Onward and Yonward

In order for that to make sense, you have to watch the PBS show Nature Cat. I passed my ChaCha after only knowing it for about a month. I passed with a +1, which really surprised me. Since I had to go to work (from home), I didn't even stick around to see if I did pass. My coach sent me a text with a screenshot of the papers. I'm guessing he has them, but it's okay if he doesn't. I'm taking a break from ice dancing until after the summer. Summers at that particular rink is a zoo anyway. They cram all level of skaters onto one ice surface while 3 people skate the Summer School on the other rink. No, it doesn't make sense. But right now, you're trying to figure out Nature Cat and why a grown woman with no kids watches that show. I also like Peg + Cat and on occasion Arthur, but I can't stand DW. I participated in a Figures Workshop. It was nice to skate figure eights again; it was very telling. I was good at figures back in the day. My back serpentine was probably a little smaller than it should have been, but I got around it. My three turns were just a hair off where they should have been placed, but not so much as you would notice, if you weren't a judge. Anyway, there I was with ten other skaters, quietly enjoying the workshop. Three things came to mind: 1. If I twist too soon on my forward inside three turns, my body is going to DO that three turn wherever I am. I need to wait. 2. I need to hold the position on my back outside three turns and again, not move my arms until right before I want to turn. Gotta keep working on those abdominal muscles. 3. Figures were an excellent foundation. I could feel what I was doing wrong, which I couldn't with Moves In The Field and I was able to correct it. Is it perfect? Not yet, but I now know what I was doing wrong, so it's a start. My jumps are improving... slowly. A bit slower than I would prefer. But an improvement is an improvement. I had stopped doing off-ice workouts, but I need to return. Hopefully, it will assist in improving my jumps and spins. I've also been watching a few YouTube videos on off-ice training and using a spinner. I can never get more than 1 1/2 revolutions on my spinner. Hopefully with those videos, I can figure it out. Summer sessions began, aka The Zoo. Twenty-five skaters of different levels, all crammed on one surface. It's madness. Currently, Adult Nationals is going on... without me. I'll be there next year. I still have a Moves in the Field test and freestyle test to pass. I may even try to pass my pre-Bronze dances so I can compete in Solo Dance. As I mentioned last time, I belong to a few adult skating forums and follow #Adults Skate Too on Instagram. Recently, there has been a lot of posts that have nothing to do with adults, or skating. Again, I don't care if little Coco landed her quad Salchow. When she turns 25 and has just relearned it after not skating for 10 years, we'll talk. I also don't want to see some former Olympian, who was 15 when the video was taken two years ago in #Adults Skate Too. I don't care. I said it before: adults worked hard to get a seat at the table. Don't post what doesn't belong. Good for the kid; but I don't care. This brings me to several recent posts. Unfortunately, the word "adult" appears in Adults Skate Too. So naturally, there are several posts of scantilly clad men and women, posing for the camera. Good for you; you are all very fit. But it's still the wrong forum. When I commented that the forum was for adult skaters, the poster wrote back (yes, this is a quote) "haha! Too bad, don't know english!" I enjoyed watching the progress of my fellow skaters, but between the kids and the sexy photos, if it continues, I'll have to unfollow. It only takes one or two people to ruin it for everyone...

