Well I had my skating video taped for the first time today and oh boy was it a wake up call!!

For my spins and footwork it was very helpful for identifying all the wierd tics I seem to have. I see what my coach means now about my twiching shoulder on foward crossovers - had me doing them with my hands behind my back the other week and said I looked like I was having a fit!! Charming!

But as far as seeing my jumps goes it was positively soul destroying

they look so pathetic!!! I know that they are only single jumps but on the ice they reasonably feel fast and seem to have some height, on the video I can see how slow i'm going and allthough they are fully rotated they seem more like little hops.

My dad, who was doing the recording for me said it looks almost as if i'm not really trying? but I know I was working hard - out of breath and all that, and didn't feel like I was being timid. Now i've seen the truth i'll have to push myself harder I guess.

I would love to hear other peoples experiences with watching themselves skate, especially the first time they did it and how it changed their thoughts.

I hated getting myself videotaped. My mom came to watch me skate once, and she borrowed my camera. It was horrible, I kept slouching over when I wasn't skating, I wasn't pointing my toe as much as I thought I was, my spins were nowhere near as fast as they feel like they are, my sit spin was nowhere near as low as I thought it was, and jumps. Ha! My mom said she didn't even realize I was jumping sometimes. Yea, it's a big wake up call. But at least you can see what you're dong wrong and try to correct it.

I caught a glimpse of myself on a televised segment filmed at our rink and wondered who on earth that beginner was, and where I was! But if I am being videoed in competition, for instance, although it could be a very great deal better, it has improved over the years.

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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!

Totally normal. When I skated competitively, I would put on the video while I was doing something else. After 2-3 times, my gaffs weren't quite so awful and I was able to see what I did RIGHT. (In one case, I realized that the music sounded really AWFUL, so we made a new program entirely that was much better.)

That said, I've skated the "pro number" at the last two spring skating shows for our rink. Since we open the show, we're always first on the DVD. As a result, I haven't watched either DVD, even to see my own kids. My BFF keeps reminding me to bring the DVD's, but I keep "forgetting." I'm sure I look awful skating. Maybe next week I'll put them on and grin/bear it! LOL

Posture, twitching (love that description!) and stamina sound like good things to work on - make a short list. Make a date with Dad to tape again in a few weeks or months.

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I haven't been filmed yet, but I would like to at some point; there is only so much you can check in the plexiglass. One thing I would particularly like to see, is how far back I lean on an outside edge spread eagle...

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Skate Free

I was under the illusion that I was a reasonable skater until I saw myself for the first time on video. Thankfully my skating has improved since, but in reality its nothing like it is in my head.

It's really hard to watch yourself on video!! You should try it again in a month and see your improvements.

I say this because someone from my rink taped my lessons while I was learning the Blues (ice-dance) throughout a season up until about a month before I tested. It is fascinating to see how the dance progressed from a relatively slow, clunky dance, to the nice smooth finished dance it became as I got ready to test it. The progression is fascinating to me, and I could actually see some really good stuff there by the end.

My skating friends have also enjoyed watching it (or so they say) because of the obvious progression in my skating. Also great to watch my (then) coach because he was really really good!!

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Videotaping is probably one of the cheapest lessons you'll ever get. You can see firsthand the bad stuff,and then figure out what to do to fix it. It is indeed a wakeup call, but it is like a splash of cold water in your face to motivate you to work on the challenging things.

yeh, just looking in the glass I can tell you that that guy slouches something terrible!
Lyle

I need to get out the videocamera and bring it with me to the rink one of these days. I bet it would be a huge help--humiliating, yes, but helpful.

All I can say is that you can use video cameras etc to your advantage. Just think of those skaters in the old days that didn't have video cameras (and digicams that functions as video cams) to use.

ROFL! How did I know as soon as I saw the title of this thread that it was going to be about a first time video experience?!

If it's any consolation, I don't know a single adult skater who didn't feel exactly what you describe after seing himself/herself on video for the first time. I know I pretty much crawled under the covers and didn't come out for 3 days, I was so depressed. You feel that cold air on your face and you feel the exhiliration and the power coming out of you, and what you picture in your mind is SO different from what you see on that video.

