* First name: Nick
* Age: 19
* Country: United States
* How long have you been skating: 4 months
* Disciplines you do: free skating
* Do you compete: no, but I want to sometime!
* Do you test: haven't yet, but might
* Number of coaches: 0 for now
* Ever competed on national level: no
* Ever competed internationally: heck no!
* Ever won a gold medal: no
* Number of practices weekly: last week I skated for 8 hours! but until mid-June it looks like not very much...
* Number of lessons weekly: none anymore; it was 3 then 2, and will be 1 starting in June
* How far to nearest rink: at school, about a 2 minute walk , at home about a 10 min. drive
* Practice outfits: long-sleeved shirt and jeans/pants (or T-shirt if I get too hot)
* Rotation: CCW
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: toe loop, maybe? (I can tell I usually cheat it, but I think I might have landed it cleanly a few times, as the 2nd jump in a combination)
* Hardest jump ever attempted: toe loop
* Favourite jump: half flips in sequence
* Favourite spin: none-- I can hardly even do a 2 foot upright for a couple very slow, off balance rotations
* Favourite spiral: spiral? are you kidding me?
* What's your nemesis: spins I guess
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: trying to do the pre-preliminary consecutive edges, and also LFI 3-turns
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: I can't do anything very difficult
* WHat move took you forever to master, but now is easy: none
* Favourite dance: not sure, but I don't do dance anyway
* Tell me something unusual: don't know
* Worst fall: I think it was something easy like a 3-turn, lol
* Most embarrassing moment: falling on a two-foot turn in group lesson in the middle of 20 people
* Funniest moment: I know there were some, but I can't think of a specific one right now
* Most exciting moment: learning and doing half flips, waltzes, and toe loops all on the same day

* Colour of skates and blades: black boots, silver blades (with a bit of rust when I didn't dry/store them properly when i first got them )
* Colour of soakers: red
* Colour of guards: black, but I don't use them because I never bothered to put them together, lol
* Colour of bag: black

* Favourite eligible ladies skaters: Cohen, Slutskaya, Nikodinov, and some lesser-known/lower level ones
* Favourite eligible mens skaters: don't really have one
* Favourite eligible pairs teams: Shen & Zhao of course
* Favourite eligible dance teams: Navka & Kostomarov I think
* Skater you think is cute: Sasha Cohen and Cynthia Phaneuf
* Favourite moment from last season: it was from a lower level competition

* First name: Steven
* Age: 35
* Country: United States
* How long have you been skating: About 3 years
* Disciplines you do: Freestyle
* Do you compete: Tried, was cancelled out of one, scratched the other
* Do you test: Planning too
* Number of coaches: Varies from 0 to 4
* Ever competed on national level: Nope
* Ever competed internationally: Nope
* Ever won a gold medal: Nada
* Number of practices weekly: Three to six, 6 to 14 hours per week
* Number of lessons weekly: 1 to 3, depends
* How far to nearest rink: About 20 minutes
* Practice outfits: Tights, dress, leggings, pants, leotard, fleece jacket, gloves

* Rotation: Usually counter clockwise, sometimes clockwise
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: Um, 1/2 Lutz I guess
* Hardest jump ever attempted: Salcow
* Favourite jump: Waltz
* Favourite spin: Two foot spin, lol
* Favourite spiral: Anyone I don't toepick, I'm pretty good on all eight edges or flats
* What's your nemesis: Salcows, one foot spin
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: Rolling mohawk
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: Continous 3's
* What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: 3 turns
* Favourite dance: Hmm, eni, meeni, minee, mo
* Tell me something unusual: Prefer sharp blades
* Worst fall: Falling backwards and hitting my head when getting up from a simple silly fall
* Most embarrassing moment: Falling doing shoot the duck and putting a hole in my black tights
* Funniest moment: Doing a Waltz jump instead of a 1/2 Flip in front of my coach, she was like, "How did you do that?"
* Most exciting moment: Feeling the sweet spot on a one foot spin

* Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
* Colour of soakers: Purple
* Colour of guards: Purple and Blue
* Colour of bag: Blue

* Favourite eligible ladies skaters: Hmm
* Favourite eligible mens skaters: Umm
* Favourite eligible pairs teams: Errr
* Favourite eligible dance teams: Ahhh
* Skater you think is cute: Yikes
* Favourite moment from last season: Can you repeat the Q?

