No test doesn't do what she wants because it limits jumps to singles no axel. She, I think, wants a category with unlimited freeskating skills, but no moves in the field requirement.

I think exhibitions are going to be the way to go for a skater who can jump really really well but has no interest in devoting time to moves. Crowds love to see jumps.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

There you go, Pandora. Test up through prejuvenile moves (three tests, one of them trivial for a non-beginner) and freestyle (ditto), and then "skate up" to Open Juvenile at a local club event.

I wonder if roller skating tests could be used as equivalents for USFSA tests? Things that make me go hmmm.....

One note regarding the "students who take lessons get hurt more often" comment - that's obvious. The skaters who are taking lessons are learning the proper way to achieve higher results. They're pushing themselves to do better, which sometimes involves a fall. I always say that if you never fall, you're not improving.

Frankly, most of the major injuries I see come from doing nothing, lol.

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Ellyn, Actually, not a bad idea.... But afraid I'd get slammed by the parents and feel weird skating against the 9 year olds(many of whom could probably clean my clock.)

Phoenix, is a bit hard to explain. Yes, I can do the MITF to a point on roller (except any open hip thing like closed chatows/mohawks). And I know what all the moves (turns) are called.....but translating it to ice (those deep edges! GuRR!! ) That is difficult. I skate on "flats" as much as possible. Deep edges are hard for me. If you get a deep edge on any type of roller you will slip sideways (no blade to "catch" you). I think it is actually MORE difficult for me than someone who has no experience since I have to overcome a lifetime of the edging that I know how to do (like breaking a wrap on a jump.) Yes, it can be done. But.......

Jo Anne Schneider Farris, who is the figure skating answer lady on about.com, is a former roller skating coach who switched over to ice figure skating. She might be able to give you some tips on changing your technique. (Just looked and it's inline skating; I assume you were on quads, right?)

http://figureskating.about.com/

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Absolutely not. I am not terribly familiar with the roller skating test structure and how tests are conducted, but despite the similarities it is a different sport. Sure, you may be able to cross over from one to the other and learn very quickly, but that doesn't mean tests should cross over. I learned the first few roller dances and could have tested/passed them right after learning them, and have all my single jumps through a flip on rollers from just a few minutes of goofing around (can't spin on my roller skates because roller derby wheels are too wide/soft for spinning, but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to get the hang of basic spins), but if I ever wanted to pursue roller skating more, I wouldn't expect to just cross over to their tests without having to actually do them.

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2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

A 9 year old would not skate in open juvenile. They would skate juvenile. Open juvenile exists for people too old to compete in the regular level. You could test to pre-juvenile and skate up to open juvenile in local competitions. You'd actually need to test to juvenile if you wanted to skate at regionals.


I do kind of think, like I said, parents would be pissed off if you WON against kids in pre-pre and preliminary, but if you were clearly evenly matched, I don't think it would be a bad thing to be in those levels either. I would scope out a competition and see what they look like. And then if maybe at the third competition you won, well they'd know you and know that you were skating at the appropriate level.

I've skated in ISI events against children, some I won, others I did not. I felt HORRIBLE placing above a 5 year old in a stroking event (I was beat by a 9 year old) because that 5 year old had been in the tots class I teach just a year earlier. Of COURSE I'd beat her. But in that year she'd progressed enough that she was in Freestyle 1 and therefore grouped in as "low freestyle" in the event. Her parents were VERY good with her about "winning the bronze", and how proud they were for competiting against the big girls. But poor thing had no chance. (For my Freestyle 3 event, we were divided by age and a 12 year old beat me in the "Over 11 category" haha).

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Open juvenile is only for 13 and over. If they were good enough to clean your clock, they'd be skating intermediate. The teens and parents might object if you clean their clocks, though.

Just curious- how do you land doubles without being comfortable on a deep edge? Even a single will sometimes really require an edge to catch you from an almost fall.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Nowdays roller is trying to copy ice and bring in testing (more on the ISI model with MITF as a footwork sequence in the freestyle test.) But back in the 80s when I competed it WAS a free for all. The judges sorted it out. Kids (adults, if there were any) who were "lesser skilled" in freestyle moves simply gravitaged towards dance. Not sure if this was "fair" but that's how it worked. Then they added A and B tracks. (To seperate the standard from the beginners). Now, they are heading towards some kind of test...But, of course, I kind of liked the free for all.....And actually, skaters were pretty good about signing up for the "right" catagory. (You were unable to enter Junior/Senior unless you medaled in Regionals in Sophomore. That is how you got there. Not tests.) Of couse, Sophomore was a huge catagory. I'll admit this would probably be impossible to do on ice.

Skittl, just watch Bonaly. (wink) ROB landing edge doesn't bother me. It is usually deep because I unwrap my leg at landing. But I try to takeoff as flat as possible. (This has worked realatively well except for 2lutz. Hate that jump!)

My coaches have started APPLAUDING me on my falls. I'm not amused. But i've probably fallen more than 10 times this year. Probably more than the cumulative amount of falls since I started skating. I hate falling.

The injury thread would agree with you.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

It's not only the parents/skaters that would object. I skated as a 18-year old in a USFSA no test event. Afterwards, a judge came to me and told me that they "couldn't" have allowed me to win because of my age. There was no open juvenile. That's why I switched to the ISI exclusively. I have very few USFSA tests on record.

