Seems to be my turn to start this week.

Eating raspberries: The ice had been cut and was eminently skateable-on, with only one or two lumps and bumps where the rain had been dripping - nothing that a lad with a good hockey-stop couldn't get rid of. And he did!

We arrived early, for us, and did some useful practice together before our respective lessons. With judicious use of other people's music, we were able to skate the Rhythm Blues and the Fiesta Tango a couple of times each, and we also walked through our Cha-Cha, which we call the Canadian Cha-Cha here (we have another easy Cha-Cha called the Festival Cha-Cha, so one needs to distinguish them).

In our lesson, we concentrated mostly on the Cha-Cha. We had remembered to bring the "words" (i.e. the pattern and step list) with us, so we could work out what steps went where, and whereabouts on the ice we were supposed to do what. It helped enormously when Robert realised it was an inside chassé at the beginning, and by the end of the lesson, the dance was a lot better than at the start. However, we need to watch the video of the Bronze couples from the Mountain Cup doing it before we skate it again, I think.

We were also able to show the coach our Fiesta, which he says that for us it is excellent, but of course that doesn't mean it would finish ahead of any other pre-Bronze couple in the world, and it probably wouldn't! But it is better than it was. I was actually able to get the back edge after the Mohawk, although I wasn't desperately good at the backwards section. We are beginning to be able to get it into something more like the pattern now, though.

Blowing Raspberries: I still haven't got the proper music for my Interpretive! I do hope my coach gets it cut for Wednesday, as we must finalise the choreography - the first performance is in 3 weeks! Oops. Who thinks I'm not going to do very well with it just now?

Other than that, and the fact that I got very tired and left the ice after our lesson, I don't think anything too ghastly..... for once!

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

That's a great title.
Tomorrow I will be eating raspberries on my backspin.

__________________
MEL
Absolute Skating

You know Annebel, I have the same problem with the backward steps with my Fiesta. I seem to not be able to push hard enough to get the backward edges to go far enough. This results in making that section of the pattern short. The rest of my Fiesta is fine including my RFI Op Mo. It's funny that we spend so much time getting the harder things down but forget to work on the easy backward steps for power and speed. If I could get those backward steps stronger, I could test the Fiesta right away. Although, don't look for me to compete in dance. I'm an ice jump junkie and there aren't any jumps in ice dance.

PS: I very rarely get to dance with a partner. So I have to test all my dances solo since I changed clubs. I'd dance with my coach for the tests, except she never keeps her blades sharp enough to hold an edge. LOL I don't want to be pulled down by my coach. LOL Most of the time during my intermediate session my coach is in her runners. And for the senior session, she's always in her runners because of her bunions. she does most of her on ice coaching for the junior, pre-prelim, Canskate and skills sessions. How about your coach? My husband, he's lucky to go forward on skates and hates the coldness of the rink. He's not a sports person.

__________________
"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

http://eastcastlemusic.tripod.com

Singerskates Sports Music Editing

Er, actually my name is Annabel.

Quote:

I have the same problem with the backward steps with my Fiesta. I seem to not be able to push hard enough to get the backward edges to go far enough. This results in making that section of the pattern short. The rest of my Fiesta is fine including my RFI Op Mo. It's funny that we spend so much time getting the harder things down but forget to work on the easy backward steps for power and speed. If I could get those backward steps stronger, I could test the Fiesta right away. Although, don't look for me to compete in dance. I'm an ice jump junkie and there aren't any jumps in ice dance.

Well, I do work on my backwards skating a lot, but still find just plain vanilla back stroking one of the hardest things in skating! I'd almost rather do a 3-turn at speed!

I forgot one fearful Blowing Raspberry, which was that when we did the Swing Dance in our lesson I got stuck on the Mohawk! I don't usually, but I was totally at the wrong angle......

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

It blows le raspberries: My RFO3. This is hilarious. It used to be my strongest one, now it sucks dead bears through straws (yes, I know, frightening visual, but an expression I use with affection as I got it from a high school classmate who passed away two years ago). It's scratchy beyond belief. My RFI3 and LFO3 (yes, I'm a CCW) are peachy, we haven't gotten to the LFI3 yet, but the RFO3, to quote the comic strips....PBBBBBBLLLLLTT!
Major spittin' raspberry!!!!!

