This is a really interesting topic for me...

I skated competitively for 2/3 years and then decided to just skate for fun and test/teach when I was a freshman in high school and school became much more important for me. I stopped competing at the preliminary level where I had a VERY inconsistent axel (which I still cannot land consistently for the life of me...and I'm 26 now!).

But...it appears to me that people are almost intentionally holding skaters back at the lower levels so that they can "master" the more difficult jumps thus making the lower levels more competitive than they were when I skated. I was very competitive at the pre-preliminary level and even somewhat at the preliminary level. It's amazing how much this has changed in the 10 or so years since I was at that level...

This is a bit of a rambling post, but it's got me thinking

I was rather shocked watching an open juv COMPULSARY comp and just about everyone there did a double lutz. When my daughter skated open juv just a year ago she was usually the only one who even tried a double lutz in her freestyle.

But then they'd do their spirals and their edges would be wobbly and scratchy. The basic skating skills is not matching the jumping ability.

J

My daughter never feels bad about how she placed, only how she skated. Last fall she skated a clean short program and finished second to last but she was soooo happy. When people asked how she did she answered "I skated a clean program" I really think that's the only way you can approach competition.

The only official open class is open juv...like I said sometimes there would be open prejuv...but usually if there are enough competitors, they will group the older girls together in both pre-pre and prelim.

j

You'll be pleased to learn, then, that things are very different for the adults - for Adult Bronze, no axels or double jumps may be attempted, axels are allowed at Silver but still no double jumps, which may only be attempted at Gold or Masters.

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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!

Who was it that started the ### group? Skatermum??? You know what I mean, "Axelless Silver Skaters"!!
Lyle

I think you mean skaternum? And there are LOTS of them out there too, so she has lots of company in the ### group?

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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!!!

I was glad to see they recently added a "no lutz" rule to bre-bronze as well. I remember competing against someone who did a lutz loop.

J

Yes indeed, and we do just fine in competition, thankyouverymuch.

I am sooooo happy to hear that...I am thinking about getting back into skating (except that I'm having issues with the fit of my skates ) and while I think that I'm going to continue with the standard testing track (I am working on Intermediate moves and my next freestyle test would be pre-juv), if I get back into competitions, I would probably go the adult road...

If you are over 17 you would have to compete at Novice level.

j