* Goals for end of the year: Play with my first Interp program, enough practice to pass my Pre-Bronze, Bronze, and Pre-Preliminary tests, pick up Loops, Salcow, Full Flip, Full Lutz, one foot Scratch Spin, Backspin, and anything else thats fun especially footwork, have a more consistant coach through the year, get my boots figured out and continue to have fun.

__________________
"A sure sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." - Albert Einstein
"A free society is one where it is safe to be unpopular." - Adlai Stevenson
"Got Edge?" - Steven J. Arness - Coachless, two years and counting.
"He who carves himself to suit others will soon whittle himself away."
"Sometimes you get what you want but loose what you have."

Oops, I must've copied my questions from someone who didn't answer the one about goals for this year. My goals are basically to keep improving, probably at least learning a salchow and one foot spin and stuff, and *maybe* to compete in a compulsory moves competition at a very low level. Also, to get my bronze test judging appointment (in singles/pairs).

* Age: 58
* Country: United States
* How long have you been skating: 6 years
* Disciplines you do: Freestyle
* Do you compete: No, but I want to sometime!
* Do you test: Yes
* Number of coaches: 1
* Ever competed on national level: No
* Ever competed internationally: No
* Ever won a gold medal: No
* Number of practices weekly: 3-4 a week
* Number of lessons weekly: 1
* How far to nearest rink: Hayden Rink 5 minute walk.
* Practice outfits: lJeans and sweatshirt, usually one I have obtained at a competition I volunteered at.
* Rotation: Now CCW
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: Salchow
* Hardest jump ever attempted: toe loop
* Favourite jump: Waltz
* Favourite spin: none-- I can hardly even do a 2 foot upright for a couple very slow, off balance rotations
* Favourite spiral: Inside edge
* What's your nemesis: spins!!
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: Inside 3-turns.
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: Mohawks
* WHat move took you forever to master, but now is easy: Waltz eight
* Favourite dance: not sure, but I don't do dance anyway
* Tell me something unusual: I have a completely rebuilt left knee
* Worst fall: PPM crossover pattern...dislocated shoulder.
* Most embarrassing moment: Stepping out on the Lussi Rink at Lake Placid with my guards on and falling in front of Olympic coaches.
* Funniest moment: Skating out the open Zamboni door.
* Most exciting moment: Day I nailed my first Salchow

* Colour of skates and blades: Black boots, silver blades .
* Colour of soakers: Black
* Colour of guards: Black/purple/black..I got long blades and have 3-piece guards.
* Colour of bag: Black

* Favourite eligible ladies skaters: Cohen, Kwan, Kirk
* Favourite eligible mens skaters: don't really have one
* Favourite eligible pairs teams: Shen & Zhao.
* Favourite eligible dance teams: Navka & Kostomarov.
* Skater you think is cute: Still a big Nicole Bobek fan.
* Favourite moment from last season: Watching Shannon Keeler do her exhibition at Adult Nationals.

__________________
Keeping School Figures Alive!!

* First name: Ashley
* Age: 16
* Country: US
* How long have you been skating: Since I was 8 or 9
* Disciplines you do: Free
* Do you compete: Yes
* Do you test: Yes, one more!
* Number of coaches: 1
* Ever competed on national level: No
* Ever competed internationally: No
* Ever won a gold medal: Yes
* Number of practices weekly: 5/6 days a week, 2/3 sessions a day
* Number of lessons weekly: 4
* How far to nearest rink: 10 minutes
* Practice outfits: Black spandex pants and I start with a tank top, tee, long sleeved shirt and sweater or fleece on, and get down to the tank top.

