spins has been a huge help: seeing a jump in slow-motion, with explanations can save you from about a dozen bruises what you’d get trying to figure it out on your own. Actually, I’m starting to think if my school might want to produce a training video course…. Hmmmm… Putting my MBA hat back on…..

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

My 11 tips:

1. Don’t set yourself a limit. If backward crossovers is “all you want to learn” – most likely it will be all that you will learn.
2. Take yourself seriously.
3. Celebrate every achievement no matter how small.
4. Don’t be intimidated by better skaters. Learn from them.
5. Don’t keep working on a stubborn element because you “have to get it right”. Move on to something else and then come back to it. Just keep coming back and you’ll see it magically improving.
6. Keep a journal. It will help you to see your progress and plan ahead.
7.When you feel down and frustrated – go skating to a public session. There’s nothing better to lift you mood than compliments from little kids in the crowd. And you’ll get them, mark my words!
8. Take a good care of your body – it’s your tool. Make sure that you feed it the right stuff, it gets enough sleep, and is generally kept in shape. Then you can abuse it by landing 20 times on you butt at 7:30 in the morning.
9. Work out off-ice. It will help your skating.
10. If your buddies/colleagues/family start making fun of your skating – challenge them to do 1 lap backwards. That would silence them. (A female option – ask them to help you with clothes shopping because all your old clothes are now too loose.)
11. Don’t be afraid to look silly. People who skate will never judge you because they know how hard it is to learn. People who don’t – see tip number 10.

[batikat]

Ok Sceptique here's the updated answers:

1. When did you start skating (age)?

37 - I'd only been on ice a couple of times in my life before that.
unchanged!


2. How long have you been skating?

3 1/2 years
well it's 3 years later .........


3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

When I started I did 1/2 hour practice 1/2 hour lesson and then 1-2 hours of the public session to practice what I'd learned in the lesson all on a Saturday.
Now I skate 3-4 times a week for 1-3 hours a time.
Probably somewhere between 5 and 8 hours a week over 4 days (Tuesday to Friday - though not all that time is spent skating - an awful lot of chat and socialising occurs in those hours :lol:


4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I started in group lessons - mixed age and it was no problem skating with the kids (I was not the only adult in the class), once a week. I'm now on 2 x 1/2 hour private lessons a week plus a couple of group classes for edges, dance moves etc.
Still do 2 half hours at the moment both on Free skating. Also one group dance class and one group jumps class (when it restarts) as well as an off ice jumps class.


5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

It is possible to learn with rentals but if you go that route then ask for a reasonably sharp pair and refuse them if they are blunt. By the time you are ready to learn 3 turns/mohawks etc you will find your own boots a godsend. I would recommend checking out the used skate sale as it is cheaper and you avoid the often painful breaking in period which causes some people to give up. Don't get boots that are too big for you. A snug fit makes everything so much easier. If you do go for new, do make sure that you are given a beginners boot. Don't make the mistake of thinking more expensive = better. You don't need a boot suitable for landing doubles when you are starting out - they will just be impossible to break in.

same answer and I still have the same boots.


6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?

UK level 2 dance (the baby dances!). Winning the 2 minute Original Dance in an Open competition. Getting 2 revs on my sit spin! Am just starting to learn the single jumps having done mostly dance up til now.
aha - definitely some improvement here!!!!
I now have level 1 dance variation, level 2 dance moves, level 3 Free dance, and my level 1 in Freeskating. I can do a reasonable sitspin on a good day and have landed a loop (even in a competition :D ). Won the level 1 Free class (of 4) this year at Bracknell and will be competing in Free at the British Adult Championships in a couple of weeks (not expecting to place or anything since it includes level 2 skaters). Not bad for someone who swore she'd never have both feet off the ground at the same time when she started and lived by that rule for the first few years of skating!



7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

To pass UK level 1 Free skating elements test (3 jump, salchow, cherry, upright spin, step sequence)
To get a consistent Flip and Lutz and backspin


8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?

Not yet! I know people who have but they are all still skating
Not seriously touch wood.


