Things I know for sure....

[Chico]

I recently got an Oprah magazine at the library and I liked her thought, "I know this for sure." article. Well, what do you know as a skater for sure? This could be fun! Here are some of mine.

1. Skaters fall. I don't care how "good" you are or if your a coach or student, folks fall.

2. The better skaters fall often, they take more risks.

3. The worst falls happen over the stupid stuff. Toe picks happen.

4. You gotta love skating to keep at it. It's not a sorta kinda sport.

5. Skating keeps folks spirits young. It ain't bad for their bods either.

6. I'm/your capable of more than you think. Keep setting goals. Always believe in yourself.

7. Be polite at the rink. Treat others the way you want them to treat you. Just because your good or THINK your good doesn't mean it's okay to be rude. If you want others to watch out for you, you need to watch out for them.

8. Older adult women should not wear shiny, glittery blue dresses to practice. The skirt needs to cover your butt. Please!

9. Be scared, take a deep breath and do it anyway.

10. Everything looks "ugly" when you first learn it. Give yourself a break.

Chico

[jamie_rae352]

1. It's not all that hard to fall on a crossover.

2. Green does not suit me.

3. Great-Grandpas do not look good in blue suede on the ice.

4. Your skating will only get better when you take your guards off.

5. It's really hard to understand your coach who speaks another language.

6. Stretch, and straighten your back, it helps.

7. In competition, medals are only bonus.

8. Don't talk, you can lose a lot of money for ice-time that way.

9. Boards hurt. A lot.

10. Just because you can't land it today doesn't mean you can't land it.

[MissIndigo]

Originally posted by jamie_rae352

4. Your skating will only get better when you take your guards off.


ROTFL!!! *wipes eyes*

That is so funny, and so true.

One thing I know for sure...skating is the most fun hands-on physics activity one could possibly do. It challenges me to keep thinking mathematically even though I no longer work in the realm of physics (toxicology took over...).

[LilSk8er24]

1. The uglier it feels, the better it looks. My coach worked on improving my basic stroking because I couldn't jump becaus eof an injury, and we worked on straightening my upper body. It felt soooo awful and weird, but when we video taped it, it looked great!
2. Not to get discouraged if you place last at a competition, even if you skated well. Just go out there and have fun!
3. That not spinning on the right part of the blade causes nasty falls.
4. Just because you think you can't do a jump or a spin, doesn't mean you can't.
5. Get setting goals and slowly make your way to them. Practice hard and you'll reach that goal!
6. Ice time is expensive, but your love for skating is priceless.
7. If you're scared, be brave and try it anyways.
8. I know that collisions happen from time to time.
9. Do your spins in the middle of the rink, unless you're doing you're program. Don't do your spins in a lutz corner, please.
10. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

[sk8er1964]

10. There's nothing better than a cold rink on a hot day.

9. Skating friends are the best.

8. Your coach is one of the most important people in your life.

7. You talk about skating to non-skaters until their eyes glaze over.

6. You do jumps in your living room (and at work, and on vacation, and...)

5. You take care of your skates better than you take care of your house.

4. You stress over competitions and tests, but when it is over you can't wait to do it again.

3. You will spend an hour doing the same move over and over and over again.

2. Did I mention that skating friends are the best?

1. You say to a friend -- Hey, I'm excited. The fall on that jump was better than the fall on the last one!

[Figureskates]

Originally posted by sk8er1964

6. You do jumps in your living room (and at work, and on vacation, and...)



Oh boy, I can relate there.

I was practicing waltz jumps in the cafeteria at 7:30 at night when everyone is gone. I had long and high jumps then turned around to see three people staring at me with that "the old guy has flipped should we call the white coats" look.

