Say,I was just wondering what majority of us here skate for fun,and who is a competitor? As well as who skates for fun,but wants to compete someday.

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FSWer

What? I can check the first TWO radio boxes at the same time!?!?!

I do compete but I compete for fun!!! Just want to see how far I get along in my skating and just enjoying the journey of my training for it.

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Like Jazzpants I tick both boxes for fun and competition, I tell myself I wouldnt compete if I didnt enjoy it but if you saw me on the day you wouldnt believe me , I get so scared!!! I think the fun of competition for me is more about meeting other adult skaters from around the country.

two reasons I may eventually compete: it's a validation of having achieved a certain level of skating (kindof like testing, but more ego-stoking); and second, to put on an expressive performance. And I will likely skate to something like a nine inch nails instrumental (or song, if it's in an ISI category) -- that's just the kind of music that makes sense to me.

I'm definitely not interested in competing in figure skating in order to place well. Not my thing.

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Me, on skating. Me, on me.
"It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness." ~ Tolstoy, via JWeir.
"I am not a pretty girl. That is not what I do." ~ Ani DiFranco

I'm with Jazzpants and Samba.

I would say I compete to skate, not skate compete.

S xx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

I'm with Jazz! I like the challenge of simply trying to do elements well but competition brings focus and drive to my skating.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I wanna skate to some heavy metal myself, an instrumental song by Ariya, a Russian band (kind of like iron maiden). Probably the coach will say no to it (after all, they have to play that music in practice) and then it'll be something by Apocalyptica or maybe a particular piece from a musical.

Anyway if everything goes right I should be doing some more competitions this year, 2 tests (moves in the field (dutch) and free) and then I can compete for like, real. Against some people I know pretty well too, haha. That's gonna be fun.

I'm definately always in the game to win no matter what I do, but I enjoy the experience itself too. I just wouldn't see the point of skating if I never competed. What's the point of skating when you can't ever show it? That's like painting and never showing your paintings to anybody!!!

Besides, a large part of it for me is about the music. Music drives me, defines my movements even when I'm dancing to it at home. The type of music defines if I'm graceful, sexy (I've got some serious hip swing learned for latin dance, but only to the right type of music), energetic, or agressive.
So there's like... Well you know I've gotta have my music.

I skate because it's fun (and keeps me fit). I skate as much as I do because I'm at the rink with my kids anyway, and skating is much more fun than standing on the side. If my kids didn't skate...I'd be more of an occasional skater, and I probably wouldn't have started in the first place without them. And I really enjoy it when I manage something new, even if it is geological pace improvement.

I compete because I like dressing up and having the ice all to myself, and also because I'm someone who needs external motivation - I'd not practice unless I had a tangible, external goal (like making a **** of myself if I don't). I can't take it too seriously, though - if being good mattered to me, I wouldn't skate, because I'm not a talented skater and there are other things I do that I'm much better at.

I would say I compete for fun. Also I do better if I have a goal. For example, I signed up to compete in a jumps event and one of the jumps is a toe loop and that is what is helping me focus on working on the toe loop. If I didn't have a competition in a month I'd probably give up on that jump for a while.

When I compete, I just like being at the party. I like getting the goody bag, hanging out in the locker room, going to practice, standing at the door cheering the other skaters. Then it USED to be at the point where I had to go out and skate I would get terrified and ask myself WHY DID I AGREE TO DO THIS??? But I've conquered those nerves and now I like to hear my name being called on the intercom, I like having the ice to myself for a minute or so, I like to hear people cheer for me do a 3 revolution spin and a teeny tiny waltz jump. And heck if there's 3 people in my group and I get to take home a bronze medal, well that's a bonus. So is seeing that one judge put me second to last. But really the placings are a very small part of the competing for me.

Oh yea and the dresses.

j

my first competition is at the end of the month. i'm already nervous. i haven't tested yet (test in 3 weeks), so i entered pre-bronze and am trying to tell myself it's no pressure. i'm just hoping to skate well and not be humiliated. and, like jskater, i'm excited about the dress!!

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The skating may not sparkle, but my dress sure does!

Just passed: Pre-Bronze MIF & Freeskate. Next goal: Bronze tests in July.

This is why adult skaters are so much fun to be around - we skate because we want to, not because someone else wants us to!

