Say, I hope this isn't too personal. but to all Senior Synchronized Skaters here...what was it like, and how did you feel the first day you ever got lifted?

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FSWer

I'm not a synchro skater, but I am an ice dancer, and I do get lifted in our free dance - and to answer your question, utterly terrifying! I still hate it, actually, especially since last year we had a crashing fall on the lift.

When we were first learning, I got awful bruises on my leg where he would grab it - our coaches were so not sympathetic. Plus he drops me, occasionally, or else grunts like a coal-heaver when he lifts me up, which is so not a nice thing to hear! One time he dropped me and I was wearing a too-short T-shirt which rode up and there was my bare back on the ice, and I was laughing too hard to get up..... cold, that was!

Dana, if you ever want to do synchro or pairs (and it sounds like you do), be warned that it is really scary for your partner(s)....

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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!

Oh thats so funny I'm sorry that really tickled me!
I used to do pairs and throw axel was just the most terrifying thing ever! He dropped me loads and I broke my arm once, so yes it is horrible, scary and vile but great fun when you get it, it is like flying. xx

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http://www.myspace.com/tellie_x

You'll probably hear him do it at Bracknell, I'm sure he can be heard all over the rink!

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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 can so relate to that, I had a permanent purple thumb print on my inner thigh, just as well my hubby knew where it came from!!

Not a Senior synchro skater (I'm a collegiate synchro skater), but I was lifted for our rink's spring ice show. At first I was nervous, but I skate with these girls all the time and with that comes trust, so I was fine once we got to it. We did a few practice lifts off-ice and then took to the ice and did the lift without moving, then slowly rotated it. A few times later we finally got it up to speed while rotating, and just let me tell you how fun it is!

Oh, and our lift went great during our show!

Lifts are so fun. I'm kind of impulsive and reckless, so as long as I'm not doing overheads (which I'm most certainly not) the idea of being dropped doesn't really bother me much. I'm pretty small so I get recruited to try lifts a lot I've done dance lifts with a couple of coaches and random male skaters, and I tried an easy pair lift with another adult skater at camp one year. I had very little upper body strength at the time and it was entirely due to me that it lift didn't work.

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!