Slipping Still no power on my strikes. Yet another lecture from coach that I need to push 'down into zee ize, not across zee ise' for the strike.

Sliding
My radical new blade setting is amazing. D&%*! I never knew skating could be so much fun.
I can now do mohawks at speed! Those little two foot turns at speed! I can do a consistent controlled check out of my FO3s (okay, I still can't control where I'm going, but I'm on one foot going backwards)! I can do backward edges without falling on my toepicks! I never could before because my pronation was so bad that I never was secure on my blades. Even my T-stops (which were always lovely) have become these shreddin' awesome stop on a dime things.

Slippin So of course I have three years of bad habits to over come from positioning my body to correct for the old blade setting. Hey, if it was easy, we wouldn't have coaches!

__________________
Great forum quotes:
On Falling: '...it doesn't matter, it's what you do AFTER you fall that's more important' ISK8NYC

Slipping: I seem to be getting noticeably slower and it takes more energy to do the same things. My loop is completely gonzo, my salchow and toeloop are inconsistent.

Sliding: In a lesson situation I came within an eyelash of waxeling. Normally that wouldn't go in the "good" column except a couple tries later I landed a big one. Talk about overcoming fear . Looking at the marks on the ice, Coach said I jumped 10 feet although it looked more like 6-7 to me. Either way, it was sweet. I did another one about a week ago that made a hockey player who was nearby make a noise. If I can get hockey players to make noises I must be doing something right.

I test sometime by the end of spring skating (May). Boy it's getting close.

Prelim Element Test
Prelim Test Spins required are; forward upright (can be forward Corkscrew), Forward Sit, Upright Backspin and Forward Camel.
Prelim Test Jumps; Bunny Hop, Waltz Jump, Salchow, Loop, Flip & Toe Loop + Toe Loop Combo
Prelim Moves; Forward CW Spiral & Forward CCW Spiral
Forward Perimeter Stroking with Crosscuts on ends.
Backward Perimeter Stroking with Crosscuts on ends.

Prelim FS Program Test
Program to instrumental music of either 1:30 +/- 10 secs or 2min +/- 10 secs (I'm doing the 2 minute option).
Program must have 3 different types of full rotation single jumps, at least 2 different type of spins and connecting moves.

My FS program currently has;
4 jumping passes (Salchow + Toe, Split + Flip + Toe, Loop or Lutz (which ever is going to be better come test time) and Salchow or Flip (which ever I feel fits better come test day). I am not including a Waltz jump as one of my 4 jumping passes so that I have a chance of getting at least 3 full rotation jumps clean and counted.
2 spins; upright Forward Corkscrew in test (out of test I do variations in upright along with basic and am working on increasing rotations in change of direction;CCW forward to CW forward) and Forward Sit (out of test with broken position and other variations)
Sprial Sequence; Right Forward Inside Spiral, RFO Spiral then LBI Spiral (out of test I'm working to get back RFI ce to RFO and LBI Spiral again).
Connecting steps and turns including crosscuts, stroking, 3s, Mohawks, Counters and Loops. I'm also working on doing a Salchow or Flip out of a LBI spiral without added steps.

I've also been just for the heck of it, adding Loops on the end of Waltz jumps, Toe Loops, Salchows and Loops. Sometimes, not very often, it works out.

__________________
"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

http://eastcastlemusic.tripod.com

Singerskates Sports Music Editing

Sliding:
Felt great when I got on the ice today before my lesson. Started right in with F stroking, FXO's around the end and then surprised myself with F power pulls down the other side! Did three or four very nice one foot spins from T pushes, more power pulls, FO and FI eights, and just some fun playing around with cross strokes, three turns, etc. to the music which happened to have a good beat. Ran thru the Rhythym Blues a few times. Did waltz threes in my lesson, and got the rotation under control, so they really smoothed out and I didn't feel like I was going to fly off into space on them. Then asked coach to help me with the Fiesta Tango end pattern, specifically the mohawk. Really surprised myself by checking the very first one, upon which she said "what were we just working on?" Duh, a check, is a check, is a check. So, the RFI mohawks are much improved by my work on the waltz threes.

Slipping:
It was a beautifully empty session spoiled only by the totaly clueless skate guard who, skating with his head down, nearly ran me over ! He did apologize, when I yelled at him (to avoid a collision).

Tried to work on LFI mohawks but they put quite a strain on something I pulled near my groin on the R side, and it is now worse. Very painful to raise my R leg in a forward position (like you do when putting on pants). It's a little better this morning, but I've got to be careful with it.

