2023

Back in October, I received my US Figure Skating magazine and was very disappointed. Look, I understand that the adult skating community is not as "important" as the kiddos, but I thought we counted for something. The magazine devoted 1 3/4 of a page to adult skating. Not even 2 pages. There were more pages devoted to advertisements than adult skating. Normally, it wouldn't be such a big deal, but at the time, the competition in Ottawa had completed and everyone is getting into the swing of things for Easterns and Nationals. 1 3/4 pages? You have to do better. Many skating clubs have a healthy number of adults now and we deserve to be noticed. As mentioned previously, the videos from Adult Nationals were never received or posted. For almost a year, they were "lost media". Although I didn't attend Nationals, I was annoyed that the footage was seemingly lost and the powers that be could not care less. After several emails back and forth, the footage was found. However, it came with a caveat: you couldn't post it. It's your property, but you can't post it anywhere for others to see. Something's wrong there. I'm trying to figure out what's happening with this, but it sounds like the USFS is afraid of being sued by a musician and would rather avoid litegation. For the record, when Nathan Chan skated to Elton John, Elton send Nathan a congratulary note. Smaller, lesser known bands like "Boo-Boo and the Ants" threaten legal action. Go figure. This would explain the inability to see rebroadcasts of competitions or the silence of a recorded competition. Seriously, when did we become so law suit crazy? Since the start of holidays, which for my family is October, I have been having difficulty jumping. Apparently, I think too much. I also have an annoying habit of riding my toepicks on the back outside edge, setting up for the jump. I hear it and I immediately stop myself. It's a mind and confidence thing and I'm working on it. It's the beginning of January. A fresh start. So many opportunities. Don't let any of them slip away. Happy New Year everyone!