I just wanted to start this tradition again for those who are working towards passing those tests in time to go to Grand Rapids, MI in 2009...

I will rip off the beginning notes from when I started this thread in 2005.

Backspin trouble? Power 3's giving you the FITS!?!?! Loop jump disappearing on you? This group is for YOU!!! (Of course all level are welcome to join in on the discussion, but the aim is to support skaters who are STUCK in pre-Bronze and are trying hard this year to become eligible for Adults Nationals.)

I just went to my very FIRST Adults Nationals this year in Lake Placid and Terri C just recently passed her Bronze FS test. But I never forget the struggles that I've went thru and starting this thread is my way of showing my support to those working very hard towards this goal. It's definitely a worthwhile goal to push and great learning experience!!! I'm quite honored to be part of this experience!!!

__________________
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!!!

And seeing Jazzpants skate AT Lake Placid after reading/hearing about all her work to get there made watching her do so well at AN a lot more fun and meaningful.

Agreed!

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

I had hopes of having my bronze test before adult nationals, but alas I still am prohibited from practicing sit spins by my PT. In addition, once I realized I wouldn't be close, I kind of gave up working on moves in favor of other things.

AN 2010 perhaps.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Well, I think this year is very ambitious for me to be thinking about nationals, but maybe it would make a good goal to work for. I need to pass PB free and B moves and B free before then. Probably not impossible, but challenging. I don't have a program yet, and haven't thought about making one until I pass PB free. I don't have the loop down very well, and I don't have a flip or a lutz. Do I need those to be competitive (ie. not come in last) at the Bronze level? I think I might have a decent loop by then, but not sure if a flip is coming any time soon.

I competed at AN in '05 without a flip or lutz and came in last. BUT I had ordinals all over the place.

I competed at AN in '06 with a flip in combination and a lutz... and came in last. BUT I had ordinals all over the place.

(AN 07 and AN 08 were a *bit* more successful.)

No one wants to come in last, and no one wants to come in last two years in a row. I knew I was at serious risk both of those years of coming in at the bottom but didn't let that deter me from trying. I challenge ANYONE to tell me that I didn't give it all I had. To that, I say there was no shame either time in my performance or placement.

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

Wang chung!

You need a loop to pass Bronze FS - well, you need another single besides a toe loop and sal, so you could do a loop, flip, or lutz.

To be competitive at Bronze, as Mel pointed out, you do need a flip and lutz, but that's a starting point. The rest of the program - spins, connecting steps, choreo, overall skating skills - has to be good, too. Many times, a skater with very strong basics but less in the way of jumps will beat someone with harder jumps but weaker overall skating. And the jumps and other elements have to be excecuted well. If your jumps barely come off the ground and/or are cheated, you likely won't receive full credit for them. Same thing if your spins aren't at least 3 revs on each foot and at least 2 in each position (if a combo spin).

But as Mel also pointed out, having a good time and being proud of your performance isn't necessarily connected to one's competitiveness. If you want to go and you've passed the tests, then go for it.

I'm a test level Bronze skater myself, and I actually haven't even practiced much FS in the past year or so - mostly focusing on Silver (and maybe Gold soon) Moves. I competed in Bronze a few times (not at AN but at club comps) and finished last each time, and reached a point where I decided it was pointless to compete FS when I wasn't competitive. It was too much time and money and energy to go to a comp and know ahead of time that I'd be at or near the bottom of my group. No, I don't only want to win and nothing else, but coming in last when you have the skills to compete and coming in last when you're overmatched by everyone are 2 different things, at least to me.

But that's just my opinion. Everybody feels differently. If you want to go to AN and competitiveness doesn't matter either way, then I say go and have a great time.

__________________
Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

Of course not, I didn't mean that coming in last was necessarily bad. For many it may be amazing that they were able to compete at all. For me it certainly would be. But I don't really want to go into a competition knowing I have no chance for anything other than last. But that's just my personality.

I forgot to say that I'm in the oldest age category (I think I am still after the changes - I'm 56). Don't know if that makes a difference. It probably makes more sense for me to wait for another year, but I think I will see how far I can progress this year. I don't know how many more years of improvement in my skating I can hope for.

