Skater thinks that she is more superior because her level is higher than me.

[londonicechamp]

Hi guys

This really annoys me!!!!!!!

When I went for ice skating practice before my lesson on New Year's Eve, the middle area where I used to practice, were all filled up with coaches and their students, and so I was forced to the further down of the outer circle of the centre area for my practice. I was happily working on my spins.

Then suddenly this girl appeared, and she said to me that I better practise in another area, as there would be loads of people today (meaning New Year's Eve). Then I realised that she only wanted the area all to herself for practising her jumps, probably ISI freestyle level 5 or higher. What did she think she is? That coz she is a level higher than me, she has more rights to practise than me before her lesson. She had a lesson at the same time as me.

I really wanted to approach her coach and complained, but dared not do so, as the girl would probably just deny what she did to me in front of her coach.

Anybody can give me some good advice on what I do in the future if I encounter this girl again?

Much appreciated.

For your info, at my rink, on days of my lesson (and any other skater's), we have unlimited ice practice time, as that is included in our lesson fees. So I got super annoyed when people more higher level than me thinks that they should have the ice to themselves when both I and her paid the same lesson fee. My coach and this particular girl's coach are both level 2 coaches.

Well, this girl was practising after ice resurfacing as she had the same lesson time as me. When she saw that I was practising scratch spin, change foot spins, and sit spins (though not as low as I would like it to be), she automatically moved away from me.

The good thing is that this girl's treatment of me has not affected my skating lesson too much.

londonicechamp

N.B. Not exactly parents/coaches thread, but seeing that there is no place to put it elsewhere, I post it here.

[mdvask8r]

Everyone should be moving around using all of the ice, not just practicing all in one area over and over and over.

[sk8rdad59]

There is nothing more frustrating for a higher level skater that a skater who "stakes out" a piece of the ice surface as though they own it. You need to vary where you do your elements on the ice so you aren't monopolizing one spot.

In particular higher level skaters tend to use the corners to the right of the goal crease (facing the goal from center) more than to the left. These are referred to as the Lutz corners and tend to have more jump traffic than the other two corners. Just take a good look at what the higher level skaters are doing a try to use areas they use less frequently. If your working on spins a lot then if you stick to the less used areas the other skaters will adjust around you its when your in a prime spot that they will get annoyed.

[londonicechamp]

Hi

It was more difficult using all areas of the ice last week as it was the school holidays. 2.5 weeks ago (still the school holidays), I tried to practise in the area where not lots of people go to, but I was told by the ice marshalls not to practise around that outer area as a lot of skaters, skating wise, are just mucking about, and so not safe for me to practise around that area. Eventually the ice marshall moved me to the centre area, to practise my jumps and spins there.

Well, at least if that ice skater told me nicely that she would like to have the area to practise her difficult jumps such as lutz etc, I would not be that annoyed.

The only trouble with my rink is that it is high traffic during the weekends (Fridays when I have my lesson) and during these periods, the already small rink are all filled up with coaches teaching their students in the centre. And unless you know the coach, they get annoyed when you go into their middle area. That is: unless you go into the middle area where your coach is teaching her students, then with luck, she will allow you to practise there.

My skating friend has said that the best time for us to practise in the rink is on Sunday evenings, after 6:00 p.m. as that is when the rink is almost empty and you can do what you like with it.

londonicechamp

[Isk8NYC]

I see what you're saying - it's a public session with a center reserved for figure skating when it's crowded. I skated on many, many, many of those sessions and yes, it's frustrating for everyone to have to fight for ice space in a small middle. When the hockey players decide to do slaloms around the center cones, it's even more aggravating.

However, when you're skating in a tight space on a public session, you can't just camp out on one spot. You say you were working on spins. Okay. You do a few spins in one spot, then move to another section of the center. It's just courtesy. I'm sure the coaches moved around a bit too.

In this "Figure Skating Only in the Middle on a Public Session" situation, all jumps have to be done at the ends of the circle. I've done it a million times - you come around the top of the circle, skate with the crowd (in a gap) down the outside edge to do the jump at the bottom of the circle. It's standard practice, but if someone has set up a campsite at the bottom of the circle, it's incredibly frustrating - you've just outskated the recreational and hockey crowd to set up the jump and tada! someone inside the center cuts you off.

IMHO, I think you are overreacting in thinking she asked you to move because of her conceit about the difference in skating levels. She asked you to move so that she could do her jumps in the safest area on that session. She was probably just as frustrated as you were. I'll bet there were other people who also started to jump in that area after you moved, but just didn't have the nerve to approach you.

As an adult, I have no qualms about asking the ice monitors to move the cones outward to expand the middle if there are coaches giving lessons. I say that it's a safety issue - the middle is too crowded with skaters and observers (the coaches), so we need a little more room for that session. I've never really gotten any backlash from it - sometimes I talk to one monitor and a different one comes along and starts to move the cones back, thinking they're in the wrong place. A friendly chat usually solves the problem.