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I don't know Pandora, but I wonder if the view of an 18 year old vs a 35 year old would be different.

I mean you'd EXPECT the 35 year old to "skate like an adult".
Whereas, you'd EXPECT the 18 year old to "skate like a teenager".

So you can't LET the older teenager win, even if they are the best.

Does that make sense at all?

our area doesn't have no test, so it's moot. I think I'd rather skate pre-pre, because a lot of the competitions lump "adult" as the category so pre-bronze often skates against gold, and you don't find out until you show up. (Can I also get into how unfair it is that the better skaters also get a minute longer to BE better. It's ridiculous) At least in pre-pre my good edges and centered spins have a chance against the axels since the kids usually lack them.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Yes, ISI is an idea. Going to check into it. Still going to bother the USFS though. Be general pain/thorn in side.

Just as a note, in case you change your mind at all, edges just take time to develop just like anything--jumps, spins, etc. No one starts out skating deep edges. And for moves purposes, you don't need crazy deep edges. If you spent 5 minutes on edges down the ice each time you skate, in a month or less you'd see a huge difference/improvement.

I'm thinking the same thing - especially those first few Moves tests that would be required for you in the testing structure - the first, the Pre-Pre (or Adult Bronze if that is your category) - is considered an encouragement test - the accompanying freestyle test is individual elements - also encouragement test. The next couple of tests involve edges, cross-overs and three-turns (mostly) - you don't see rockers and counters and brackets and stuff until Intermediate and Novice, (brackets are on Adult Gold) - but really it should not be a problem for you with your roller background (which is something that does separate you from other adults trying to learn ice-skating moves with no similar background). I have seen many roller-skaters become extremely accomplished figure skater (think: Tara Lipinski and others - many ice-dancers and figure-skaters in my area do both roller and ice) -

Exhibition skating, club competitions, etc. may also have a place for you depending on where you live.

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Am I not right in thinking that some of the adult comps in the USA (e.g. Peach Classic, etc) have separate skills classes, so everybody goes out there and just does (e.g.) an axel or a double toe? Rather like the "Hop, step and jump" competitions our clubs run during the year, where all the skaters do a jump (ranging from a 3-jump or toe-loop at the lowest levels to an axel-loop or similar), a spin (basic upright spin up to something like a flying camel) and either a spiral at the lowest levels or a step sequence, increasing in difficulty.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

With no qualifying test level? Wow.......That would be cool!!! Sign up by skill (eg flying camel, 2toeloop etc.)? Must look into this....

Not all competitions offer those events, Mrs. R. Some comps don't offer them for adults.

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Totally agree with deep edges! Once I learned them, my coach wanted them more shallow for my twizzles (since I learned these first due to lack of remaining centered on a back spin and NOT circling, but, twizzling) and now we are refining my edges even more for my entry into the salchow and toe loop.

I know the Buckeye Open had these type of events.

The deeper edges come on int, nov, jr and sr moves. I have to say I have no idea why someone who enjoys skating wouldn't want to learn how to do all aspects of the sport (beyond me). This is why there are jump limits on gold and int/nov to stop jumping beans and to focus on the quality of skating. A good program is a balanced program where you show skills in jumping, spinning and footwork/connecting moves.

Many former roller skaters (2 men that I am thinking of)who won champ gold with 2 lutzes/2 flips currently struggle to compete currently with skaters who have better balanced skills. They still excel in their jumping but have had to work on the second mark and are often beaten by skaters with lesser jumps. This year's gold mens champ had no axel but multiple level 2/3 spins and good skating skills.

Same with int/nov ladies the 3rd place skater only had an axel in an event that allows one 2-2 combo and caps at 2 loop.

my .02 cents.

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Gotta come out of lurk mode to comment on this. Pandora, I'm sure you've been beaten up somewhere else, but you're just being paranoid, hon. The tone of this thread has been very respectful. No name calling; no personal attacks. People have disagreed with you and questioned your motivation, but that's what happens when you open such a discussion. Your postings about trying to avoid being attacked seem to be the only attack-related things in the whole thread.

Actually, the age restriction has historically been that the oldest competitor can be no older than 10 years older than the nearest competitor in age. This may have changed.

Disagreement is fine......but the other board degenerated to personal attacks. (Almost right from the beginning.) Not good.
This thread was productive. Got some good ideas from posters. Was contacted by a few people who are in the same situation who agree with me. (Also a person in the same situation who disagrees with me, but did so very politely.....which is fine. )
Posters here have been pretty polite.
Need to see other thread to understand my fear.

Still.....Was hoping to find more people in my situation. If you know anyone please send them to this site. Hoping to get an Open catagory going. If there MUST be a test, then maybe just require the adult gold MITF or above and open it up to all legal skating moves. That way adults who excel at freestyle can include their hardest stuff. (Wouldn't that be great to show the "kids." ) I could possibly compromise and take up to adult gold, but there is no way I can make it all the way up though the senior MITF in order to use my "hard stuff." Obviously, adults who would rather have a restriction on jumps would not enter the Gold Open even but, rather, stay in regular Adult Gold event. This would be fair for everyone and people like me would be encouraged enough to work moves because at least we only have to test up to gold. It seems to be a win-win.