Hey, all.

An incredibly lackluster practice at the rink today has left me in desperate need for some reassurance that I'm not the only struggling newbie on the ice.

I was wondering how many new skaters post on this board. I suppose, by that, I mean-- still working on the basics. I'm just curious about how the experience is going for the rest of you.

So, I'll start:

[Added] How old are you? (if you feel comfortable divulging that info)
26

[Added] Where are you from? Roughly?
Austin, Texas

Been skating how long?
Just over 2 months

How often do you go to the rink?
Two or three times a week. Forty five minutes to an hour at a time.

Classes/lessons? On your own?
Wanted to take lessons. Instead ended up learning out of a book. Planning to try and hire a private coach.

What are you currently working on?
Forward crossovers; backwards pumping; attempting (somewhat ahead of my skills level) to learn the spiral; two foot turns; not being afraid to lean into an edge (of any kind)

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
Back crossovers--and the fact that I'm too scared to try them yet; forward outside three turns; EVERYTHING ELSE!!

How old are you?
41

Where are you from? Roughly?
San Francisco, California

Been skating how long?
Almost six weeks.

How often do you go to the rink?
Three or four times a week for an average of an hour each time.

Classes/lessons? On your own?
Taking an adult beginner class, just passed ISI "Pre-Alpha" level, am starting the "Alpha" classes on Monday.

What are you currently working on?
Forward crossovers, basic stroking, T-stops.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
I find basic stroking just fascinating. There are so many ways to express yourself through the basic action of just stroking across the ice. One of the practices I go to is officially a public ice dance session, so they always play ballroom dance music. I skate around to that, just trying to be rhythmic and smooth and in time to the music.

How old are you? (if you feel comfortable divulging that info)
24

Where are you from? Roughly?
Dayton, Ohio (by way of Austin Tx, about to move to Iowa City)

Been skating how long?
about 4 weeks back... but I did the "rink circling" thing a lot as a kid

How often do you go to the rink?
Twice a week, One for an hour an a half adult session, and once for a 30 minute group lesson. But I have a stress fracture in my ankle so I have to stop the adult session (I'm not giving up the lessons, even though I should)

Classes/lessons? On your own?
I take adult Basic 3/4 group lessons. I took 1 private lesson where I was evaluated on the 1/2 stuff and taught all the 3 and most of the 4 skills

What are you currently working on?
3-turns, 2 foot spins, getting stronger crossovers

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
backward stroking. i really don't get it.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

How old are you? (if you feel comfortable divulging that info)
15
Where are you from? Roughly?
New Jersey

Been skating how long?
5 or 6 weeks

How often do you go to the rink?
4 or 5 times a week about 90 minutes each time

Classes/lessons? On your own?
I take group lessons.. I'm unfortunately stuck in the 5th or 6th week of pre alpha.. and i'm past that level. I'm taking private lessons basically every Friday.

What are you currently working on?
backwards crossovers; two foot turns, pivot spin

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
i hate my arms.. i never know where they're supposed to go, plus thinking about everything, like "bend your knees and put the pressure on the ball of your foot and your arms out and your foot flexed and your head up and ...." omg it's liike AHHHHH

How old are you? 56

Where are you from? 30 minutes east of Winnipeg, Manitoba

Been skating how long? 10 weeks (after 36 years away)

How often do you go to the rink? 2 or 3 times a week, 2 hours each (usually)

Classes/lessons? I started working with a coach about 3 weeks after I started skating.

What are you currently working on? Forward edges, cross-overs, and spirals are so-so. Currently somewhere between backward sculling and backward stroking.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now? That I can remember SO MUCH and do almost none of it!

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

How old are you? (if you feel comfortable divulging that info)
24

Where are you from? Roughly?
Bellingham, WA

Been skating how long?
Five weeks.

How often do you go to the rink?
Three times a week- once for a lesson and twice for my free practices. I will probably start going more often now that I have my own skates. I can skate for about 45-60 minutes.

Classes/lessons?
Once-a-week adult group class.

What are you currently working on?
Staying on my feet and avoiding my toepick. Skating foward without the occasional windmilling- keeping my knees bent. Backward swizzles. That's all I can REALLY do. (In my group lesson last week, the instructor wanted to see what everyone could do, so he ran us through swizzles, crossovers, mohawks, spins, and bunny hops. I tried everything- he laughed at my bunny hop (it was like... a bunny death leap or something), but only because I was laughing so hard I had to hold on to my knees so I wouldn't fall.)