9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

Am spending far too much at the moment but this sport is addictive. It is not cheap and if you want to skate competitively it only gets worse. It's worth it to me and I would sacrifice other things to keep skating.

Not a problem at present.


10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

None of it is easy - as my coach says "if it was easy everyone would do it" and more importantly he adds "if it was easy you wouldn't need me!!!"
But it is intensely satisfying to learn a new skill. The most rewarding has actually been competing - not so much for the winning or losing but for proving to myself that I can get out there and do something that I had only previously dreamed about and also seeing the marks I get improve year by year. Also the social side of adult skating is great.
same answer.


11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
The hardest for me is the jumps. I suffered with back problems - now virtually cured by my chiropracter - and bad knees and a lack of courage to actually leave the ice. 3 years down the line I feel I am ready to tackle the jumps and really enjoying it.
Most frustrating is learning to spin.
Most frustrating was definitely trying to learn the Loop - can't begin to count how many months or even years I spent completely unable to fathom how this jump worked! Currently the frustrating part is trying to get my knees together and get lower in the sitspin.


12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Get out there and do it! Don't worry about what anyone else thinks or compare yourself to others. Learning as an adult is harder than for a child but we are doing it because we love it. Practice time is as valuable as lesson time - in fact you should spend a lot more time practising than in lessons other wise you are wasting your money.
Enjoy!
Bend your knees and then bend them MORE!!!!!! Smile!

[Mrs Redboots]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 42Unchanged - well, derrrr.....

2. How long have you been skating?
7.5 yearsNow must be not that far off 12 years. Sheesh, where does the time go?

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
Usually 3 days/week, maybe 4 or 5; between 5 and 8 hours.This is now 4-5 days a week, occasionally six! Probably between 8 and 10 hours.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I take a total of 1 hour's lessons per week; 30 minutes with my husband/dance partner and 30 minutes solo.That hasn't changed yet.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
Yes, I have my skates, but it's perfectly possible to start in hired skates - when you find a pair that you like, make a note of the number and ask for them each time! But once you know this is a sport for you, go and buy your own!I stand by this advice.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Being able to dance the 14-step, which is a mid-level dance, and being able to walk through (but not yet dance) one or two high-level dances like the Blues and the Paso Doble.Oh dear, this hasn't changed either - I think, perhaps, I wasn't terribly realistic back then; I could stumble & kick my way through the 14-step with a great partner, seldom try the Blues, and really can't manage the Paso at all, who did I think I was fooling?

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
To beat friends of ours at the next competition at which we skate against each other!We still haven't - but we've come mighty close on occasion! Their free dance is going to beat ours this year, it's got more technically difficult steps in it, although sometimes our presentation is better. And they don't go out of time in the compulsories, and we occasionally do - plus we don't always push on every step, and they do! But it's often down to a point or two, and most competitions we take one judge off them, if you see what I mean.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )?
No.And, every finger crossed, that is still true.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
Well, I take comfort in the fact that my niece's sport (dressage) is even more expensive than mine!And these days I take comfort that my husband pays most of our skating expenses, since I'm no longer working!

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
The easiest part has been falling in love with it; the most rewarding people's kind comments when I compete about how much better I've got.That's still true, I think. Especially this year, when a 50-lb weight loss has meant my skating really has improved.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
The hardest part has been becoming competitive at my level (I only just am!); the most frustrating thing is being held back by fear and an appalling lack of body awareness.And being fat didn't help, either.....

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Enjoy it! It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on.....I stand by that one, too!

[TimDavidSkate]

1. When did you start skating (age)? 14yrs old

2. How long have you been skating? 11 years

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? depends
summer - 4 to 5 times a month
fall - 2 times a week
winter - 3 to 4 times a week
spring - 4 to 5 times a week
competition time: final two weeks of competition - everyday

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? self taught at the beginning, private lessons on and off, nowadays- just myself and a videocamera

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I have my own, I started out with rentals for 7 months. Just remember which skates you like best when you rent, so you can request the same size and skates

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Jump - double axel (year 2000)
Spin - Butterfly/Deathdrop/Flying Camel/Pancake spin
Move - hhmmm, I still have to get my hydro consistent,

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Outside-Inside Spread Eagle

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? Yes, last time I attempted an axel and I went sideways, and hit my head. I was off the ice for 3 days (May of 2000)

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? Yes, public session/rentals was the hardes part to cough up when I was starting, when I got my own skates- I could not afford to pay for private lessons, so I taught myself from watching videos...