Evidently, I wore myself out a bit in my warm up, because I could not spin to save my life. My middle just turned to jelly at some point in my lesson, and that was that.

__________________

Had my first lesson yesterday since ANs & told coach I just wanted to play & have fun. So he started teaching me the steps to the Tango Romantica! What a hoot. We got about 2/3 through, so hopefully next week we'll finish it. I just really feel like playing for a month or so before getting serious about alllll the things that need work.

Just uploaded a new (ok not so new, but I've finally got it put on the computer) practice video of my loop jump and some backspins.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HATLmHMZL_4 )

and while going painstakingly slooowly thru the video I noticed that I'm dropping my arms DOWN before I jump the loop. I never noticed myself doing this before. I know I could roll off my toepick more for that POP and I think if I do that I'll have that jump.

I know my backspin is crap.

Just my thoughts for the night. If anyone has anything to add, I'm up for it.

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

Slipping - All my spins (scratch, back, sit, camel) are a struggle. I can't seem to hang on to those rotations .... although forward scratch is much better than the rest.

Sliding - Landed three lutz jumps today! I've been working on this jump for about a month, and I think I finally have it! Now to make it consistent. Freestyle session was nice and empty today -- only two other skaters.

Sliping - Dang Pre-Bronze 3 turn pattern. Why oh why is that RI 3 such a problem for me!

Sliding - Friday morning I had a day off and had a public session all to myself. Heavenly! Finally a chance to practice the full Waltz 8 with no one cutting me off. Yea!

I tested last night and passed Adult Pre-Bronze Moves and Free Skate

Congratulations! That's wonderful!

Oh, wow, congratulations! Might you get your Bronze in time to go to next year's Adult Nationals (I assume you are an American citizen and thus qualify, as no other country, I think, offers an adult skating test track as yet)?

As for our practice today:

Slipping: Coaches on holiday for next fortnight. MP3 player malfunctioned. Backache.

Sliding: One of the mums said we had improved. I do hope that wasn't wishful thinking on her part!

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

__________________

Congrats!!!! No more PB 3-turn pattern. . .

__________________
"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

Hi Skate@Delaware

Congrats on landing your loop jump. Mine is not as good as yours, it is only about half as good, but I only started getting it last week.

Your backspin is really good. I cannot even do with my legs crossed yet. There were a couple of ones, I think 2, where the leg is at the side (like an upright) and not crossed, right?

londonicechamp

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Now on to Bronze!

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! ! !
Thanks a lot! Not sure if it's noticeable in the vids, i'm landing the loop on the wrong foot (carryover from being taught wrong).

Sometimes I can do a really good backspin (they are getting better). And yes, I'm trying to keep my free leg out a bit before I bring it in, as it helps with the centering.

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

I had a lesson with a really amazing jump coach a couple of months ago, and she gave me this exercise for my loop jump. I was landing the loop 2 footed and under-rotated and this helped hugely:

Push onto your entrance edge for the jump, but instead of touching the free foot down and jumping, hold the edge till it spirals all the way in and you turn around. If you do it right, you should be able to hold it till it turns into a backspin. If you can replicate that edge going into the actual jump, it will keep you over the right side and you won't land on the left foot. It really works well for me to do this exercise, then immediately do a jump, then do the exercise, then the jump, etc. Then the other thing to remember is not to open up too soon: land, THEN open to get the full rotation and keep your weight where it should be.

These two things had an instant (very positive) effect on my loop jump, I hope they help yours too.

oooohhh!!! THANKS!!!! I'm going skating today, so I will give this a try!!!

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

Just got back from skating (man am I tired!) and I have to say, this exercise ROCKED!!!!! Not only was I able to get all the way onto my right side, I kept the weight off of my left (free) foot and managed some pretty decent backspins!

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

Deleted by author - posted in the wrong week. Der-brain, or what?

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

Hi

Well, for wednesday night's practice session:

slipping- had to leave the ice 10 minutes earlier than planned as suddenly had a group of school children on the ice, they did not look where they were going, kept on coming into the middle where good ice skaters such as me, were practising.

sliding- managed to impress my non-skating friends with all the jumps and spins during the practice session.

For thursday night's practice session:

slipping- could not do backspin crossed yet, why does others look so easy, whilst mine took ages?

sliding- managed to impress my group lesson classmate with my sit spin. She was asking me if I could do a camel spin. I said not yet, as my right foot for doing the spirals is not strong enough to do the camel spin yet.

londonicechamp