Oh, I'm also spinning in my socks in my kitchen to get my inner ear used to being out of whack.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
Forward crossovers and my outside edges. But on a more basic level, just keeping on my feet.


Edit adds: Something I'm noticing is that most people say they skate for 90 minutes, or two hours, or so. Those of you who skate for long periods of time- were you in-shape to begin with? Five weeks ago, I had to stop after a half hour. Skating is much more rigorous than anything else I do!

Geez... I dont FEEL like a newbie.. I know practically everyone at the rink already! Until I get on the ice.. and then I crash back down to earth (sometimes literally ) about how much I have to learn

How old are you? (if you feel comfortable divulging that info)
22

Where are you from? Roughly?
Melbourne, Australia

Been skating how long?
Lessons? about 6 weeks or so

How often do you go to the rink?
Group lessons every Sunday. I also try to get to the rink during the week at least once.... sometimes more if Im feeling rich

Classes/lessons? On your own?
Group Lessons Sundays and now Wednesdays (coffee club)... but I also get 'private' tuition from my husband occasionally (ice dancer )
I generally skate for about 2hrs or so... sometimes more.. but 2hrs is my minimum.. I like staying on until the very end.. when there are less people

What are you currently working on?
Crossovers (back and forwards), twizzles, spins, backward stroking.. ummm... cross rolls.. got my 3-turns down pat (well.. the outside ones anyhoo), and mohawks.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?

• Backward stroking... cant seem to get my balance properly to extend the leg and lean into my edge (if Im on an edge at all! )... but Im doing better than 2 weeks ago.
• Twizzles... love em.. cant do them all that well yet, but I WANT to
• Crossovers.. the bane of my existance!!
• Spins... managed at least two rotations on one foot the other day.. very happy

__________________
--------------
-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

How old are you?
34

Where are you from? Roughly?
Frankfort, KY (yes, KY has skating rinks. a fact I didn't know until about...oh...6 weeks ago)

Been skating how long?
Five weeks. I put on a pair of skates and stepped onto the ice for the very first time 5 weeks ago tomorrow --- and had to be marched across the ice to my LTS class.

How often do you go to the rink?
I'm at the rink 4 times a week which is any time I have a day off from work or I don't have to work a double shift (I wait tables) since I have to drive 45 minutes each way to skate.

Classes/lessons?
I'm currently in one-a-week groups Adult LTS classes. My first 6-week session just ended (I joined the class on the 3rd meeting) and we're off tomorrow because of Spring Break and a competition at the rink before beginning the next 6-week session a week from tomorrow. And then the rink shuts down for the season.

What are you currently working on?
This gnarly little beast called crossovers. In 4 weeks, I've learned how to forward swizzle (very quickly), backward swizzle, 1-foot glide (which I'm getting some serious distance on now -- either foot even!), and a wicked 2-foot turn (which my instructor once said was "perfect"). However, my 2-foot turn is starting to scare me a little since I tend to want to go into it as fast as possible and flip myself around which then pretty much shoots me out going backwards --- and then I don't know what to do with myself. I got passed out of Adult Basic 1 in 4 weeks (which makes me pretty happy since I started after everyone else and managed to catch up to all of them and even pass a couple). I'm bound and determined I'm going to get these crossovers down and start working on 3-turns before the next class meeting. And I think I've finally gotten the hang of these new skates.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
Believe it or not --- backward wiggles. I can't do them to save my life. If I can get myself started, I can manage, but they're the nastiest *sounding* things you can even imagine.

And I'm fascinated by backwards crossovers. I want those before the rink closes.


P.S. For all of us newbies in Basic Skills, I dub us the Electroplates! (Since we're not quite ready for a real metal. )

__________________
"finger painting?"

I am over-weight, (was) out-of-shape, smoker (trying to quit) and my first sessions on the ice had more rest periods than skating! It took awhile for the legs and knees to build up to 2 hour skates or doing 2 days in a row. If you are curious about the time-line (or just bored), my return-to-ice journal is at http://www.geocities.com/diannebest/skating/intro.html

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

[QUOTE=Hannah Something I'm noticing is that most people say they skate for 90 minutes, or two hours, or so. Those of you who skate for long periods of time- were you in-shape to begin with? Five weeks ago, I had to stop after a half hour. Skating is much more rigorous than anything else I do![/QUOTE]

I don't consider myself a newbie anymore, after about 6 months on ice returning after 20 years (I'm 46 by the way).