[QUITE=DebbieS;]The rest of the program - spins, connecting steps, choreo, overall skating skills - has to be good, too.[/QUOTE]"

My basic skating is pretty good. Good speed and flow, can do most of the silver moves, except some of the back 3's. I skated as a child, so that helps, but I was not at a very high freeskate level (not that there were FS tests then). Got stuck at the loop, but passed Bronze dances. My forward scratch spin is usually centered and 8-10 revs. My backspin is coming on 3. I really need to get lower on my sit, and my camel has 2-3 revs on a good day. The most challenging thing will be to bring all these elements together in a program, and go out there and do them when the pressure is on. Not sure I can do that, but its a goal to think about.

In 2006, I competed with a lutz (that I fell on) and a flip-loop, but had weak spins and skated kind of slow and came in last.

In 2007, I competed with a lutz (that I fell on again) and a flip combination. My spins and speed were better and I came in 7th (out of 10).

In 2008, I competed with a lutz in combination, a flip in combination, had better spins and better speed and came in 3rd (out of 10).

It sucked coming in last in 2006, but it gave me the motivation to really work hard on my speed and just my elements in general and it finally paid off this year.

Even though I medaled, I know that Silver is going to be a completely different (higher) level of skating and I need to keep working and improving.

That's what I love about this sport (aside from the friendships ) - there's always something to work on!

__________________
I've got mad salchow disease!

After all the torture and nerves ( 9 years worth!!) on getting this test passed a week ago, I will be at Grand Rapids.
I've already started on working on my basic skating and hope to supplement that with a power class that is held at my rink.
Coaches have already started me on the flip and the camel. Flip is coming along, but the camel has that infamous "dog peeing on a fire hydrant" look with the free leg. I asked Secondary Coach about walking through lutzes yesterday and was quickly told no, not yet!
Sit is getting lower.

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

This is such a great thread. Makes me excited for GR even though I wouldn't be very competitive if it were held today. I'd probably get that flip in competition because that happened before...the mental block went away when it mattered...no lutz though (I've only done one and over a year ago).

Personally I dream of being able to go to nationals in silver but that's really a pipe dream. I set ridiculously high goals for myself on purpose in the hopes that I'll make it halfway to them (hence my desire to do level 4 footwork, haha...I cannot do that!)

Hm...if I get that axel by the end of the year though...

__________________
Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

Mel: I was watching you doing your technical at LP and you've improved LOADS since I last saw you skate in San Francisco!!! You definitely kicked ###!!! MAJOR, MAJOR KUDOS to you!!!

f~c: You just reassured me that my coaches are on the right track. Spins and speed (well, more speed on my basic skating and smoother transitions...) are my current goals for this next skating season! I'm gonna have to work hard on my own though to get that lutz at faster speed though so I can put in my program though. I need it!!!

__________________
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!!!

When I competed in bronze, I assumed everyone could do the same jumps, and for the most part they did. I focused on the edges and making sure that what I put in I did well. Most of the other programs had more jumps (this was before the balanced program guidelines), and those programs did not do as well.

I think I had a lutz, and that my jumps were ok, but I believe it was the overall skating that got me the silver.

Same for silver. I didn't have an axel, so I put in what I could do well. I've ended up 5th in my group once and not make finals, and 5th or 6th and 4th in finals.

So go for it, and whatever you do - do it well.

__________________
Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

Mel is, IMO, a prime example of what adult skating is and should be. I've seen performances where she struggled. I've seen performances that were better. However, to see her interp at Mids this year, combined with her duo interp, was completely (Unfortunately, I didn't get to see her free skates.) She gave totally kick-a$$-es performances - showing her growing confidence in her skating.