* Rotation: Counter clockwise
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: Double axel
* Hardest jump ever attempted: Triple loop
* Favourite jump: Double lutz
* Favourite spin: Flying camel
* Favourite spiral: RFO
* What's your nemesis: Spirals and presentation
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: LFI three turns
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: I don't know.
* What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: Double toe, 4 years, 3 coaches, 4 entries
* Favourite dance: Don't dance
* Tell me something unusual: The "harder" jumps (lutz, flip) are easier for me than sal and toe
* Worst fall: Double axel, last year, I was off the ice for a month, I hurt my back so badly.
* Most embarrassing moment: My performance in our skating show last year
* Funniest moment: OMG, this summer, I was showing two friends how I should end my program and I did it, and skated away and fell so weirdly and it was soooo funny
* Most exciting moment: Landing double axel or medaling at Regionals

* Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
* Colour of soakers: Leopard print
* Colour of guards: Watermelon, pink and green.
* Colour of bag: Navy blue

* Favourite eligible ladies skaters: Kwan, Arakawa, Liang
* Favourite eligible mens skaters: Joubert, Weir, Goebel, Bradley
* Favourite eligible pairs teams: O&L, O&S
* Favourite eligible dance teams: Belbin & Agosto
* Skater you think is cute: Alexei Yagudin
* Favourite moment from last season: I didn't watch much skating last year. Johnny Weir's Nationals free or Ryan Bradleys

* Goals for end of the year: Compete Junior twice this summer and then at Regionals. Test and pass Senior Free. Land triple sal, triple toe or triple loop. Try triple lutz. Work on presentation.

* First name: Cryss
* Age: 21
* Country: Canada
* How long have you been skating: Uh, 16-17 years? About that
* Disciplines you do: Pairs, singles
* Do you compete: Nope
* Do you test: No
* Number of coaches: 2
* Ever competed on national level: No
* Ever competed internationally: No
* Ever won a gold medal: Yes
* Number of practices weekly: 4
* Number of lessons weekly: 4...the coaches are always there
* How far to nearest rink: About a half hour walk....10 minutes by car
* Practice outfits: Black box skirt and a sweater. Gloves if I'm all alone!

* Rotation: Counter Clockwise (a.k.a "normal" )
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: double axel
* Hardest jump ever attempted: Triple Loop
* Favourite jump: Toe loops
* Favourite spin: HATE SPINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Favourite spiral: BRO
* What's your nemesis: rushing jumps
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: Three turns! LOL
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: Ina Bauers
* What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: back crossovers
* Favourite dance: Golden Waltz
* Tell me something unusual: My coach and I used to skate together until I got better than him!
* Worst fall: Lasso lift in a rink with boards but no glass. Was dropped OUT of the ice area and onto the rubber mats
* Most embarrassing moment: getting the giggles during the Yankee Polka and having to pretend my dress strap broke so we could restart
* Funniest moment: Ah, we always have a good time. I guess practicing jumps in the parking lot in the summer and watching the people in passing cars stare at us!
* Most exciting moment: Getting to train in Lake Placid one summer!

* Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
* Colour of soakers: Black (they're actually my hockey ones )
* Colour of guards: Purple and silver
* Colour of bag: Red

* Favourite eligible ladies skaters: Shizuka! and Sasha Cohen
* Favourite eligible mens skaters: Jayson Denommee
* Favourite eligible pairs teams: Langlois and Archetto, Dube/Davison
* Favourite eligible dance teams: Meg and Aaron!
* Skater you think is cute: Uh, DP!
* Favourite moment from last season: Shizuka winning worlds

* Goals for end of the year: To not kill myself while still wearing my skates

__________________

José Theodore Rocks My World -- Montréal Canadiens #60

Yay! Something fun to do as I sit here at work waiting on all the slow people. LOL.