When I re-started I probably spend more time resting than skating. Now I don't leave the ice in a 2 hour session unless I really have to. I have my bag near the barrier so I can reach over and grab things without having to leave the ice. I still take regular breathers while I think about things, but my fitness has improved amazingly. And anyway, putting on and taking off the blade guards is such a pain!

__________________
Karen

I skate - therefore I am

I would say I was in shape to begin with. I'm not super fit, but I could run a mile if I needed to (except ankle problems) and do ballet 3 times a week and pilates. The thing that prevents me for skating the full 2 hours (I usually do 1.5) is my ankle.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

How old are you?
23

Where are you from? Roughly?
Oxford, UK

Been skating how long?
Six months

How often do you go to the rink?
Three times a week, for a total of 5-6 hours.

Classes/lessons? On your own?
Group lesson once a week. Getting tempted by the idea of taking an occasional private lesson too, but I have trouble justifying it before I've got as far as the group sessions will allow me.

What are you currently working on?
Backward crossrolls, improving my crossovers, learning the Dutch Waltz.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
Mystifying: open FO mohawks. Can't work out where my weight needs to be.
Fascinating: one-foot slaloms. I love the feel of them, and am trying to figure out why they're so much more effective backwards!

__________________
"Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases:
(1) It's completely impossible.
(2) It's possible, but it's not worth doing.
(3) I said it was a good idea all along."
- Arthur C Clarke

Eh, not really. I mean, I'm not in great shape, but I was in good shape during the fall for soccer season where there was very rigorous training, and I run for about ten minutes every day before I skate. I know ten minutes isn't much, but every little bit helps. Plus, I come from a line of cross country and track runners so, endurance is in my blood.

I really don't do very much physically. I take a 1 hour ballet class once a week and walk a lot at my job. Really I have found that my endurance really isn't a problem. I don't tend to get physically tired from skating. More than anything at first, I was hindered by skate problems: blisters, bruises, etc.

How old are you? 22
Where are you from? Tampa, FL
Been skating how long?I skated for 10 years and quit when I was 16 due to an injury. I've been back on the ice for a little over two months
How often do you go to the rink? 4 times a week for aprox. 15ish hours a week
Classes/lessons? I take 1 30min. lesson a week
What are you currently working on? loop, flip, lutz, change foot spin, forward and backward crossrolls, brackets
What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now? the loop and flip and lutz. i cannot for the life of me stop putting my free foot down. my coach is endlessly patient!!!

__________________
the truth lies in between the 1st and 40th drink - tori amos

How old are you?
29

Where are you from? Roughly?
Brisbane, Australia

Been skating how long?
Since about October last year I think

How often do you go to the rink?
I'm at the rink Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays but out of those I personally only skate usually on 3 days - the other times are my little girls' slots.

Classes/lessons?
A bit of both depending on my finances. Actually started in groups then moved to privates as I'm good friends with the coach - but had to stop when I lost my job recently. Will probably take up privates again when I get my new skates, but for the time being I just fluff around.

What are you currently working on?
3 turns and Mohawks. I'm in Aussie Skate Intermediate but haven't tested that yet.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
3 turns and Mohawks - if only I could get them right!!

__________________
AW1
mum to Miss Lil (6yrs old)
mum to be to #2 due in March 08

How old are you?
25

Where are you from? Roughly?
NJ

Been skating how long?
5 weeks (5 lessons in group)

How often do you go to the rink?
2 times - my day off I go in the morning for 2 hrs and then I have my class that night and practice after the class for 1-2 hr

Classes/lessons?
Group class 1x per week for 30 minutes - I want to start privates

What are you currently working on?
F and B CXO, waltz jumps, 3 turns, spirals forward and backward, shoot the ducks, 2 foot turns - 3 revs, 1 foot turn 2 revs and then I fall haha, stroking, lunges, edges

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
Mohawks - cause I honestly dont know what they are (I may be doing them - the terms mistify me right now haha) and backcrossovers - everything else has come real quick for me, but I just dont get these!

