No one was questioning your zeal for ELi. I've known him for 5 years and have competed against him and he is one super guy.
However, you were asked *several* times to leave the locker, yet you brushed it off and refused to leave. I think it's great that you feel like everyone is beautiful and that modesty and shame and the "fig leaf" psychosocial response is Victorian and antedeluvian and outdated, but that is only your feeling.

I can understand that if Eli or others were being polite, you might get the impression that your behavior was OK. But there were other people who were NOT OK with you being here and felt uncomfortable. I was in there before you came in, while you were in there, AND after you left. Trust me, the sentiments were not jolly.

I would hope that you would respect some people's desire for modesty.
I'm not sure what European countries you've been to, but mixed nudity is not the norm in all of Europe. (Perhaps Mrs Redboots and 2loop2loop can weigh in here.)
In a gym, a locker room, park, wherever there are changing rooms in the U.S., there are separate facilities for changing. Why do you think this is? Like it or not, ths is the norm in the country. Not everyone feels this way, but it is the social rule. So you shouldn't be surprised when you break this social norm and get a negative reaction.

I understand you don't have any salacious intentions (at least I hope not) but your behavior made some people feel uncomfortable when you broke the social rules. AND that is not fair to some people right before they compete who are already nervous to begin with.

__________________
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.

I am waiting for hubby to lose a few more pounds (and shrink his waist a bit more) before I make him another pair of pants (or two) but for now the ones I made are working well, as well as the ones bought from Walmart. I did take in the legs on those (they were HUGE!!!) and it presents a cleaner slimmer line.

Now I just need him to think layers....he wears 2 sweaters and gets so hot sweat just runs down his face! I am trying to get him to think base layer is a snug t-shirt type, like a coolmax shirt; on top of that a long sleeved tee, then a fleece that he can ditch once he warms up. He is balking-I might have to make his sweaters "disappear" before too long!!!!!

I'm also trying to convince him to try skating barefoot....he can't seem to find the right socks/stockings that work.....

Why are men so stubborn?

ps-he would HATE it and make my life difficult if he found out I was using a co-ed locker room!!! Even at my rink (we only have one boy that skates and he is 17 but I would not want to change in front of him) I would not want to change in front of the men.

__________________
Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Hey! I'm just the Peanut Gallery watching what's going on and reading this like the rest of the board. If I'm reading from one person that Eli says it's okay to go into the Men's Locker Room and another person who happens to be there says that Eli says that it's not, then ONE of you got the wrong impression of Eli. (And BTW: I'm not pointing fingers at you or NoVa... Hey! I'm just stating the obvious!!!)

Can anyone get Eli on here to settle this one? (Yeah, didn't think so here either...)

__________________
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!!!

Well, I personally wouldn't care about women in the locker room, assuming it is a "good body" day. They'd see no more than if they saw me at the pool. But I suppose if I needed to get totally naked (for some reason), then that would be somewhat uncomfortable. Not saying how things should or shouldn't be ...

But the other way around, men in the ladies locker room, seems like more of a problem, what with breasts flying around and all. LOL

When you think about the whole concept of locker rooms, there is a big flaw. The whole thing is predicated on the idea that those of the same gender can see one another undressed, without the complication of sexual interest. It assumes that a man can see another guy undressed and that's OK because he wouldn't "care", but for a woman, that'd be obscene. And vice versa. Homosexuality is totally overlooked, and it really complicates things from a practical standpoint.

Does a gay man use the ladies locker room, because he doesn't see them "that way"? No, most of them will see HIM "that way". There really is no solution.

And before anyone reads anything into this post that isn't there, I am certainly NOT suggesting to kick the gay guys out of the locker room. The current system is probably the best we have, and it doesn't bother me who is in my locker room at all (except for those Republicans, please keep them away.) I'm just posing the question - what's the difference between a lady and a gay gentleman in the men's locker room?

Tim

__________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People dream of flying, birds dream of skating.

Is this the pot calling the kettle black or what!?


[QUOTE-lovepairs]
I'll be emailing Tim Fisher this afternoon, asking him if it is possible to provide a co-ed locker room for Dance and Pair Teams and whom ever else would like to join the teams for a calm changing environment at the New Year's Invitational. I will be working alongside Andrea Rea on the 2007 Halloween Classic and make sure that a Co-ed locker room is provided there, too. Usually, at Nationals they do have a changing room for the teams, but I'll email Les Ascher, too, to make sure that one is available in Chicago.[/QUOTE]

Hate to tell you this, but not only will several fellow competitors obejct over this, but I have a strong feeling that the higher ups at USFS would not be happy with that arrangement, either!

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

The saleswoman at my skateshop suggested skating barefoot. I asked around at Sashafans (mostly younger skaters) and they thought the idea was wierd (unless wearing tights).

Reidell points out that perspiration is a major component of boot wear: http://www.riedellskates.com/fit/care.html Socks help with that (and odor of course).