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
Oh boy, hhmmm.... Im not sure...nothing was easy with skating...(just added)- competition time is easy for me, b/c my adrenaline is pumping and so my body goes into auto-mode... Rewarding part was competing and doing a clean program

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? Dealing with skating mentally is the most toughest part til to this day. Having the confidence/determination/focus on every practice.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Follow your heart,
Always trust your guts,
No matter what move/jump/spin/consistency- you will get it eventually,
You only live once :)

Good Luck and Have fun,
Any questions or concerns feel free to email me and/or ask anybody here at skatingforums.

[AnnM]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
I skated recreationally as a kid, from ages 5. I started again as an adult around 23.

2. How long have you been skating?
The first time around, 6-7 years. Since starting as an adult, about 6 years with several breaks in between.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
I currently skate two days a week. On my lesson day I skate for about 45 minutes. On my practice day I skate for an hour and a half. I'm aiming to add at least one more day of practice per week.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I take private lessons; one half-hour lesson per week.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
I think that for the initial levels (basic stroking, etc.), it is possible to learn with rentals. Truth be told, rental skates carried me all the way up to Freestyle 5 as a kid/pre-teen. As an adult, I haven't skated in rentals, but I started with my own inexpensive boots that didn't offer much more support than most rentals. I switched to SP-Teri Super Teris once I started relearning jumps.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Jump -- toe loop; Spin -- sit spin; Move -- back three turns

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
To pass (in order): Silver MITF; ISI Freestyle 4; Silver Freestyle

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?
I bruised my tailbone pretty badly on a fall and was off ice for about a month. I also badly sprained my wrist on the same fall and had to wear a splint for several weeks.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
As an adult, I skated much more frequently while I was able to live at home with my parents while working. No rent = more disposable income = more freestyle sessions, longer lessons, more competitions entered, etc. I moved to a different part of the state due to my job and while I make more money than I did earlier I have less disposable income to spend on skating due to rent, bills, groceries, etc.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
Fortunately for me the easiest part has been finding coaches that I respect and get along with very well. The most rewarding part is being able to go out and skate a program in front of a bunch of people and getting supportive/encouraging comments from them, even when I know I didn't skate my best.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
The most difficult part for me recently has been getting enough time to practice. My work schedule (and work duties on occasion) and the rink's freestyle schedule don't match up very well at all. The knowledge that lack of practice is why I'm progressing so slowly at the time being, yet that I can't do much about it, is very frustrating.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Remember that it's supposed to be fun. :) Don't compare your progress to any other adult skaters; everyone has their own pace. Work comfortably and consistently at your own pace and eventually you'll accomplish whatever spin, jump or move you are trying to learn.

[Skate@Delaware]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
I skated at the very ripe age of 42.

2. How long have you been skating?
Not quite 2 years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
Usually average 5-10 hours per week (varies between how I feel, and if I'm in a show).

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
Last year I was in group lessons and ice dance and synchro, each 30 mins. This year I'm in group lessons once a week for 30 mins, and have a private coach once a week for 30 mins, as well as a power skate class when I feel like it.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
I started with rentals at first, but bought my own because I have bunions.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Jump -- 1/2 loop; Spin -- scratch spin; Move -- three turns; best move -- spiral

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
To survive Halloween Classic; then pass: USFSA Adult Pre-Bronze MITF & Freestyle

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )?
Caught my blade doing a back progressive in ice dance and fell flat on my lower and upper back, luckily I did not crack my head! Took several chiropractic adjustments to recuperate!

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
Not really, I sock away my paycheck so I can do what I want with it. Of course, my house is a wreck and my children starve so I can skate.... (just kidding!).

