Nevertheless, congratulations! Do try to get your Prelim (or level 3 Dance Moves, if that's easier) before this time next year, though - I have a feeling the new levels will be diabolical! My coach is at a seminar, so I'll know more next week, but..... You have a year, you should be able to do it.

Crayonskater, I feel your pain! Been there, done that. Ow.

As for me:

Lamb: (except my brother's a shepherd, in the middle of the lambing season, so this thread's the wrong way round for me!) The zamboni at the rink we visited last night had broken down, so the group lessons and the first half of the dance club were on uncut ice. Even when there was a cut, at the interval, the ice there has deteriorated very badly over the past couple of years, and is not exactly level and even! As the ice at our rink has improved during that period, I'm spoilt!

Could do nothing during the class, and precious little during the dance - had a bit of a headache which didn't help. However, did do all this year's dances with Husband, and one or two others, and had a couple of dances with other people.

Lion: Did a really good Willow Waltz, to my surprise - for some reason the back run after the RFO3 has got a lot easier, can't think why! And had our usual fun with the Prelim Waltz. The CD we used doesn't have a European waltz scheduled, which is always a pity, as I'm longing to try it properly.

Sadly didn't feel able for 14-step or Foxtrot last night, but did do a Fiesta and didn't die. It's no longer the Mohawk that's the problem - it's what happens after it! Swing Dance okay, but Husband is far too lobey on his back swing rolls, and pulls me off balance - plus we don't match! Sigh.

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

If you're wimpy now.. you'll be all wimped out.. and ready to go. The worst thing is having your BEST practice just before a competition.. and then going out and skating just so-so.. and wondering why you didn't just save that good skate until the event!

Good luck and have fun!

[QUOTE=jazzpants I think the current temporary refrigeration system is about $100,000 and it's rented for about 6 months.
[/QUOTE]

You're right... I talked to the rink manager and the permanent system would be about $300,000-400,000.

What's a few $100K's amongst us rich (Yeah, do I wish!?!) friends...

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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!!!

Thanks for the advice! My coach has been out of town and I will see her on Sunday before I step on the ice.

Our dry run was at the exhibition not too long ago, she gave me a few tips and stood in the background (i.e. not hovering). I appreciated that from her, as I am twice her age and a "big girl now"

I was worried about working on some jumps and falling and getting hurt really bad, but I don't attack the jumps so there really is no worry there. I've just got two areas I need to tweak....so everything should be fine.

I'm skating this afternoon-taking the boy out on the ice and working with him on figure skates (he is a hockey crossover). He has to get used to the toepick and doing a few things before next Friday's class so he is all caught up to where the other kids are. Should be fun!!! I'll try not to be a moves nazi on him!!! Maybe I'll cruise on over to coach's corner for tips.

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

Good luck, Skate@Del! Let us know how it went.

Three crashing falls today, thankfully none of them mine! But it puts you off a bit.... nobody badly hurt, thankfully, but one girl will have a sore tailbone for a few days!

Lamb: We had an e-mail yesterday from one of the judges, saying that as long as we had 2 revolutions each on one foot in the first part of our combination (which we do), we could add the second part. But, of course, when we came to practice it, we were out of practice. And I'm not sure but what our backspin doesn't fit better to the music. Isn't That Typical!

We spent most of the morning trying to "place" the first part of the dance so that we are on the right place for the start of the step sequence. I suppose it will work eventually, but right now it's all in pieces!

As is my Interp - I decided to take that to pieces, too, as the footwork was so dull, and it was just going round and round the rink like a compulsory dance. How come I can do two really nice clockwise back crossovers in it, but when I try doing them round the circle, nothing happens? But the whole programme is in pieces now, alas. I expect it will come back together again soon, but....

At one stage it was just us and one other couple on the ice - wouldn't you know it, we almost collided! Such is life.....

