I was wondering for everyone here who is at a level above the basis skills programs (ISI or USFS) how long it took you to reach this level (adults especially)?

I have been skating for 2 1/2 months (never skated before except for a few times gliding across the ice when I was younger on a pond) and have about 2-3 more skills to learn before I will officially reach the freestyle 1 level in ISI. Im not sure how long it will take me to learn these skills haha but Im hoping to be there in another month or so.

Is this a good rate of progression? I know the better you get the longer it takes to learn new skills, but I just wanted to know how long is normal to be in basic skills?

I think you're fine. i finished the USFSA basic skills a couple of years ago and it took me about 4-5 months, but then again I'm not an adult and I wasn't starting at 0. I think you're doing fine but everyone needs a different time. Some people can learn easy stuff fast then struggle with everytihng else, while others take forever to get the basics down but progress faster with advanced skating. it really depends on you so do what feels right. Don't rush with basics though. I feel like I kinda rushed through basics and when i first had to let go of my beloved 3-turns and learn a mohawk entrance for a flip- it was back to basics since esentially my wohawks were barely passing, and now here I am doing double flips from a mohawk.

There is nothing more important than your basics...so take your time and get them perfect.

Sounds to me like you are doing great. I've been skating a little over two months and I can't even do forward crossovers yet. I guess I'm just a very slow learner, and not very talented at skating. Still, I enjoy it. I dream of getting to Freestyle 1 some day, but I figure at the rate I'm going it will take me a year or two.

Without knowing what skills you still need to learn there's no way to even guess how long it will take you. Are you in Delta right now?

You're doing great - not to worry. Adults, because of their mobility and disposable income, can often progress faster than kids if they're determined to put in the time to practice and take lessons. Most children can't get to the rink or pay for the extra session by themselves. (BeachBabe - I posted this before I saw your post. I wasn't referring to you.)

To be within reach of ISI Freestyle 1 in less than 3 months is a very good achievement. Once you've passed Delta, you're eligible to take other tests in ISI - Freestyle is one track, there are also Figures, Dance, Couples, and other tracks. (I want to take Hockey!)

When you compare the ISI LTS/WeSkate curriculum to the USFSA Basic Skills program, ISI Delta is approximately the same as Basic 5/6. It's hard to compare because the two programs approach skills in different orders, but most of the skills on Basic 5 and 6 are covered in the ISI Alpha-Delta series of classes. The major standouts are that Basic 6 includes a foward arabesque/spiral (ISI FS 1) and a moving backward 2-foot turn on a circle (not part of ISI - the one-foot BI/BO 3's are on the ISI FS4 test).

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Ive been skating for a year now, and Altho it took a while, I made it to FS1, what helped me the most was going to openskate. I never really thought it would help so much, but if you really practice, you'll be amazed at your progress. Took me a year and about a half to get to FS1, and so, it'll go by someone fast, especially if you put effort into it.

~best of luck with skating~
Lauren

I'm already able to do all the things in Alpha-Delta, and my privates instructor basically teaches me random things in random orders, because as soon as she shows me something, I can do it, and usually I can do it well, but some things I need to do 5 or 6 times before I have it consistent.. like mohawks. It won't work that way anymore since she's starting to teach me jumps and I just got new skates and blades.. and I am really uncomfortable with my hugely massive toepick. so yeah. I'm ISI Gamma for group lessons, but I am able to do everything in both Gamma and Delta already. I'm just doing group lessons so I can maybe learn a different technique for certain skills than what my current instructor has taught me, and to get more structured practices in on top of private lessons. I started in the first week of March, and had only skated twice before, and that was on a lake in New Hampshire 5 years ago when I was ten. So it's been 2 months. Cool.

I've been going three times a week, plus for a group class. My biggest problem with the crossovers is that I'm terrified of them because of old ankle injuries. Fortunately I recently ran into a friend who used to skate seriously as a kid (had all the doubles, did local and regional comps, really enjoyed it all for years then went off to college and stopped skating) who said she'd love to help me get over my fear. We're probably going skating together on Wednesday. I've also started seeing a physical therapist about mobility and strength in the ankle that has been injured before.