Just wait, mark my words and see... and we'll talk in saaay... 20 years.

when you say everything just melts away is that inculding the ice????

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Why do I skate? I don't know you tell me.

Oh...I agree with you on the ME thing Samba! Skating is where I can just be ME and as a mom and wife sometimes this person gets lost. I LOVE being a mom and wife but it's great remembering who ME is.

Chico

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"I truly believe, when God created skating, he patted himself on the back."

I like the way external irritations just melt away - I'm not aware that my contact lenses need refreshing, or the pair of dance tights I'm wearing are way uncomfortable, or that I'm really hungry, or that I got up at 5:00 am after not enough sleep, or..... when you're out there, working hard, you don't notice these things!

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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!

That is so very very true. I dont worry that my phone may get cut off because ive spent the money on coaching instead of paying the bill. I dont worry if my stomach thinks my throats cut, I really dont bother if Ive got an earache or if I feel my muscles are stiff. It all just goes, all distractions and worries of general life go away and there is just me, doing what I love and feeling that life just couldnt get any better.

Amen to that, Samba.

I just love the feeling of gliding. Plus the challenges, plus the excellent exercise (and I can get all sweaty and not even feel it because of the rink "insta-cool" factor!).

To quote my Grandmother, women don't "sweat", they "glow".

I to like the fact that I can work hard and "glow" without feeling overheated.

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

Ha Ha Ha! It would be a lot easer than huh?
When I mean every thing melts away I mean being angry at someone, troubles at home, school, and stress.
Now that I think about it I would be VERY upset if the ice melted!

The competition

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Tim David's Website

Many of you have mentioned life's pressures dissipate upon stepping on the ice - and I feel exactly the same too.
Nothing else seems to matter, when skating.

I love the jumps, especially learning new ones. I don't remember learning my first doubles since I was young when I learned them, but learning my double flip and lutz in my 20's has been such a rewarding experience.

I *do* remember my first double axel and triple salchow. Wish I could still do them with consistency!

I really like the feeling of the blades against clean ice, too. Edges feel so wonderful then. And the whole sense of accomplishment when you do something you've seen other people do but never thought it'd be you one day!

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"Without Vision the People Perish"
שלום לעולם תמיד

For me there are so many reason first is the fact that i had to wait so many years to live within cooee of an ice rink, (if 3/4 of an hour without getting red lights is with in cooee lol), and finally being able to get on the ice at 36 after pining for it all my life and having to compensate with roller skating and inline skating lots of the roller not so much inline.
I love it all the falls, finally getting something that has been frustrating, being able to do a spread eagle and spirals, learning jumps, and having the nicest coach, watching my daughter skate and skating with her, my skating friends, the spunky guys in the ice hockey team (hey i know its hockey but some of them are so cute), and the fact that there are no worrys on the ice, its fantastic hmmm cant really put it in to words but you all know what i mean, and for me a day skating in crappy boots (which is all i have at the moment my loaners have gone back to the owner ) is way better than a day doing housework

Ohh, so when I mention the hard times it is different huh?

45 minutes is really not unusual -- so worth it for a sport we love, isn't it!

cooee???

I love the feeling that you're in another world. And the most important thing is landing everything cleanly. Plus its just so much fun!(most of the time)

Very refreshing in the summer too. Even the competitions are fun, just to be skating out there and saying "Hah! I did it!"

~kittie