I skated as a teenager, starting at around 15, getting really into it, going through classes and made it through pre-pre, worked on the axel. Then I quit.

Skated for just about a year starting my senior year of college. Then, I skated intermittently, due to money issues and issues of rink access with no car.

I've been skating "seriously" again since last summer. I have a car now, which makes things much easier. I probably get about 2 1/2 hours per week of practice/lesson time. I'm again working on my axel. My coach doesn't doubt that I'll have it someday, and she does credit my childhood skating, even though I was a teenager. I'd like to get a double salchow and a loop. My ultimate goal is to pass all the Adult tests. I'm currently through Bronze Moves and testing Bronze FS next month.

I think I said this before, but it's great to 'meet' so many other adult skaters.

I remember being worried when I booked the LTS classes at the beginning of this year that there would only be kids, looks like I've been proved wrong lol!

So what are everyone's goals?

I think I'm going to be safe (and realistic), and stop at Axel with free skating, but hope to continue learning a variety of spins, put a programme together and skate in competitions.

With dance - well I haven't been doing this long, at the moment I want to become competent at the first 5 forward dances and take it from there...

S xxxx

I took my first class at age 27 and kept taking one group class per week and skating two public sessions per week for almost 5 years. At that point I had all of my single jumps through the lutz. I quit for 5 years and came back at age 37, at which point I found out about the adult track, put together my first program and started the testing process. At 38 I landed my first axel and my first double salchow (although, in retrospect I doubt that the double sal was fully rotated). At 39 I landed my first double toeloop. Sometimes I wonder what I'd be able to do if I hadn't had to quit for 5 years!

I began skating about 1 and a half years ago at the age of 24 with private lessons with barely being able to stand on two feet! it took a real long while to feel steady on the ice and just to get real basics like swizzles! I'm now workingon pre-bronze MITF, in freestyle i can land the 1/2 jumps, salchow, toe loop and just began working on the loop. Spins are a nightmare i can do a 1 foot that travels to china and a sit for like maybe at best almost 2 revolutions in like maybe 1/100. i now skate 3x/week with a lesson 1x/week. I would love...to land an axel and a double jump before I'm 30!!!

kateskater..i know what you mean....i skate a lot among other kids and I look much much younger than i am, in fact the skating director at one rink approached me once and begged me to tell her how old i was..she shared the news among the coachs and rink guards, they had a good laugh and couldn't believe it! ..many times they charge me child admission which is under 13 y/o! so yes it could feel weird that i skate a bitt sloppish among the child skaters..however they are a good inspiration and can give good skating tips!

Jazz, I consider you an Adult skater as your story is the same as mine and I call myself an adult skater...but I guess that is just my opinion.

I started LTS classes when I was 34, I'm 43 now and have an okay axel and continuously working on d.sal, d.toe and sometimes d.loop without successfully landing any of them clean...yet. This has been a long slow process, but I'm very close. I just barely two-footed a d.sal this morning. I have found the trick, at this age, is to stay injury free long enough to make progress (I'm knocking on wood right now).

It's learning the feel of rotation over the right side that is so difficult to learn as an adult.

That is so true, Patty! (Re: getting the feel of rotating backward over the right hip).
And Jazzpants, I agree. I don't consider skating recreationally with your friends from time to time the same thing as skating regularly with actual instruction. That's like saying you were a child gymnast just because you walked on the balance beam in gym class, did a somersault on the floor and tried to do the splits numerous times.

I started at age 20, when I was in college, but I really got serious and started skating regularly about 3 years ago, at the age of 24. I have been landing axels for about 9 months, but never consistently (I haven't seen my axel since last Wednesday, despite lots of time spent trying to find it! ). I am working on double sal and double toe now. I've accepted the fact that I will never do double axels or triples, but I would like to make it up to the double lutz. I love hearing other people's stories- it gives me hope!

I love to set goals, both long-term (for the season September-April) and short term (even as short as each skating session).

My goals last season were pretty well on-target, after a good heart-to-heart with my coach and some minor tweaking.

This year I plan on getting back my backspin, and the camel and actually get closer to having a real sitspin (I now realize it means falling on my caboose-a risk I'm willing to take now). I'd like to land the loop on one foot. Compete at Halloween Classic in Aston, PA as well as the other competitions I entered last year. Test pre-bronze (hopefully pass). Be a snowflake in our Nutcracker on Ice (don't laugh, I'm working my way up...from flower, to cake...). Get the flip. Become friends with the bunny hop .