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Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
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I think that's not quite fair to kids who compete. All the kids I know compete because they want to and if they don't want to, their parents are perfectly happy not to schlep them to the competition and shell out the bucks.

J

You're right, Joelle.

I wasn't excluding the kids who want to do it, just making an extremely general sweeping statement about adult skaters. I do know a several kids who are skating because they want to, and it is a joy watching them!

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Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
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Have confidence Southern! My first-ever competition was the (Canadian) Adult Championships and I was petrified the week before the competition! Absolutely terrified. When I got among the other adults I felt WAY better. When I stepped on to the ice for my event, I said to my competition coach "I am going to OWN this place for the next 5 minutes!" That is so unlike me but I guess that's what all the preparation (and supportive adults!) do for you!

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I skate because it's fun and I compete because it's fun!

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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!

Skating and competing are both fun for me. What competing adds to my skating is allowing me to set tougher goals, and learn more new stuff. A lot of the elements and moves I have learned have been as a result of the choreography, otherwise I'm not sure coach would have thought to show them to me.

I skate because it feels like flying, but it is such good exercise. I can't compete because my legs would just turn into jelly! I showed horses when I was younger and the only way I could get through that was that I was sitting down most of the time. The nerves would wear off after I was in the ring and doing what I needed to, but if I had to skate out into the middle of a rink.... I give such props to people (including DD) who can do that.

She skates because she is a total ham and LOVES to be at the center of attention in a show or exhibition. She hates having to practice edges and actually work at skating, but she loves doing the fun stuff and competitions, so she knows she has to do the work, too.

For me with skating I have to have a purpose I wish I can just skate for fun. If I dont have a competition or exhibition, I just dont see myself lutzing around or doing anything on the ice, I'll just be off to the side watching/coaching.

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Tim David's Website

The problem with online polls and surveys is that they're hard to design in advance.
Many of our skaters TEST, which isn't a category Dana put into the poll.

I am a former COMPETITIVE skater, who currently COACHES for a partial living, but skates for FUN and TESTS for challenge.

Tim - I can't imagine only skating because there's a show or competition coming up soon. I started seriously taking lessons and practicing this year and I was so ready for the skating show practices; much more than I was at this point last year.

I'm also ~35 lbs lighter because of the exercise MaineMom mentioned.

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I just skate for fun, but I'd LOVE to compete one day. Step one is persuading my parents to get me a coach...

My motivation for skating has changed a few times over my 16 months time being on the ice. First, it was for exercise, then it was for exercise and fun. After watching a few skaters perform out on the ice, I realized that it is a great form of self expression. Now that I've invested so much time, energy, and money, I want to see how far I can go in this sport. Preparing for a competition makes me goal oriented and it affects almost every other aspect of my life outside of skating. It brings out the best in me. Most non-skaters don't understand, especially my parents.

BlackManSkating

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Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

Right now, I skate for fun but lots of people say I'm "really good" and should compete. With my schedule going crazy, its just not reasonable, regardless of the cost to compete or not. I just flew back from D.C. and then I'm going to take off in another week or so to Miami. Who knows, I might end up in New York or San Diego a few weeks after that. It's just not practical to try to fit things in for traveling to competitions in addition to all that. Skating is great, but there is more to life than just skating. Maybe eventually when I retire, lol.

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Keep Evolving. "From this moment forward, every voice that told you - You Can't - , has been silenced." - Freedom Writers

I hear you and I am the same way. I compete because I enjoy competing and if I didn't compete, I'd have nothing to work towards and would totally goof off and socialize more than I would practice. I love skating, but I am inherently lazy. The pressure of XX weeks till whatever is what keeps me focused.

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If you keep your eyes on God, you can walk on water.

I can relate. I had to take 5 years off from skating because I was traveling so much for work (and often working late). It just wasn't possible to plan anything outside of my work life at the time. Now I got my priorities straight and got myself a job that doesn't require travel, so I can skate every morning before work, LOL! Unfortunately for me, I keep finding that there *isn't* more to life than skating. . . I go a week or to without ice and I go nuts!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

I skate for fun, though I plan on competing next fall. I've competed once before but that was a while ago in FS1 so I can't say that I am a "competitor". In my mind, a competitor has to enter at least four competitions or so each season. Right now I skate for fun and achieving my short term goals, but I do NOT think my up-coming axel attempt will feel all that fun.

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