Raspberrries on top of CHEEEEEEESECAKE: Everything else!!! Waltz jump actually jumps again. Half flip is improving, back edges are better than ever. Yes, we LOVE our new skates now!!!

The very sweetest raspberry: I was asked to assist a new adult at groups today. Sigh...three and a half years ago, there stood I. She managed to lift her feet a bit more as we marched each step, and loved the fact that I explained weight on each portion of the blade for forwards and backwards. She doesn't look down at least--she is absolutely transfixed STARING at the opposite end of the rink. Gee, remember when we were reminded to BREATHE!!! She was a sweetheart, and improved greatly over the half hour. Next week, we work on falling... this was such fun. She is going to do great.

Its moments like this that remind me how far I've come.

NO complaints, mates...

Beth

Eating raspberries:
Went to my first edge class today. It was a really fun time. We were a mixed group doing things I'd never even seen before, only read about (swing rolls, power pulls, Russian stroking, etc.), and many other hard things. It was way above my level but I still got a lot out of it though some exercises just didn't make it past the "brain-body" barrier.

(Quarkiki, I think I know how you felt when you took that summer intensive course--it's so very exciting and hard at the same time.)

I stayed after to practice during the freestyle session.

Edited to add another "eating raspberry": One of the other skaters at the edge class was amazed to hear that I'd only been taking lessons since March and complimented me. That made my day

Had a one hour freestyle session tonight. Just wanted to be on the ice once more for a while. Didn't do anything special, but just enjoyed the glide.

Going in at 8:30 tomorrow morning for rotator cuff surgery. The doc says it may be a couple of months before I skate again. I'm betting on a couple of weeks. Just strap that arm to my body and go for it.

Wish me luck and keep the ice fast and smooth until I return.

Well, after a brilliant eating rasberries lesson on Saturday, where EVERYTHING went right, which for me now means only forward cw and ccw crossovers and backward swizzles and half swizzles, t-stops and forward gliding, I had a MAJOR blowing rasberries practice today. As soon as I got on the ice I felt intimidated by all the other skaters and it went downhill from there. Was attempting to do the backward alternating half swizzles and lifting my leg up in the front so I glide backwards but ended up looking like a stupid idiot baby beginner, most of the time I just didn't lift my leg.
Left after an hour of achieving nothing but feeling bad. I'm very annoyed that I seem to have nothing still. I hear music and want to skate but can't. It's frustrating. For the first time I'm thinking of canning the whole thing. My passion has gone, I didn't enjoy myself at all for the first time I can ever remember. Am taking tomorrow off to try and relax and *breathe* as my boyfriend says. Hopefully work, I had yesterday (Sun) and today off, will distract me and I'll be back skating on Wednesday.

*good skating vibes to all*

Edited to wish garyc luck and smooth ice when you return!

Eating raspberries:
Landed more axels, including a clean one on the first attempt of the night! Total result was four out of six, after which I stopped, figuring I should quit while things were going well. Also had a couple of good flying camels.

Blowing them:
* For a while I couldn't find my camel spin and thought the skategods had traded it for the axel.
* Started working on double flip Friday morning, and the timing on my single is now messed up.

Anital- DON'T QUIT! This is the life of the adult figure skater- one day it's there, the next you feel like you'll never get anywhere. But remember- one of the reasons you feel so frustrated is because you've learned enough to know you want more. Keep plugging!!!!!

Get well soon, Gary!

Eating raspberrries:

On Saturday, we worked on FW and BW crossovers in figure-8 patterns - I think I got the hang of the foot changes. We're all doing freestyle level 3, so no more with the instructor switching back and forth.

Blowing:

Sigh. Just about everything else! Back spin is still not more than 1 rev, and at this level, we need to do 3 revs w/ foot crossed. BI turns were scary - probably b/c I never fully mastered BO turns. And the salchow - ugh! I keep veering inside after the FO turn, and end up going around in a circle and doing a hop. I understand it when the instructor showed us, it's just one of those things where the body doesn't do what the mind says. Our instructor even had us do an exercise where we held the BI edge and tried to stay fairly straight, but I kept tilting. Even when I control the edge, I end up only doing about 1/2 rev - it's hard to jump w/o a toe pick. Any suggestions?