[Mrs Redboots]

[list=1]
You never have any spare money, as it all goes on skating
Holidays? What holidays? Those are when you go to competitions/camps abroad!
If your husband can kick your feet out from under you, he will!
There is no such thing as enough knee-bend
That child will do a parallel spin exactly in your line of travel!
Whenever you think you've skated really well in a competition, the judges give you 1.5. Conversely, when you think you were awful, you get 3.0!
You can never repeat that skill in your lesson, however good it was in practice
Social dancing is an end in itself, but you can get some good practice in, too!
Not skating is not an option, no matter how tired/injured you are
When skaters get together, they can talk of nothing else!
[/list=1]

[dooobedooo]

1. Just because you had mastered that new move/jump/spin yesterday, it doesn't mean it will work today.
2. Just because your new move/jump/spin doesn't work today, it doesn't mean it won't suddenly reappear tomorrow.

[Arsenette]

Originally posted by sk8er1964
7. You talk about skating to non-skaters until their eyes glaze over.

:?? :oops: :halo:

[jazzpants]

Things I know for sure... That when you think you've mastered a skill, your coach throws something else that makes you look like a totally idiot! :P (Corollary to that is that when EVERYTHING is falling apart on you, that's when you'll arrive at a new breakthrough.)
That everything works just GREAT... until you do the same in front of your coach. (Corollary to that is that when you tell your coach you CAN'T do something and your coach says do it, you end up doing it!!!) :lol:
That you're never too old to start skating. If you can walk, you can skate...
OPEN YOUR HANDS!!! (Unless you're holding M&M's for a skating buddy.) :P
Skating coaches and ice time is cheaper (and much more effective) than a therapist!
All skaters with coaches have masochistic tendencies. All good coaches have sadist tendencies. :P

[dancing_queen]

1) practing jump in your kitchen will help you on the ice
2) everyone falls!!no matter how hard u try not 2 u will adn i repeat u will fall..SO DONT B SCARED OF IT!! :)
3) It takes time to get good..no one turns into tara lipinski over night!!
4) NEVER FORGET YOUR WATER BOTTLE
5) u nevr have any reason to be nervous, believ in yourself
6) when going into a competion dont say to yourself" i want to get 5th place or better" skating is a jugded sport so do the best youc an do and say to yourself " i am going 2 skate a clean program" that way u know that youve done all you can! ( u cant control your placing but you can control how you skate)

[CanAmSk8ter]

You will get on the ice with your guards on at some point. Everyone does. Including World champions.

Some days you just won't get much done. The ice will be crowded, you'll have an "ice hog" on the session, or you'll be the only one not on lesson and spend the entire session yielding to everyone else. Do what you can. Make the best of it.

Your coach has to make you feel sad sometimes to make you better.

When your coach is pushing you until you're ready to scream, think of it as a compliment. After all, if he/she didn't think you could do it, would they bother?

Failing a test or skating badly at a competition can be the kick in the butt you need to improve either your skating or your attitude- or both. Six months after it happens, look back. You'll see it in a more positive light.

Disappointment can be handled with class and dignity.

Every skater has off days. Every skater occasionally has them at an inconvinient time. On these days, walk out of the rink and leave it behind you.

Don't make excuses. It's no one's "fault" when you skate badly, including yours. Look at what went wrong, and think about what you can do to prevent it next time. If it's something you can't control, such as bad ice or a long wait after warm-up, put it out of your mind and think positively about it not happening next time.

[Chico]

Great skills don't happen in front of a watching coach. I agree!

Some days you can and others your lucky not to kill yourself. I agree with this too! I guess this is why we skate, the challenge of doing it more than not.

Skating friends are great. Who else will clap over your stupid " "? =-)And doesn't think your nuts jumping around on the floor like a kangaroo?

Chico

[sk8er1964]

Originally posted by jazzpants
All skaters with coaches have masochistic tendencies. All good coaches have sadist tendencies. :P



True, true, true!!!:lol:

[icenut84]

Things I know:

If you don't practice something, you can't expect it to be consistent.

To the layman, you look like you're on your way to the Olympics even if you're just doing crossovers.