* Age: 35
* Country: USA
* How long have you been skating: 17 years total - seven as a kid, 10 as an adult (nine years off in between)
* Disciplines you do: Dance, FS, figures
* Do you compete: Yes
* Do you test: Yes
* Number of coaches: Two - one for FS and figures, one for dance
* Ever competed on national level: Yes
* Ever competed internationally: Yes
* Ever won a gold medal: Yes
* Number of practices weekly: About seven - three or four FS sessions, three patch sessions
* Number of lessons weekly: two - one patch, one dance. When I finish figures, I will start taking FS lessons again.
* How far to nearest rink: 10 minutes
* Practice outfits: Either a T-shirt and black pull-on skirt over black tights, or a black sleeveless leotard and wrap skirt ... over black tights. Always black tights!

* Rotation: Counterclockwise
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: As a kid - double lutz; as an adult - double loop
* Hardest jump ever attempted: As a kid - triple salchow; as an adult - double lutz
* Favourite jump: Walley
* Favourite spin: Layback or back sit
* Favourite spiral: NONE. I only do spirals if I have to!
* What's your nemesis: OMG, where do I start? There are many, so I think an all-encompassing answer would be "my brain."
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: Spirals. Camels. I guess I don't like lifting my leg. LOL!
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: Walleys, laybacks, back sitspins
* What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: As a kid, it was the axel and double flip. Two years for the double flip! I can't think of anything that's easy as an adult.
* Favourite dance: Right now, the Starlight Waltz. I also love the Hickory Hoedown. Yes, you read that right!
* Tell me something unusual: "something unusual." LOL.
* Worst fall: As a kid - fell on the takeoff of a flying camel and hit my chin so hard, my front top teeth went through my bottom lip. Stitches required! As an adult - fell doing the Fiesta Tango -- solo -- hit the boards and broke my collarbone.
* Most embarrassing moment: I seriously cannot discuss it in a public forum!
* Funniest moment: Can't think of one
* Most exciting moment: As a kid - when I got my axel and double flip, just because they took so long! As an adult - performing in this year's AN exhibition.

* Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
* Colour of soakers: FS - lavendar w/asian design; patch - brown & white cow
* Colour of guards: FS - yellow; patch - black; competition - always matches my costume. I own a lot of guards as a result!
* Colour of bag: Black

* Favourite eligible ladies skaters: Michelle Kwan
* Favourite eligible men skaters: Johnny Weir, Ryan Jahnke
* Favourite eligible pairs teams: Shen & Zhao
* Favourite eligible dance teams: NONE - I don't see actual "dancing" going on anymore.
* Skater you think is cute: Cute as in hot? Peter Tchernyshev
* Favourite moment from last season: In terms of my own skating, it was skating in the exhibition at AN. I can't think of any as a spectator, because I didn't think it was that great of a season. Nothing compared to when I saw Michelle Kwan win nationals live in 2002!

* Goals for end of the year: To start doing axels again (haven't tried them in almost a year) and to put together a FS program for the first time in five years! We'll see how that goes!

* First name: John
* Age: 24
* Country: Great Britain
* How long have you been skating: 10 1/2 years
* Disciplines you do: Free
* Do you compete: Yes
* Do you test: Yes, but haven't for a while
* Number of coaches: 2 - both free (different rinks)
* Ever competed on national level: Twice at the British adult champs.
* Ever competed internationally: Once at the Dune of Flanders, though soon to be twice at the MC
* Ever won a gold medal: Yes, though being a guy doing masters level freeskate at the British adult the only requirement for a gold medal is to turn up. I did win the gold freeskate at the DOF last year though when there were 6 skaters.
* Number of practices weekly: About 5
* Number of lessons weekly: 1 or 2 1/2hr lessons, usually just one.
* How far to nearest rink: 5 minutes by bike
* Practice outfits: Skating trousers or tracky b's and a tshirt or pullover depending on how cold it is