We also worked on toe loops and our instructor told us something interesting - a toe loop is like a waltz jump, b/c you should be pulling back on your toe as you start to jump, and basically jump off your edge w/ your toe in the ice. Isn't that what Sarah Hughes has been so criticized for, the so-called toe axel? Maybe I didn't quite get the full gist of what he was saying. He's said several times that waltz, toe loop, and salchow jumps are basically the same. Any thoughts?

Another major, non-skating related blow: I had a nasty fall during my tennis lesson yesterday and badly scraped my knee - the opposite knee that I bruised in my spiral fall several weeks ago. My knee hurts when I bend it - and I badly want to go practice tomorrow afternoon.

anital: Read my post above about losing my best three turn with my new skates. I'm not worried, it will come back. Things come and go for all of us. Believe me, you're doing fine. It takes a while to get the basics. Just keep plugging--with time and practice, the skills will come.


Hugs,

Beth

Blowing rasperries
Yes, folks, I did it again........fell on a 3 turn!
This time, just for variety, it was the LFO 3 turn (as part of alternate FO3s with crossover field move). Somehow my toepick caught caught in the ice before the turn.....my hips stayed with my legs, but the upper body kept on going, and I literally went A*** over T**!
I even embarrassed my coach with that fall!
It left a bit of a mess on the ice too!

I got change foot spins in my lesson, which were atrocious judging by the look on coach's face.

Eating them...
I got a "much improved" from my coach, regarding the field moves, which I have been practising religiously.
I did 4 lutzes all by myself!

The backspin got a "pull in! - out! - that'll do!"

__________________
MEL
Absolute Skating

Well after being off the ice for almost two weeks due to the high school play I was directing (it finally performed Fri and Sat night, yay!) I got back on the ice for a lesson.

I'm still a Beta adult, but the class is two Betas, three Gammas, and two Deltas and we spent most of the time working on FO3s and inside mohawks. And I'm still just a nudge in confidence away from doing them. I was completely exhausted from the show, so I gotta say this was a mostly blowing raspberries lesson. Too tired. Good news is that I am equally close on both sides of the FO3s and the mohawks -- I don't seem to favor one side over the other at this point.

Worst blowing raspberries: l over right back crossovers have taken a trip to Neptune. I was struggling with them and too tired to convince myself that I wasn't going to fall if I picked up my foot. Did them with coach holding my hande and were ok then. I'm planning to make up a lesson tomorrow night and might skate the public session after the lesson. Also planning to go to club ice on Wednesday for more practice.

Eating raspberries: Backward r over l crossovers -- it's been about three weeks since I've done any crossovers and, somehow, these improved! Not that they're wonderful, but I wasn't scraping my toepicks nor was I bobbing up and down too much. Yay!

Practiced a spiral position at the boards with the instructor's assistant. Although I knew I could do this, I needed an ego stroke, and she'd never seen me stretch or try this before. She blocked the back of my skate and asked me to lift my leg in the spiral position and was going to help hold it up higher than my hip to show me how high it needed to be, but I lifted my leg on my own higher than my head and she nearly fell over in amazement. I felt kinda slimy after that, though, because I knew I could do it and, like I said, was just seeking a compliment after a pretty lousy lesson.

mikawendy -- you edge class does sound like my summer camp -- I'm thrilled you're doing it even it some of the skills are hard for you right now -- I know I learned TONS and had a terrific time with the challenge. You go, girl!

Anital, don't give up! We've all had days on the ice when nothing works and it seems like you've forgotten everything... When it happens to me I describe it as "wearing someone else's feet" for the session, and I just chalk it up as one of those things. And often the next time on the ice is great.

Coach and I decided last week that I should test Adult Pre-Bronze MIF the end of this month... so today's lesson was structured solely towards that. We went through multiple repeats of almost everything on the test (didn't make it to the alternating 3's, but wanted to take advantage of the empty ice to work on the perimeter stroking and the figure 8 crossovers w/o playing "dodge-em" like happens on my THursday lesson)

Eating Raspberries: CCW perimeter stroking. I'm getting 6 strokes down the rink, after the intro strokes, then 4 progressives around the end of the rink, then 6 strokes down the other side.

Forward Crossovers (Figure 8)... the CCW side was really good, the CW side was okay (probably passable) but better than last week. I felt like I had my right hip into the circle too much on the CW direction, plus something wonky w/ the left free leg. I may have to get coach to pull out the dreaded video camera so I can see exactly what I'm feeling.