Think about what you'll do the next time the rink's crowded. Changing sessions is always the easiest solution.

[londonicechamp]

Hi ISK8NYC

Well, it is sometimes frustrating in my home rink here, as on xmas eve, my coach has to politely ask another 3 more freestyle skaters (2 of them are doing pairs, and 1 is doing spins and jumps in the centre) to move away from the area, as my coach was teaching me alternating 3 turns with a dip on both feet, and she feels that with the already small space in the middle where she managed to coach me (as the rest of the centre were all used by other coaches), these 3 skaters were really getting in my way. The pairs skater (the boy) still ignored my coach, tried to do some kind of jump and spin, and fell, and got told off by my coach. That was the end that I saw of these 3 figure freestyle skaters in my lesson area.

It is worse during the holiday season, as even when the side areas are available for practice, you got at least 3 skaters sharing the space with you. They are all my coach's students, so we almost took turns into doing our jumps and spins. Do not get me wrong, I also gave courtesy to other skaters too.

Well, I did not see another skater jumping in my area besides this particular girl that I mentioned.

What I did is that I sometimes move the cones myself so as to give myself more space to work on my jumps and spins. The ice marshalls did not move the cones back.

Actually it is really frustrating skating during the holiday season, as the coaches will cone off most of middle area for his/her high level skaters, meaning that the public got even a lesser space for their already tiny space.

londonicechamp

[Skate@Delaware]

You are lucky to have cones that cordon off the area during public sessions. We don't have them at my rink. We work on things but move around-where we find a space we do what we can. On freestyle sessions, it depends. At my home rink we typically use the center for spins, everywhere else for jumps and elements. At my other rink we do "stake out" areas, which is fairly respected....it's self-segregated (weird)...little girls on one end of the rink, bigger girls on the other (synchro girl and those in program are everywhere else LOL). but we still move around.

Staying in one spot is dangerous, it's best to keep moving, even if it's just a little bit, like edge-to-edge. It's a hard concept to get used to as a new skater, but you will get better at doing it.

[Schmeck]

Another option is to just skate on freestyle sessions, and stay off the public ice during the holidays.

Once hockey season starts around here our public ice times are insane - no one would even attempt to cone off an area, or try any freestyle during the months November-March.

[Isk8NYC]

I've always thought there should be an end cordoned off for beginning skaters and parents during public sessions.

[sk8rdad59]

I would say you should consider yourself lucky that freestaking is allowed on the busier public sessions. Many Canadian rinks do not allow much if any freeskating on public ice due to the liability costs. There is however plenty of figure skating ice to be had so it isn't usually an issue at least not in the urban areas.

[TreSk8sAZ]

Another option is to just skate on freestyle sessions, and stay off the public ice during the holidays.

Once hockey season starts around here our public ice times are insane - no one would even attempt to cone off an area, or try any freestyle during the months November-March.

But isn't the OP in Asia (Singapore, according to the location tag)? From what I understand, a lot of rinks in that area don't have dedicated freestyle sessions. It's kind of a free-for-all, with even elites having practices on public sessions but during emptier times. I may be wrong, or there may be a certain level you have to be before you can get on freestyles.

Yes, if there are emptier times that you can practice during I would go to those. If you are stuck on a busy session, have a plan of what you want to practice and move around from open spot to open spot to do it. I don't think she really meant to insult you, it just sounds like there wasn't a ton of room for anyone. Maybe she had certain elements of a program or something she needed to do in that spot. She might have said it a bit differently, but it is what it is.

[kayskate]

As a skater, I avoid these sessions for my own practice. They are too crowded. I feel it is dangerous for me and others if I am practicing. If I find myself in such a session, I will do more skating around and intersperse it w spins, etc. But I tone down my skating considerably. If you have the option, skate a different session. I always took the holidays off from practice and lessons, which was a refreshing break.

As for the original Q. I probably would have been frustrated w the girl too. However, the situation was probably not conducive to practice for anyone and the kid just wanted a share of the space. I might suggest sharing the space by taking turns.

As a coach, I have had to shoo wanderers out of the middle when I am giving lessons. We do not use cones, though we might start, as others have discussed the problem of lessons on busy publics. The wanders are usually kids who are not practicing, just wandering through the middle. I tell them to avoid the middle for safety. If the parent is w the kid, I talk to the parent.

Kay

[Schmeck]

And don't forget the giant vortex caused whenever a skater starts to do a really nice spin - every little girl on the ice will get pulled toward the skater, they can't help it, it's a huge child-sucking spin! It happens to my daughter every time she practiced on public session. The little girls just want to see the spin up close, I guess? It freaks my daughter out because sometimes she has no way to exit the spin properly without taking down at least one 6 year old.

I didn't believe her at first, so the next time I went skating with her she said 'watch this' and started a spin - sure enough, the only little girl on the ice came right over to her! When she stopped the spin, the girl moved away, and when she started up again, the girl got closer. It was funny, but in a very freaky sort of way!