A new warm-up jacket for every day use.

How many figure skating ornaments do you have on your tree?

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

All of them that aren't Northwestern ornaments. My husband's sisters always get us a new one every year.

If you realistically complete one skating goal before Christmas, what would it be?

I'd like to pass my Silver Tango, but since there's not another test session at my club until next month I guess that's not a realistic goal to achieve before Christmas. I'dhave to say I'd just like to improve my Kilian some more and continue to make the choctaws deeper. I can do one good (ok, recognizable) pattern, but subsequent patterns tend to get flat.

If you could achieve one semi- or non-realistic skating goal before Christmas, what would it be?

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

Definitely to land my axel before the New Year. There's most likely no way that's going to happen as I'm still 1/4 revolution short, but it's a goal.

What is one goal that you have recently accomplished?

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"Without a struggle, there can be no progress" ~ Frederick Douglass

the beilmen(sp?) spin.

Anyone been wearing red and green skate guards this month?

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~Sk8Bunny~
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"I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?"

No, but we have been wearing our "Christmas lights" - blade flashers! Yaay!

How long a break do you have to take this Christmas? (me, less than a week, but as my arm's still a bit odd I can only skate sporadically anyway).

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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 haven't been for a couple of weeks, and probably won't be able to go again before next week.

Is there one part of skating (or a certain move) that you've found a lot harder to master than any other move? If so, what, and how long did it take till you'd "got" it?

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"It’s never too late to skate at any age." - Alexei Mishin.

Multiple choctaws in a row are definitely the hardest thing for me to date! It's coming, but very slowly!

What do you do to warm up on the ice?

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

Edges,edges, edges and edges. Then edges,chg edge, 3's. All types.

Do you ever do your own choreography?

Yep, usually I do the majority of my artisitc/exhibition programs on my own. But when it comes to freeskate programs, my cheorographer and me work together on it, but he does most of it.

How many different programs(short, long, artistic, compulsories, etc) do you have for this season?

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~Sk8Bunny~
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"I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?"

1 short 1 long!

Whats your current boot?

Riedell Silver Star. I've had them since 1997, but I have had them rebuilt once and they feel stronger than they day I bought them!!

How many different brands of boot have you tried?

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

I've tried:

Risport Laser (good beginners boot), Cristallo (awful) and Super Diamant (incredibly awful, wrecked my feet then died within 6 weeks), Belati Gold (incredibly painful for 6 months then collapsed in a heap), Wifa Goldstar (good for Dance) and Diamond (hurt my ankles, good for Dance but not strong enough for Free) and Harlick (gorgeous, no breaking in problems, only hurties were at the front, top bit of the boot which rubbed for about a week but then was fine) .... guess that makes it 4 brands!


What brands of blade have you tried and what did you think of them?

(I've used John Wilson and MK but would like to try Ultima (are they still around) and the newish British blades).

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The best whisper is a click

I still can't get over how individual boot preference is... I'm on my third pair of Super Diamants, and am so disappointed that they aren't making them anymore! I'll probably go to the new Risport dance boot for my next pair in the spring.

Let's see... I think my first blades were MK Single Star, which I later had the toepick ground off of for patch. After that I had at least one pair of Coronation Ace, a pair of Coronation Comets, and a pair of Coronation Dance. I'm currently on MK Dance, and will probably stick with them for my next pair.

Is there any skating equipment out there that you're curious about? Maybe something out of your price range, or beyond your level, but something you'd like to just *try out*?

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

Just for the hell of it, I like to try a pair of K-pics. I am sure I wouldn't suddenly being doing double axels but it would just be fun.

What skating item are you hoping Santa brings you?

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Keeping School Figures Alive!!

Custom Harlicks *hint* *hint*

Do you have your music for next season chosen yet?

Nope. I'll keep using this program for a while yet. I sometimes keep a program for 2 years, just because it takes so long to put together and I only compete 4-5 times a year. I'm only just settling in to a program by the beginning of the second year. Keeping a program 2 years sometimes is worth it. And, being an adult, our "season" runs later than the kids. Of course, I'm always thinking about what music to use. I have a few good ideas for next year.

Since everyone has probably had time to open their gifts now: What skating-related item(s) did Santa bring you this year? I got several: a 20 session punch card, a framed photo of my partner and me, and a beautiful glass cube-thingy with a 3-dimensional skater doing a laybeack (that was cool!).

My grandmother got me a pin with skating snowmen on it, and I got tickets to Nationals from my mom and dad!

I'll keep the same question, since I'm betting most of us got skating stuff.

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

i got new dance blades and two new skating dresses and money...which will help pay for lesssons lol...

hmm same question i guess...

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Waffles & Vodka

Breakfast of Champions

A new warm up jacket for every day use, with warm up pants to go with.

Anyone else? What skating item did you get?

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

Hubby gave me a rolling skate bag holder to use for my (first!) competitions in 2004, and in my stocking was a skate tightening hook. Family and friends gave me that new skating-related book by Kathryn Bertine (All the Sundays Yet to Come) and several ornaments and other decorative things with a skating theme.

I love hearing this stuff, so let's keep this question active at least one more time...

Everyone gave me $$$ to buy my new skates with. They certainly cost enough.

Did your rink close for December?

nope stayed open for december but it has had a lot of hockey....not that i mind sharing the ice with the hot hockey players ....

was your rink open christmas eve day?

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Waffles & Vodka

Breakfast of Champions

My rink was closed on Christmas Day, but opened back up yesterday. They had two public sessions, so since I have a 3 month pass, I just stayed for both. I came to the first one with a half hour to go, and then they stopped that session and zambonied the ice. As soon as he was done, I was the first one out and had the ice to myself for about 10 minutes. That was sweet. Then a small family of 4 came out, then another couple, and it was actually pretty quiet and lowkey for a while. When it started to pick up, I left. Hubby and my mother-in-law chipped in and got me another 3 month pass for skating, which is great! I work a block away, so I go to the public lunch sessions, which usually have no more than 12 people. Awesome!

OK, let's see, I need a question. What size are your blades in relation to the length of your boot? Mine are 1/4 inch larger. (Boot is 9 3/4", blades are 10's).

Suz

I have custom boots so they're not 'sized' as such but I'm a UK 4.5 and use 9.5" blades though 9.75" blades just about fit too. My blades fit pretty much end to end of the boot.


If you've ever changed blade size do you find that it makes a big difference to your skating? (It didn't make a HUGE difference to me but I did find it strange!)

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The best whisper is a click