Now it's been 4 years since my first video experience and when I watched my latest video last week, I was actually amazed to find that I had nothing negative to say until at least 30 seconds into my program! I couldn't believe it! I attribute the big improvement to just breathing through the pain of watching my videos and learning to use them as instructional tools. Every time I watch myself on video (which can take up to 48 hours of just getting my courage up first), I sit down with a pen and paper and a finger on the pause button. I immediately write down every little thing that I think looks awkward and that becomes my fix-it list for the next few weeks. Since I had already gone through one fix-it list since the last time I had this program videotaped, I guess the process must work! There is no harsher teacher, but also no better teacher than that cruel video.

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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

Oh yes...I feel your pain...I saw the video of my first competition video recently, OH MY

But since I saw the video I've greatly improved in form and my sit spin is parallel (it wasn't in the video), so I'm really glad I saw it. I wish I could see a video every month! I wish I looked thinner in the dress, though.

Yep, they were the best skaters in the world but here's proof positive that--without videos to study--their extension, form and posture looked suspiciously like ours!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY46Le1fxeI

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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

Ooh, I will get this experience shortly. I went in an artistic comp a couple of weeks ago, and I know I didn't skate well, but I know I will get heaps out of it - that's if it doesn't cause me to hang my skates up for good.

I know it's going to be helpful, but I don't mind admitting I am nervous about seeing it

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

I knew I wasn't very good, but a recent video destroyed any pretensions to skill I might have thought about entertaining.

What the video showed:

(1) Pathetically slow.
(2) Completely rigid ("Kneebend"? What's "kneebend"? Except when extension is called for - then the knee bends quite satisfactorily, and the toe points down, not out... ).
(3) Looking down.

What I need to work on:

See above!

hahahaha !! good clip...good clip. That's definitely positive proof hehe

Thanks for all the helpful comments, feeling much better about it all now, forced myself to watch the whole thing through again - argghhh - and sat with a pen and made a list of the major things that I want to work on.

Top of the list being SPEED, I can not belive that I am sooo slow and to stop looking at the ice the whole time. It also let me see how upright my upper body is during my camel spin, I never even realised this before it looks really stupid!! As for my jumps, I'm going to make the effort to really try and throw myself into them more and be less of a coward.

I loved the 1936 olympics video - during the single loops they seem to have their free leg up round their necks, just like i'm always getting told off for

If I find the lead to my camcorder and workout how I will try to post some of the video on here so y'all can have a good laugh at me aswell

Hi Doris,

Join the club! My soul was rocked, too, the first time I saw myself on tape. It feels so different then it looks. No matter how old you are parents can be very critical, because they have no idea what it is like out there--so, just take what he said with a grain of salt.

Anyway, here's the payoff: keep this tape, then look at it back-to-back with next year's tape--and the improvement will totally blow your mind! Comparing tapes over a period of time can be a real "soul lifter," and confidence builder! It's not all bad...

I've used it with my skating students that don't believe my corrections are valid. "I DID check before I jumped." Let's go to the videotape ... I never get an apology, but I do get "Oh, all right!" and a better check on the jump. *chuckle*

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Don't worry, no one will laugh; we're all in the same boat!! You'll probably get some good tips/suggestions though.

I too have never seen myself on tape, but I feel its about time. I'm probably a bit vain but i'm actually looking forward to it

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Level one Field Moves......PASSED 05.06.08
Level one Free dance.....PASSED 02.10.08

GOALS FOR 2009

• Level One Compulsary dances.......PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Elements.....................PASSED 10.07.09
• Level Two Free dance.................PASSED 19.02.09
• Level One Free...........................
• Level Two compulsory dances.......

Loving it, Loving it, Loving it!!!!!

Uh. . . NOT gonna happen! It will be more like, "Oh, yeah, that could be me. . ."

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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

Okay I found the lead to camcorder, so if this works as plans, here are the links to 'my first videoing experience'!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54pzpU6Zj_c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAM5LOP5dWQ


Any tips/ suggestions/constructive criticisms would be much appreciated. Please excuse the editing, I have never edited video footage before and got a bit carried away with all the fun.

Thanks guys x

P.S. when did the thread poster get a spell checker - I like, very useful considering how atrocious my spelling is

Neat! You are doing so well S.D. almost a Lutz too (jealous) What limited advice I may offer is try to work the sal from LFI MO leaning way over the L leg before take off. Then use this same feeling and check the FI3, readjust the body and then jump the Sal without the free leg whipping around.

Can you do a Loop Loop? looks possible!

Thanks for the vid postings
Lyle