Hi to all UK skaters and a big thank-you to all those who competed at Bracknell or showed up to support or help out. We had our biggest turnout yet - particularly in dance. Could do with a few more Free skaters next year though. Our new comp sec did a great job and still managed to skate in about 6 or more events and win some of them.

It's good to see the Adult skaters so keen and enthusiastic. If there are any comments or suggestions for improvements/new events for next year the comp sec is happy to hear from anyone. Particularly ideas to get more Free skaters entering. We had a young adults section 18-24 for the first time this year which is an age group that usually gets rather overlooked. Hopefully this will help to encourage youngsters to continue skating rather than giving up when they are too old for regular Open competitions.

I would have posted sooner but besides being out all day Sat, Sun and Monday this week I was also extremely disappointed with my own performances this year at the Opens. Haven't been able to bring myself to view the video. It was a shame, after having done really well at our club competition a few weeks earlier. I think maybe I put myself under too much pressure as I really, really wanted to do well this year and maybe ended up trying too hard. I skate better when I am relaxed and having fun. It didnt' help that my end of year 'creative textiles' show was on the same week so I had less time to practice in the run up and spent the Monday putting up the exhibition and all day Wednesday stewarding it which was very tiring. Ah well, enough excuses - I just did not skate my best. I ended up 4th in two events, about 8th in Free dance which i did not skate well and in my Original dance (which I should have been able to win and keep the cup I won last year as I had beaten the eventual winner at our club competition) I just skated badly and sadly didn't do justice to the great music. I don't mind not winning if I know I have done my best but knowing I have messed up is horrible. It was still close with a split decision which just makes it worse as I think - if only I had skated it as well as I did the previous week. ah well - just have to work on next years.....

Congrats to the other listers who also competed. Loved your artistic Mrs Redboots and to Nicki T - well done on a great programme - the competition was extremely strong this year. Can't think for the moment who else competed.

At least my kids had more success on Sunday when they competed pairs in an inter-club comp and won Gold.

Anyway now it is time to start practising for the Adult British comp and for Oxford Open so see you all there.

Hi

I'm glad it was a real success. It's a fabulous competition so it deserves to keep on going!

The only comments that I would make would be the ones that I've made before about the dance levels!!

The class that I'm eligible for has solo Foxtrot and 14-step (I think) which is the last test that I did. Although I could do them solo I wouldn't be happy competing them solo!! The levels of dance for that class seem to be out of step with the levels for the others ..... does that make sense? It's not as bad for the men as their steps aren't as difficult (sorry guys, but they aren't) .... I'm thinking those piggin mohawks here! Perhaps I'm just a wimp but I definitely wouldn't be going in for those classes .....

I don't know what to say about Free Skating. Dance seems to be more popular amongst adults anyway but I can't say that anything about your formula is 'wrong' so to speak. The classes seem to be graded appropriately. There's a good mix of different classes. I really can't think of ANYTHING that could make it better!

All the best

x

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I'm sorry you had such a disappointing skate Gail. That's a real shame and I can sense your disappointment, but unfortunately skating seems to be like that.

As for me, I too feel a slight sense of disappointment. I skated the best I have ever skated in competition and couldn't have done a single thing any better than I did, so it was something of a disappointment to be placed so low, especially when one other competitor didn't have a lutz or a sit spin and one fell on a jump landing. It all seems a bit unfair, but the most important thing is that I pulled off a great performance - a totally clean programme with a one foot landing on my lutz. Even my coach told me I skated really well and is disappointed with my placing, so on that basis I know I must have done well!

So are you heading up to Sheffield for the British Adult Comps then? I'm seriously thinking about it, just for the experience really.

Nicki

I, too, am fed-up with my results, with the exception of the Artistic - and come on, Batikat, you finished ahead of me in the Improvisation AND the Original Dance, you can't have been that bad! When every single judge has you dead last in every single class, you begin to worry..... And I haven't had such dreadful results for some years now. It shows the competition is TOO GOOD!

Incidentally, the other skater from here who was there was Twinkle, who had a really good day - I think one gold and one silver, in the free skating.

Yes, Nicki, we're probably going to do the British Adults - elementary dance. I was vaguely thinking of doing solo dance, but I don't think I will; I might do the lowest class of solo compulsories at Oxford, though, and my free dance, we'll see. Haven't thought that far, yet.....

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

I'd quite like to do it but am still trying to work out if the competition for my level is going to be an overall result on compulsories plus the Original Dance or if they are gong to be seperate competitions. The OD is a March which I dont' find very inspiring but on the other hand not too many people do the OD's at the low level so I may have an advantage if it is an overall result that counts!

I'll look for some March music and see what I can do.

Mrs Redboots - I was very disappointed with my skate because I know I could have done better as I came 2nd in the improv in our club over a level 3 Freeskater but then I managed to do my salchow (which I had to leave this time as I had accidently done a 3 jump forgetting I could do only 1 jump) and I just didn't seem to be with it, as I left out my lunges, my barrel rolls etc - all things i had planned but just didnt' do. I won the OD in our club comp too and my Free dance came above the person who placed third at the Open (mind she was not skating her best at the club comp). I blame my coach! I always skate better when he is NOT at a competition than when he is

Haven't skated since, as our ice is having it's lines re-painted so I will see how I feel when i have my lesson tomorrow

The problem as always is that though each of us improves, so does everyone else!

Congrats to Twinkle on an excellent result!