* Rotation: CCW
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: triple loop (3 times and then it went away again, though I recently landed a slightly hooked one)
* Hardest jump ever attempted: 3loop
* Favourite jump: double loop
* Favourite spin: Either flying camel or that sit spin that Lambiel does with one arm up one down (those of you who have seen the avi know what I mean.
* Favourite spiral: Ugh I hate spirals, but probably LFO if forced to choose
* What's your nemesis: Double toe, I hate it.
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: Spreadeagles
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: Flying camel/ double loop
* What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: sit spin
* Favourite dance: I don't dance, but if i did I would only do the ones like the kilian that speed around the middle
* Tell me something unusual:
* Worst fall: Sprained my ankle really badly on a double flip on easter Monday last year. Was off the ice for the best part of 3 months. Funnily enough at the same session on easter monday of this year I couldn't do a double flip for love nor money, couldn't even rotate it, despite it being reasonable consistent, the next day it was back with no problems.
* Most embarrassing moment: Falling over during a figures session was always quite embarrassing
* Funniest moment: When my mum was skating she once skated backwards to lean on the barrier to watch something, except that the barrier wasn't there it was a gate and disappeared straight through it. Everyone in the rink was in stitches.
* Most exciting moment: Landing my first axel

* Colour of skates and blades: black boots, silver blades
* Colour of soakers: Red
* Colour of guards: Blue
* Colour of bag: Black

* Favourite eligible ladies skaters: Slutskaya, Kostner
* Favourite eligible mens skaters: Lambiel, Joubert
* Favourite eligible pairs teams: Shen and Zhao
* Favourite eligible dance teams: I don't pay much attention so ???
* Skater you think is cute: My coach's 3 year old daughter - very cute!
* Favourite moment from last season: I'd have to go with Lambiel's freeskate or Shen and Zhao's both at worlds

* Goals for end of the year: Mainly to hang onto what I've already got, with an ever increasing workload. Would be nice to get the 2 toe and lutz sorted out so that I could have a full set of doubles consistently. Anything above that is a bonus.

Cool, here are my answers:
* First name: Judy
* Age: 30
* Country: US
* How long have you been skating: age 12-15, quit for a long time, started up again at age 21
* Disciplines you do: Freestyle
* Do you compete: Y
* Do you test: Yes, working on Adult Gold moves
* Number of coaches: 1 right now, but I've had lots b/c I have moved around
* Ever competed on national level: No
* Ever competed internationally: No
* Ever won a gold medal: Y
* Number of practices weekly: 4-6 hours
* Number of lessons weekly: 2
* How far to nearest rink: 25 mins.
* Practice outfits: T-shirt and leggings or shorts, once in a while I'll wear a real skating dress, but it's a lot more convenient to able to get in the car and go right after skating.
* Rotation: counterclockwise
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: axel
* Hardest jump ever attempted: double flip. Once, in 1996 at the Berkeley Iceland, I overrotated and fell on a triple salchow during a lesson. My coach Laurie Mellama witnessed it!
* Favourite jump: anything but salchows
* Favourite spin: sit
* Favourite spiral: LFO
* What's your nemesis: axels, trying to do single and dbl salchows with correct take-off technique
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: back upright spin, especially on its own.
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: ?? mini-forward flying sit spin?
* What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: loop jump
* Favourite dance: none, I don't know any of them
* Tell me something unusual: I skate barefoot
* Worst fall: April '02 fell on my back trying to land a dbl flip. My foot hit the ice before I fell backwards, and I heard a ripping noise. As I lay on the ice, a guy skated by and said it was great- he'd seen the jump in the air. I managed to hobble off the ice and drove home with my left foot. Had a torn ligament and broken ankle that required sugery, a plate and screws that are still there. 2nd worst fall was 1989 at Stone Mtn. Ice Chalet, fell flat on my back trying a salchow and had a weird whooshing sound in my ear for about a minute. Had to get off the ice and stop the lesson.
* Most embarrassing moment: probably being dressed up as a "Sugar Plum" for an Ice Chalet show in Dec. 1986. I was always very short for my age and I started skating late, so I had to do a silly group number w/younger kids, wearing a red leotard and red tights, + a clear trash bag filled with multi-colored balloons).
* Funniest moment: being a "tree" wearing a brown unitard and green afro wig last year for a showcase event. Not many people understood what I was doing.
* Most exciting moment: Landing a cheated 2flip at the Ashburn new yr's invitational in 1/02 and winning despite not having any real double jumps.
* Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
* Colour of soakers: lavender
* Colour of guards: teal
* Colour of bag: black
* Favourite eligible ladies skaters: Kwan, Cohen
* Favourite eligible mens skaters: Plushenko, Weir, Joubert
* Favourite eligible pairs teams: Shen & Zhao
* Favourite eligible dance teams: Belbin & Agosto
* Skater you think is cute: aren't most of them? I'm getting too old to fawn over them.
* Favourite moment from last season: Emanuel Sandhu at Grand Prix finals
* Goals for end of the year: Pass adult gold MIF test, be able to do a flying camel that gets more than 2 revs., get a recognizable flying forward sit spin, be able to do a big, reliable, and fearless axel, and a double loop or salchow. Is this a wish list or a reasonable goal?