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
The skating director is 100% adult friendly (and my group lesson coach) and is patient and kind. The rewards come when you can do that one thing you have been struggling on for what seems like forever and everyone sees or hears about it and congratulates you on it, even the prima skaters!

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
Getting accepted at first-you get a lot of "what is she doing here" until they realize you are working just as hard (if not harder) as the kids. The parents are wondering why you are there. Finding testing facilities without having to drive days..... Working for months on a move that the kids pick up instantly....Getting this body to bend or stretch just a little bit more....

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
Persevere! It's worth it!

[doubletoe]

1. When did you start skating (age)?
Age 27. (I skated recreationally as a teenager, but had my first lesson at 27).

2. How long have you been skating?
5 years on, 5 years off, then another 3 years, so 8 total. I'm 40 now.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?
5-6 hours per week, broken down into 4 sessions of 1-2 hours each.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?
I started with group lessons for the first 2-3 years, then added a few privates. Now I do only privates. I take a 20-minute lesson twice a week.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?
Rental skates are the secret weapon we regulars use to discourage newbies from coming back and skating on our practice ice. They are designed to make anyone a bad skater. Never use rental skates! ;)

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)?
Jumps: double salchow and double toeloop
Spins: flying camel and camel-sit-reverse scratch (change foot) combination

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?
Double loop jump

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL :lol: )?
I once hit my head on the ice and got 2 stitches, but no concussion. That's it in 8 years of skating!

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?
No, I just spend all my extra money on skating now that I have stopped caring about anything else I used to spend my money on! :)

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
Easiest: For me, the single jumps and the poses (spirals, etc.), but everybody is different.
Most rewarding: landing double jumps, winning competitions

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?
For me, the spins have been the hardest and most frustrating, but for many other people it's jumps. I am finding the higher level moves-in-the-field frustrating as well.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?
JUST DO IT!! If you start now, you'll be able to skate decently in 3 years. If you don't start now, you won't. That's the thought that convinced me to start when I did. I landed my first double jump at 38, so you aren't too old. ;)

[BelleOnIce]

1. When did you start skating (age)? when I was 9 I think?

2. How long have you been skating? well I am 20 now so 11 years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? not as often as I would like, about 2 lunchtimes a week for a few hours (hopefully now I have finished uni and taking a year out I will get to skate everyday they will let me in the rink!!)

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? Private lessons, started out with group. I get a lesson each time I go and as my coach is only there for me I get an extra long lesson.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I have always owned my own skates, I think learning on rentals may be possible to a certain level depending on the quality, the rentals at my rink have always been big blue plastic wellie boots.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? jumps- double flip/double loop combo and double lutz
spins- flying camel, my own combo spin.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? Double axel, and finally getting a spread eagle without my bottom sticking out!! Plus getting my level 1 coaching.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises (this is a scary thing for me, LOL )? hmmmmmmm well it may be because I am an acident prone person but in my skating career I have......knocked out my 2 front teeth (resulting in having crowns now for life!), broken my right arm twice (once two days before my higher exams at school), badly bruised my tail bone, and well this last one happened at an ice rink but not while I was skating.....got knocked out by a stray hockey puck while watching my brothers team!!!!!

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? I am pretty lucky to have parents who were very supportive financially, my mum makes skating dresses which meant I could design and she made saving hundreds of pounds, plus my dad was co-owner of a skate shop for a while which meant getting skates etc at cost price. Now that I have grown up I pay mostly for myself but get things like boots and blades etc from my parents for christmas and birthdays.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding? Easiest part was learning young as it gave me a good base for now. Most rewarding has been over the past year when I have started to take an interest in coaching and taught my neice and my mum how to skate.

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? After taking some time out to sit school exams etc it was hard and frustrating to get jumps back which I could land before and was now finding myself even to scared to attempt ( but rewarding now I have them, I deserve them more as I put in the effot twice!)

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Dont be afraid, if you try your best and enjoy then there is now reason you wont succeed. The most important thing is to skate because you enjoy it.

[skatergirlva]

1. When did you start skating (age)? When I was 3 in my backyard. I started lessons by age 6 and quit by 12 because it was to expensive and my coaches moved away and our skating program fell apart. I started skating again at 21.

