Hi all! The 2007 ANs announcement is ready and available for download on the website. Deadline is January 16, 2007:

http://www.adultnationals2007.org

There is tons of hotel and travel information available, links to the rink facilities and initial vendor information. We are always looking for more vendors or volunteers, so please contact us if you'd like to participate in those capacities.

We hope to see you next April in Chicago!

Yey, thank you for posting

Looking forward to it

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Tim David's Website

Woohoo! Thanks for posting the link!

Manlywoman et al. how much would budget for a trip to compete? just curious.

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Keep Evolving. "From this moment forward, every voice that told you - You Can't - , has been silenced." - Freedom Writers

Last year, I went with 2 other people from my club (we left Monday and returned on Sunday) and here's what I ended up spending:

Hotel - $200 (Baymont Inn)
Rental Car - $100 (mini van from Alamo)
Flight - $250 (MDW-DFW)
Spending money (includes food & souvenirs) - $400 (I brought ~$650)
2 Practice Ice Sessions & Official Warm up - $40
Entry fees - $120

So, I spent roughly $1000 on everything for the week.

Hope that helps!

Manleywoman, is there going to be any sort of shuttle for competitors between the hotels and the rink? Or would one need to rent a car? Also, how far is Midway Airport from the rink/hotel area? I think SW only flies into Midway and not O'Hare.

(Good to see you at HC. We did meet before, at a USFSA-sponsored skating clinic in Philly (featuring Todd Eldredge) in 2002. Hopefully, I will be able to make it to AN this year.)

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Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

There will not be a shuttle. You'll need to rent a car. But the main rink and practice rink are a mere block away from each other, so there's no driving necessary to get to practice ice. Just from hotel to rink and restaurants.

O'Hare is only 10 minutes away from the rink, Midway is about 40 minutes. And yes, Southwest only flies into Midway. FYI, if you're sharing a car with someone who is flying into O'Hare, you can take the El train all the way from Midway to O'Hare (switch from orange to blue line) for $2.00 and meet them at O'Hare.

And Milwaukee's airport is an option too, though farther. I can't imagine finding anything cheaper flying into Milwaukee though. But it;s worth throwing out there.

So you are thinking of competing, cecealias? I guess since you are working on doubles and have passed Intermediate MIF, you would be competing at Gold? Or are you Silver?

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Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

Anyone need a roommate or travel buddy? Or is it too early to ask? I'm just excited, as this will be my first nationals! Assuming I make it there...

Unfortunately, this one is local for me, so I am planning to live at home...

Got an extra room??? (Just kidding!!! Really!!!)

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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!!!

What is the name of the "practice rink" 1 block away? Is it where the official warmups will be, or do you have 2 ice surfaces at the competition rink itself?

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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

The main arena has 2 surfaces. All official warm ups will be on those, as is usually done at all past ANs. The practice ice is only for additional practice. I don't think it has an official name, I've just heard it referred to as the rink on John Street.

There are links to the Edge Ice Arena on the ANs site, but their direct link is
http://www.bensenville.il.us/REC_Ice/index.asp

LOL depends on the budget!

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Keep Evolving. "From this moment forward, every voice that told you - You Can't - , has been silenced." - Freedom Writers

Wish we could be there to watch you all and see Jazzpants' AN debut. Improbable, I'm afraid.... but we hope to see lots of you at Oberstdorf and the Mountain Cup. Those two announcements should be available soon, too, I expect.

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

I really didn't want to see that spelled out! Argh!

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Champagne in 2005, 2008, 2009 - who's next out of the pre-bronze club...?

Wang chung!

Sorry, Mel! It really didn't seem like a lot until I added it all up! I can't believe we actually spent ~$1000 each for that trip! :-S

I'm thinking if will want to do ice dance next year for the competition ... haven't done it for a long time now... I think i'm prob a pre bronze or bronze for that!

Me neither! And in my case, that's not including the new program and the dress that I want to put together for the FS event. Then again, for my AN debut (whether 2007 or 2008), I want it done right, so I'm willing to spend the money again for a local dressmaker to do the dress. Besides, I don't think that any of the "off the rack" dress would fit the music.

My numbers came out much higher than $1000 this year, but if I were to share a room and go semi-custom and stone my own dress (which in this case, thankfully it doesn't need), I probably could shave off a $100 here and there. This is the main reason why I'm currently on the fence on going to AN in 2007. It really depends on whether or not I can come up with that type of $$$ by then and whether I want to "do things just right."

Mel... if I don't make it to Chicago, pls. keep the bubbly chilled for another year. I'll definitely see you for sure in AN 2008 and with a brand spankin' new FS program that hopefully, when it's done, it's worth the wait! (I have a vague idea what it will be, but I'll draw up the concept this Thanksgiving.)

Annabel: If you save up for AN 2008 and if it's in the locale that I was hoping it would be, I will definitely be there! My sekret source tells me that their rink is putting in a bid for AN 2008 too and I want THAT rink to win the bid b/c airfare/driving won't be as expensive (meaning you willl likely get MORE participants going to AN... ) and you won't have to deal with the altitudes problems of Denver. Plus they have parking and decent grub nearby!!! And yes, this rink has MULTIPLE SHEETS of ice and very Adult Competitor friendly! So start saving up and come by AN 2008 so I can meet you and Robert!

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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!!!

Well, we'll see. We'll be about due for another visit to the USA by then.... but no promises. This year will definitely be out, with the daughter's wedding the following weekend! Although if I haven't found anything to wear by then, I'll be tempted to do a quick shopping trip to the USA - American clothes look good on me. Why don't Dress Barn open a franchise over here??????

However, if anybody from your rink is doing the European comps this year, let me know - I can send you a little present to celebrate your debut as a Bronze Lady!

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

Unfortunately, I already offered my spare room to a couple people. Sorry.

No worries! I really wasn't serious (though obviously if you DID have that room to spare that I strongly would have considered it... LOL!!! )

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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!!!

I just looked up my aunt's house in Elmwood Park on Mapquest, and it says that it's a 16-minute drive from the rink! Sweet!!

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

No plans on going right now. I would have to take silver MIF and Freeskate on the same date (club test session is Jan 15) and then mail entry form the next day if I passed both! Not really interested in trying to rush the tests this year. The dates for AN are bad for me as well! It is right after my spring break and it will be VERY difficult for me to take that week off from work. As much as I luv Chicago I think I will just stay home and look at my Medal and Plate from 2006 AN and hopefully make it to 2008....who knows, maybe I will be a Gold Men III by then!

I will talk to my coach about it at my lesson tonight and see what his thoughts are. He feels my MIF are pretty strong right now so who knows!

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Why are you skating so slowly? Get out of my way!

If you skate faster, it makes everything look better!

All registered and ready to go Silver Men's FS 1

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Tim David's Website