Adult Figure Skating Practice (May 2009)

[jfluter]

Wow! You're a really good skater! I'm an adult skater as well (30) and started taking ice skating classes for fun in January . I took my Alpha/Beta tests yesterday and passed. I'm totally excited about skating Gamma/Delta this coming fall, and have hopes to enter some competitions next year. Keep up the excellent work!

[GlitteringGirl65]

@jfluter Thanks so much for the compliment! I've got a long way to go, but the journey is what's important I think. good on you for starting to skate! 30 is a wonderful age to start. Still young, yet not so young that you are pressured to learning double jumps with the teenagers! Here in Australia we don't have those "alpha/beta" tests. WE have a system called "Aussie Skate" where you pass moves and get a badge. Best of luck with the competitions. Post a vid! :)

[jfluter]

@GlitteringGirl65 In the US, we have two major figure skating associations: the USA Figure Skating Association, and the Ice Skating Institute (ISI). The rink that I skate at is ISI, and like your skating association, you earn badges for each level you complete. Where I skate, levels are often combined (such as Alpha/Beta, Gamma/Delta), so when you test, you test for both levels at the same time. The basic levels for ISI are: Toddler 1-4, Pre-Alpha, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta.

[jfluter]

@GlitteringGirl65 after that, there's 10 levels of Freestyle, which goes all the way through double jumps, and maybe even to triples.

[jfluter]

@GlitteringGirl65 The skating system I'm with (I'm in the U.S.) is through the Ice Skating Institute (ISI). They have beginning skating levels: Toddler levels 1-4, Pre-Alpha, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. After that, there's 10 levels of "Freestyle." At my rink, the adult classes, once you pass pre-alpha, are combined. However, you test for each level at the end of the term.

[AnoukOksana]

In your upright spin try holding your entry edge a little longer and deeper. You're doing wonderfully well though. I'd never have guessed you were in your 40s!

[sardonyxjade]

You look amazing!!! Keep up the great work.

[GlitteringGirl65]

@sardonyxjade Thanks so much! I've got lots of things to work on, but I've got the rest of my life to work on it, so there's no rush.... :)

[quelita28]

How old where you when you started ice

skating and how long have you been skating?

[GlitteringGirl65]

Hi quelita28,

I started when I was 37, in 2002. I had over 2 years of continual (and painful!) overuse injuries, and couldn't skate much during that time, but all is better now, and I've just had my 45th birthday , so it's been about 7 and a half years....

[vlaurend]

Good job!! Aren't they fun?! :D

[GlitteringGirl65]

Thanks, vlaurend!

Spirals are one of my favourite moves, but it's a rare and wonderful thing to have space to do them in, without slicing someone's face off!

[vlaurend]

LOL! I hear you! Especially the change-edge spiral!  BTW, thank you for your compliments on my Pink Panther program.! :)

[sherie83]

Wow Glitteringgirl65, a change of edge spiral- look at you go! That is fabulous, nice back catchfoot too. Great to see you again, hope to see more of your videos with your fantastic progress in the futre. :-)

[GlitteringGirl65]

Thanks sherie83. You're so encouraging! The coe spiral is a rare event, and I do about 9 dodgy ones to 1 OK one! Luckily we caught an OK one that day...lol!

I'll try to post progress about every 6 months. Videos posted on a weekly basis would get a bit boring, and not so much improvement....

[HabboDJScarlett]

1:14 dont look sideways! :) look forward . it makes it look like your going sideways and your leg is sideways.

[GlitteringGirl65]

Thanks for the tip!

I agree. My body does twist in an awkward way when I look sideways. I think I was trying to avoid colliding with other skaters though. It's a bit like reversing a car. If you don't look behind you'll crash into the letterbox!

[comolaflor]

You have very pretty spirals! I like how you keep your back up straighter...a lot of skaters tend to drop their upper body so much that it looks like they are going to fall over! Keep up the good work and HAPPY SKATING!

[GlitteringGirl65]

Thanks for the compliment, camolaflor! (I think the only skaters who can get away with a dropped body on a spiral are ones like Sasha Cohen, who has her free leg so high she has to drop down, but hers looks so stunning because she keeps her head up.)

And thanks for subscribing - I'm really flattered.

[TulsaSkaterChic]

I love how straight your standing leg is in your spirals--I always have to watch out for that bent knee in mine. I'm starting change edge spirals too!

For the spins, my coaches stress stepping back into the circle you make on the entrance; that helps the body be positioned well for the right knee to come over and down. It looks you are stepping more away from the circle, forcing the right side to travel/rotate farther to catch up. Just my thoughts. You are looking great out there though!

[GlitteringGirl65]

Hi TSC,

Thanks so much for the compliments and advice. I'll certainly work on stepping into the circle when entering spins, and see how it goes.

[RBCI]

The change of edge spiral was beeeaaauuuttiiifuul!!! :) Very impressive!

btw, I had no idea you were 44 and had a 13 y.o. daughter! WTG you!!

[GlitteringGirl65]

Thanks so much, RBCI!

You've got kids, too, don't you? And look how well you skate!!!

(We mums can do so much more than change nappies and drive kids to school, can't we?) :)

[RBCI]

Yes, I do :) Two kids and another on the way! Finally a little girl! She should be here in about 6 weeks.. I'll be sure to post a video of her....... and a video of me getting back on the ice.. lol.

Do you have more children? Or is your daughter your only?

[GlitteringGirl65]

Wow...congratulations! Like you, I had two boys (now 15 and 17) followed by a girl! Bet your daughter becomes a skater too! Can't wait to see a video of both your new baby and more of you skating!

Congrats again!

[camiheartzacnskating]

I am sooooo jealous of your ina bauer!!!

Anyways, if you want to have a better leg position in your upright spin, don't tuck in your arm too fast because that will bring a lot of speed to you spin, and with those forces, it's hard to cross you leg and push it down. So, my advice is remember to cross you leg and push it down first before you tuck in your arms.

[GlitteringGirl65]

Thanks for the good and constructive advice!