OK, I'll play.

* First name: Ellyn
* Age: 42
* Country: US
* How long have you been skating: 2 years casually and 2 years seriously at ages 10-14, 11 years as an adult
* Disciplines you do: Freestyle
* Do you compete: rarely
* Do you test: rarely (last tests were adult bronze free and third failure of the Ten-Fox about 8 years ago; just recently officially working on adult silver moves)
* Number of coaches: 1
* Ever competed on national level: No
* Ever competed internationally: No
* Ever won a gold medal: No
* Number of practices weekly: usually 3, of 1-1.5 h
* Number of lessons weekly: 1/2 h private, plus I've been taking a 1-h edge class this spring
* How far to nearest rink: 20 minutes
* Practice outfits: tights or leggings; skating skirt or skating dress or shorts; t-shirt or mock turtleneck

* Rotation: counterclockwise
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: axel
* Hardest jump ever attempted: recognizably, double salchow; a few attempts at double loop and toe loop but only achieved overrotated singles
* Favourite jump: salchow
* Favourite spin: layback
* Favourite spiral: RFI or RFO or RBO
* What's your nemesis: lutz, back turns in general
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: Spin entries and centring, alternating FO3s (This is Rachel's original entry, but I'm going to agree that these are hard for me too)
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: forward rockers
* What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: not sure, maybe layback
* Favourite dance: European Waltz
* Tell me something unusual: not sure
* Worst fall: one day when it was 100 degrees outside and the rink was bumpy and foggy, I missed my toepick on a lutz takeoff and landed on my lower back; took 5 minutes before I could even stand up and leave the ice
* Most embarrassing moment: hm, once when I was 13 I changed skates after patch and got onto the freestyle session still wearing my ski pants, tried to do a spiral, and did a face plant
* Funniest moment: not sure . . . a few years ago I was on a dance session after not having worked much on dance for a while; during a Fourteenstep I messed up the outside mohawk and went stumbling around before falling to the ice; one of the teen skaters passed by and told me "That was a good fall," so I guess it was funny for him
* Most exciting moment: getting the axel back at 35 after not having landed it since my teens

* Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
* Colour of soakers: turquoise
* Colour of guards: turquoise, but they don't work properly so I rarely use them
* Colour of bag: black

* Favourite eligible skaters: too many to list

* Goals for end of the year: be able to skate all the moves on the silver test although they won't be ready to test in 04; correct takeoffs for flip, lutz (probably hopeless), and axel; stars into combo spin or else it will have to come out of my program as currently choreographed