Skating should be fun, not just ambition-orientated.

Someone of a lower level than you has just as much right to be on the ice as you do, so don't cut them off.

The "click of death" will happen sometimes. Toe picks will happen sometimes. Sometimes you'll fall over when just standing still. It happens.

If you practice your jumps (or any other moves) off ice, and a non-skater sees you, they will think you've gone mad.

If you tell your coach you can't do something, and they ask to see it, you'll be able to do it.

If you want to show something off to your coach, you won't be able to do it.

[Figureskates]

Originally posted by icenut84

The "click of death" will happen sometimes.


More than sometimes. I do it enough that I can adopt him and give him a name!!

[mandy_j07]

Originally posted by sk8er1964
10. There's nothing better than a cold rink on a hot day.

9. Skating friends are the best.

8. Your coach is one of the most important people in your life.

7. You talk about skating to non-skaters until their eyes glaze over.

6. You do jumps in your living room (and at work, and on vacation, and...)

5. You take care of your skates better than you take care of your house.

4. You stress over competitions and tests, but when it is over you can't wait to do it again.

3. You will spend an hour doing the same move over and over and over again.

2. Did I mention that skating friends are the best?

1. You say to a friend -- Hey, I'm excited. The fall on that jump was better than the fall on the last one!

Hey.. do you mind if I print this out and hang on my wall?? I wouldn';t want to take it and then have you sew me or somthing!

[sk8er1964]

Originally posted by mandy_j07
Hey.. do you mind if I print this out and hang on my wall?? I wouldn';t want to take it and then have you sew me or somthing!

Go for it! Glad you liked it. :D

[JDC1]

1) the days I wear my tights, body suit and skirt are the days I have to pee continually.

2) You will have close calls, resist the urge to yell at the skater who almost hit you because next time YOU will be that skater. :-)

3) Ignore the ice princesses and before you know it they thaw and are friendly to you.

4) NEVER comment on a kids behavior in the rink unless you know exactly who there parents are.:-)

5)Be nice to EVERYONE at the rink because they all help it run smoothly.

6)Holding on to the wall while your feet slide around helplessly because you've left your skate guards on is NOT advisable, you only hurt your arms and you hiney can take the fall.

7)Learn the pattern for other skaters programs or dances and sharing the ice becomes MUCH easier.

8) Let the guy working on his triples hog the ice, it's safer for all concerned.

9)No matter if you're only working on the Dutch waltz insist on hearing it atleast once per session or how else will you be able to skate to the music.

10)Always bring your knee guards because the one time you forget them...BAM.

[CanAmSk8ter]

When your friends whine and moan about hearing dance music again, ignore them. The alternative? You don't practice the dance, you don't pass the dance, and your friends will be hearing it that much longer.

Guy friends in new competition outfits are fair game for teasing.

You will eventually be leered at by hockey players. Let them enjoy checking out what they can't have.

If you ever have to skate immediately after hockey players over the age of twelve, bring a gas mask or oxygen tank. An car air freshener around the neck might work in a pinch.

[PattyP]

If you ever have to skate immediately after hockey players over the age of twelve, bring a gas mask or oxygen tank. An car air

ROTFL! That is soooo true! :lol:

[Figureskates]

Originally posted by CanAmSk8ter

If you ever have to skate immediately after hockey players over the age of twelve, bring a gas mask or oxygen tank.

Corallary: It is really bad when it is warm outside and the rink is warmer than usual. Phheeeewwww!

[kayskate]

Originally posted by icenut84
If you want to show something off to your coach, you won't be able to do it.

Corollary:
The move that has been giving you problems will be perfect when you demonstrate it for your coach.

Kay

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by kayskate
Corollary:
The move that has been giving you problems will be perfect when you demonstrate it for your coach.

Kay Corollary to that: You will then never be able to repeat it, but your coach won't understand why you have problems with it, since he knows you can do it - he saw it!