There are plenty of great things about skating, the friends, the feeling of flying etc etc. But tonight I discovered what I think the worst thing about skating is:

Lacing boots.

Now, I don't mean the lacing that you do every time you skate. I mean putting new laces in boots. Tonight I took the laces out of my lovely new Klingbeils, sno sealed, put on skate tape and then put in new cotton laces.

It took two hours. My fingers are red and sore.

I asked my boyfriend to do the other boot, he said "I thought I was here for my good looks and my body and now you want me to lace your skates after complaining for an hour about how hard it is" So, I laced the other boot myself.

The first two holes take the longest for me, followed closely by the second two holes. Thank goodness it doesn't need to be done often!!

What is the worst thing about skating for you?

Re. lacing your boots, esp. those first few holes:

2 words: needlenosed pliers.

Three words:

Money, Money, Money

and more money

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

Wang chung!

Actually, the worst thing I have encountered is taping your boots with that sk8tape (in my case, to change the color of the boot from white to tan). That takes forever and you have to really be careful not to pull the tape too much so it doesn't "bubble." Why is this relevant to this discussion? Because you have to take your laces out in order to do this!!!!!!

On the other hand, my Freestyle "synchro" boots have never looked better!

::Cheers!::
Kristin

Lacing my boots hs been interesting. When my new pair of customs arrived in 99, the store owner and I were each lacing one. We both ended up with the laces on one side of the boot, and discovered that the bootmaker had an uneven number of lace holes on the boots. We called them to alert them to the mistake. We figured it was ok to skip one of the earlier holes on one side, and it worked out fine. This past summer when my next set of customs arrived - the same thing. So I do know that they are being made from the same pattern. I can always pick out my boots in a crowd.

Worst thing about skating? For me... the early morning hours!!! I'm half asleep when I'm on the ice. And my coaches expect me to perform at my best with little amounts of sleep b/c I have to work late the previous night? EEEEK!!! (And my primary coach says when we made the switch from Monday night lessons to Wed mornings "It would be a good experience for you!")

Second worst thing? Injuries!!! I've already had two injuries this year alone to sideline me off the ice. (Well, one of them sidelined me for about a week...the other one for at least 8 weeks!)

THEN it's money, money and more money!!!

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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 think the worst thing about skating is the money!

and i hate when ppl say figureskating isnt a sport! THAT MAKES ME SOOOO MAD

The worst thing about re-lacing my boots - which I did yesterday, as I wanted to polish them - is settling the laces comfortably when you put the skates on afterwards. I don't have a problem with putting the laces in.

The worst thing about skating is the frustration when you can't do something, even after many years of patient instruction, and you know quite well that it is your head, rather than your body, that won't let you do it.

Oh, and the money.....

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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!

I unlaced my boots not so long ago, without realising the ends were frayed, so I couldn't get them back in! I tried everything, putting nail varnish on to harden them up, selotape, everything! I did eventually get them relaced but it took about 2 hours and I was extremely annoyed. I never even went skating that day either!!!

I agree with the money being a severe disadvantage, it's expensive, especially as I can't get a job and my parents aren't into funding my skating so much! I think at £14 a week, when I only go once a week is ridiculous!

How come it took you so long? I frequently remove my laces to wash them especially before a competition, and it only takes me about 5 minutes to relace them. I can't imagine sitting there for two hours relacing them!!!!

Nicki

The worst thing?

Hmm. Dare I say a truculent and belligerent pair partner?

No, maybe it's the frustration at hitting your limit and knowing that you'll never land a double jump or do more than a "group 2" pair lift.

Or maybe it's the multitude of body injuries.

The money problem is not really an issue. If I weren't skating, I'd probably "waste" my money some other way!

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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.

Hi NoVa,
What are the group 1 and 2 lifts? We didn't have limits before.
Have to find that rulebook!

Money, money, money...

and a close second is time, time, time. If I had more time to skate, I could do dance, figures, pairs...but since I can only get about 3 hours on average in a week, I do only freestyle for now.

