Since the first few people will be leaving this weekend, I thought I'd start a thread so that those who can - I won't be able to - can post to it during the Mountain Cup and perhaps the rest of the European Triathlon. And, of course, afterwards when we get back.

Good luck everybody, and sk8 gr8!

See you on Thursday afternoon!

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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!

May I second that:

BEST OF LUCK EVERYONE


Cheers
Grace

Yes!! Good luck in all of your endeavors and if you can, please post as many updates as possible. May you all be safe, skate your best and most of all have fun!!
Big Skating Hugs,
Becca

Yes, the BEST OF LUCK to everyone competing in FRANCE, GERMANY, and ESTONIA! Wish we could be there--maybe next year!

Lovepairs and Pairsman2

Has anyone been able to find a website that has the results for Mountain Cup so far? I've been looking but haven't found anything.

Good luck to all the competitors!

Nicki

Kiwi,

Try this: http://barbara.standke.free.fr/cdlm2...pewelcome.html

Results are up:
http://barbara.standke.free.fr/cdlm2...peresults.html

Congrats to: Rob on your bronze in singles and gold in pairs with flo, who also won silver in interp!!!; coskater on your golds in singles and improv and pre-gold solo dance, as well as silver in interp; 2loop2loop on your gold in singles and silver in interp; Lives to Skate on your golds in singles and interp and silver in improv; and Annabel on your silver in dance. Well done!

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Merci! I'm in Paris now and will be on my way home soon. It was great, meeting everyone, the alps, the skating and dancing in the street. This is what AN use to feel like. Competitive and supportivre. More later, on my palm now!

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

And congrats to mtj4500 on his gold in solo dance - well done!

(Next time I ask whether you're going to win, the expected answer is 'yes' )

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"Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases:
(1) It's completely impossible.
(2) It's possible, but it's not worth doing.
(3) I said it was a good idea all along."
- Arthur C Clarke

Thanks! just got back last night (or rather early this morning as the flight was delayed....). Had a great time, met lots of wonderful people and saw some terrific skating. The training camp afterwards was very rewarding but I ache all over now!

Sadly back at work now and missing sitting out in the Square in Villard drinking good coffee and eating croisants with friends.

Mike

Hi,
Also got back last night/this morning. It was a wonderful time, and congrats to all! Rob did a great job in his free skate with a clean program and in a very strong group. They were all a pleasure to watch. Annabel can no longer claim she does not "skate" through her programs. There are now witnesses to a program with presentation and skating - and the dances with Robert were quite impressive. I met some great new friends and had a wonderful experience. We participated on the wedding on ice, and it was very touching. The wine and vodka (thanks to the thoughtful Russian team who brought their wedding customs) flowed at the reception.

The alps were a perfect backdrop for this group, it was great to walk into the square and join friends at a cafe. Language was not a problem. I knew enough French to order and find my way, and some things need no translation. I was quite impressed with the depth of off ice talent represented. From Annabell's hand made soaps to one competitor recording her own music on harpsichord with her daughter playing the oboe. There were skaters there overcoming great challenges and adversity with courage and grace.

The quality of the skating was very good, and the skaters very supportive. We all went to as many events as possible. I've always thought you could tell a lot about a competition by the atmosphere in the locker rooms. There was no whining about the judging, too little time between programs or prima dona fits, just encouragement and offerings of congratulations. It was also nice that we all sat in the kiss and cry area while the results were read - good to be with our compeditors as we each came off the ice.

The last night we all gathered in a cafe for dinner and dancing - spilling out into the streets and giving impromtu pairs clinics. As I've said before, this week reminded me of the early Adult Nationals experiences. Now I realize how very much I miss them, and also why I skate.
Avior!

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

It sounds like an exceptionally wonderful event!

CONGRATULATIONS

Rob
Flo
Flo & Rob
coskater
2loop2loop
Lives to Skate
Annabel

Did I miss anyone?

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Congratulations to everyone

It's good to see lots of names that I know

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The best whisper is a click

Pictures! Pictures! Please post pictures!

I second everyone here and then some who don't post here. (Some of you from RSSIR know who I'm talking about...)

And yes, I want pictures too!!!

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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!!!

There are some pics on the Mountain Cup Yahoo group, and there will probably be more when as the skaters return from Estonia and Germany.

In the awards pics from the second day many of the skaters were wearing white. We had just finished the wedding ceremony and not much time to change.