As far as the in shape question, I was a high level athlete (gymnast) prior - about 5 years since I trained/competed seriously. I do workout daily though - I run 5 miles a day and lift 3x per week so I would say I am in decent shape prior to starting LTS. I think it also helps that I have no fear as fara s skating goes - if I fall or what not Im fine with it (probably comes from years of landing on my head from gymnastics - its either I find landing on my back/side less scary then my head or its brain damage hahah)

How old are you? (if you feel comfortable divulging that info)
13

Where are you from? Roughly?
Virginia

Been skating how long?
since I was little but not until recently I am taking lessons.

How often do you go to the rink?
2 times a week for 2 hours each time

Classes[/U]/lessons? On your own?
Lessons and practice on my own

What are you currently working on?
backward crossovers, two foot spins and one foot spins

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
spinning realy fast.

Oops, Sorry.

I just re-read the post and realised it was for New skaters. Whoops!

__________________
http://www.yourphotoalbums.co.uk

How old are you? (if you feel comfortable divulging that info)
37

Where are you from? Roughly?
Connecticut

Been skating how long?
4 weeks

How often do you go to the rink?
Once per week for 1 hr

Classes[/u]/lessons? On your own?
Learn To Skate. Adult beginner classes.

What are you currently working on?
Staying on my feet. Skating foward and keeping my knees bent. Also trying to stop. Trying not to fall.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
When will I master this skill

How old are you? (if you feel comfortable divulging that info)
29

Where are you from? Roughly?
San Jose, CA

Been skating how long?
Just over 1 month

How often do you go to the rink?
Two or three times a week. Forty five minutes to an hour at a time.

Classes/lessons? On your own?
Skated on my own at adult public sessions for the first month and just started group lessions this last week. The other adults that I skate with at public sessions have been helping me some when they have time.

What are you currently working on?
Forward crossovers; backwards one-foot glides so that I can start back crossovers (they are getting better finally); forward edges (making them cleaner).

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
three turns and back crossovers - I am super excited and want to try them, but I know that my backwards balance and edges aren't there yet.

How old are you? 32

Where are you from? New Jersey

Been skating how long? 8 weeks

How often do you go to the rink? 1-2 days a week. once for my group lesson and then I try to go to an open skate session

Classes/lessons? Group Lessons - I just completed Adult 1 and have moved to an Adult Advanced Class which is mostly made up of Adult 3 skaters.

What are you currently working on? Forward Crossovers, three turns and backward one foot glides and backwards pumping

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now? Crossovers. for some reason I am having a really hard time with this.

I want to look into getting a private lesson twice a month or so, when should I think about that? Is it too soon to think about that now?

I've moved the three-turn posts into the new thread here.

Hope that's okay with everyone.

__________________

Hello everyone,

I just joined today so I thought this is a good way to introduce myself


How old are you? 24

Where are you from? Roughly?
London, UK

Been skating how long?
Just over 2 months after a 16 year break.

How often do you go to the rink?
At the moment about 5 times a week - I am between jobs so using all the time I can while I can!

Classes/lessons? On your own?
I have a coach, she is brilliant but makes everything look so easy!

What are you currently working on?
Started learning sit spins today... I constantly fall over.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
The fact that the sit spin feels like learning spins from the very beginning... its like going back to day 1!

How old are you? 39

Where are you from? Roughly?
Florida, USA

Been skating how long?
About 3-1/2 months.

How often do you go to the rink?
I take one Saturday learn to skate class and try to practice 3 times a week in addition, so usually 4x a week

Classes/lessons? On your own?
Group lessons - adult learn to skate - I just started my 3rd 8-week session (I joined the first session a few weeks in)

What are you currently working on?
Newest thing is mohawks and 3 turns, but I've been working a lot on my backward skating since I need to be able to one foot glide backwards comfortably to get good with the former 2. I work on front xo's a lot, since they still scare me and I'm trying to conquer that. Also working on 2 foot turn, since I still can't do them fast enough or get up the nerve when I'm skating at speed.

What is completely mistifying/fascinating you right now?
One foot backwards glides...I'm stuck on them. Forget about backwards xo's....not even close to that yet! The day I can lift my foot and glide a couple of feet backward on one leg, you'll hear me from here to Canada!