I can identify with that! I'm 57, over weight and known as The Dragon Lady around the office - big burly construction workers quake in their boots when I get on a tear. It wouldn't surprise anyone if I climbed on a bulldozer and started digging dirt but when I first mentioned that I was getting back into figure skating the laughter was deafening! There were sundry comments about wearing a tutu and it has taken a year for the laughter to die down.

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

I'm not sure if I qualify for AOSS because I think I was about 19 when I started getting into this whole thing. In the US, I was able to vote and smoke and buy lottery tickets, but a trip to Las Vegas would have been useless for me. My coach said I was a gray area, too old to be a child, too young for an adult.

Anyway, last year, one of my classmates started piano lessons. It was no secret with anyone in the department that I skated. Anyway, the other students were kind of ragging on this guy, saying he should take up ballet instead. So this girl responds "If Sue can figure skate, why can't Jordan do ballet?" Doesn't sound too bad, but when she said it, she almost sneered at me. But this guy always supported me with skating, and I was always supporting him in his piano lessons. We used to joke that he would see me at the Olympics and I would watch him at Carnegie Hall.

For the most part, I haven't had too much negativity. My family just accepts it as another one of those crazy things that I do, my family friends the same. One of them is a 16 year old hockey player and he is really serious about hockey. He's looking into getting a hockey scholarship and is always away at tournaments and all that. He thinks it's awesome that I skate. Sure he is easily able to beat me in a race around the rink, but he gets really impressed when I do a waltz jump or sit spin, especially after he tried and fell flat on his face. Only htey all keep asking me when I will enter a competition so they could come and watch me perform. I told them if they would be willing to pay for my coach, entry fees, club membership fees, ice time, etc., then sure, I'll enter a competition. Until then, I'm saving my money for my Europe trip.

Oh yeah, talk of figure skating too often illicits annoying terminology like "twirl" and "tutu." Ugh.

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

Yes, all the time. I used to share that I skate, now not so much. Family I do, but that's not saying they understand.

teresa

I've been asked, while on ice, by a bunch of teenage idiots who couldn't skate, to do a "triple twirly". When I ignored them, they chased me around endlessly shouting "do a triple twirly!" continually.

Being a male skater, I also get the gay thing a lot. It used to bother me but then I realized I really don't care. Okay, so some guy thinks I'm gay...well that doesn't affect me in any way. It's not like I wanna date him or anything after all so what's his opinion matter?

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

I met this recreational hockey skater (a very good one!!!) at a public session. After a few sessions, I asked if he ever considered figure skating, like, pairs?? He said he would like to but he was afraid his wife would get jealous (darn!) He would have been good-had great footwork, posture, 6 foot tall, and worked out. Too bad!!! (sigh) back to hubby....

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

When I go, I think I'll have to buy a ticket, sigh
Lyle

ROFLMAO!!!!

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

I've been lucky, my friends and family, and most of my colleagues have been really supportive. A few have asked if they can come and watch competitions - eek! I keep having to explain that I'm only a beginner and they'd probably be a bit disapointed.

I get a bit of ribbing, too, like 'So are we going to see you in the next Olympics?'

To which I reply, 'Well maybe, but I've heard Sasha Cohen is a bit jealous of my quadruple Axel'.

S xxx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

In response to the "can you do a triple then?" in response to somebody finding out if you skate, you should ask them in return, "can you ride a bike? ya? so can you do THIS yet?"
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...62777896510907

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

I'm lucky in that I have had nothing but support from family and friends. I was worried about raising the subject with my partner when I decided to learn, but I could not wish for him to be more supportive. Whenever I see anyone who knows I skate they always ask how it is going, and I love showing my skates off.

The only stupid comment I have had was from a good male friend I have. I told him that the other night I was wearing my skates indoors, and he replied "I don't think thats a good idea, you might twist your ankle"!! I mean surely there is more chance of that ON the ice! I do wonder how he thought I got onto the ice, he must have assumed that I put them on once I was on!! Prat.

Most of my family and friends think I am crazy to be skating, but they have all been supportive.

My family has never seen me skate--they live in Missouri and Colorado--but know that I skate and usually ask how it's going when I talk to them. The soon-to-be ex was (I think) jealous that I had found something that I enjoyed enough to be devoted to.

Friends and co-workers are usually surprised to hear it, then usually ask if I can do a triple *anything*. I usually reply with "does this look like a body that can do a triple?" Then they are really impressed with the loss of 45 pounds and the legs.

They ask to come to a competition, but I am reluctant to let anybody I know see me skate. It's still bad enough that judges are watching. Have to get over the nervousness thing still.

My response to any one who asks me about doing triples is that I can do one-sixth of a triple very consistantly.

I was at my Christmas party yesterday where my husband was hooking up his digital camera to the TV output so people can see what was on his camera. One of the item he put on TV was a video of me doing a backspin and another video doing a loop jump (and landing on two feet...)

My SIL tells my niece (her daughter) "Oooooh, look at that jump! That's your Auntie Jazzpants skating!!!" (Of course, this was AFTER my disasterous skate trying to skate at Jones' Beach with non-sharpened rental skates and crappy ice....) Niece was curious about it!!!