Mel - you are seriously my adult skating hero! (hugs)

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

If you'd be competing in Bronze V there are several skaters who don't have a lutz. Some don't have a flip. One of the skaters (Wendy who knits the bear sweaters at/for AN) didn't have a consistent flip until this year. She usually finishes in the middle of the pack. You would definitely not be out of place if you had the loop you need to pass the Bronze FS test.. and a couple of nice salchows or toe loops. You wouldn't win, but you would still look like you belonged in the group. If you had good spins and stroking as well as strong footwork (i.e. quiet and well-done, not counters/rockers!) or really dynamic presentation, you might even medal. Of course, it all depends on who else is in that group that particular year.

I remember seeing your programme, and you were great! It's not just about technical skills, it's about the whole package.

I have been coming consistently last ever since I started competing, and you know what? I don't give a hoot! It's always fun to try not to, and when you get years like this one where, at the Mountain Cup, we almost definitely will come last (I know who our opposition is!), the challenge is to take at least one dance off at least one other couple! Could happen.... and if it doesn't, so what? We'll get a 4th-place medal and will have had a blast. I shall, I expect, mind if all the judges give us last place in every dance, but then, we can't control what the other skaters do and we certainly can't control what the judges think!

And I have been to one competition where we skated our free dance really badly - so sad, as it was the last time we were to compete it, and not the way I'd have liked to have finished it - and didn't come last, but we skated our compulsories better than we ever have before and did (except one nice judge had us about 4th or 5th in one dance!). Go figure, as they say!

And it's fairly recent for her to be doing that - until the last 2/3 years she was frequently last or nearly so. She's been competing as long as I have - and like me, doesn't give a hoot about placement; it's going out there and doing it that she loves! Which, at the end of the day, is what it's all about for us adults!

__________________
Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

re: Wendy of "Wendy Bear" fame....

The first year Wendy and I competed we ended up in a discussion of how we were going to split the last place ordinals. It's one of the things I LOVE about her... she goes out to do her best and looks at the numbers afterwards and then goes to cheer for people.

One of my fondest memories of AN a couple years ago was when I saw her running down the hallway after she had skated and back to the rink to watch the other qualifying group (which I was in). She saw me and ran up and said "Did you skate yet?" I told her I had and it was not pretty.. and her response was "Oh, I'm so sorry I missed you" -- then picked up the Qualifying Round MEDAL she had around her neck and said "I'm really sorry, but I had to go have my photo taken" and she was just beaming. It was the first time she ever made it out of qualifying into finals... and everyone in our group was thrilled for her. Despite the bad skate, somehow I also made it into finals that year... and true to form, Wendy and I split the last place ordinals... which gave us both the giggles. We also arranged to have our entire Final Round group take a photo... since we all felt privileged to be there after a lot of us had a difficult year. It's one of my favorite skating photos and one of my all-time favorite memories.

I am completely thunderstruck - thank you.

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

Wang chung!

WENDY is KEWL!!! And one of my highlights of this year is finally meeting her and getting the famed Wendy Bear!!! It's now sitting right above me on my home computer, riding on top of another stuffed animal dog that I got from someone (can't remember who) and right next to Raye's Canadian Bear from Skate SF! (Those of you on Facebook probably also see a picture of me and the famed Wendy Bear too!!!)

__________________
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 am just so longing to see her again - and will be doing so on Monday week, quite possibly Sunday night! Yay!

(Can you tell I'm already getting over-excited about the Mountain Cup?)

__________________
Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Over excited? Is it possible?? The Mountain Cup is one of the best events I've been to!!
Enjoy!

__________________
Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

At 56, momsk8er is going to be age-wise in the middle of Bronze 4 (51-60 yrs in the new age groups). To skate at Adult Nationals is an honor. If you have passed your tests, go to enjoy the incredible experience!

Thanks for the correction on the age groups.. I had forgotten to take into account the age rule changes. And since momsk8r is 56, she'll be in Wendy's group. You'll have a great time just meeting her.

And I completely agree... just getting to AN is a huge accomplishment! Go momsk8r and enjoy the moment and revel is what you've managed to do.

Thanks so much for all the encouragement! Gotta get through PB free (shouldn't be a problem) and B moves (more challenging) in the next month or two, then we'll see.

I could not agree more! WE LOVE YOU MEL!!!!!