I just wanted to let everyone know that I finally passed my Gold Moves. I've been practicing them forever, but finally got around to taking the test today. Now it's on to Intermediate...oh, wait, it's almost the same as Gold! In fact, I think one of my judges was severly confused about why I was not doing all of the Intermediate moves- someone needs AOSS sensitivity training!

Judges commments: (3.0 is passing average)+

Fwd Power Circles:
1-good acceleration and flow 3.0
2-good flow and strength, a small bobble (I caught my toepick a little) 3.0
3-(confused judge)too many slow strokes, too much upper body movement at higher speed- clockwise- top speed not achieved- glitch before 2.9

Back Power Circles:
1-power and posture! 3.1
2-good acceleration, flow and strength 3.0
3- graduated? and power achieved, bilateral 3.0

Fwd Double 3's:
1-good control, smooth turns 3.0
2-good edges and flow 3.0
3-pattern- juvenile or intermediate??? (see- confused!) 3.0

Back Double 3's:
1-very nice, smooth, good control 3.0
2- good 3 turns- nice and quiet 3.0
3- large arcs- pattern more like Intermediate- 2nd turn at 2/3 point (Well, that's because it is and Int. pattern!) 3.0

slide Chasse:
1- flow and power 3.1
2- good flow, edge and strength 3.0
3- skater has control over this element 3.0

Brackets:
1- Very Nice Test! 3.1
2- good quality of brackets 3.0
3- fine 3.1

Okay, now who has advice for Intermediate Moves?

Congratulations, badaxel! That's awesome!

I hope to pass Gold MIF someday, if I can ever pass Silver MIF (I'm starting to wonder ).

Huh? Did she look at the test sheet and read the description of the test standard, and the moves to be skated? Really, there's no excuse for not knowing about the Adult MIF track - it's been in place for what, 5 years now? At least she passed you, but still.....

I assume the judges were all given the correct test forms? At a test of mine recently, the judges were given the FS test sheet for the level instead of MIF (not sure whether my test was registered incorrectly or there was just a printing mix-up) but the judges were luckily given the correct forms by the time I tested - good thing too - they would have really been confused - lol!

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Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

Congratulations! That's fantastic!

I had this problem with my coach over pre-pre vs pre-bronze moves. He had me doing spirals for weeks (which is fine, I need to do them) before I finally said "are we going to cover the 3-turn pattern?".

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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)

Congratulations - GOOD JOB!!!!!

Congratulations! Gold moves is a great achievement

CONGRATULATIONS!

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Congratulations!!!! That is so awesome. I know you are happy and you should be. And I'm glad you are already setting your sights on the next level. If all goes well, I'll be right behind you in a few months!!!!


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

Congratulations!!!!!! And you're going to get a gold medal for it, too!

I passed my Gold MIF on the first try after working on them for 6 months, so I assumed I would be able to take and pass my Intermediate moves just a few months later. It was just like when I landed my lutz and thought I would get my axel just as easily. As it turned out, those back perimeter power 3's were hard to control and even a little scary--considerably harder than any other move on the Intermediate test. Also, although some of this could be attributed to the tough judging panel I got, I have to say the judges took that 0.2 passing difference *seriously*! When I took the Intermediate test, I got 3.0's and 3.1's on most of the moves I had passed on the Gold test (only got 3.2 on the back power circles), and that was not good enough. So be prepared for a bit of a challenge on the new move, and try to watch some Intermediate MIF tests at your club to see the level of power, flow and confidence they expect.

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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

The word for intermediate moves is POWER!!! POWER POWER POWER!!! You have to go out & skate like you're pushing for all you're worth w/ every single step (except the brackets of course). They are definitely going to be harder on you for Intermediate, so start focusing on really flying through those patterns. The back power 3's end pattern is my hardest thing too, though it's improving. I'm hoping to take this test for the first time this fall.

Not to scare you, since I haven't seen you skate at all, but I know an adult skater who passed adult gold moves at least 3 years ago--and has been trying to get through intermediate ever since. That probably won't happen to you, but just be aware that the 2 tests are definitely 2 different animals.

CONGRATULATIONS ON PASSING! 1/2 WAY TO GOLD!!

