Saturday 22 December 2012

I'm a real figure skater

That feeling of finally being a real figure skater has occurred so many times as I progress that it's kind of funny. My standard for feeling like a real figure skater keeps going up and up.

I remember the first time I felt like I was really skating was when I figured out how to do a two foot turn by myself, and then also doing crossovers.
After that, the times when I felt "now I'm really a figure skater!" were:

Doing my first jump ever - a waltz jump
My first full rotation jump - toe loop jump
My first pair of real white leather skates!
My first real full rotation jump - loop jump. There's too much room for pre-rotating on toe loop and salchows that I felt the loop jump was the first big girl jump. Yes I do realize that if I'm pre-rotating on those two then that's my problem and I should be fixing it. But the loop just feels like there's much more rotation going on in the air.
First time on freestyle session
Having my own private coach
First time I had the full sheet of ice to myself one day (for three glorious minutes before closing)
First time out in full skater regalia - leotard, skirt, tights and a bun
Passing my first tests

I know the next time I'm going to feel like a real skater is when I perform my own program in a skating dress. Then the next time after that is probably far off - when I can do an axel!

I wonder at what point will I be satisfied that I'm really a figure skater?

4 comments:

  1. Here's a little secret: a salchow is really a half rotation jump. A toe loop is something like 1/2 to 2/3. Even a loop is really not more than 2/3, as ALL of them have a curving hook before the take off that basically means you end up doing part of the rotation on the ice. So, what you think you're "cheating" is really not a cheat. It's just how the jumps go. I think even a flip and a lutz have a bit of on-ice action helping you out. I'm guessing this is why there's such a steep learning curve for an axel: since it has a forward take-off, there not room for this kind of "pre" rotation, so it's a HUGE step up in terms of how much rotation has to happen in the air.

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    1. Thanks :) I've read about that on skatingforums, but still somehow always think of them as one-rotation jumps. But even though the toe loop isn't supposed to be a whole revolution, my current toe loops are still too much just rotating on the toe pick (toe waltzing). Maybe they're actually better than I think though haha! :D

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  2. I have that feeling all the time! Basically every major skill comes with that feeling -- finally doing a loop, finally learning how to scratch spin, finally hitting a camel with 3 revs, finally wearing a skating costume, finally getting a freestyle punchcard... It goes on and on! The good thing about it is that it doesn't work negatively in reverse -- like, it doesn't make me feel less of one before I hit that point. I'm sure I'll feel like a real skater when I land a flip, for instance, but not having one doesn't make me feel like a poseur.

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    1. It would be terrible if we always felt we had to have something to be a skater. I'm glad it doesn't work negatively in reverse!

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