As for the right sock to wear, well many speedskaters generally like to go barefoot, and some of those who wear socks say that cycling socks give a good feel for the skate. They are cut too low though. There are some speedskating socks (haven't tried them myself), that are thin and moisture-wicking like cycling socks but seem to be cut high enough even for a figure-boot: http://www.gatorbackskate.com/sock.php

http://www.skatingforums.com/showthr...249#post256249

I still like them. They are very thin, and wick moisture quite well.

My 0.02,

It certainly isn't my experience that most locker rooms in Europe are co-ed, I don't think I've ever come across even one that was - there is always a separate private area for changing. I've never ever encountered men and women changing their clothes in the same space! At the Mountain Cup there is one female skater in particular who always seems to be in the men's locker room, but that is not the same thing!

However comfortable one may feel about sharing locker rooms, there is no way of knowing that everyone else is going to feel the same way. I don't think it's fair to put people in a position where they feel uncomfortable - either by having to change with someone of the opposite sex in the room, or by being forced to ask that person to leave. Even asking if people are ok with it doesn't cut it because some people would feel awkward saying no. People have enough to deal with at competitions already.

Speaking as a "liberated" European - I am not comfortable at the Mountain Cup when that skater is always hanging out in the men's locker room and I know that many of the other skaters feel the same way. The idea that Europeans are all happy to flaunt their bodies in front of anybody is false. Even in Scandinavian and Eastern European countries where saunas are popular, men and women are always segregated when there is nudity involved. I also don't think that the nudist beach comparison is a valid one. I've been on a nude beach (once!), but the timing and circumstances were all of my choosing - that's a long way from being comfortable showing my body to whoever, whenever.

John

Er, in a word, no! I like to change in decent privacy, although it would be nice if there was a space between the two (as at the Mountain Cup) where Husband could come to do you up at the back or you could make sure his bow-tie was on straight....

At the Bracknell Adult Open there is a women's changing room, a men's changing room and an open space where a lot of people do change, which is, of course, mixed-sex. Some folk are happy changing there, but those who need to change their underneaths as well (not just women - some men prefer to wear an athletic support on the ice) prefer to change in private. Mind you, one man got horribly stroppy when I, and another skater, chucked him out of the women's changing room: "Nobody has ever objected!" but we said that we did, and please use the men's room or the open space.

Some rinks don't provide changing-rooms for recreational competitions - you have to either be discreet or use the loos.

And the men's rooms aren't always havens of calm! At Bristol last year there was a sudden very loud burst of laughter from the men's room - caused by all the male partners discovering they were all, every one of them, wearing a black shirt!

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

Limited space means at our rink we have only one changing room which double as the teachers room too and its advisable to knock as many people have caught people unawares. There is a lock on the inside thankfully. I have to say I feel uncomfortable when some of the male teachers or skaters change in front of everyone. I only ever change in there if its late and there is noone else at the rink likely to need the room and if I can lock the door. Easier for everyone. Although I do think its harsh that the teacher have to share their room with us.

Your rink was one of the ones I was thinking of (Gillingham is the other) where at RIDL matches you change in the loo or at rinkside - or perhaps, at your rink, in the cafe since last time I was at your rink there was nowhere to sit down at rinkside and everybody put their skates on in the caff.

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

Yep people put there skates on in the cafe and change in the loos since only members are allowed in the changing room and its usually packed anyways. Some people change my the lockers near the changing rooms. I usually change in the loos too since eventhough I'm a member its just easier as the changing room is small and usually busy.

our rink has lots of changing rooms, but of course these are only for Hockey Players!
Consequently, most days ther is a long line for the handicap stall and when we do "get" to use the rooms for competitions they often stink and have 1/2 of water on the floor. However, they do let me ue the "ref" room to shower after early AM skates.
Lyle

I have never been comfortable using locker rooms at any of the rinks I've skated at, including my home rink. It's nothing to do with the locker rooms or the people. I just really prefer my privacy. I guess I'm just really conservative and a bit insecure that way. When I skate at home, I leave the house with my skating clothes on and change in a stall in the mens' room to get into my work clothes when I'm done. When I compete, I do the same thing. I leave the hotel in full costume with a warm-up or jacket over the top and when I'm done, I change in a stall in the mens' room. I do like the idea of the set-up that Annabel mentioned with a mens' locker room on one side, a ladies' locker room on the other and an open space in between. I'm not sure if I've ever seen that here in the States.

Regarding the original topic of the thread, I use GK Elite, Onward Online and Mondor for skating pants. When I practice I tend to dress in layers on top. I usually do a t-shirt, a turtleneck or tight fitting sweater, and a couple of warm-up jackets and just remove layers as I get warmer although I seldom get warm enough to leave just the t-shirt.

Most of the boys and men around here wear the male pants from Blue Skys. They're custom made and are worth the price more than Mondor.

For those that sew, the man's pant pattern from Jalie is quite a good fit, more European with the lower waist and the legs and bum are cut nicely. www.jalie.com

Hijacking the thread a little more, what really bugs me in both figure skating and hockey is people using the communal toilet in the change room. I don't really want to hear all those details, thank you very much

PLease help me, I can't find a link or google a site for Blue Sky
Thanks
Lyle
P.S. I don;t like changing in the restroom eather but we are not given any choice

Blue Skys web site

__________________
Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org