All while having fun, working hard, and not taking myself too seriously!!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I started skating at 18, with no sporting or dance background, and could land axels, double sals and double toes by 23 (and I by no means have a small frame ). Then hardly skated at all in the past 5 years, and am just starting to get back to regular practicing. The axel looks like a train wreck at the moment .

I don't think I will ever be as smooth a skater, or as comfortable on edges, as someone who began skating as a child. The awkwardness is certainly there, and the hesitancy/uncertainty leading into a move I know I could injure myself on. However, I don't think double jumps are unreachable for an adult skater. Much depends on how injured your joints are at the moment and how much more they can take , as well as on your general strength and flexibility. I think most people do have a physical limit in terms of what is achievable, but it is not all age related.

I started skating at 18, with no sporting or dance background, and could land axels, double sals and double toes by 23 (and I by no means have a small frame ). Then hardly skated at all in the past 5 years, and am just starting to get back to regular practicing. The axel looks like a train wreck at the moment .

I don't think I will ever be as smooth a skater, or as comfortable on edges, as someone who began skating as a child. The awkwardness is certainly there, and the hesitancy/uncertainty leading into a move I know I could injure myself on. However, I don't think double jumps are unreachable for an adult skater. Much depends on how injured your joints are at the moment and how much more they can take , as well as on your general strength and flexibility. I think most people do have a physical limit in terms of what is achievable, but it is not all age related.

I started at age 37 about 9 years ago.

I can do all single jumps (in combination) and have worked on the Axel and 2-Sal on and off for the past 4 years. Have gotten close, but never not cheated.

I can also do most fwd and back spins in combination, but my back camel is r-e-a-l-l-y slow.

Lately, I been skating/learning Gold Pairs, and haven't had much time to devote to the Axel, but my new coach has it as a priority. Over the past year, I've learned the guy's part of a death-spiral (one-handed in pivot position), split twist, lutz lift, pairs combo spins, etc.

Time on the ice and determination will make up for a late start and a lack of ability.

Rob

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From rlichtefeld:

"Lately, I been skating/learning Gold Pairs, and haven't had much time to devote to the Axel, but my new coach has it as a priority. Over the past year, I've learned the guy's part of a death-spiral (one-handed in pivot position), split twist, lutz lift, pairs combo spins, etc."

Not to mention the edge laden footwork, and your way around BWI!

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I skated for about a year when I was 7, but never really got anywhere (didn't even have a waltz jump). I got back into skating during my freshman year in college (at age 19) and became serious. I just turned 22. I am now working on all of my doubles through my lutz. None of them are consistent, but I've landed them all at least once. Spin wise I have pretty much everything but a catch-foot, beilmann, and death drop, though my flying sits aren't great. I also do dance, which I'm at the pre-silver level.


I have to agree about the fear element, though. I've noticed even between people of my age and only a couple years older. I have no problem throwing myself into a double jump knowing I'm going to go splat, but I've seen how hard it is for someone that's say, 30 and has kids. I'm at a totally different place in life where if I get hurt, it's not going to mess everything else in my life up. If you have kids and such, it's a lot harder to get around and do everything you need to do if you do get hurt.

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Maybe we should design a Falling on-ice workshop for adults. If you could lose your fear of falling, most adult skaters gain a great deal of confidence and bravery. The impact on skating is dramatic. I learned early on that falling is part of skating and caution holds you back. Come to think of it, I started skating at an outdoor rink. I was always well-bundled with layers of clothes and a down jacket. I guess the cushioning helped makes falls less scary for me, huh?

I started taking lessons at 18 and I stopped skating when I was 28. My most difficult jumps were the axel and a double loop.I was an ISI competitor since the adult track didn't exist in USFSA at the time. I, and my friends, took skating as seriously as the USFSA kiddies did, I assure you. The major holdbacks were money and time since we all worked or went to school full-time.

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Hey that would be a great idea!

I think TreSk8sAZ is absolutely right - when you're older and have responsibilities you don't want to take as many risks. When I was say 13 skating the first time round, the thought of breaking something was like 'cool, a week off school and everyone can sign my plaster!' Now, even though I don't have kids yet, the thought of having to be off work and even worse, not being able to drive 'coz I live out in the sticks is a total nightmare.

S xxx

As someone who has suffered a badly broken ankle and also a fractured wrist from skating, I can tell you first hand that the impact on your life is huge. When I broke my ankle my kids were 4 and 2. My daughter had just started school and I was unable to drive her there. When I broke my wrist last year I thought it would be easier now that my kids were older (10 and 8), but I still couldn't drive and it was my dominant hand that I broke so I had to manage to get by with the other hand. It put a huge strain on my husband since he was cutting his working day short to do school runs etc.