Our skating went well. We only had two practices together since nats, but it really helped. The new scoring system was good for us. All our elements were counted and we actually got marked up for some. Rob paid more attention to the points and will have greater detail when he gets back from London. I went from pairs to a quick change and on the ice for interp. I was pretty tired, but I think it came off as relaxed! I was worried about the asthma, altitude and being sick before I left, but it all, as it usually does, worked itself out.

Back to work!

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

Thanks. Could you post the link?

Flo,

Was that you who showed us how to do a Stag lift and 'Trash Can' (?!) lift? If so, thank you so much for that, it is something we have brought home with us that we can work on. Thanks also for the experience of being lifted Trash Can style !!!
And what a party that was, seeing five synchronized Axels in a line accross the main road through Villard was a sight worth seeing (with the occasional bemused motorist going past wondering what on Earth all these lunatics were doing!).

Hi Mtj4500,

Yes, that was me! My pleasure, I lift the kids at club, and it's one of their favorites. The axel line was pretty amazing - can't wait for those pictures.
Here's the link to what's up so far:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Mountain_Cup/
The motorists did have quite a sight, between the jumping dancing and pairs moves. A few of them started to go around us through the parking lot.
Congrats on your skate!

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

I always have such a great time at the MC and this year was no exception. This competition always seems to attract a really nice bunch of skaters and the atmosphere is always very supportive.

I managed to win the masters freeskate for the first time at the MC although it was a close result and the new judging system definitely worked out in my favour (I may have to change my username to 2loopdouble3singleloop though ). I was amazed at the number of gifts thrown onto the ice after my skate. I managed to entertain the crowd as I was unable to carry them all and each time I bent down to pick one thing up I dropped another! As well as several stuffed toys I got some of Annabel's soap, several chocolates, some flags and a baseball cap from the Russian team, some Czech beer from the Czech team (which was very pleasant in the kiss-and-cry thank you) and uhh an apple

The party on Sunday night was great fun with the dancing in the street and the ad-hoc pairs class. Coskater and I (tall skaters rule ) showed off our tabletop lift and, yes, I was part of the row of axels! After the bar closed a hardcore group of us managed to convince one of the locals to allow us to continue the party at his place and I finally got to bed at about 5.30 am! I later heard that one skater (who shall remain unnamed) required assistance the next morning to navigate from her hotel to the bus station across the street What fun!

Looking forward to Oberstdorf now. I get there on Thursday and as I am still to much of a baby to compete I just get to be the hellraiser

John

Oh, my. I heard all about this!

Ah, but not during my event--save it for Fri. after I'm done! We can torment the gold and master skaters!

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Oh but I was particularly planning on hellraising during your event!

John

The mountain cup was as always a blast, of course the parties every night did intrude ever so slightly on my ability to skate. It is a very wonderful group of people and I still have no idea how I managed to do so well. Liz McG and I tied for first in pre gold dance so we had to share that very tiny top spot at the awards ceremony. Sunday night's party was fun, several of us were under the table, literally. For all those wanting to do tabletop lifts the landing is made more difficult by stilleto heels.

Off to oberstdorf where I skate on Saturday, last year it was friday. sigh.

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Hi, all!

Just back from post-Mountain-Cup holiday. We had a fantastic time, as always, but oh-so-frustrated by the results! Still, 2 Silvers isn't bad, especially as Husband had never competed free skating before! Wish the judges on the panel had liked my Interp as much as one of them who was not on the panel did - she told me what marks she'd have given me had she been judging, and that would have made quite a difference to the placement! Ah well, it doesn't matter - I was seriously pleased with how I skated!

That party was fun - we didn't last much beyond midnight, but were part of the "lift clinic". mtj4500, you and FRBSkate should definitely do a free dance together (don't forget we're only allowed one lift at Elementary, and I think it's the same at Intermediate).

Camp was great, although tiring. Xavier really helped us improve our Dutch Waltz & Fiesta, and said some interesting things about our free dance, too. And we did some good exercises, too, although too many spins for my liking (but I was surprised to find that trying to do a sitspin really helped me to feel what a spin ought to feel like).

Haven't posted any photos yet - didn't take many. And only got back this afternoon, so haven't sorted out what I did take. mtj4500, I will eventually get round to transferring what I taped of Team Oxford's dances to a videotape and get it to you somehow, but don't hold your breath!

Thanks to all of you who threw things for me, and especially to Flo for the beautiful painted scarf.

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