(I keep saying that if I win the lotto, I'll take up dance, figures, pairs, etc., plus build a rink!! )

The group lifts:
http://www.sk8stuff.com/f_recog/pair...ifts_index.htm

With the new adult pair structure--bronze, silver, gold, and masters levels instead of just "adult" and "masters"--they've put in new language.
Here's the link:
http://usfsa.org/Shell.asp?sid=25396

To wit:

SSR 6.12 Adult Silver Pair—A well-balanced adult silver pair program must contain:
A. One lift, but not more than two different lifts, one of which must be from Group 1. The remaining lift may be from either Group 1 or 2. Overhead lifts are not permitted.
B. One throw single jump, but not more than two different throw single jumps. Throw Axel is permitted. Throw double jumps are not permitted.
C. One solo single jump, but not more than two different solo single jumps. Axel is permitted. Double jumps are not permitted.
D. One jump combination or sequence of jumps (the number of jumps to be included is free), limited to half and single rotational jumps, including the Axel jump, only. Double jumps are not permitted.
E. One pair spin, but not more than two different pair spins. Change of foot or position is not permitted. Minimum of three (3) revolutions in each pair spin.
F. One solo spin, but not more than two different solo spins. One change of position is permitted. Change of foot is not permitted. Minimum of three (3) revolutions in each solo spin.
G. One pivot or death spiral. Skaters may choose the position and hand hold.
H. One step sequence (i.e. circular, straight line, serpentine) utilizing at least half of the ice surface.

__________________
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.

Group 1 are "armpit" lifts (lutz, axel, etc.)
Group 2 are waist lifts (split twist and loop lift)
Group 3 are hip lifts (star, platter, etc.)
Group 4 are press lifts
Group 5 are lasso lifts

For silver pairs, one group 1 lift is required and another lift can be either group 1 or group 2. For gold pairs, overhead lifts are permitted, but no combination lifts and no one-handed or no-handed lifts. In masters pairs, anything goes!

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Where are those knives when I need them?
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I need a detachable left foot!

HAHAHA! Loops and I responded at the same time. Eerie synchronicity off ice as well as on ice!

__________________
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.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

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Where are those knives when I need them?
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I need a detachable left foot!

Unison, gotta love it!

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Where are those knives when I need them?
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I need a detachable left foot!

Maybe this isn't a good thread for me to be responding to this week - lol!

Yep, time and money are definitely up there. Lately for me, it's been the frustration of not progressing as I'd like. I know I'm never going to look like an elite skater, or even the teenage skaters at my rink, but I've been plugging away at the same jumps and spins for what seems like forever, with not a whole lot of improvement.

I'm actually going to take a break from skating for a few weeks, to figure out if it's worth it to me to keep going. I hate to spend money and not get any benefit from it. I don't really care about winning competitions or medals (although that is nice when/if it happens) but I just want to skate at a certain level of competency. If I can't reach that, why continue to be frustrated? Plus, when I finish b-school, will the job I (hopefully) have allow me to put in the time I would need even to just maintain my skills, much less improve?

Off to ponder my skating future, such as it is....

NoVa, you hit it pretty much on the head for me (oops, remember yesterday's camel spin discussion?? )

After Ashburn, I'll really work on getting outside my "comfort zone" on technical elements.

The other thing for me is that there are so few fellow adult skaters here in Southern VA that it makes me wonder that if I were around adult skaters more often, I'd be influenced to work much harder than I already do!

Nicki, my boots were brand new, so the holes weren't at the stretched and comfie stage and weren't 100% punched, plus I'd sno-sealed, which meant I had to push some of that out. Add to that tiredness and general incompetence!

Debbie, a break sounds like the right thing for you at the moment. You'll will probably miss skating and the challenge. It is so important to find the balance between patience and progression (I am not there yet, I want everything *now*). As my coach says "man man lai, bie ji" (chinese, means "slowly it will come, don't fret") For me, the fretting probably makes the progression even slower.

Another thing I don't like. "(Can you) do a *insert elite move of your choice*" by people who don't skate and realise that being a skater who skates every day doesn't mean I can do triples, laybacks etc etc. and don't realiise how hard the easiest looking thing is!

Thanks Loops and NoVa!!
I guess the platter - star combination is out! I don't think it will make a difference - we were in masters and the only pair with a combo lift- but it was fun to work towards. And NoVa, you have done a group 3 lift - we just did it on the ground. You two are pretty solid, so you can work on your overheads for show, and when you pass gold!
It's odd that the gold level allows a press, (a level 4). We tried a lasso and toe overhead - on the floor ok, but the ice quite a different matter.

TerriC, when I come down to visit my parents at the beach we can inspire eachother - then go for coffee.

Debbie - come skate with us at club, and just enjoy yourself. It's a very friendly and welcoming group, and we have great parties!

They had frayed, and they were too big to fit throuh the holes.

One day, we'll get past group 2!!!
Actually, we (or is it just me?)--at one point--plan on getting that platter lift on the ice. Even if we start a program (I'm thinking exhibition here) with it; i.e., we're not moving. That way, less likely for Loops to:
a) sprawl across the ice or
b) fall on me!

__________________
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.