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| Skating Journal 2001-2002 My First Year Part 2 |
| Jumping and Spinning I love jumping. Plain and simple - I am a jumper. I think it comes from my childhood coach. He stressed the importance of jumping and most importantly that the jumps were high. His goal was for me to "clear the boards". A typical lesson would consist of maybe going over the scratch and sit spin and then a drill of jump after jump. I don't know why, but after 4 years of private lessons I never was taught anything but those two spins (this would be an example of questioning his methods). So, as a child I could land the Axel and Double Salchow. I also could complete the rotation of a Double Flip, but never landed it. My artistic ability was stifled because I never felt the freedom to experiment with skating. My coach had built a jumping machine who never ventured to do anything creative on her own. My favorite jump is the Flip jump and then probably the Lutz. I don't know why the hardest are my favorite, but for the life of me I can't do a decent Toe Loop. What an ugly little jump! Yuck! Salchows I guess are okay, but still not as nice as the Flip. Oh, and I really like Loops too! The one jump that really scared me when I started skating this fall was the Lutz. I finally landed it after a couple of days of practice and it was a joyous moment. Now, I find spinning to be more difficult for me. I do, however have a pretty impressive scratch spin for an adult. I finally figured out how to raise my clasped hands over my head and stay in control. I don't travel across the width of the ice, but a perfectly centered spin still only makes an appearance occcasionally. I have great speed, but I can't always control it. My sit spin is usually horizontal, however I can never get into that position if I am performing or competing. I think my nervous legs just wont allow for it. I cannot get past horizontal, but I think that I may be able to acheive the position some day. Nutcracker on Ice Christmas time was insanely busy! I moved to a smll town to enjoy a simpler way of life. I had intended to volunteer and become involved in my community even before I got here. I had no idea how involved I could get! Since my husband works for the Chamber of Commerce, we always have opportunities to be invloved. As the Publicity Chairperson for the skating club, I had quite a bit on my plate for promoting our big holiday event. I did newspaper ads, radio ads and someone helped get TV ads even. The most fun was having the opportunity to record the radio spot. It is a little strange to be driving down the road and hear your voice on the radio. All of this while working, skating, rehearsals, preparing for my mother-in-law's visit, work Christmas functions, charity work, taking a quilting class and shopping for presents. Ugghhh. My husband and I were the 2 of 3 judges for the solo auditions for the Nutcracker on Ice. I can't tell you how difficult it was to judge the skaters. They all tried so hard and when they fell, your heart about fell out of your chest. Although we did not have to audition it was decided that Jon and I be cast as Mr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum, Clara and Fritz's parents. I was also in a group number as a red flower. This was the first skating show I had been in since I was 12 or maybe 13. I felt pretty comfortable having only to be in group numbers. My husband and I had a terrific time in our parental roles and had so much fun with "our children". However this planted the baby bug in my husband's brain and ever since he has been pestering me to have a child. With my rekindled love of skating, babies have gotten pushed further from my mind. There were two performances of the Nutcracker and I was a little nervous the first night. However I had a fabulous time on the second night and was extremely sad it was over. An Equipment Evaluation Although my flat feet had given me little trouble since August, I was experiencing horrendous pain in my arches just before the Nutcracker on Ice. I tried to tape them and I tried some Dr. Schols. It was an unbearable pain. Then one day it was gone. Hmmm? My skates were a gift from my husband on our first Christmas as a dating couple. I had found them used at my old pro shop. I did not know he had taken such notice to them. I had outgrown my other skates and I couldn't bear to skate in "cheap" skates, so an old pair of SP Teri's would have to do for my purposes as a twice a year recreational skater. I had no intentions of seriouusly skating. Upon my coaches inspection of my blade it was determined that I had no rocker. It was sufficiently shaved off from some bad sharpenings. A better rocker could possibly improve my spinning. I was all for blaming my inadequacies on equipment, so I had an excuse! After searching the internet I decided on a blade and actually had it shipped from my old pro shop in Minneapolis. When my coach mounted the blade he had an opportunity to inspect my boot as well. He found it to be completely broken down. No wonder it was so comfortable! He could barely mount the blade due to the boot collapsing below the pressure. So, now I had another expense! By now my husband is doubting why he supported my desire to skate again. Due to the arch trouble I gave some serious consideration to custom boots. For everything I wanted/needed, the price was astronomical. I was not entirely sure that it would even help my arch problems. So, I heard about custom skate orthotics that could go in the skates and decided on a stock boot since I could get it quicker and then an orthotic to put into the boot. The boot came and it was the worst three weeks EVER! My mom could not afford new boots for me when I was a kid, so I never had to go through the painful breaking in period. My arches were miserable and even with the addition of the orthotic, it still took three weeks to become pain free. |