You know... in my coaches's eyes, I really need work! But in my 3 year old niece's eyes, I'm Michelle Kwan and her skating hero!

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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!!!

And that makes it all worth while.

Hey, that's my technical solo program music (FS 3) playing in the background!

Casey, thanks for sharing such provoking videos in recent posts. I think you must be real bored, or the hypothermia is setting in from not having any electricity for so long.

... and Jazzpants, you are my hero too.

I can remember a work colleage saying "1 1/2 minutes, you work all year round to do a 1.5 minute programme?" I'm just glad that she has never come to watch me, I think I would die a death.

OUCH! That hit a nerve!

I wrecked in '68 and had knee problems for about 10 years after that and didn't skate. I married (again) in 1980 and a few years later suggested to my hubby that we go skating. He was really DOWN on that idea - he was adverse to any kind of "exercise" - LOL! - and I let him talk (and "guilt") me out of it - MISTAKE! I should have gone anyway - I would have had 20 more years on the ice.

So my advice to the younger ones - DON'T LET ANYBODY TALK (or guilt) YOU OUT OF IT! If you love it, DO IT!

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

So very true! Everyone needs a hobby or past-time that they love and enjoy. If you let other's guilt you out of doing those things you enjoy, then what do you have left? It's these hobbies that help to round our personality and give us an outlet for our frustrations, our creativity, etc.

Go for what you want to do!!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Oh god, again and again. I've had coworkers, friends and family when i was in basic skate can you do a triple-triple? or, Kids can do double doubles, why can't you? should be easy right? Or people who say "Why do you even bother? It's such a waste of time, you should Quit. you should Quit Quit QUIT." When people ask you those stupid things, ask them if their going to be playing Tiger Woods in their next golf match, or if they plan on going to Wimbeldon. Chances are, they're probably not, But you can bet they will scathingly defend their sport.

But you know what, a lot of these people don't know what they're missing out on. They're the ones who are going to have heart disease and diabetes from being overweight and out of shape. They can't catch a cup falling off a table without it spilling but I can -- the reflexes you can get from skating are amazing. Skating gives you so much mentally and physically that is positive - that'll never happen from sitting in an office.

That's why I'm more than motivated to stick with skating, even when people tell me, "You can't, you're too old" or that "You never will, because you're too uncoordinated and have learning problems" or "You'll never get any good cause so and so is always going to be better than you." There is so much negativity in the world, but when I skate I feel that I am free of people who are negative. I skate for myself, not for someone else and nobody can ever take that away from me. That's the bottom line, and the health benefits are SUPER FINE.

Basically I don't tell people anymore unless they respect the sport to begin with or if they are going to get on the ice with me. When people ask me how I lost 30 pounds or how I manage to stay fit, I say, oh well let me ask you one thing -"do you think Figure skating is a prissy sport?" And if they say "yeah it's for queenies or it's just a bunch of fluff", Well then they're not deserving to know about the priceless benefits. hahaha...

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Keep Evolving. "From this moment forward, every voice that told you - You Can't - , has been silenced." - Freedom Writers

When they ask for a triple I go right out and do my triple but spin -"see I can do a Triple!"
Lyle

LOL! I feel your pain NC, I really do! As one of the newest and most over-the-hill adult skaters around here, I am also one of the worst! I picked an out of town competition 'cause there wont be any of the local adults there. Recently I realized that I am going to HAVE to skate my program in front of the local crowd anyway (in practice) - so much for that wonderful plan! (But I am in too deep to get out of it now )

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

Go RUSTY. Remember, they really don't care and when we blow our program infront of everyone else in practice. That makes us one of the gang; a REAL skater IMHO.
Lyle

I have to remember this.

In general, my family, friends, and coworkers think I'm insane, so I get away with doing practically any nutty thing with just an and a lecture about:

Boss: *snort* We need to wrap you in bubble wrap. Don't go breaking anything because we can't afford to drag you around on crutches again.

Dad-- respects the fact that I'm not afraid to try anything and likes that I march to my own beat. Then he and Mom and some family-minded coworkers: "How are you supposed to meet someone doing skating and ballet? Why don't you do something where there are nice, Portuguese (in my parent's case) men? (I don't even try to answer that. The most I've done is just threaten to start skating at rinks in areas with lots Portuguese and then skate up to every male in the rink and ask if they were Portuguese or not. That solicited a )

Sisters: Why are you paying so much money for skating? See, we can do the same things that you do and we do it for free (then comes an attempt at a two footed spin... or calling me boring when I work on something like stroking or crossovers)... or my one sister, when I came home glowing from my first waltz jump: "Great, now you can teach it to me for free!"

Friends: "No, we DON'T want to go skating today. Don't you want to go to Applebees instead?"

I just tell them that it's something that I want to do, that it's great therapy for my leg and great exercise in general, and that I like to do things the right way, with lessons, etc. And then I blissfully pack myself into the car and drive off to the rink.

Glad someone else gets that. Am always being told - 'You'll never meet a guy a the rink.'

Surprisingly I don't skate to meet a guy. Its probably true that I won't meet a guy at the rink but do I care! They don't really get it.