Adult Skating Webgrouups

I passed my last Preliminary Dance test one day last month, or the month before. I've now forgotten when. I'm supposed to take the Cha-Cha on May 18th... I think. I'm having some trouble remembering the steps, perhaps because I learned it two weeks ago. Two evening sessions were added at one of my rinks back in March. I was thrilled. I could leave work early, go to the rink, skate a good freestyle and return home. It was great the first week. Had some timing issues the second week. More people arrived on the third week. Now that freestyle session should be renamed Learn to Skate. I have nothing against beginners or people in Learn to Skate. However, since this was supposed to be a freestyle session, I have no desire to pay "freestyle money" for a Learn to Skate session. And yes, I understand that people want to skate; that outdoor rinks have closed; and where are they supposed to go without public sessions. Yes, I comprehend all of that. However, if I'm trying to do a jump (in the corners because that's where they belong!!!) and I have to skid to a sudden stop because there's a kid who has absolutely no concept of what a cirle is and he's doing a forward outside 8 on the red dot, using the hockey lines, I'm going to be annoyed. I am going to become downright angry when I move over, still trying to get that jump in, and same kid has decied to also move over once kid sees me coming. I am going to want to scream when I have tried said jump 9 times and same kid is now doing forward inside 8s on that damn hockey circle. Add to that a group edge class filled with people who are beginners and have control issues, kids who decide wherever they are is where they will do whatever they're doing, four or five skaters who refuse to move regardless of what you're doing, a coach using the overhead jump harness, two people in helmets, four skaters trying to get through their programs and the mother of the kid on the hockey circle who never turns her head to see if anyone is coming and you have the evening sessions. Actually, imagine the worse public session you have ever skated, place all the people in hockey skates in figure skates and subtract the ice guards. THAT is what those evening sessions have become. Complaints by coaches and skaters alike have been in vain. It was fun while it lasted. Back to mornings. And since I'm on a bit of a rant, I need an explanation. I belong to several adult figure skating groups on Instagram and Facebook. Why are people posting pictures and videos of their kids skating. Congratulations to the kids, but to be honest, I don't care. These are adult figure skating groups and we fought to get a seat at the table, to receive respect and inclusion at competitions. When I see something that says ADULT figure skating, I do not want to see a 9 year old landing a quad jump. I want to see an adult, hence, the name of the group. If you find it necessary to post your child's progress, do it on your own page. Don't post your kid's progress on an adult skating page and then sit back and wait for everyone to say "oooh.... how great". I know some of these posts are from coaches who are also adult skaters. Frankly, I still don't care. Post on your own page. Leave the adult skating pages to adult skating.

Zero Chill Review

Dear Netflix: Please do SOME research! Here are some things you should know before watching Zero Chill, the new teen Netflix show that is as fresh as a landfill: 1. There are 15 ice rinks in England (not including Ireland and Scotland) 2. There are over 100 rinks in Canada 3. Hockey is not a big sport in England a. The leagues keep changing, hence the lack of interest 4. No one would move to England for hockey. No one. And certianly NOT from Canada. 5. Female skaters rarely practice in a dress and when we do, it usually isn't all sparkles. 6. Finding a Pairs partner is hard, really hard. And sometimes impossible, regardless of how taleneted you are. 7. If you're going to break into an ice rink (which is much harder than it looks), you'd turn on the lights. At least SOME lights. Placing two dozen flashlights on the ice to practice is just stupid, to say nothing of dangerous. 8. Similiar pairs is only accepted in a few situations: The Gay Games; The Ice Skating Institute; show programs at some competitions. Can you just decide you're going to do similiar pairs at a "run of the mill" competion? You can try. The referee will blow the whistle and you will be disqualified. 9. Hockey skaters and figure skaters NEVER practice at the same time. Can you imagine it? Jumping, spinning, dodging hockey pucks... 10. The figure skating outfits look like someone went to a 1980s garage sale, looked at all the sparkles, shiny material and beads and said, "Yep, that just SCREAMS 2021!" This show is so awful it took ten days to finish watching one episode. And to think I felt Spinning Out was bad. However, I will never figure out how those skaters drank so much and still were able to get up in the morning to practice... All you need to do is some research. Go to an ice rink, ask questions at a club session or a freestyle session. Then ask questions during a hockey session. Then hire decent writers... It's Netflix, I'm asking too much. Zero Chill is the correct title for this crap because it's a zero.

STOP!!!!!

Coaches out there, please stop. If your student can't hold a back edge, please don't have them work on back three turns! I don't want to see the carnage. On Friday, I watched a skater in lesson fall so many times MY body began to ache. She could barely hold a forward edge, and had no back edges at all, but her coach was having her work on back three turns, After the third fall, I could no longer look in her direction. I've witnessed too many accidents while skating (such as someone stabbing their shin with the back of their blade while doing a double lutz) that I don't want to see any more. If you're going to have your students go above and beyond what they are qualified to do, please wait until it's on a session I am NOT on. I have not taken a first aid class this year and I prefer not to be forced to rely on what I remember from 2019.

Huh??

So, I'm at the rink that is always entirely too cold and as a result, my back ends up hurting. Be that as it may, I was skating a session, concentrating on my MIF and I adjust where my path because a Coach 1 is working with a student and has veered her student into me twice already. I move more to the left and so does Coach 1, who, by the way, is looking at me the entire time. Huh?