Lion: The spin at the end of my Interp actually worked three times in succession! Then it didn't work, the last run-through I did - will it work in front of the coach next week, do you suppose? Yeah, right..... But I was dead pleased with 2 revolutions in each direction, getting it on the sweet spot every time!

Dance moves coming along - the ice was nice, so that helped. Maybe I'll get there, I do have 363 more days to get them testable!

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

Lion:
jumps were pretty good today - even managed a few flips

Lamb:
spins were a bit off today.
coach was unhappy about the new UK field moves (he was at a seminar the last two days) and it seems none of the coaches are very impressed with the new system or the amount of seminars they'll have to attend to retain their levels. It does seem odd that the more experienced the coach, the more seminars they have to attend - so all our best coaches will be spending loads of time at seminars and less time teaching. So it will now pay to be a lower level coach as they only have to attend a couple of seminars so can teach more and earn more. Crazy!!!


And then I got crashed into on the way home!!!

Some guy sailed through a red light at a roundabout. I suddenly saw him coming straight at me from the right in my peripheral vision and floored the accelerator to try to get away but he still struck the back of my car just on the back wheel and behind. No injuries but it was quite a shock.

__________________
'skating is not just a sport - it is an obsession'

Thank goodness no one's injured...and that guy's insurance rates JUST went up!!!

This is for yesterday...

Lion:

• Did my practice warmup routine (this is for my warmup period. Can't believe I actually have a "program" for my warm up! ) Check...
• Did the two footwork sections... CHECK!
• Did spins... CHECK!
• Did some flips...well, close enough... Check!
• Did some loops... well, close enough... Check!
• I guess I did well enough... I did impress the Gold level guy that primary coach is coaching. But primary coach is not impressed enough... so he's tortures me right after my run thru by making me run around a couple of more LAPS!!! (Mind you, by now I'm resting comfortably against the penalty box...) When I protested, he teases me by saying "MOVE IT, how are you gonna do 2:10 if you can't handle this?" I told him "I'll worry about it when I do pass my Bronze tests!!!" (Silver is WAAAAAAY in the future. Let's get me to pass BRONZE first???)
• Looking forward to meeting my 'Net friends on skatingforum and CAS.

Lamb:
Nothing much... I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

And good luck to Skate@Del at HER first comp too!!!

__________________
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!!!

Lamb

Monday: I survived through the day with cups of coffee, and by the time I went to the rink late at night, I was basically half-asleep. Not a good sign.

There were two new adult beginners/walkers in the session. I felt they should have a better and safer time in a group/learn-to-skate setting instead of a freestyle session. A lady skated right between me and another pair of dancers and we all had to stop to let her through. Another one was getting some help from her husband -- who is a hockey guy. He ran into me *three times* during my program... Doesn't he look where he is going?

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Reach out for the sunshine ~*

Good luck to jazzpants (and others going to those sectionals) and Skate@Delaware! Kick some butt!!

__________________
Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org

Thanks everyone! (I'm so afraid I'll forget my dress or something, even though I have a list and will check it twice.)

Good Luck, Jazzpants!!! We will have to compare notes (and see if we will be doing this again )

Lamb: I'm going to let you guys know how it went today with my son's 2nd venture in figure skates. He did do better after we traded a 2nd set of rentals for a sharper pair (sheesh, I vaguely remember having to do this and it really sucked).

Lion: Once he got the balance issue down, he did very, very well! I couldn't tell him enough times how proud I was of him! We warmed up with slaloms and swizzles and he did great (except for looking down, but as the session progressed, he did better). On to stroking, which was good. Then, spins. We stuck with 2-foot spins and after 20 minutes, he was doing good and had several 4-5 revolution spins. We worked on waltz jumps (he could do these in hockey skates). I started by holding his hands but after 10 he could do them on his own (from a standstill). I had to demo but I jump the other way yikes! Then we did some edges (prelude to 3-turns). He needs mucho finesse but he has the basic concept. We will be doing 3-turns later.

