Say,I don't think this topic has ever been talked about. But for those here that do..what's it like for you to skate in front of people?

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FSWer

Well it depends what you mean. I skate in front of people every time I skate, in public sessions or in freestyle sessions, or even on private ice in front of my coach.

To perform though, as the only person on the ice? My answer is simple:

TERRIFYING !!!

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Katz

Saved by Synchro!
I was over it, now I'm into it again !

When I'm practicing or in lesson, I "zone out" and don't usually focus on anyone else except me (and my coach if I'm in a lesson). During a show, I really enjoy it and like to focus on my skating, the other skaters, then the audience. I try to look out at the audience and "play" towards them.

During a competition, it's nerve-wracking so I try to pretend that I'm in a solo spot for an ice show-it helps. I try to enjoy it as that relaxes you and helps you to skate better. I do believe that show skating helps with competition skating and vice-versa.

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

Hi FSWer

Well, I am used to skating in front of people, practise wise and having lesson wise.

However, I have not been on any competitions, and so I believe that they must be terrifying if I ever go into a competition.

I am used to last minute nerves before exams, school wise, so I suppose that that applies to competitions, as well, if I was to enter into one.

londonicechamp

In-season I skate at Rockefeller Center, so *somebody* is always watching. If it's young boys, they will laugh uproariously if you fall. It definitely helps build the competition nerves though.

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It's all about the dress!

I always wondered what it would be like to practice there, or someplace like a mall, where people are always watching. I'd think it could be distracting, but it would definitely prepare you for competition!

That feeling, when they call your name and you skate out and they are all cheering - well, that's what it's all about!

Snag is afterwards, when you have finished, and the applause is more polite than enthusiastic..... not good!

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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!

I skate at a mall. I kind of like it because shows don't have the added element of an audience, every day has an audience, so that's easy. Competitions are still nerve wracking because of JUDGES.

90% of people at the mall can barely skate forward, they think figure skating tricks are amazing. The mall-people seem to laugh a lot at public skaters who fall, but I've never seen them laugh at a figure skater; when someone falls doing a big jump it's an "omg, that hurt" sort of look on their face. When they fall out of a spin, they are similarly shocked. As a skater, I learn to forget about them, though I have to admit I really hate it when I see coworkers while I am in lessons.

For our synchro team, it gives us something to pretend to perform to. We've had quite a few "regulars" who watch us. Sometimes they even clap. I find there are more laughers here than during freestyle; it's a different crowd, since this is late at night instead of mid-afternoon, fewer families. BUT with this, the idea of a competition is easier. Especially since we skate ISI, everyone wants you to do well. Sometimes I think these people really would rather see us fall. So a competitions is a friendly audience.

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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)

When I skated in a mall, I never noticed the people standing staring. The rink was set down from floor level, so that you could only see feet at eye level. It was only when they cheered that you noticed that someone was watching and felt all self conscious. The other mall rink i skated at, was in some corner so there was only one end of the rink people walked passed and again I didn't notice people staring.

I most definitely notice people at competition. The worst was synchro when all the other skaters from the club started cheering. My knees turned to jelly pretty quickly and it was only official practice! At least it was practice for the real thing so the noise wasn't quite so shocking then. But it's most definitely easier doing synchro, because no one's watching you, they're watching the team so as long as you don't screw up, no one will notice you. Skating solo is so much worse. There's no one else to look at except you and I've no idea how best to survive because I don't think I've worked it out yet.

Robin Cousins wrote in a recent issue of a UK skating magazine that when he was competing, he never thought of the judges. They, after all, got to watch him for free - his focus was on the audience, who had paid good money to come and watch him skate! And he was an Olympic champion, so he must have done something right! I rather take his point - and I'd rather make the audience laugh and cheer, and be pleased with how I skated, than bother about what the judges think, which isn't something I can control, anyway.

Now, you see, that's exactly why I don't want to skate synchro, and why I hated the one and only time I skated in a show number: what if I screw up? What if I let the team down? Oddly, skating with a partner, as I do, doesn't worry me in that sense - yes, if I screw up it's a pain, and I grovel, but then, he does when he screws up! Letting one person down is okay - letting a whole team down? I don't think so!

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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!

Well I am definitely a HAM! I play to the judges and, to a lesser degree, the crowd.

The only thing that gives me the willies is the TV cameras - those I just ignore!

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

I am also a ham. Test make me nervous. But competing is really fun especially when there is a huge crowd. And even more fun for me is skating in a skating show. Love to interact with the crowd. Just wish my skating skills were better so that I could ham it up even more.

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"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

http://eastcastlemusic.tripod.com

Singerskates Sports Music Editing

I am learning to only concern myself with ME while I am out there. Did a pretty decent job of it at Mids and ANs last year, and only considered what everyone else thought AFTER it was over. I am out to have a good time and take advantage of my private ice!

I'm a MAJOR ham, so I absolutely love it!!! I'm a show/interpretive/artistic focused skater, so pretty much all of my programmes have alot of playing to the audience and personality!! However testing gives me the heevie jeevies

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[i]Beauty May Be in the Eye of the Beholder
But passion is in the heart of a skater.[/I]

terrifying alone, a blast doing pairs or group numbers. I learned a while ago to channel that nervous energy into postive nervous energy. Except when skating on Olylmpic ice...

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Champagne in 2005, 2008, 2009 - who's next out of the pre-bronze club...?

Wang chung!

For me it is always this surreal combination feeling of being absolutely terrified and kind of having fun too. Sort of like a ride through a REALLY good Halloween haunted house, but with sequins on my dress.

This was totally the case for me. Synchro never made me nervous (not even when I was competing at nationals or senior internationally). Competing was really fun, we would always talk to each other and make goofy faces at each other while we were competing to keep each other going. However, once IJS got put into place when I was competing adult and we were out to win nationals, nerves got to me. Under IJS, if 3+ people miss a turn on a step sequence--they either screw it up, edges aren't correct or too shallow, etc, the element gets downgraded. With the top teams so close score-wise, knowing the slightest missed step could cost your team a national title was stressful, I let it get into my head too much and that made competing something that made me feel sick to my stomach, instead of just having fun and trusting my skating skills.

I'm terrified performinig on my own. Testing is the worst in terms of nerves, I've been known to have panic attacks right before test sessions (hasn't happened since a dance test in 07 though!). I used to be bad when it came to competing when I started competing individually again in '08, but it's getting easier to handle every time. Interp isn't as bad as free, and solo dance is actually sometimes the worst thing for me in terms of nerves. I am proud to say that I've had performances where I really did just enjoy myself and not let it get to me (my interp at ANs last year, 2nd round of solo dance at ANs, my free program at Peach), so it is getting better.

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

Love it. My favorite is the time right after the finish of the program, and right before the bows - those times when you know you did it! They're the best!

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