Ok Skaters!!!! I hope I'm not getting too personal. But what I am interested to know from you today is.....what was the first competition you ever competed in? How old were you then (if it's not to personal to you to give out,your choice)? What was it like for you to be there..and what you placed. Please include Discipline(s) you were in. Ok....GO!!!!

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FSWer

Just a local LTS competition when I was 17. (Girls Freestyle)
It was all interpretive - whatever song they played on the sound system. I wore jeans and a heavy sweater/mittens on the outdoor rink. I saw the newspaper clipping - it says I took second place.

It was fun and that's when I was hooked - the rink was HUGE and square; very easy to wander around.
Everyone there was a parent or friend, so it wasn't too nerve-racking. That came when I skated on the LP 1980 rink years later, lol.

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Wow - good question.

I skated in a peach dress to the soundtrack from the TV show Beauty and the Beast at the youthful age of 30. It was an ISI artistic event - this was before the USFSA adult program came into being. I loved having the ice to myself after practicing in public sessions!!! I placed first. No reporters for me!

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

I was 38, I think... It was a freestyle event. I did Gershwin's 2nd Prelude in a blue dress that had been a ballet costume of my sister's. I was scared to death, very stiff and scratchy, but proud of myself for having done it. I'm pretty sure I came in last, but I don't remember how many competitors there were.

It was a local competition in Columbus Ohio in 1973. I was probably 12 or 13. I had the worst skate of my life and came in 4th out of 4. In those days all the boys dressed the same in a black one piece jump suit. I looked like a Vegas lounge singer.

My local rink had an ISI competition, so entered so that I could perform my first ever program. I had just turned 40 (my actual first public performance had been on my birthday in my club's spring show a few weeks earlier), wore a purple velvet dress, and skated to the music from "Bladerunner". I skated well although I ended early in a weird spot too close to the boards. I was thrilled to take home a huge first place trophy in Artistic FS3, but was the only adult in the competition. That program became my Bronze freestyle for USFSA competitions.

I was the ONLY adult in an entire ISIA (tells you how long ago this was...) event at the rink where I'd been taking lessons for about a year. They had the lower-level skaters use music provided by the rink, and all the Alpha skater had the same music, all the Beta skaters skated to the same song, etc... they just divided us into competition events by age. (Each level probably also had identical same choreography to keep it simple for the coaches). I wore a light blue lycra dress with a blue and white striped sweater over it ... and the Gamma skaters all skated to "London Bridge is Falling Down". Why would ANY skating director have the words "falling down" in a beginner's skating program? Anyway, since I was the "only adult" I skated against the book, and managed to complete all the elements so they had to give me a blue ribbon, and yes, I still have it.

My favorite part of that event though was a story a friend told me right after I came off the ice. She and my then-boyfriend, now-husband came to watch and when I went out to warm-up with the six- and seven- and eight-year- olds (all the Gamma skaters warmed up together), a very proud father sidled up to my sweetie and said "Which one is your little girl?" and my sweetie said in an absolutely deadpan tone "The tall one" (I'm 5' 8").. at which point the father slunk away.

Age 57, after skating only 14 months, the Canadian Adult Championships, Pre-Introductory Interpretive, 4th place.

It was an INCREDIBLE experience! There just are not words to describe the spirit, friendship, support and and encouragement. Adults ROCK!

(I have only been skating 2 years so my "competitive career" is short. I skated Interpretive at a local competition - 3rd place - and again at Nationals with a Freeskate this this year for a Bronze )

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

I was several years younger than I am now; did basic level compulsory dances and free dance, finished utterly last by a long way, and had a total blast!

Er - what's changed?

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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!

My first solo competition I was 26. It was an ISI competition and I was skating freeskate, compulsory, stroking, and interpretive. I was really nervous before the freeskate and really just wanted to run away, but once I got onto the ice my nerves melted away and I did great. I wasn't skating against anyone so I placed first against the book- but mostly I felt really good that I had done a great job with my program. Unfortunately, I didn't do so well with the compulsory and placed last- I completely missed my change foot spin, it was probably the worst one I've ever done (only half a revolution on the backspin). The interpretive is probably my favorite moment in skating. It was so fun to get out there and just make something up. I placed first, but mostly I felt like I was skating a real program. I did my best to try to cover the ice, do a couple jumps, do a couple spins, do some footwork. It was SO much fun- and I did the event with a great friend from the rink which made it even more fun.

My very first competition was actually for synchro. It was just a few weeks before the competition I just talked about, so I was 26. I was SO nervous for it. We skated SO well at practice ice, which really boosted my spirits, but didn't get rid of the nerves. Then our short program was AMAZING, I left the ice with the best feeling. Unfortunately our long program wasn't too great still we didn't place last, and we were very excited about that.

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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)

I was eight-years-old. It was the big USFS competition my home rink hosts every year. (I've only ever competed USFS.) I skated a compulsory program at the Pre-Preliminary level.

I don't remember very much about it...just that it was on the studio rink, which is far smaller than the standard or collegiate-size rink most people skate on, took place in April, and that I wore a gorgeous forest green long-sleeved dress with gold embellisments on it. I do remember feeling very excited and a bit nervous, as well as overjoyed that I took 4th place in my first competition beating out girls that have competed way longer than me.

PCAS '08, last March. I was (am) 44. Got last (4th of 4). Non-test dramatic interp.

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Gordon Zaft
http://sk8rboi.blogspot.com
School figures are skating's equivalent of the Latin Mass.