Mrs Redboots
10-02-2005, 03:15 PM
So we're back after a lot better journey than sometimes - the motorway really wasn't as busy as we'd expected. And we've had a great time - it's a more solemn & serious affair than the US Adult Nationals, but still fun.
Sadly, this year (Max, we missed you!), there was no kiss-n-cry, no welcoming banners, no flowers-and-teddies stall, and no flower-girls (we had to pick up our own stuffed animals!), but the event was well-organised, if rather rushed. Even though both days ran very early, we were still rushed on to the ice as though we were trying to catch up a serious delay. And many of the dancers hope that next year, they will put all the compulsory dances (both solo & couples) on the Saturday, and then all the free dances on the Sunday, so that the dancers will have to stay overnight and if the free skating is on the Sunday, too, then the free skaters might come up on the Saturday night and the party be better-attended. It was an okay party, but not enough of us came.
But such minor niggles aside, we had a great time. We were bitterly disappointed to still finish 4th overall - but delighted that we were infinitely closer to our opposition than we've ever been! In fact, one judge even gave us our first-ever 1st-place ordinal in the Golden Skaters' Waltz. The placements were all over the place, except in the Riverside Rhumba, where we made a mistake on one step - and with opposition that close, that was disaster! We did still get one 3rd-place ordinal, though. Our friends from our rink were 2nd in both compulsory dances, Other Woman and her Husband were 1st in one and 3rd in the other, and the Scottish couple were the reverse. Then, in the free dance, the Scottish couple walked it, as expected - they are about the same level as us in the compulsories, but a great deal better in the free; and although we'd hoped we'd finish ahead of our friends from our rink, someone had helped them overcome their nerves, and they skated at least 500% better than they had when we all did our final practice at home 24 hours earlier! We ended up with 2 3rd place ordinals and 1 4th, sadly, not good enough for the 3rd place we'd hoped for. Ah well.... I was disappointed, but still thrilled with that 1st place mark!
In other news, Batikat skated brilliantly for a Bronze medal, and Samba for a Silver in the older age group (Other Woman skated as well as she did in Oberstdorf, where, if you remember, she got Bronze, and cheered by Mr Cinquanta) and deservedly took that class. 2Loop2Loop - now, brilliantly, Doctor 2Loop2Loop - wasn't skating but was there to put some friends on the ice.
One very splendid thing happened in one class - the youngest Intermediate free skaters, I think. We knew before the class was skated who would take the podium, but not in what order - and nor did the judges, who couldn't choose between the three skaters, and gave them all first place!
On the Saturday evening that was an on-ice class with Jimmy Young, which we did (oh, but I'm so stiff!), and learnt a lot. And there was an off-ice salsa class, which we didn't do, but went and sat in the bar and had a drink until it was time for the supper party which, as I've already said, not enough people went to, but was fun nevertheless.
Today was devoted to solo dance, and very good it was too. We were glad to be able to spend the day watching, although Husband has now acquired a 3rd partner for the final competition of the season, as neither Other Woman nor I will skate the Hickory Hoedown! And so it goes....
Eee, I can't wait for them to tell us what next year's dances will be!
Edited to put the parenthesis in the right place!
Sadly, this year (Max, we missed you!), there was no kiss-n-cry, no welcoming banners, no flowers-and-teddies stall, and no flower-girls (we had to pick up our own stuffed animals!), but the event was well-organised, if rather rushed. Even though both days ran very early, we were still rushed on to the ice as though we were trying to catch up a serious delay. And many of the dancers hope that next year, they will put all the compulsory dances (both solo & couples) on the Saturday, and then all the free dances on the Sunday, so that the dancers will have to stay overnight and if the free skating is on the Sunday, too, then the free skaters might come up on the Saturday night and the party be better-attended. It was an okay party, but not enough of us came.
But such minor niggles aside, we had a great time. We were bitterly disappointed to still finish 4th overall - but delighted that we were infinitely closer to our opposition than we've ever been! In fact, one judge even gave us our first-ever 1st-place ordinal in the Golden Skaters' Waltz. The placements were all over the place, except in the Riverside Rhumba, where we made a mistake on one step - and with opposition that close, that was disaster! We did still get one 3rd-place ordinal, though. Our friends from our rink were 2nd in both compulsory dances, Other Woman and her Husband were 1st in one and 3rd in the other, and the Scottish couple were the reverse. Then, in the free dance, the Scottish couple walked it, as expected - they are about the same level as us in the compulsories, but a great deal better in the free; and although we'd hoped we'd finish ahead of our friends from our rink, someone had helped them overcome their nerves, and they skated at least 500% better than they had when we all did our final practice at home 24 hours earlier! We ended up with 2 3rd place ordinals and 1 4th, sadly, not good enough for the 3rd place we'd hoped for. Ah well.... I was disappointed, but still thrilled with that 1st place mark!
In other news, Batikat skated brilliantly for a Bronze medal, and Samba for a Silver in the older age group (Other Woman skated as well as she did in Oberstdorf, where, if you remember, she got Bronze, and cheered by Mr Cinquanta) and deservedly took that class. 2Loop2Loop - now, brilliantly, Doctor 2Loop2Loop - wasn't skating but was there to put some friends on the ice.
One very splendid thing happened in one class - the youngest Intermediate free skaters, I think. We knew before the class was skated who would take the podium, but not in what order - and nor did the judges, who couldn't choose between the three skaters, and gave them all first place!
On the Saturday evening that was an on-ice class with Jimmy Young, which we did (oh, but I'm so stiff!), and learnt a lot. And there was an off-ice salsa class, which we didn't do, but went and sat in the bar and had a drink until it was time for the supper party which, as I've already said, not enough people went to, but was fun nevertheless.
Today was devoted to solo dance, and very good it was too. We were glad to be able to spend the day watching, although Husband has now acquired a 3rd partner for the final competition of the season, as neither Other Woman nor I will skate the Hickory Hoedown! And so it goes....
Eee, I can't wait for them to tell us what next year's dances will be!
Edited to put the parenthesis in the right place!