He has played hockey for several years and is a good skater, but we do have to counteract the bending-over-with-a-stick posture. And the fear of the "toepick" so every so often I would say "toepick" like in the movie.

By the end of the session, he didn't want to get off the ice! Big change from the other day!

I'm skating on club time tomorrow to run through my program and my warmup (which isn't choreographed, but my coach did give me a run-down of what to do). I'm going to approach my competition as if I'm skating in a show with a solo number. I'm wondering if I'll be the oldest skater there......

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

Rather than add to my previous post, I thought I'd add another one, since this one is not about my son, but about me (go ahead, call me diva).
No lion/lamb, just narrative:
Went to club ice today to practice some "stuff" before my comp tomorrow and it was very un-crowded (10 people). I wore my "practice comp" dress so nothing would happen to my real dress. So, I warmed up like my coach wants me to do and it sucked. I have to really go around 4 laps before I really connect to the ice.

Anywho, I did my routine, and except to piking on my toe-loop, it was fine. One of the better (waaaay better) skaters commented that it was "very graceful" which I thought was nice of her.

I then worked on some of the other elements which have been bugging me since day #1 one and they all boil down to a single point-my boots. So, I have to get my butt on the road and head on up to either Skate Club or Aston and get those darn blades mounted on my new boots, since these things I have now are way too big!

I showed this girl all the stuff I have in these boots just to fill them out and she could not believe it! Oh, well.

I feel decent about my skate today, even worked on a few feeble backspin attempts (ha-ha-ha).

I'm packed, dress is ready, tights are packed with my dress, map is standing by and money is in my purse. Dropping the boy off at Grandma's on the way and off we go! I check in at 12:00 and on-ice warm up at 1:05, skate at 1:10!!! (first in my group). Then I'm done!

ps-The application for the in-house comp was posted and the only adult thing was freestyle-bronze! Now, I know all the adults who are taking lessons....and except for me there is no one else who can enter in that category! There is someone who teaches there (she hasn't tested yet, I found out so she is eligible to skate this comp) so if we skated against her, she would clean up! Somehow, this doesn't seem right. I found out she is entering in that, spotlight, artistic, and one more.....something stinks.

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

Oh! Can I join in here?

Lion:

• Managed to get my mohawks getting better... Im even curving correctly after I swap feet!! Its not the same circle as I start with, but oh well!
  
• We learnt two foot spins yesterday! I managed to spin 3 times before slowing down.. Im very impressed with myself
  
• I got moved to what I suspect is a more precise teacher... Its not moving up a level.. and we do less stuff in the lesson... but at least we arent doing the same thing each lesson and its really working on technic... its more like deep lunges, edges, turns etc. So its basics, not beginner.. thats how hubby put it, and it sounds about right.
  
• Stroking is improving, as is my beginning pushes from t-step (or whatever its called).. Im not sticking my picks in as much, which is nice.. means that Im not grating the ground and somersaulting forwards all the time... Ive also managed to focus on turning my back leg/foot out, so im less likely to toe pick it
  
• Im getting better at skating backwards.. none of this egg laying stuff anymore when attempting swizzles! And Im actually transfering weight better, looking behind me as I go, bending my knees better, and I can lift a foot off the ice as I go YAY!

Lamb:

• I had a massive stack on Saturday... after 3.5hrs of skating, so I will be kind to myself... I was stroking along, and I was obviously pointing my toes through to bringing it back in line with my skating foot... and of course I hit my toe picks in, and fell heavily onto my knee... hurt like hell, and immediately started swelling... I kept skating for another half hour or so, then hopped off, and it was another hour or so until I got home and put ice on it (thankfully i didnt have to drive home!)... it was VERY sore, and swollen, and has turned a nice purpley yellow colour... I couldnt move it without pain, but I persisted, cos I really wanted to skate today... it wasnt bad this morning so I wandered out onto the ice again... luckily I didnt fall..
  
