I am 18, and I am just beginning skating over again. I quit at about age 10 in order to take ballet, but it ballet didn't go well, and I missed skating. Now, after some years, I am back skating again. I have always loved camps, but I have realized that this year, since I am 18, that there might not be any more camps in my future! I love skating, and I love camps...Is there any skating camps that accepts 18 year old beginners who are trying very hard?

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I don't know about 'camps' per se, but there are plenty of adult workshops that happen at various times during the year. One of the most popular is the Adult Week at Lake Placid that happens every August, I believe. I'm sure others will chime in with more information.

well most rinks have a summer "camp" that accepts pretty much all skaters. or are you talking about a sleepover type camp, because I think those really are mainly for kids. I don't know if they necessarily wouldn't let you, but do you really want to hang out with lots of little kids? Ask at your rink about asummer camps, sometimes they have brochures.

I didn't mean a camp for a bunch of kids...I meant like an intensive or a workshop...anywhere in USA, that would be a good place to learn.

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Well, there's the annual USFSA Adult Training Camp in Hackensack, NJ. I'm not sure if it's 18+ or 21+, since in USFSA comp jargon, "adults" are 21 and up.

Someone mentioned Adult Week in Lake Placid - I know someone who went last year and he had a great time. I think there are 2 - 1 in June and 1 in August, at least, the one he went to was in June. There is also an Adult Week in Aspen, CO, which from what I've read sounds almost identical to the Lake Placid camp - depending on where you live, that might be more convenient for you.

Lake Placid has 2 adult weeks - one in June and one in August. They are a ton of fun. There are kids on separate rinks, so sometimes you can take advantage of some of their stuff too.

Lake Arrowhead and Aspen have camps too - not sure of dates.

I think Sun Valley does as well. There is also an adult intensive weekend in Hackensack.

Perhaps some of the more web-savvy posters can put links to some of them.

Brenda

Lake Placid has a sleepaway camp that's for 13 and up, with chaperoned housing (extra fee.)

http://lakeplacidskating.com/program...w_it_works.htm

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Thanks for the info so far! I am looking to see if I can afford this stuff...and if I am good enough for it.

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I did the Adult Week at Lake Arrowhead several years ago and had an amazing time. I'm not sure if they still have the program or not. The adults stayed in cottages while the kids stayed in cabins.

I believe that the Health South Training Center in El Segundo also does an adult week. If you attend that camp you will need to stay in nearby hotels (there are quite a few within walking distance). If I were still able to afford skating, I would really like to try out the adult week there.

There's an adult camp in Sun Valley in August that I'm seriously considering running away to....

Well, what are you working on Lydia? I don't really think there's such a thing as "are you good enough" so long as you can actually skate which I think you can, but the question is more like "will I get my money's worth" or is it better spent staying home and getting lots of lessons with that money instead? You're not likely to make that many friends at camp because if you go to an adult camp from what I understand most people will be much much much older than you (and it might feel like you're hanging out with your mom's friends instead of your own, which is meant as no offense but...we are at a similar age you and I and that is how I would feel if that were me), and then if you go to a kid's camp they'll all be much younger than you. So you might feel a bit lonely and alienated. Not saying that either group wouldn't be nice and welcoming, but as far as actual friends, I doubt you'd make any the way you would if you fit those two age groups. So you'd really have to go for the skating and nothing but that. And if you're not at a level where an intensive would really do you too much good, you might find that money would be way better spent at home getting more lessons and getting them consistently.

A week of workshop isn't gonna do you any good if you go home and then can't afford regular lessons for a few weeks afterwards. The mainstay of skating is repetition. Even if you have a breakthrough at a camp, chances are you'll lose it if you don't already have a coach waiting at home capable of teaching you the same thing.

Yes and no - my own coach is really keen on our going to camps, because he says the more lessons we get from more people, the better. He thinks that having someone else look at our programmes, or dances, or whatever, is all to the good.

We go to at least one camp every year, and occasionally two - the second is a dance camp more suited to recreational skaters, but it's great to have a go at the more difficult dances, and you do learn a lot from it. The first is the Mountain Cup camp, and we hope to get the coaches there to look at our free dance and "tweak" it as they did last year, which made all the difference.

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I think you might enjoy the Lake Placid Adult skating camps in June and August. This is the link:
http://www.lakeplacidskating.com/pro...t_programs.htm

There are 4 ice pads, one dedicated to adult skating, one for figures, one large arena for shows, one arena for general training. The town is pretty, in the mountains with a lake. There is plenty of group tuition every day including ballet, trampoline and pilates, and top class instructors available (although very expensive). There will be plenty of young people around of all ages, although the adult group will be older.

It is good, but VERY expensive. The town does have a hostel with cheap accomodation, but the chances are you will get through an absolute minimum of 900 dollars for the week, not including travel. That's 225 dollars for a week of ice time, about 300 dollars for group classes at 13 dollars each, then private lessons cost from 40 to over 80 dollars for 25 minutes.

If you price it out, you may end up deciding that you are better off taking a week at a local rink and booking two half hours a day during daytime ice with the local top instructors. Perhaps you could share these lessons with one or two people similar to yourself.

I considered the Lake Placid camp a few yrs ago and priced it out. I had never been to a camp before and was afraid the ice would be crowded when I had access to decent sessions at home and a coach I really liked. I decided to take more lessons from my coach and skate more at home. IMO, $900 buys a lot of skating. It is much more than a wk for me. Plus I have gym membership and can do pilates, yoga, etc w/o extra expense. I have still never attended a camp, but may do some someday just for the novelty.

Kay

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Just got the latest copy of Skating magazine from the USFSA. There are quite a few skating camps advertised, so you should check them out.

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As mentioned above, there are two Adult Skating Weeks in Aspen CO in late July/early August. Having attended the last two years I can tell you that, at age 18, you would probably be the youngest person there, if that makes a difference to you. Most of the crowd is in their forties and fifties, with a sprinkling of thirty-somethings and sixty-somethings. Definitely an "adult" group! So if being around your peers is important to you, this might be a disqualifier.

You might also want to take into account the expense of a week in Aspen -- even if you find reasonable accomodations, the costs of food and entertainment are on the high (!) side -- and it's not the easiest place to travel to. Many of the out-of-staters fly into Denver and rent a car for the five-hour drive to Aspen, which is great if you have the additional time and don't mind the additional expense. Alternatively, you can catch a small plane in Denver and fly into the Aspen airport (always an exciting experience!).

Caveats aside, the instruction and ice are great and what could be more beautiful than Aspen in summer?

Cheers,
Ellen (so glad that she lives only a three-hour drive away!)