Backward Crossovers (Figure 8)... Coach was pleased with both directions, I just need to remember to look up more ... he says it changes the whole move and makes it look 100% stronger.

Edges... We made it through all but the BI edges... Coach is changing how I start into the BO edges so that I strike off a bit differently and lift the free leg sooner. I got a laugh at the end of the lesson, though. I asked coach to demonstrate how he wants me to start the BI edges so I could practice it over the next couple days. He thinks and tries and it's just not wanting to work because I put him on the spot...finally he says, don't you want to start from a 3-turn (which the book allows for adults..) and I said no, I wanted to do it like the kids. then I said...well you've got until Thurs to think about the BI starts, with a big grin. (NOthing like putting coach on the spot...because I know he can do it, it's just he has to think about HOW he does it... after all other than teaching BI edges from a standstill, how often does an international-level dancer execute such a move...

Blowing Raspberries... CW Perimeter stroking. Well the CW progressives mostly... the stroking was the same... I need to get down in the knees more and turn the toe out as I stroke so that there's no semblence of toe-pushing on that side. Plus pull the right hip out of the circle so that I'm over it more, to get better edges.

Just There..: My LFI3s are getting better, and the alternating FI3s are feeling better too... I'm getting more flow out of the LFI3s now and not dreading them so much, nor am I having to concentrate on the set-up (and because I've said that, now next time I skate, they'll reek royally...)

And... I did an EW pattern solo where the whole end pattern was within about 5-6 feet of the barriers (NHL rink). Boy was I pleased at that. Not to the music, though....

Finally I played around with 5-step mohawk sequence and realized quickly that I need to push my hips underneath me more to get a more controlled mohawk that's not rushed...

--jsl

Well, I didn't have a chance to blow any raspberries. I got to the rink last night and the CanSkate kids just got off of the ice and I was told that the zamboni had broken down. I was told that the ice was way too bad for us intermediate and senior skaters and we were sent home. Didn't even get the skate bag into the dressing room. They said that they couldn't get a mechanic in until today and that the zamboni won't be ready until Tuesday. Good thing we don't skate at Riverside Anena on Mondays. Today's Monday. With that I took my skate bag and went back out into the rain and drove home in my van only to find that my computer went down. I gave up for the night and just made dinner, watch a few movies and played The Game Of Life. Like I didn't just play the real game of life of the dejected skater. ROTFLOL Glad it's another day.

__________________
"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

http://eastcastlemusic.tripod.com

Singerskates Sports Music Editing

This is from Saturday morning:

Eating Raspberries:

New step sequence that was fun and I could do it. I write down all the sequences I learn, maybe one day I can use them in a programme!

Waltz jump good, salchow and toe loop ok. Spent time working on the loop - landed a few. Coach tells me I am actually jumping, not just hopping, but I can't seem to land on the left foot consistently. Hmm.

Went back to 2 foot spin, which was a bit better. I actually did one that was totally secure, no wavering or unease whatsoever. I wish it could be like that every time!! Was probably a fluke. But I imagine that's how people who can actually spin feel like.

Learnt a hockey stop - I've never learnt it before.

Blowing Raspberries:

Majority of loops were on wrong foot. Coach says it's because my 3 turn into it isn't always done exactly the same each time, and also it's a kind of fear, in my head habit thing to land on the wrong foot.

1 foot spin entry was pretty wrong most of the time. Ugh. SO frustrating.

__________________
"It’s never too late to skate at any age." - Alexei Mishin.

Blowing raspberries

• Another adult skater was teaching me pre-pre edges, and man, they are so much harder than I thought. So many little things to think about, just to get it perfect! I felt like I had just started back to square one, LOL..
• Jumps. I dunno why, they're just kinda sucking now....I could rotate the loop but I'd lean back too quickly on the landing and I'd put the other foot down. LOL as I did one, another adult skater commented to her coach, "Now why can't I get my foot like that?" which made me feel a bit better.
• Backspins are gone! Again! Waaaah!!
• Camel. Hahahahahahahahahaha..
• The left lobe on my waltz 8 needs major work..

Eating raspberries

• When I first got on the ice, there were only a couple of people on it, it was newly swept, and it was one of the most beautiful feelings I've had in a long time.
• Terrific sit spin day! Whoa, they were fast! I love sit spins!
• The right lobe on the waltz 8 is much improved.

Anita

Raspberries.....not a chance!! My last lesson was the absolute pits!!

