2nd Annual All-Figures Competition

This morning was the 2nd Annual All-Figures Competition at the Lloyd Center Ice Rink in Portland, OR. 

Practice ice was available at 6 a.m. (gulp).  I arrived at about 5:45.  Kelli, my old figures coach was already present.  They had divided the ice into patches and assigned us each a patch (just like the old days apparently!).  I was not used to working that way and it really forced me to keep my circles small -- not necessarily a bad thing!).  Practice was a bit rough.  FI8s were more or less okay though once again I had problems with the free hip on the LFI8.  FO8s... rough, rough, rough.  Kelli was great though!  By the end of the practice (was supposed to be 30 minutes but they let us run a little long) my RFO8 was almost okay but LFO8 was still a bit rough.

After practice ice they did an ice cut.  I had skated at Lloyd Center a few times when I lived in Portland, but I had never seen the ice as pristine as it was this morning.  It was seriously amazing.

Then it was time to compete.  As it happened, the Restricted section FI8s were the first event and I drew first in the starting order... eep!  The competition was set up so that competitors would warm up on either end of the rink, and there were two judging panels that were set up in the middle so that there was a left and right side panel.  Each competitor got approximately 5 minutes 30 seconds to warmup  before they started their figure, so the ice monitor was constantly staging the next competitors out to the warmup area.

My warmup went okay though I was rather nervous.  I also managed somehow to fall doing an LFO8 -- not sure how I did that.  Geez.  So my warmup finished and the referee called me over.  There were 4 judges and a refereee facing me, they indicated where I could do my figure.  Lloyd Center has a billion lines on the ice (thank you, curling club!) so I wasn't too worried, plus the light at that time was really good -- no direct sun (it's Portland after all!  Plus it was early morning).  So I made my mark and started the FI8... the first time around on each side went really well!  But starting the 2nd LFI8 (I think) I got a sort of attack of nerves and started shaking (geez) and I think I might have put my foot down, not sure.  I did manage to finish more or less okay.  The referee thanked me and I skated off.  I was disappointed.  I got 2nd place (of 2).

After that I had about a half hour to hang out and watch some skating, then it was time for my FO8s.  Same deal except I was the 2nd competitor and I saw a little of the first girl (a teenager) and of course she was terrific.  I went out to skate my figure and it was very rough.  The first LFO8 I really cut the circle off but more or less made it back to center and from there I finished okay.  Not very good but I did it.  I got 2nd place again (of 2, again).

So my first figures competition is over!  I'm disappointed in my FI8s but my FO8s went better than I expected (my expectations were low :-)).  After my skate I stayed to the end of the competition to watch the other figures -- there was some pretty awesome stuff including change loops (Fig. 30a/b), paragraph 3(fig. 34/35a,b) and back loops (fig.16-17a).  The control required is awesome to watch.

My friend John, who is a sports photographer (he took pictures of my 9/10/09 lesson with Sonya) came out and took pictures, so perhaps I will get to post a few here.  Skate buddy Mary also came down from Seattle to watch, which was so awesome :-).

I'm really grateful to the organizers, judges, referee, volunteers and Lloyd Center staff.  It was terrific!