Gordon's Sk8er Boi Blog

My adventures as an adult male figure skater in Tucson, Arizona Portland, Oregon Chandler, Arizona.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

3s

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  Really nice ice but 9 skaters!  I warmed up with edges and scribed circles.

Today's lesson:

  • 3s -- most of our lesson.  We worked on them on the wall and then on one of my circles.  The LFO3 is much better than the R.  Urph.  On the right my timing tends to be bad -- I'm forcing the 3 with my free hip and *then* coming 'up'.  We worked on getting the down-up-down so that the up is actually when the turn happens.  I can do it when I concentrate.  I'm still having a lot of issues with these though as I just don't want to twist into the circle appropriately.  Grr.
  • BO8 -- 2 minutes on these.  Actually not bad though of course my push is still inadequate.  The position was okay though.

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Wednesday, March 06, 2024

F8s

My lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  Ice was okay.  Scribed circles and warmed up with edges.

Today's lesson:
  • FO8 --We worked just on posture at the boards a bit, then tried these on the circle.  Still pretty much the same issues w/push and crouching forward.
  • FI8 -- as usual, somewhat better than FO.  The LFI is so much better!  Grr.
  • 3s -- just a few of these at the end.  Meh.

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Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Serpentines

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  I scribed circles and warmed up with edges.

Today's lesson:

  • Serpentines! -- I wanted to work on something different and we had not tried these in forever, so I gave it a go.  I scribed an extra circle and we had at it.  The good news is that it wasn't much worse than everything else at this point.  The bad news is that it wasn't any better either.  I've never been able to do a whole circle and a half on one push but it's much worse now than it was a few years ago.  Geez.  I used to be worried about the change of edge taking too long, now I'm just trying to make it happen.  Frustrating.

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Tuesday, February 20, 2024

F8s

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate - a different day due to Danette's travel.  Okay ice, 6 skaters.  I scribed circles and warmed up with edges.  

Today's lesson:

  • FO8 -- about 2/3 of the lesson. Still working on posture. Improvement but it's still very inconsistent and I'm still not making it around the circle.  Still, for skating 1 day a week this is what I get.
  • FI8 -- not surprisingly, rather better than FO. Still need a better push, but the position is better.

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

3s

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  Nice ice and 5 skaters.  I warmed up with edges, but didn't scribe circles.

Today's lesson was spent on 3s, both on the crease and against the wall.  Other than my usual issue with forcing/rushing the turn ('push & turn') the other issue that we spent a lot of time on is getting me to turn more into the circle (more twist) and then to fix my timing on the down-up-down.  Apparently I'm turning while I'm still down and then rising up right after (which explains why everything is forced, duh).

I'm really verklempt on this.  My 3s have never been great but they have really regressed and are even a little scary now.  Geez.  

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Wednesday, February 07, 2024

Posture

 My lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult freeskate.  Nice ice.  I warmed up with edges & scribed circles.

Today's lesson:

  • BO8 -- we worked on posture, again (still).  Still not making it around the circle -- how did I ever compete these? Ugh. The subsequent pushes have improved, though, I'm doing a better job of bending the knees and really feeling the push.
  • BI8 -- just a few minutes on these.  Lately I seem to have trouble remembering which way my arms are supposed to go -- I think it's because Danette's really working to make me actually look where I'm supposed to on these and it mixes me up.  Ugh.

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024

8s

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  4 skaters and really nice ice!  I scribed circles and warmed up with forward edges.  I hadn't skated in 2 weeks so there were some definite weak spots.

Today's lesson:

  • B edges -- some issues with posture, but I was mostly able to fix them.
  • FO8 -- still not making it all the way around.  Some good corrections on keeping the free hip back in the first part of the circle -- if it creeps around on me I tend to go flat as the blade turns slightly into the circle.  Ugh.  I did manage to actually lean into the circle a bit more, so yay.
  • FI8 -- not bad, considering.
  • BO8 -- of course, not making it around the circle.  Struggling to Do All the Things at the same time -- free shoulder back, hold the free foot in front, free hip up, look in the circle.  Eeep.  Also Danette said I'm tending to be on an inside edge when I start the new circle, so I need to be sure to push onto a legitimate BO edge.
  • BI8 -- just 2 minutes on these. Many similar corrections from the BO8. Eeep.

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