• I did a fantastic trip earlier as well.. but I collapsed to the ground, legs to one side, and managed to slide along the ice on my hip... Didnt hurt much,and would have looked GREAT ... if I had meant to do it!
  
• Still not hitting the outside edges properly.. so a friend and I spent most of the public session in the middle (we are regulars now (or at least feel like it) and we were keeping out of peoples way! ), just stroking around an outside edge circle, trying to get the back leg up and continue the circle... just to prove we were on the outside edge!
  
• I cant do 3-turns yet.. although I have no problems doing two foots turns... and Im guessing its because I just cant hit that outside edge...

Note to self... outside edge = lead with the little toe... inside edge = lead with the big toe... I dont know who said that in a post here once, but its good!

Ive also got a friend who I met at skating, and we practise together every week after the group lesson... we are thinking of meeting up during the week as well. Feel nice to have someone who is at a similar level. Im not feeling like I am competing as much with people who are much better than I am, and we help each other a lot.. which is good

I feel good today... very sore (7hrs of skating over the weekend will do that to you ) BUT I feel mentally good Its a good sore, cos I know it will help build those leg muscles I desperately need for outside edges


And GOOD LUCK for anyone doing their tests!!!!

__________________
--------------
-Erinna-
aka cassarilda

My Progress Report!
"Did I mention there is only ONE rink in Melbourne?!"
"If you're not flying, you're obviously not trying!!!" - courtsey of the guy who helped me up off the ice after my last spectacular and sore fall

Good luck to everybody competing today - I hope you will have done well!

Lion: Husband and I actually got through our free-dance, first ever "full" run-through. We didn't have the music on "aloud", but I was listening on the headphones to count us through it. Sadly, the bits where we went out of time were my fault, not Husband's! Grrrrr.....

Together, we also spent quite a lot of time working on the Cha-cha, as we now have a pattern with the correct timing on it. We hadn't been doing it quite right, so this was a steep learning curve. For this, because there's only the one hold, we could both listen to the music on headphones! Hope to get Coach to video us doing it on Tuesday so we can get some feedback from those of you who know what it's supposed to look like!

In my solo practice, I ran through my artistic a couple of times, but don't know exactly what I want to do in one bit, whether to put some turns in, or just focus on the acting and not on my feet. Will get some input from Coach on Wednesday, I think.

Good Dance Moves, I thought. Coach would doubtless disagree, but......

Oh, and I have a fairly reliable, but small, 3-bracket-3 on my right foot - and once, memorably and unrepeatably, managed to keep going for about 5 of them! Husband said, rudely but accurately, that I was only turning about 45 degrees - I think he probably meant 90 degrees rather than 180 - but I'll take it!

Lamb: Not a good spin day; we managed one good backspin as a couple, and I didn't really manage a good solo spin at all.

Husband has realised, finally, that what he is doing in his free programme, and what the music is asking him to do, are two different things - I did keep telling him, but would he listen, either to me or to the music? You guess! Finally persuaded him to run through it on the headphones. Coach now has his CD again and is going to have a think, and I'm going to make him listen to the music at home, too.

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

WOO HOO!!! It's Over!!!!!

Since I was the only one in my age group/class I had to compete "against the book" and placed FIRST! I was pleased just to have stayed upright after my jumps! My coach was pleased and said I "skated well."

Here is a link to a picture of my spiral:
http://tkahline.sk8rland.com/pictures/

I just watched the video my daughter took of my and noticed a few things:
I was slooooow!!!
My mohawk was sloppy (yeah, like barely recognizeable)
Didn't even need to watch the video to know that I half-a**ed the toe-loop and back-pivot (wimp )
Oh well, gives me something to put on my "list of things to work on" (which seems to get increasingly longer....)

All-in-all, not bad for my first competition. My knees were shaking so bad by the time I finished, I thought I would "toepick" on my way off the ice!!!

I will put up a video when I get a chance.

Ok, Jazzpants, where's your report, hmmm???