I would say though that any such injury is a risk with skating and I have skated relatively injury free for the most part, but I accept that the more hours you skate the more risk you have of getting hurt, and like others have said, if you want to progress falling is part of the deal. I hope that I've had my share of bad injuries now though and now get off the ice when I feel I've done enough since my worst falls always occurred at the end of a long session on the ice.

Nicki

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I'm not sure I qualify to answer the first part of your post! I didn't start skating until I was 48.

But, as to the 2nd part of your post, being does not stop you I guess. But I would not say that any of the other adults who started at my age are doing what the kids do ---at all. And I mean people who didn't skate at all when younger --- true "adult onsetters"! Shrug. It's fun and I love it.

When my son started learn-to-play hockey, the first few times they were on the ice, they "learned" to not fear falling by skating forward and throwing themselves down on the ice! It was scary to watch him do that, even though he was wearing all that padding and gear (helmet, mouthguard). Now, if we did that, it would be interesting!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I started 4 years ago when I was 26 and am working on lutz now. I have a friend who's a year younger who is working hard on her axel and has landed 1, and I think she's also working on her 2sal.

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Well Im still a beginner too but I aspire to land a double axel (well at least some double jumps) as well. Im 25 and I started skating 3 1/2 months ago with the exception of skating 2-3x ever as a child on a pond. I was a pretty high level in another sport so I think that helps.

I can do a toe loop and waltz jump and attempted (but very bad attempt) a salchow once. My coach is very good at refining basics which is good bcause Im the opposite of most adults - I have no fear and want to jump/spin as much as possible. I am also a perfectionist and super persistent when it comes to sports so I have no problem repeating a skill hundreds of times between lessons till its perfect. My coach tells me that Im far above the learning curve (other than his opinion I have no other way to judge haha since I know nothin about skating).

So my goal is in another year to at least be trying an axel. I can land one no problem on dry land - I just have to convince the coach to let me go for it (jk - I know basics are the #! most important part)

I started in my late 30's but wasnt able to skate seriously until I was well into my 40's due to the expense of keeping my son skating, he got as far as level 1 coach and now hardly ever skates at all, youth is so wasted on the young.

I started at 18 (not here not there...) and am now 23 with axel, double salchow, flying camel, just had a break through for the beilmann... have an occasional double loop. And I started from scratch... wasnt particularly athletic apart from compulsory school physical education.

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I started skating in my early 20s, had all singles up to lutz. Twice I got to the stage of was working on axel and double toe, and had to stop because work transferred me somewhere there wasn't a rink.

20+ years later, age 46, I am still struggling to regain my elements. My body has changed a lot over the years, which doesn't help. I have waltz, toe loop, salchow okay though not great, a fairly pathetic loop, and am really having problems with getting my flip back, before I even think about working on lutz. I am not a natural spinner, so they are taking longer.

Oddly enough I don't really share the adult fear of falling. My record is 7 falls in one 2 hour session. Perhaps I played so many sports as a teenager/young adult, that it doesn't bother me. I certainly didn't fall over as much skating when younger as I do now. Having said that though, a recent injury has made me a little more careful and daredevil lately.

I would hope to one day achieve an axel and at least one double jump, but I don't know if that is a realistic goal. I have to say that right at this moment I am pessimistic, but if you'd asked on Sunday I would've said it is possible (lousy practice and lesson last night).

It is encouraging to see that some adult starters here who can do axels and doubles, but they are noticeably fewer than those who can't. Yet.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

I skated fom age 17-22, and at the time I quit, my axel and double sal were not consistent yet, but coming along nicely. I had passed up to my Fourteenstep, and I used to do hours upon hours of figures.

Two and a half years ago, I returned to skating after a 26 year absence and It was just like starting over. The first six or seven months were difficult, but by the time I was back a year, I was up to a waltz jump, bunny hop, a one-foot spin and a spiral. Now I also have my sitspin, salchow,toe loop and loop-jump, some rather fast intricate footwork, and a consistent flip-jump is just around the corner.... and I still do figures

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OH MAN! Can I ever identify with that!!!!! Six months in, after 36 years away, has been absolutely BRUTAL!

The first thing to go is your confidence - when you step on the ice, still feeling like a skater, and find out you can't stand up on skates! What the #$@%!!!!

The next thing to go is the ego, when you have to get on the ice in public, as an adult, and everybody gets to see how BAD you really are! You used to be a good skater and now and you are being out-skated by 7 year olds!

I wont even tell anybody what I was working on in my last year of skating as a 19 year old - it is far too embarrassing to have gone from "there" to "here"!

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