* First name: Lily
* Age: 28
* Country: US
* How long have you been skating: from ages 10-15 as a kid, 2 years as adult.
* Disciplines you do: Freestyle
* Do you compete: only 1 competition ever and it was this year!
* Do you test: yes
* Number of coaches: 1
* Ever competed on national level: No
* Ever competed internationally: No
* Ever won a gold medal: No
* Number of practices weekly: Ideally 3 days a week.
* Number of lessons weekly: 1 or 2
* How far to nearest rink: 30 minutes
* Rotation: counterclockwise
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: double loop
* Hardest jump ever attempted: I like to try for double axels sometimes...it turns out to be pretty funny...never more than an axel with alot of spin on the landing.
* Favourite jump: double sal - when I do it right
* Favourite spin: sit
* Favourite spiral: hate all spirals, can't do them well at all.
* What's your nemesis: spirals!
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: Spirals, Camels
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: Sit spin, I get really low and fast.
* What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: Outside spread eagle(Two months ago I just got it!)
* Worst fall: I caught my toepick in my pant leg and fell on my knee going full force into a jump. I have been going to PT since January. It really messed me up.
* Most embarrassing moment:I can't say:-)
* Most exciting moment: getting axel, dbl sal back. Being able to land all my doubles on the harness.
* Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
* Colour of soakers: Don't have any
* Colour of guards: turquoise
* Colour of bag: black
* Favourite eligible skaters: I think this years men at the Worlds comp were all amazing.
* Goals for end of the year: Pass my Silver test. Compete at sectionals in Silver. Get my Double toe loop and loop back. Catch up in my moves.....I am absolutely horrible at all of them.

First name: Melissa
Age: 26
Country: US
How long have you been skating: Will be 10 years this January! Wow time flies!
Disciplines you do: Singles freeskate, may try pairs or dance when my beginner husband catches up with me!
Do you compete: Yes
Do you test: Yes
Number of coaches: 1
Ever competed on national level: Yes, 2003 Adult Nationals
Ever competed internationally: No
Ever won a gold medal: Yes
Number of practices weekly: Twice a week
Number of lessons weekly: 1
How far to nearest rink: 5 minutes
Rotation: counterclockwise
Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: single lutz
Hardest jump ever attempted: double salchow and double toe...both hard for me!
Favourite jump: loop
Favourite spin: back spin
Favourite spiral: right, inside
What's your nemesis: back inside 3 turns (the ones from silver moves)
What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: shoot the ducks
What "difficult" move do you find easy: outside spread eagles
What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: flip jump
Worst fall: out of the jumping harness, onto the back of my head
Most embarrassing moment:Skating a perfect, clean exhibition program (for once) and falling as I'm holding my final pose at the end
Most exciting moment: Meeting Alexi Yagudin at State Games of America in Connecticut this past summer
Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
Colour of soakers: Elephant blade babies, tye dye
Colour of guards: pink & purple swirl, black & opal
Colour of bag: black
Favourite eligible skaters: I don't know...too many to name.
Goals for end of the year: To get back in shape after having my first baby (Due May 30), and just to pick up where I left off without too much trouble. And for my skates to still fit me post-baby!

* First name: Melanie
* Age: 36
* Country: Scotland
* How long have you been skating: 7 years altogether
* Disciplines you do: Free
* Do you compete: No
* Do you test: I did
* Number of coaches: 3 altogether including childhood
* Ever competed on national level: No
* Ever competed internationally: No
* Ever won a gold medal: Yes!
* Number of practices weekly: Was 4/5 now 1 a week
* Number of lessons weekly: None at moment
* How far to nearest rink: 8 miles
* Practice outfits: Black stretchy trousers, some kind of top(s)

* Rotation: Clockwise
* Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: lutz, axel short
* Hardest jump ever attempted: axel
* Favourite jump: lutz
* Favourite spin: best spin is sit, but like camel best
* Favourite spiral: RFO
* What's your nemesis: backspin
* What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: LFO 3, back 3s CCW
* What "difficult" move do you find easy: sit spin count?
* What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: camel, sometimes
* Favourite dance: one that's done by others?
* Tell me something unusual: The weather in Scotland is hot & sunny?
* Worst fall: Fell on an axel and dunked chin.
* Most embarrassing moment: Falling on a 3 turn
* Funniest moment: Trying to avert my eyes from thighs.
* Most exciting moment: Being unable to avert eyes. Seriously landing axel or lutz in front of coaches.
* Colour of skates and blades: beige boots, silver blades
* Colour of soakers: maroon
* Colour of guards: green/purple*
Colour of bag: black

* Favourite eligible ladies skaters: Cohen
* Favourite eligible mens skaters: Lambiel, Klimkin
* Favourite eligible pairs teams: Shen & Zhao
* Favourite eligible dance teams: Sinead & John Kerr
* Skater you think is cute: Lambiel
* Favourite moment from last season: Kerrs winning Brits, getting 10th and 14th at Euros & Worlds. Lambiel's freeskate at Worlds

* Goals for end of the year: stay healthy and on my feet.