I move. Just as an FYI, a more seasoned coach is working with a student as I fly past doing a dance. He moved his student and waved as I went past. I'm just saying. So the Coach 1 is working with her beginner student on forward outside three turns. What I notice is that her arms are pre-rotated, which after you have fairly good three turns is something you can work with. For this adult student, the pre-rotated arms are causing her to turn into herself and almost do a spin. I'm confused, but say nothing. Off to jump. As you know, I'm a lefty. I usually jump in the lefty lutz corner, this way, I'm free and clear of other skaters. Or I used to be. Now EVERYONE jumps in the lefty lutz corner, seriously. Why are you doing that? We spend so much time trying to find a spot to jump, must you take ALL the space??? Anyway, I'm jumping in the lutz corner, minding my own business and wondering why it's so freaking cold in the rink, when Coach 1 skates over with her student to do what? Waltz 8. Did I mention that there were seven skaters on the ice? SEVEN. Three other corners to work on a Waltz 8. But NOOOOOO. Pick the only corner where someone is actually jumping. I move over so my jumps are in-between the two corners. What did Coach 1 do? She moved her skater to now jump in-between the two corners. I shot Coach 1 the stink eye

and moved again. Trying to collect my thoughts, I am at the boards and I glance over at Coach 1 with the adult student who is also a lefty. The student is working on back three turns. Great, I think, except she can't hold a back outside or inside edge and has rocked too far back on her blade causing her to do that crazy dance with the arms flying about more than once. I look away in case she falls back off her heels. Happily, she doesn't. Next Coach 1 has moved on to backspins. Better to learn them now, rather than later. Then to jumps. She has her student, her beginner student working on Salchows, Toe Loops, Loops, Flips and Axels. Yes, you read that correctly. A skater who cannot hold a back edge of any kind is working on axels.

Okay. As I was about to do my spins, the skater's lesson was over and she moved to the center of the ice to chat with another skater. I continued spinning. They were bemoaning struggling with loops. Not loop jumps, LOOPS! Am I the only person who sees that this may not end well? Am I the only one who really doesn't want to have to use her First-Aid training (skated at this very rink four years ago where a hockey skater in the studio rink fell funny and broke his ankle)? I do not understand some coaches. Some hold you back for no reason and squash your plans because they think it will reflect poorly on them. Others push you along knowing that you can very well hurt yourself. Surely there is a happy medium. Coach 1 is NOT the happy medium. I will remain silent, but confused. And hopeful that the office downstairs has bandages...

Decisions.... Decisions...

Received an email the yesterday that Adult Easterns has been canceled. Ten minutes later, I received another email telling me that Adult Nationals will be in June. So, if I bust my behind and pass both my Moves In the Field test AND my freestyle test, I can go and skate Silver.... I'll have to get back to you on that.

So, what should I do? I thought, why not train and prepare like I am trying to take two tests and see what happens in May. I may actually make it. And if I don't, all I've done is prepared myself for the future.

Wait...

"Easy now, hush, love, hush Don't distress yourself, what's your rush? Keep your thoughts, nice and lush Wait Hush, love, hush, think it through Once it bubbles then what's to do? Watch it close, let it brew Wait..." I love watching the evolution of adult skaters, includining myself. What I don't understand are skaters trying things above their skill level. I am all for taking a chance. BUT, if you can't do a scratch spin, if you can't hold a back outside edge, maybe you should wait a little before attempting an axel. There are many coaches who hold skaters back; I should know, I've had them. But lets get that Bell Jump down before trying an axel. That being said, not everyone does a decent Bell Jump; me being one of them. But, I can hold a back outside edge. I can do a scratch spin. I can land an axel off-ice. (Amazingly frustrating, I must say!) But my Salchow is iffy and my Flip and Lutz jumps have gone to visit other skaters. So what will I do? Wait. Get them back and go on to Axels. Yes, the Axel is the be-all and end-all for adult skaters. I would rather you wait than to read that you're hurt. So, please all of you who are on Instagram, struggling with various skills... Wait.

"I've been thinking flowers, maybe daisies To brighten up the room Don't you think some flowers, pretty daisies Might relieve the gloom? Ah, wait, love, wait Slow, love, slow, time's so fast Now goes quickly, see, now it's past Soon will come, soon will last Wait Don't you know, silly man Half the fun is to plan the plan All good things come to those who can Wait..." ** HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!! ** "Wait" from Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim./