Congratulations!!!

Below are just a few opinions...

Maybe it is that you keep your weight on 2 feet for too long. The way I look at edges is that at any moment in time, your weight should be on 1 foot - i.e. the weight transition should happen quickly. This is usually no problem for forward edges, but the transition for back edges is more tricky!

IMHO, whipped 3s come from a forced turn, i.e. you are using your free hip (or even free leg) to make yourself turn rather than the skating hip. It is a matter of technique, not speed, but yes, I think it becomes way more obvious if you're going fast.

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Many, many congratulations -- and this comes from someone who is still a member (one of the very few ) of the "Pre-Bronze For Life" Club. I'm sure that from now on the tests will come easier for you -- even if the elements themselves don't -- but now you know what the testing thing is all about so you can go into it with that experience and that knowledge.

A big "huzzah!" to you, blackmanskating! (and would that there were many more of you, so you would no longer have to be "one of the few"*).

montanarose

*You should steal this line from the USMC: "the few, the proud, the black men skating"

Congrats BlackManSkating!

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Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

If I could meet ole Axel Paulsen, I would kick him in the teeth

President and Founding member of the I hate Toe-Loops Club

Still a member, but trying to get out of the Pre-bronze peanut gallery.

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CONGRATULATIONS!!! The first time testing can be nerve-wracking.. but it sounds like you coped well and now you are halfway to qualifying to go to AN!

With respect to those circles of back crossovers, I routinely skate on three different rinks (in two facilities), all of somewhat different dimensions. I usually have been doing the crossover circles around the hockey circles across the short dimension of the ice. I was glad to take the test in the widest of the three, as it's not too hard to develop enough speed that crashing into the walls is a real possibility on the narrowest rink. I've practiced them on the long axis, but I never like doing them when it's too crowded (and for that maneuver, it doesn't take many people before *I* think it's too crowded) and finding space in the center is even harder than space around the hockey circles.

My coach did check me out last week to ensure that I could do the moves anywhere on the ice, though, and it turned out that I was triple-paneled with two pre-pre tests, so both ends and the center were needed at some points.

On Waltz-8s, my coach has had me doing them where *each* lobe was about the size of a hockey circle, rather than trying to fit both within one. So, at the end, one lobe is pretty much on or just within a circle and the other ends up topping out about in the middle of the other.

And, congratulations on passing the test! It's amazing how nervous you can get about something that's supposed to be fun, isn't it?

Rob

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Mrs Redboots
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The first time I tested preliminary I put them on the hockey circles, but because I'm big with decent power and I usually skate on the Olympic size rink but the tests are usually in the NHL rink, that meant I couldn't make the move about getting maximum power because I had to make my primary focus not running into the wall, so I've rotated them.

Just in case I have to do it with another skater doing the same move on the other end of the ice, I have to make it about not crossing the red line, but unless the other skater is doing exactly the same thing in mirror image at the same time it wouldn't be dangerous if I did.

Of course with three skaters on the ice it would be a problem.

Actually, it's the forward crossovers that I worry about running into the wall, because I don't feel quite as much in control of the clockwise ones. On the back crossovers I can control them well enough to avoid the wall if I skate the pattern crosswise, but I just don't get the opportunity to show as much power as I'm capable of.

For those who haven't tested prebronze yet- the judges want you to pass. They aren't going to TRY to make it difficult for you.

I found the judges at my test to be EXTREMELY accomodating. There were two of us on the ice at a time, and for the perimeter moves they asked us if we wanted to start on opposite sides- or just follow each other. For perimeter stroking we did opposite sides, for 3-turns I followed him, as my coach wanted me starting on that side. The judges were fine with it.

Before the test started they asked us where we put all of our moves- and told us if we always practiced the waltz 8 and edges at a certain place (hockey circle, end lines) we should do them there. We both said we could do them wherever, so the judges asked us to place ourselves directly in front of them. We both did crossovers at opposite hockey circles, but I was pretty impressed the judges were willing to let us do the moves where WE felt most comfortable, rather than where they wanted them. (Though we ended up doing them where they wanted them, because we were okay with it)

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
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Don't know if this make sense for Pre-Bronze, but many many moons ago, I took the pre-prelim moves test with two other little kids on the same rink (and it was a NHL size rink.) For the perimeter stroking, I just did them with the kids. For the consective edges and waltz 8, we all got different lines towards the middle of the rink (which was scary b/c I was afraid of running into one of the kids on the waltz 8...) The spiral that is on the Silver Moves test was easy to deal with though.

I would imagine that for the new Pre-Bronze 3turn pattern down the length of the rink that they would have to have two at a time, yes?

Lucky for me, I'm not physically that big of a skater and all three of us managed to pass our respective pre-prelim moves that day.

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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!!!

Congratulations! Onward and upward. Hope to see you skate in Lake Placid next April.

Skittl you are right. Generally, the judges want you to pass but it doesn't make you immune to failing. Nervousness will cause you to fail and fail miserably. And be prepared for positive as well as negative comments. My coach wanted to rip up the test results without me reading them because he didn't want me to focus on the negative. Only after assuring him that I wouldn't dwell on the negative stuff would he allow me to see it. The only reason I bothered to look at it was to post my results on this forum. I was just happy that I passed. I'll let my coach worry about the comments and to instruct me on where I need to improve. I mean that's what I pay him for right??


BlackManSkating

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Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

CONGRATULATIONS, BlackManSkating and good luck on your Bronze Tests!

Congrats!!

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Jessica

http://ilove2skate.livejournal.com/

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And that's why the judges put both positive and negative comments on all test sheets, whether you are taking a Pre-Pre or Pre-Bronze or a Senior test of any kind. The comments are there to let you know what you did well (some skaters have no idea they have good power or nice edges and extension!) as well as what that particular judge thinks you will need to work on to succeed at the next level (either testing or competing). You're smart to let your coach focus on the negative comments.. but not everyone is that attentive after hearing the coach say "Bend your knees more" for the 200th time. So sometimes it helps the skater remember if a judge also comments on stiff knees (and sometimes the skater knows it, but still can't get the knees bent enough for judges or coaches... guess how I know that?).

That's why judges are SUPPOSED to put both positive and negative comments. Many times they will write nothing. I find that more aggravating than the negative comments. At least you can do something with those.

j

A Huge Congrats, and welcome to the world of testing! Here's the good news:

The more you test, the more your nerves will go away. My first test was the same as yours (couldn't feel my legs.) However, about 30 tests latter, nerves are under control and not only can I feel my legs, I've perfected the art of staying in the moment, too! It definitely gets better the more you test...same goes for competition, too!

EXCELLENT point jskater49! You're right... better to have comments than be left clueless. We have one local judge who is notorious for putting a check mark on an element when you complete it -- or if he's feeling magnaimous.. a "+" or "-"... not that you'd ever know what he liked or didn't. He does that even on freestyle and dance tests. A few months ago, he judged my friend's Gold Moves test. She was "invited to retry" but he wrote a TON of comments.. and she said THAT was worth framing his test sheet for. No one we talked to had ever seen him write ANY comments ever!

Congrats on passing!

You wrote:
Waltz Eight: Good control of 3-turn and back outside edge; Pattern could be bigger. Circles are small.

I thought I did well on this one too but this is the one test where all of the judges said the same thing. They said that my pattern was too small. I agree because I did not get a good push coming off the line and instead of having one smaller circle followed by 3 huge ones, I decided to make them all even with the first one.

I've been thinking about this as I'm planning on testing in December. I've always started W-8 as you probably did (push off from a T into the first lobe), but it occurs to me that you are allowed introductory steps on all the Moves, aren't you? so you could have (or I could) have a couple of strokes into the Waltz-8, which would fix the problem you experienced (not a good push off the line).

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http://sk8rboi.blogspot.com
School figures are skating's equivalent of the Latin Mass.

The judging form does say "introductory steps are optional" I've never seen it done with steps though- I wonder if even though it's "allowed" judges might think it was odd. (You know, since you hear stories about judges failing skaters in OTB tights or whatever )

Not all the moves allow steps, though the edges have to be done from a standstill.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

This came up at my rink (very small, everyone discusses and crititques eachother all the time, maybe 10 competitive skaters?) the past June when one of my coaches young students was testing PPM. She wanted to skate into her waltz 8 - stroking and then the RFO3. The main problem was that she couldn't control the 3 with the beginning strokes. Our coach had myself and another skater (PreJuv) try it and we were capable of controlling it now but back when we took PPM we wouldn;t have been. The girl tested it starting from a standstill Tposition. She passed, got excellent comments on edge quality. I have never seen anyone test the W8 NOT from a standstill. I believe you CAN, I've just never seen it done.

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Yeah my coach was pretty firm on starting that from a standstill. I thought that was better, because it helped me really evaluate exactly where to place that beginning three and control it.

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Thanks Gordon!!!! Well like some of the other skaters have mentioned, I have never seen it done with intro steps. Just practice getting a good push off the line and I believe you should be fine. I just didn't push properly out of sheer nervousness. I'll get more confident as I continue testing. That way I don't make silly mistakes like that.


BlackManSkating

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Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

As a coach, I've never seen it done that way either. I make my students start from the T-position at a standstill because 1.) this move's more about control and edge quality, not speed, so you wouldn't really need to fly into it; 2.) pushing too hard into your waltz eight could cause you to lose control, two-foot/step out of, or be unable to turn your first three-turn successfully, unless you're quite strong at rotating and checking your turns; and 3.) I think most judges would appreciate a more traditional start to a move. I wouldn't throw them off by taking introductory steps on this move.

I was made to do waltz-8 from a standstill as well. I definitely wasn't allowed to skate into it. The point was to be able to get the most bang for the one push to an edge. The other point is that... if you are on an edge, you don't need that much of a push to get thru the first three turn -- you should be moving. It's part of the whole "edge control" thing.

And as other said, you don't need that much speed to pass this test. You just have to be at the right part of the lobe and the right edge consistent to the count of the beat.

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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!!!

"Traditional" in this case being that the move was originally a school figure pattern--and those are always started from a stand.


Rob