Hi,

I just got a mail from my skating club, they're asking if I'd like to do a Show competition (no jumping, which is good cuz I'm injured and can't jump this season)...

... But, it is about 3,5 hours away from my place (although my boyfriend lives only an hour from there), which means I would NOT be accompanied by a coach.

And the people competing are probably a lot better than me as up to an axel or double salchow is allowed as far as jumps are concerned (but there's no minimum to the jumps).


... On the other hand, the sign-up money isn't that much and I do want experience competing. This would not be my first skating competition, but it would be my second one, and it would be the first one away from my home rink.

I do have reasonable experience competing, even without coaches, only in dancing... Not skating.


Shall I do this competition?

Oh yeah I have to decide on short notice, as the competition is begin of March and you've to sign up a month in advance.

Yes, got for it!.

However, to avoid getting too tired, recommend you overnight up there or with your boyfriend, the night before the competition.

Go for it!!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Go for the experience. Don't worry about who your competition is or how good they are -- no matter how good you are, you will never be able to control that. Go and make it your goal to skate the best you can - it's good experience.

j

What sort of problems can I expect going without a coach?
In dancing, we would just pick up our number tags and shedules at the bar of the dancing club and then go dress and wait for our pair number to be called for warm up and competition...

I assume I'd have to sign up somewhere on entering the building, give them my club membership card, receive some sort of papers with a shedule or something, turn in my music?
Any other "surprises" I can expect?

I'd say go for it!

Can your boyfriend spend the day as coach? If you are well prepared for your program and don't need technical notes, he can serve the role of nerve calmer, skate guard holder, and "take off your gloves" reminder-er.

The competitions I've volunteered at you were expected to get to the ice on time yourself- but an ice monitor checked everyone in, and went around the general area of the ice to collect skaters, as long as you are close- they would find you, but there was no general announcement for a group to gather for their warm up.

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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)

He'd better.

(then again, do I want a former hockeyer coaching? haha yes I guess I do!)

The only problem I can think of is that you won't have anybody to hold your purse, your warm-up jacket and your spare music and to remind you to take your guards off - but your boyfriend can presumably do that.

I never take my coach to competitions; the only thing he does is wind me up! No, seriously, I have competed with him there and without him, and in some ways without him is less stressy! Very few adults have their coaches with them.

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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!

A combination Show/Competition? Does that mean there's a Show after skaters compete?

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FSWer

No, it is a SHOW competition. As in, you try to put up a nice show, translating the music well into your skating, being all gracious and stuff, and the technical elements are only secundary in importance.

Well, this competition was today. We forgot to bring the camera, DOH!

I actually think it went pretty well! I was up against girls who were skating like 12 years, not the 2 years I've been skating, and they had back camels and axels and that kind of stuff. I was last of the group to skate, but because there was no warming-up I didn't feel that mattered.

I didn't check my clockwise waltz jump but other than that it went well! I even smiled at the jury, even though I didn't smile all the time through the programme.

I got 8 points, most the other girls got like 11-13 so I don't think I did badly at all, given the competition!

I was much less nervous than at the club competition last year. This is actually approaching the nervousness degree of my dancing competition, which is good, cuz that's "a bit hyper but relaxed enough to focus". I wonder if it may be related to the fact that I also went and did the same make-up and hairdo as I did for my dancing competitions?


I was a bit shocked at one of the moms who was talking like "we skate", "we are third" etc. At our club, the mothers always say "she skates" and "she is third", or if they have several children skating, "they skate".

Congrats Sessy!! Sounds like you did great and enjoyed it!!! Regarding the mothers comments. I am a mother myself so I too have heard what you did. Parents who use that terminology 'We skate' or like I've heard with my son's activities, 'we are playing a game at...' 'we went to camp...' seem to be living through thier children. Not all, so please no offense. I too at times(few) have used such terminology, but I usually catch myself. Also, these parents are spending a lot of thier own time carting the kids around, waiting, so sometimes it does seem like 'you' as a parent are doing it too. Whatever 'it 'is.

congrats again on skating!!!

Oh thanks I did!

Oh the final results are online and I actually only came up a quarter point short on the next one before me, compensating for her higher score by 0.50 points on both "skating skills" and "transitions", by scoring 0.25 higher on performance, execution and choreography than she did.

Well done, Sessy - 8 is a great first-time mark, and a lot higher than many people can boast of!

And now you have an IJS score.... but was it fun? That's the important thing. If you enjoyed it, then you'll have a blast trying to better that score, and get it above 10. If it wasn't fun, you needn't ever do it again, but just skate for yourself....

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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!

Congratulations! Aren't you glad you gave it a try?

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

Congratulations! Next time, be sure to bring the camera.

Congratulations!

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Congratulations! Wonderful effort and wonderful that you went out there and did it! I hope that I have as much fun as you did when I try my first competition!!

Yeah it was fun! Competing is the part I missed most about not dancing!!! I spent the last two years working so hard just so the club would let me compete.

Though I think it's a bit too bad I didn't enjoy much of my own category skating because I was too busy preparing for my own skating turn.

Sessy this is something I discovered too--I always had a long prep time for ballroom shows/competitions w/ hair & makeup. I started doing much the same for skating & it definitely did help w/ the nerves, I think because it was something familiar & part of a routine that I'd done many times before. (although much less makeup of course!!)

Hmmm interesting effect, but certainly worth using!

I put just as much as much on as always (minus fake hair and eyelashes, which I never wore in the first place) but I got softer colors + gloss instead of lipstick. According to BF, it looked great off the spectators places, but after up close inspection back home later he asked if I needed sandpaper to remove it, and wondered how I planned on getting a solid mass of waterproof hair spray out.

Men!!! They just don't get it, do they? Although I do know some men who don't at all mind having their bald heads powdered with glitter for the occasion....

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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!

Congratulations!!!

And I know what you mean about the hairspray. My hair always feels like plastic when I've sprayed it for competition. Once, I shampooed three consecutive times (including soaking in warm water) and couldn't quite get all of it out.

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One friend's comment was that it wasn't the hairspray so much as the glitter - it looked just like dandruff on your pillow next morning!

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

I wouldn't dream of sleeping with the hairspray in. I can't even frown with the hairspray in without my hair being tugged and hurting (but I can smile!), let alone lay down on a pillow.
BTW is it true hairspray is made of sugar?