I passed the Intermediate MIF test as my FIRST MIF test ever attempted (skated figures as a kid and passed my Gold FS before MIF required). There were three major things between a pass and a retry in my book:

1) Consistent speed and power on both sides of a move. The power threes in the CW direction for me were really easy but the CCW ones? Slow, slow, and slower when I first started working on them. They need to look consistent on both sides as do the power circles in both directions. For every time you practice the side of the move in your good direction, you need to practice your bad direction 3X.

2) Confidence. Even if you have a move that you don't feel so sure on, you've got to present it like it's the easiest thing in the world. Head up, neck elongated, shoulders down, knees bent.

3) Edge, edge, and more edge. The edges on the brackets and the double threes have to be crisp and secure. No wobbles, no early or late turns, no "waves" on the brackets. The edges in the slide chasses have to be exact and a deep ripping noise on the end of the three and the 2 slides.

Now, I am in the process of cleaning up my Novice test so I can get IT out of the way before the moves are changed. I understand the first time pass rate is ~ 10% and the overall pass rate ~ 30% on this one. Sheesh

Test passing happy dance - WOOOOT!

YIPPEE!!! CONGRATS BADAXEL!!! GOLD (Moves) LADY!!! (And you're gonna get the PIN too!!! YAAAAAY!!!!)

I will warn you that there are quite a few people who have tried to pass Int. Moves right after Gold Moves and have not succeeded yet in passing the Int. Moves yet. I think according to my primary coach, when he took it (the Int. Moves) and passed it, it was basically "by the skin of his teeth."

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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!!!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!! That is HUGE!!!

Re: The Clueless judge - oh, well, attribute that to the fact that there are not a whole lot of Adult Moves tests taken, especially compared to the Standard track and so if a judge has not seen a lot of Silver and Gold Moves, there is bound to be some confusion (I ahd one confused judge on my Bronze Moves test last weekend, too, let me tell you!

BUT there is no excuse really for thinking that the forward double 3s on the Juvenile test are anything like the back double 3s on the Intermediate test - they are, as you know, completely different animals! BUT, the forward double 3s on the Juvenile test are way more like figures were/are than the back double threes, so if your judge was/is a figures judge or did figures at all, that may be the reason for the confusion.

Or maybe chalk it up to the basic "brain-freeze" that goes on out there in that cold, cold ice rink when you've been sitting for hours.

I see that that judge still passed you, which is great -- all three judges!

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

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:bow:

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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

Congratulations!!! Best of luck on learning (and testing hopefully soon!) your Intermediate moves!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

CONGRATS!!! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!

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

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

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Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

If I could meet ole Axel Paulsen, I would kick him in the teeth

President and Founding member of the I hate Toe-Loops Club

Still a member, but trying to get out of the Pre-bronze peanut gallery.

Visit my skating journal

Congratulations!!

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~
Tidesong

Congratulations! You got really great scores and comments also!

I passed my Gold MITF on the first try but not with as flying colors as your test. I will not try for Intermediate for quite some time because I know that even though some of the moves are the same, it has to be skated at the next level (the Gold MITF is in place of Juvenile on standard track). But it's a huge accomplishment and the Pin is really cool!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! That's wonderful! You should be celebrating all week.

Just so you're not too discouraged, I know one skater who took her Gold MIF and was invited to retry them after having a bad-for-her skate day. She passed them AND her Intermediate (she had already passed Juvenile) the next month. Of course, she'd been working on both tests simultaneously for about a year. But I think it depends on how you skate that day and who your judges are. She said the reason she passed both of them (and even though most of the moves are the same, she received different scores on the elements for each test) was because she "went out to PROVE I can skate those moves". So the attitude of confidence helped carry her through. Even though the judges were looking at how she was skating, her belief in herself certainly did not hurt her. No hunched shoulders, no loss of power, no slightly uncommitted edges.

Congratulations again! I LOVE hearing success stories!

Oh, and judge #3's comment on your second move... it's most likely a compliment that you "graduated" the acceleration, rather than just having two speeds. Many skaters have slow, then fast, but we're supposed to look for a gradual acceleration... as in really slow, pretty slow, just slow, a little bit faster, now fast, quite a bit faster, then REALLY FAST! So her "graduated" probably means you were doing this as it's SUPPOSED to be done.

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Mrs Redboots
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Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

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Well done!

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CONGRATULATIONS!

i can't help but chuckle at the clueless judge comment (#3). Poor thing, he's from a time warp, maybe! I'm working on Gold MIF, too so it is helpful to read!