2. How long have you been skating? Approximately 20 years because of the time away from skating.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)? Approximately 4 days a week. I teach part-time, so I skate after I'm done teaching and also at 5 AM. :)

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons? I started with group lessons when I was a kid, but just take private lessons now.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals? I have always had my own skates. I had never used rental skates until about 6 years ago, when I didn't bring my skates home for the holidays. I couldn't even get around the ice once because they were so dull. Buy your own skates, even if they are relatively inexpensive ones is my advice.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? jumps- axel 50% of the time and double loop 50% of the time
spins- flying camel
moves-intermediate moves

7. What is your next realistic skating goal? Landing my axel consistently in competition. Passing my Novice moves. Actually listening to the music when I skate. :)

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises. I've had some pretty nasty falls on the axel (perhaps-why I hate the jump so much) and I sliced my leg on a double sal...I have a lovely scar.

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport? I'm always conscious of skating costs. I have a 3 month old now, so since I work at the rink, I take full advantage of skating after I clock out.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?
Learning when I was young. I couldn't remember basic jumps my I started skating again in grad school, but it came back to me pretty easily. The most rewarding part...testing. I never tested as a kid, so my goal (hopefully is to pass all my moves tests within a few years).

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect? The axel...the axel...the axel...getting over my fear of it.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie? Have fun! Be daring! Who cares what anyone else thinks. This past weekend, I skated at a rink in PA and completely goofed around (dramatic, etc.), which is so not like me normally, but it was very fun, so enjoy it and make lots of friends.

[2loop2loop]

1. When did you start skating (age)?

When I was 14, I started out as a rink rat on hockey skates before seeing the light.

2. How long have you been skating?

12 years.

3. How often do you skate (hrs per day, days per week)?

My core schedule is three days a week for 2 hours at a time, though ideally I like to fit in an extra 2-4 hours if I can.

4. Do you take private lessons, group lessons or are you self-taught? Details/frequency of lessons?

I've only ever had private lessons, although recently the student financial situation has got in the way and I am not currently taking any lessons. Fortunately my coach is good to me and keeps an eye out, gives me pointers etc.

5. Do you own your own skates and do you think it's possible to learn (at least at first) with rentals?

I only used rentals right at the very beginning, but I got my own skates as soon as possible. I occasionally teach beginners and it is a wonder that anyone can do anything on those rental skates they are so blunt they just slip sideways all the time.

6. What is your current/highest skill or achievement (jump, spin, move, etc)? Jumps- Hardest ever was triple loop, I have up to 2flip consistently and occasional 2lutzes.
Spins - Probably death drop, although I do some sit spin variations that are fairly tough.

7. What is your next realistic skating goal?

Sorting out the 2lutz. It has been so close lately. Also I want to work on my programs more (I really neglect this) so that they are more polished.

8. Have you ever injured yourself beyond bumps and bruises.

I had a bad fall on a 2flip once that resulted in a severely sprained ankle. I was off the ice for 3 months and it swelled up like a balloon and it was just the most painful thing, it was convinced I'd broken it :evil:

9. Do finances or lack thereof play a large part in your learning to skate and enjoyment of the sport?

I've never really been able to spend huge amounts of money on my skating. Ever since I was 14 I've always paid for it entirely by myself and that has meant mostly one 1/2hr lesson a week. I wouldn't say it has ever affected my enjoyment of the sport, but I could certainly use some lessons now.

10. What has been the easiest part, and what has been the most rewarding?

I don't really have any recollection of learning the basics, like crossovers or threes, I just picked them up before I even started taking lessons, so that was probably the easiest. The most rewarding is getting to call myself a national adult champion!

11. What has been the hardest, and what has been the most frustrating aspect?

I've always had big psycholgical issues with the double toe. I also never skate nearly as well in performance as I do in practice, I am usually disappointed with my skates in shows or competitions.

12. What advice would you give to a newbie?

Just enjoy yourself. Keep a journal so you can remember all the little hints and tips you pick up.

John