To all our competitors here...what is it like to skate in front of a crowded Arena?

[FSWer]

Ok...I asked this question to a Skater at the Nutmeg Games and got HER answer...and NOW (if you compete and do it)...I'd like to here it from all of YOU. It is...In your own words.. what is it like to skate in front of a crowded Arena? Please include what Arenas you have skated in (with a rough estament of the crowd of people included if you can), as well as what it felt like. You may also tell me if you'd like how long it took you to get USED to skating in front of an Arena as well.

[flo]

Hi. it can be pretty exciting! I've skated in several large arenas, for example the 1980 and 1932 Olympic areans at Lake Placid. The 1980 arena is huge and you really need to fill up the whole space and reach the people in the top seats. The 1932 arena is small and intimate. I really like performing artistic programs there.

I skated master pairs in one arena at a nationals and it was standing room only! After we competed I found a seat on the steps to watch the rest of the event. That crowd was amazing. After our death spiral we could not hear the music for the applause.

One of the most thrilling was this past spring at the ISU event in Germany. It was pretty cool to hear "Representing the United States of America ....." and your name.

[icestalker]

The crowd doesn't sway me- my coach watching is what makes me nervous!

At a recent exhibition, my coach was the announcer, and it wasn't the thunderous applause that made me happy, it was my coach saying "Good job" over the microphone :)

The stands at the rink only hold so much- so maybe fifty people have been watching me before?

[FSWer]

Hi. it can be pretty exciting! I've skated in several large arenas, for example the 1980 and 1932 Olympic areans at Lake Placid. The 1980 arena is huge and you really need to fill up the whole space and reach the people in the top seats. The 1932 arena is small and intimate. I really like performing artistic programs there.

I skated master pairs in one arena at a nationals and it was standing room only! After we competed I found a seat on the steps to watch the rest of the event. That crowd was amazing. After our death spiral we could not hear the music for the applause.

One of the most thrilling was this past spring at the ISU event in Germany. It was pretty cool to hear "Representing the United States of America ....." and your name.

That's really COOL Flo. What's a Standing Room BTW.?

[FSWer]

The crowd doesn't sway me- my coach watching is what makes me nervous!

At a recent exhibition, my coach was the announcer, and it wasn't the thunderous applause that made me happy, it was my coach saying "Good job" over the microphone :)

The stands at the rink only hold so much- so maybe fifty people have been watching me before?

I didn't know the coach could do both at a competition if your coach did both. Interesting.

[JimStanmore]

This is rambling, but it is the first time I have told anyone about my first experience. That one had an audience and my other two were pretty empty. The stands had maybe 25 - 75 people. Not a lot as things go, but anything over one judge would have been an Olympic crowd for me on that day.

My first competition was last March at the Colonial Adult Winter Challenge (No Test.) My coach wasn't there, but wrote out a little sheet of things to do before and during. Luckily I did the 4 hour drive the night before and slept in a motel. Also, everyone at the rink was friendly and supportive (outstanding, Stormy. I will be back in 2011.) I am glad my first one was an adult only comp run by a great club/rink. I even made a couple of new friends.

Anyway, I proceeded to stress out as the time drew near and I was doing tons of deep knee bends and shaking my limbs/stretching to fight it off. In spite of that, after they called my name and I stepped on the ice all I wanted to do was make it to my starting position without falling - for some reason I suddenly lost the ability to skate on one foot! That should tell you that I was a ball of nerves because I only fall when I try something very new and pride myself on strong edges and being smooth and graceful (sorry, powerful since I am a guy.) So, I bow without falling and get in place. My music took forever to start and I immediately regretted starting with a miniature and fast waltz 8. I had practiced that so much I thought I could do it blindfolded, but I hacked it up badly - that two feet on the ice problem...

Fortunately, I always practiced with looking above the boards and after a few seconds I started to notice the spectators' faces and saw the people that befriended me. I began to actually skate. I had practiced the routine so much on the ice and in my mind that there was too much time to worry about whatever I was thinking about. Things went OK except I totally obliterated my favorite BH-BH-1/2TL-FL-FL combo/sequ and then landed a Waltz jump on an extreme edge that ended up getting applause.

Finally, it was over. All I could see in my tunnel vision was the opening in the boards. I bowed to the judges (without tripping) and left the ice so fast I almost wasn't able to stop successfully - the only time I actually almost fell just skating straight. I really thought that I had smiled as I always practiced, but my face had an angry frown almost the whole way through.

So, my first time out was a revelation. As a teacher and actor of a couple of decades I thought I could handle being in front of crowds. This was totally different. I was visibly shaking for a while after I got off of the ice and I wondered if I would ever do that again.

Fast forward half an hour and all I wanted to do was go back out there again. I learned a lot about handling stress, focus and "being in the moment." That my concerns that the elite and Olympic skaters at my rink, as well as the young kids and parents thinking I am weird or foolish are irrelevant - it is the ice, the music and me that matters.

So, it was either the scariest moment of my life or a Zen moment. My entire viewpoint on how the elite competitors perform on TV has changed - when the commentators were picking on Lambiel for holding back in the Olympics it was upset because I could imagine what he was going through. And I could almost feel Weir holding back. I am hooked, is all I know. My target is Nationals this season and medalling at Nationals and Ubersdorf next season.

BTW, here is the incident in question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3esEEL2TEFI

[icestalker]

I didn't know the coach could do both at a competition if your coach did both. Interesting.

It was a small, parents-and-their-kids exhibition, actually.

[phoenix]

I like skating in front of a crowd--I like having an audience to play to. I get much less nervous for competition than I do for testing--weird, huh? I'd MUCH rather have hundreds of people watching me, than those 3 judges in a silent rink...... bring on the crowd!!

[drskater]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3esEEL2TEFI[/url]

You did great! With your annotations in my mind, I could tell as you grew more confident on the ice, but since your movements were in synch with the music it just looked like you deliberately choreographed it that way. You are indeed flying on your waltz jumps and you have amazing power and presence. Thank you for sharing.

[JimStanmore]

Thanks for the kind comments :-)

[flo]

Hi, "standing room only" is when all the seats are full, and you have to stand to watch the event. I sat on the steps! It was quite a night!

[jazzpants]

Still nerve-wrecking for me as of the last time I competed which was Adults National 2009. But I think I was nervous more b/c BOTH my (now former) primary coach and choreographer (now my primary coach) were watching!!! 8O Thankfully, I was STILL able to focus on my "keywords" as I was skating the program and did not let that voice that goes "No NO NO!!! It's too fast....AUUUUUUGH!!!!" get to me. :bow:

[twokidsskatemom]

I like skating in front of a crowd--I like having an audience to play to. I get much less nervous for competition than I do for testing--weird, huh? I'd MUCH rather have hundreds of people watching me, than those 3 judges in a silent rink...... bring on the crowd!!

My kids are both the same way.Love the audience, on testing more wobbly!

[Audryb]

Jim, I think you did great, especially for your first competition! I've never competed myself, but my best friend skates at Colonial, and I hope to participate in that event someday :-D