I was having a very bad day and it showed...

Hopefully I have gotten THAT out of my system!!

__________________
Keeping School Figures Alive!!

I haven't posted in a while because I've been going through one of those dismal moods where everything I needed to work on seemed just too challenging. Finally, I decided to do anything that I wasn't afraid of and keep myself moving. After all, there's nothing I can do that can't use improvement. That strategy finally produced results, and this week I've been able to get back to work on the areas that really need it if I'm going to progress.

Eating Raspberries:
Phobia re FO threes is gone again, and I was actually able to do the first one into the Prelim power three pattern properly without swinging my shoulders to force it. I'm also, at long last, not rushing the turns in the alternating FO three pattern. In my lesson today, after complimenting my (dreaded) BI edge pattern, my coach said I should seek that position immediately after each turn in the alternating FO three pattern in my attempt to keep my free leg up until reaching the line for the next stroke. I still haven't quite got it, but it's a wonderful idea that really clicks for me. She emphasized that anyone who can hold the second half of the BI edge (as well as I do) in the edge pattern, could certainly hold the same edge after a FO three.

BO edge pattern was "beautiful" and I only need to hold my head a bit higher and stretch a bit more for better presentation. This is actually my best edge pattern of the four in Pre-Pre or Pre-Bronze.

I was able to do one FI three off the wall today. The first one in three weeks. I really do think if I could be free of fear, I would get all the three turns fairly quickly. Can't wait for my own outdoor rink with a jump harness for three turns

Blowing Raspberries:
The entire last three weeks, during which I did not enjoy skating once due mostly to fear.

__________________

Eating raspberries:
Sit spins... right until I got to taking lessons with my primary coach... THEN it went to hell. But I was saved by the Lord at the end. Hallelulah!!!

Scratch spin... flaky. It's really good or really bad... He's trying to work on my spin entry... AND he wants me to try a new spin entry... LFI3 step to a RFO3 to spin CW. Came out okay so far...

Waltz jump goes from okay to nice!

Blowing raspberries:
Camel and backspins are close but no cigar... but I've much further along than usual... Oh, I really want those backspins...

FO3 SUCKS again... both of them suck. The LFO3 sucked more than the RFO3 but both suck for different reasons.

Loops is blowing CHUCKS of raspberries this week. AUGH!!!

Cheers,
jazzpants

Haven't been skating much because of sinus viral infection so I was happy to feel well enough to do it.

Blowing rasperries - Hmmm. My flip was a total flop, fell hard and had lost the timing. Couldn't spin much either but I didn't get too upset since I haven't been skating much I knew it'd be rough.


Eating rasperries - My waltz jump really was big last night, my arms still get sloppy when I try to do consecutive waltz jumps but I was so psyched at how much ice was covering.

__________________
Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
Maurice Setter

Landed a few more axels last night, including one for my coach, but the success ratio was way down because my timing was off. Then we worked on double sal, which I just don't understand physically.

Messed up every flying sit I tried and about half the flying camels. Oh well.

Blowing raspberries:
-I’m still allowing myself to get intimidated by the little whizzes that are on my session. I’m scared of a crash, even though the girls do a really good job staying out of my (and each other’s) way. A 5-foot forcefield around me is what I really want, but getting used to this is what I’ll have to settle for. The anxiety is already dying down (this is my third private lesson), so I think I’ll eventually settle down once I’m comfortable.
-I jump as though bricks are tied to my feet and a refrigerator is strapped to my back. Coach is pleased with how much ice I cover on the waltz jump, but not crazy with how little height I get. Same problems with the half-flip and the toe…and probably the salchow, too (which I didn’t work on today).
-I do not have a skater’s brain. I’m fine during my lesson, but once Coach leaves I find myself tripping over the lefts and rights and insides and outsides. Sometimes I have to stop and really think before I try things. I’ve started writing in a journal after I’m through skating, when everything is still fresh in my mind. That seems to help alleviate the brain farts to some extent.

Eating raspberries:
-I learned my first combination! Fun! Just a waltz-toe, but it wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would feel. I did it on the first try, which is a confidence booster, and it got increasingly better as I played around with it. Gotta like feeling successful.
-Backwards stroking. No longer does it require me to strain my brain while I’m doing it just to get it right. It’s improving rather quickly, and it’s not straining my brain.
-I’m skating. How cool is that?!