Well, I have the bronze moves test in 2 weeks and the moves themselves are decent, but I'm screwing up the crossovers at the ends of the rink. It feels like I only have room to do two crossovers and could probably make it with one. But, my coach told me to do 3 at the ends and for some reason I find it really difficult to do three, unless I do three small ones that don't seem all that powerful. Is this weird? Am I not starting them early enough? I do one and then it seems like if I do another I'll start the pattern too far down - past the red dot. *confused*

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

You definately have to do at least 3 crossvers. I'm trying to visualize the red dot. I know the pattern starts with the scratch mark. Make sure you stay outside of the end circles. I know a judge who automatically fails anyone who cuts off that circle. That's all I can tell you because my crossovers are definately not powerful enough get around the end with only two.

j

As you begin your first end crossover, don't aim across the rink, but aim to the back of the rink (behind the blue hockey goal area) instead. Your second crossover would be at the back of the rink, in the middle, and your third will aim back to the long axis and complete the end pattern. You can make the crossovers shorter and quicker to fit them in better.

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The rulebook and test sheet clearly say that you are to do at least 3 crossovers around the ends on both the forward and back perimeter stroking. If you think you can make it across with only 1 crossover then you are not doing the move correctly. The end pattern starts when you are coming around the end hockey circle (check the rulebook for the diagram - if you don't have a rulebook, check out the Adult MIF videos on the USFSA website as there is a diagram at the beginning of each move's video). The diagram shows 4 crossovers actually - the first and last one take you around the end of each hockey circle. As jskater said, make sure you don't come inside the red circle lines, b/c most judges will likely fail the move.

You do not get any additional steps between the end pattern crossovers and the power crossovers down the long axis, and you must start the second line of power crossovers by the time you cross the 'red dot line' - imagine a line drawn from the red dot of the end hockey circle to the wall - that line is the beginning of the pattern - if you are still doing an end pattern crossover as you cross that line, and you start another crossover as your 'first' crossover, the move will likely not pass.

The move is supposed to look smooth, and since power/continuous flow is a primary focus, the judges like to see an increase in speed as you move through the pattern. I've seen kids do 3 quick crossovers coming around the end and then gliding on whatever foot they happen to be on after the 3rd crossover (whether forward or backward) and it's totally wrong. And from my volunteering at test sessions, I know that most of the time, patterns that look like that don't pass.

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

Yeah I think I didn't start them early enough. I was just watching the videos on USFSA. Thanks! I also realized while watching the power circle video that yes it is possible to make smaller ones that have power...I just don't do it...

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

{edited cuz I thought Debbie said power threes, lol]

Yeah I know you have to do three - I have the pattern - I was wondering why I was struggling so much to do three. Definitely not filling out the rink. Also, my rink is a bit smaller than other's I've skated at...I wonder if this factors in? Anyway the test is there so I have to figure it out. Thanks.

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

Simple correction: Fill out the entire ends of the rink. My students are always cutting off the ends, but I force them to fill them out, which demonstrates more power as you show the judges your ability to cover lots of ice with few strokes.

What also help is to keep an even cadance. Think "push, cross, push, cross...". That usually fixes it. You may just be holding each stroke too long...

Yes! I think that's what I'm doing now that I think of it...the stroke under...THANKS!

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

FWIW.... when I took and passed my Bronze moves last December, one of the judges commented on me not completely finishing the pattern (meaning crossovers around the corners) on one of the moves- I forgot which one.
Something to consider here.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

This is the most common error I have seen. Where I came from, you would fail for that, but I think where I am now they let you get away with it and I've seen kids be very sloppy about that. I had even gotten sloppy with practicing and cutting off the corner of the hockey circle until my daughter came back from a week at the club where the judges ding you for that so I've made sure I'm outside that circle because that is the way it's supposed to be done, even if some judges are lenient about it.

j

I'll have to pay a lot of attention to this tomorrow morning. I know the panel was very tough at the last test session and I suspect it would be the same panel. They were very nice, but very tough. A lot of the high level skaters failed and I think I came thisclose

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

I just got back from passing this test - not easy!!

I had always found the 3 cross0ver at the end of the Forward pattern difficult - I ended up doing 3 and then two steps (like an inside-inside) before starting the 2nd side of cross-overs.

I passed this move by all 3 judges, but on the backwards ones one of the judges thought I struggled - what she didn't see is that my blade hit a speed bump, I got startled and then got hesitant for the rest of the end... something I had not anticipated when I practiced it.

I was also surprised that my backward power cross-overs didn't pass by one judge -- and here I thought it was my best move!!

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Yeah, you gotta fill out the ends of the rink. What I do is that I start the crossovers just slightly before I get to the middle of the hockey circles in the end. Then I arc and do one or two crossovers going around the walls and then do one more coming out of the arc. (Hard to explain w/o pictures...) Oh, and go AROUND the hockey circles. Do NOT go THRU it!!!

The key point is to fill out the rink... get as close to the walls as you possible can. Judges LOVE that and I've had one judge commented that I had "nice ice coverage." (I better get good comments on that -- I skated thru a small ditch at the ends of the rink at that test session... )

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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!!!

I tell my students to begin their crossovers at the hash marks of the hockey circle and end at their crossovers at the hash marks of the other circle. (I'm talking about those two little lines that are on the hockey circles near the wall).

Or your inability to, in my case.... sigh....

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Mrs Redboots
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