Well, I personally had a wonderful time at this AN and the other 9 I've attended. No one mentioned the lovely, warm, sunny weather we were fortunate to have - MN having a reputation for being cold. I loved the wetlands surrounding the rink, with a beautiful trail leading to a view of trumpeter swans. I found a stroll through nature before competing very relaxing. The blue glass trophey vases were also extra nice. I was thrilled to win one for my artistic interp - it's quite solid, weighing over 4 1/2 pounds!

I doubt it costs $500 to replace a credential. The problem is that somebody who picks up that credential effectively has their hands on an all-event pass. THAT'S what they're charging for - the potential loss of revenue from the person who might be using your lost credential. I didn't like being charged to replace my credential, but I sort of understood the logic. My major complaint was with the way I was treated.

Agreed. If there's full disclosure and we consent, we might not like it but we can't technically call it rape,LOL!

Right. Because Adult Nationals is a HUGE spectator event!

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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 think the difference is that when we're not happy, we actually speak out. After all, this is OUR competition that we do go to year after year. We have expectations from being there every year, and know how things usually are or should be done. We're not the mom of some intermediate skater who qualified for JNs for the first time, has no idea what to expect, and may never see a national competition ever again and therefore may not even notice when things aren't quite right. Or who keeps their mouth shut because they don't want to ruin their kid's experience. (Although from my experience, the coaches who know the ropes at those type of events will speak out. I got reamed out by a coach at JNs a few years ago while I was ice monitoring for practice ice because the coffee in the coaches' hospitality room wasn't hot enough.)

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

Well said Rachael.

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

I confess to not knowing who Blue111Moon is offline, so my apologies to her if I insinuated that she don't know what she's talking about. It's pretty disappointing that someone so experienced with adult skating would have that impression about adults, and feel that that's our reputation. I don't doubt that there are enough crazies out there to earn a difficult reputation.

Speaking on those in this thread, I think there's a difference between being difficult and having realistic expectations of how a competition should run. We've had some very well-run competitions in the recent past. After 15 years of ANs and the amount of institutional knowledge and experience available, there's simply no excuse for the LOC to run a competition this poorly.

No, I've heard it multiple times when I lived in the Tar Heel State, including from my graduate school department secretary, an assistant professor from a different department, and from another skater at a rink. Unless, of course, y'all were reading the same book!

I would love to move back down South. It just may happen.

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

That's pure B.S. - I've never heard this word ever from a "southerner" and I've lived here all my life. And Chris is about as down-home as you can get and he ain't never heard it neither:] But you should definitely move back! We have lots of great coaches here like Elena Bechke for starters:]

I've definitely heard it down south. Some of those folks were from Kentucky though. Not sure if you consider that the South (just as NC is not included in the "Deep South").

Elena Betchke scares me. She is one fierce skater!

To get back to AN ... did anyone attend the G2C Grassroots to Champions seminar with Audrey Weisiger?

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Let's be fair, there is a mirror in the shower room at Villard-de-Lans! Sort of, if you don't mind sharing it with everybody else and being yelled at because the connecting doors are open and someone wants to get naked without the guys all seeing!

Are you going to buy me my post-competition beer this year, since James won't be there to do it????

Seriously, folks, I read this thread with my mouth open - and I've been to a couple of US Adult Nationals, too, as a spectator - and honestly, most of you simply don't know you're born when you look at your ANs and then at, say, our Adult Championships or an Adult Open in this country.

Although having said that, I should hate closed marking and your rather hole-in-corner presentations! I do like our on-ice presentations at the end of the day, although I don't like the every-skater presentations they do in France when you've come last, you're tired, and all you want to do is collapse in a corner with a stiff drink and take your contact lenses out!

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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!

At last count six as a skater. I've turned down opportunities to be there as an official because I have limited vacation time and prefer to use it for personal travel. (and Frequently AN conflicts with my Club competition where they would lynch me if I didn't show up! )

Thanks for the defense, Stormy. I have been around a loooooooonnnnnnngggggg time, haven't I?

Annabel, of course your beer's on me! I may even consent to a glas of wine myself, just to recover from the shock of actually wearing the interp costume we've designed in front of people! As for the mirror issue, I think the thing that sharply reminds me I'm in Europe is when I'm standing there doing makeup and a naked man walks in from the other to use the shower.

Blue111moon, speaking of your club's competition, I didn't get a chance to see you there but excellent job as always. Having IJS for the Gold events right before ANs was invaluable!!

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"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"

I had a thought that just occured to me.
The last time a AN's went awry was Dallas in 2006. The one thing that that one and this one had in common was both were during a Olympic season.
Could it be that the PTB are so focused on the Olympics that we are left in the cold ( no pun intended)? Just a random thought here.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Weren't the problems in Dallas mostly facilities related?

I wasn't at Dallas, the most recent Lake Placid (where they had ice/zamboni problems) or this last one. Now there's a common theme. Hmmm......

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

That explains it then - you simply MUST attend every AN in the future.

All problems solved!

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I was watching "Up" last night and one of the dogs said "mayhap" ... !

Congratulations!!

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

Thanks Icedancer2. I also won a bronze medal in Bronze Solo dance - that was a shocker, since I don't consider my Hickory Hoedown to be ready for testing yet. You must do an AN one of these years, especially now that there is Solo Dance. It's a popular event, so I think they will be keeping it.

Oh, thanks for letting me lift you at the end of the party--you're as light as a feather!

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

LOL, sorry I was so klutzy on the first lift - I didn't know what to do with my arms!
AN Party - drinks, dancing and pairs lifts! I had a marvelous time seeing everyone again!

We'll buy each other a drink after Ladies Interp V - loser pays? (That'll be me, then, as the judges won't know what on earth I'm trying to do. But it will wind up the Aussies nicely....).

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

I'm hoping the costume gives people the idea of what I'm doing. And praying that the judges have strong senses of humor.

Xavier says no Manuela or Lionel at the camp this year - I can only hope that he and Stephan and whoever else they get rmembers to adapt their instructions to the level they're teaching.

(Apologies for hijacking the AN thread)

Oh yeah, I saw that too - that is GREAT.

I doubt that I will compete dance unless I had a partner to do Centennial. At this point my test level puts me in Silver Solo Dance (or myabe Gold) and there's no way I could do any of those dances solo anymore... sigh...

But thanks. I'm sure it would be fun - the Portland dancers did well this year actually...

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

Hm, this I didn't know about. I've passed my PB dances and am working on my bronze dances; working on Silver moves, but Bronze FS doesn't look likely to pass any time soon. I figured I could do solo dance but not interp. I do have a nice nerd routine that I've competed ISI. . . . we'll have to see who bids for ANs next year. Depends on where it is.

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"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

Awe, that's so cute! Mayhap I can teach my min pin to say the word as well:]

I don't have much of an opinion regarding AN's this year as I only flew in for my event the day before. But I thought the scheduling was a bit 'askew' (holding the Championship Junior/Senior Men before the Championship Intermediate/Novice Men)?? Oh and practice ice was a bit pricey - I had no interest in the scoring sheets because they can be viewed on Icenetwork. I'm probably missing something aren't I??

On the other hand, the weather was fantastic and I quite enjoyed myself in Bloomington. I was expecting big city, not nature and that was a pleasant surprise:]

So I just thought of a way to make my event (and perhaps all the other events "below" the level of Master's Junior/Senior) more exciting. I think it would be cool to allow each skater to perform one jump element of their choice, regardless of the requirements for that specific level. In a perfect world...