By the way, that ice rink is BEAUTIFUL!!!! AND, the ice was NICE!!! Softer than my ice!

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

Congratulations- that is a awesome spiral! Don't worry about looking slow. video is slower than real life!!
BTW- was this at the Naval Academy rink?- That rink is beautiful!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Skate at Delaware, Your spiral is absolutely beautifu. Congratulations on your first competition.

Thanks, guys. Yes, it is at the Naval Academy rink. Unfortunately, this rink is scheduled for deconstruction sometime next year to be replaced by a new facillity. I'm not sure if they plan on keeping the building and just removing the rink (I hope so-the inside is gorgeous!!!). The new facility will be modern and more cost-effective. I just hope it is as pretty.

Over one end of the building, under one of the windows there is a huge model of a sailing ship with spars and masts and everything. It is really cool!!!

The #1 comment I got from people after I skated my program was that I was "graceful" and the #2 was my spiral was "very nice/high/stretched, etc"

Terri C-my daughter read your comment and she said, "but you were really slow"...teenagers

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

First thing... CONGRATULATIONS SKATE@DELAWARE!!!
Second thing...I want that spiral!!!

You want a report??? I got yer report RIGHT HERE!!!

I am a bit miffed about missing that flip jump though! Gotta stop making that flip jump a UHT!!! But overall, I'm happy with my performance! I still got one more performance to go on this program... my Bronze FS test!!! So I can't retire that program yet. But at least I can retire the dress for now.

I'm looking at doing another FS program where it can be changed to include a lutz in the program (for the future... of course...) Music is picked but I haven't gotten my coach's approval yet. (But I do expect that they would let me skate to it.)

Seriously I was surprised to get the Silver! When the scores were out, I was fully expecting to get a Bronze b/c I was the only person who didn't skate a clean program. So happy with the skate overall though. I felt calmer out there than before.

__________________
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!!!

Congrats, Skate@Del! I'll second others' comments that your spiral is beautiful.

Glad to hear you enjoyed your first comp. I think my coach was also down there today - she coaches one of the synchro teams that competed in the synchro competition.

CRC (Capital Regional Council comp) used to be held at that rink, then they moved it to Bowie (and now Cabin John) a few years ago b/c of security issues.

So will I! Respect!!!!

Wish mine were as good as that - it doesn't usually reach 90 degrees, alas, never mind as beautiful as yours.

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

Wow! What a beautiful spiral!

Congrats on "beating the book." It's not an automatic win - you should be very proud of yourself.

Lion: Actually got in a few minutes of skating at the end of yesterday's session. Didn't try any jumps; the ice was terrible and the crowd was rowdy. Sit spins and camels were good; Faked an Illusion or two that ahem, scared me because it's been so long.

Lamb: Got my blade caught in my pants and went down on both knees. Nice shiners on them now, but they don't hurt too much.

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Skate@Del, my warmest congratulations, WELL DONE!!

Well, with Skate@Delaware being so brave, I guess, I should post my pictures as well....
This is a link to another forum, in Russian, so please ignore all cyrillic blah-blah-blah and just scroll to the pictures :

http://www.rupoint.co.uk/showthread.php?t=47750
and
http://www.rupoint.co.uk/showthread....0&page=2&pp=10

__________________
My other car is a Zamboni

Lion

Started landing my flips, all of a sudden. I haven't been working on them, just on loops, but I guess they "cross-polinated".

Exploring all sorts of loop combos: waltz - loop, toe loop - loop, waltz - loop -toe. So happy I finally can do this jump - it's been menacing me for a while.

Lamb

Will I ever learn to spin? I know perfectly what I'm doing wrong, but all attempts to correct it only make things worse. It get even more frustrating when I actually manage to get 1 "wow!" spin and then can't repeat it to save my life. Grrrr....

Slipped and fell down at home, on my staircase, and now have a huge bruise and a bleeding scratch on my back. And they talk about the dangers of ice skating!!

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My other car is a Zamboni