__________________
MEL
Absolute Skating

First name: Brigitte
Age: 41
Country: Canada
How long have you been skating: Almost 5 years from the time I held up the boards.
Disciplines you do: Singles freeskate, interpretive
Do you compete: Yes
Do you test: Yes
Number of coaches: 1 main coach and head coach of club.
Ever competed on national level: Yes, 2004 Canadian Adult Nationals
Ever competed internationally: Yes
Ever won a gold medal: Yes
Number of practices weekly: 3, sometimes 4
Number of lessons weekly: suppose to be 3 but coach hasn't been showing up do to school.
How far to nearest rink: 4 minutes
Rotation: counterclockwise
Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: flip (once in practice) and split jump
Hardest jump ever attempted:It was suppose to be a waltz jump that almost was an axel (this was a week ago)
Favourite jump: salchow/toe/toe
Favourite spin: layback
Favourite spiral: deep LFO and RFO change to RFI
What's your nemesis: back spin
What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: loop
What "difficult" move do you find easy: forward sitspin to forward spin combo
What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: waltz jump (it took me 3 years to get it.)
Worst fall: backcross cuts in the first year I was skating hitting my head (concussion)
Most embarrassing moment:Coaching juniors and tripped over my skates while watching my students but got up quickly.
Most exciting moment: Meeting and speaking with Elvis Stojko at the HoJo loby giving him a pep talk the day before his long program in Hamilton 2002. He was thinking at the time that he wasn't going to win that last Canadian title.

Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
Colour of soakers: Blue clouds
Colour of guards: pink sparkle
Colour of bag: red
Favourite eligible skaters: Jeffery Buttle and Joannie Rochette
Goals for end of the year: To loose weight, get a consistant loop, start on axel, get lutz, get that darn backspin and back sitspin. Have a gourgeous layback spin (right now it's so so.)

__________________
"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

http://eastcastlemusic.tripod.com

Singerskates Sports Music Editing

Age: 30
Country: US
How long have you been skating: 2 years
Disciplines you do: Freestyle, Synchro
Do you compete: Yes
Do you test: Not really, ISI Learn-to-Skate
Number of coaches: 1
Ever competed on national level: Yes, sort-of, ISI Synchro Nationals
Ever competed internationally: No
Ever won a gold medal: Yes, technically, ISI Synchro Nationals Qualifying round
Number of practices weekly: 2
Number of lessons weekly: 1
How far to nearest rink: 30 minutes
Rotation: counterclockwise on ice, clockwise in dance
Hardest jump ever landed cleanly: 1/2 flip, ballet jump
Hardest jump ever attempted: toe loop
Favourite jump: bunny hop, LOL!
Favourite spin: 1 foot (I've only done 3 of them, though)
Favourite spiral: LFO
What's your nemesis: 3-turns and adult-onset-air-fear
What "easy" move do you have most trouble with: 3-turns
What "difficult" move do you find easy: Well, there are no "difficult" moves at my level, LOL, but I guess the choctaws in the alternating 3-turn pattern??
What move took you forever to master, but now is easy: Mohawk
Worst fall: At synchro competition I collided with a teammate and smacked the back of my head hard enough for a concussion
Most embarrassing moment: I don't embarrass easily
Most exciting moment: Our first synchro competition

Colour of skates and blades: White boots, silver blades
Colour of soakers: black
Colour of guards: purple
Colour of bag: black and purple

Favourite eligible skaters: I think they're all pretty terrific!

Goals for end of the year: To get pregnant. If not that, then to get my dang waltz jump and 3-turns and to skate faster and be less afraid.