Edges, BO8

My figures lesson with Danette on the 7:30 a.m. FS at Chandler.  Ice was not too great, it's been raining so the rink was foggy. Uck.

Today's lesson:

• edges -- not bad.  Still working to get better posture, and working to have better control on the BO and BI edges.  My first lobe (and push) on the BI has improved though!
• BO8 -- Flow is better on these, so that is good.  The LBO is weak, though, and Danette is still trying to get me to have better form AND look into the circle on the LBO and that's still very difficult for me. Uck.

The excitement for the day was a near-collision with Sophia (I was doing BO8 and she was doing some dance backward and we were approaching each other diagonally, I guess).  Danette yelled at me and Naomi at Sophia and we both stopped.  No harm, but a bit exasperating.

Bronze Moves

I skated the Gilbert adult skate today for my lesson with Holly. Okay ice, about 7 skaters.

I warmed up stroking, then working on Bronze moves -- perimeter XOs, BXOs to BO edges, a little 5-step mohawk, and a circle-8.  The circle-8 actually was really good! For whatever reason I had no trouble getting around the circle.

Today's lesson:

• perimeter XOs -- not bad, really.  Holly worked with me on being more definite in moving my arms in the BXOs -- no helicoptering the arms, and change them right before I do the BXO.   I actually like my speed on this.  Yay!
• power-3s -- we wound up spending most of our time on these, particularly the RFO3.  I think we made some progress.  Again, I need to bring the free leg in so that I am over my skating side enough to do the turn without forcing it/swinging the leg around.  Eeep.  I really want to make these good!

2020 PCAS Showcase Light Program Video

Here's the video of my "Jenny (867-5309)" showcase light program from Friday - my last time performing this program:

2020 PCAS Showcase Dramatic Program Video

Here's the video of my "Days of Beauty" showcase dramatic program from Friday:

2020 PCAS Showcase Light Program

I skated my "Jenny" showcase light program at the 2020 Pacific Coast Adult Sectionals today.  This was my last time skating this program as I've had it for 2 years now. 

There were 3 skaters signed up for our group, but one withdrew so it was just myself and April C. -- I had skated with her in this event at MidWinter just 3 weeks ago.

We went out for our 4:00 warmup right after the 6:15ish ice cut, so once again it was kinda slick.  I was determined to fix my salchow issue from the dramatic, so after some brief review of the other elements in the program, I worked on the salchow.  I tried a couple that didn't work (same issue), and then was able to do a mediocre one and a better one, so I felt relieved.

I skated second (last) for this event.   When I went out I felt pretty good, although I sort of muffed the hair flip as I was getting in position so it was not as effective as it has been.  Dang!  I started off and things were going pretty well.  Amazingly enough I could hear the audience clapping along to the music!  I don't remember that happening before.

Alas, once again my salchow departed me and I did my weird thing.  So frustrating!  But at least I didn't fall this time.  I finished the program and got off the ice.

I finished 2nd of 2, so I left PCAS with two silver medals. 

2020 PCAS Showcase Dramatic Program

I skated my "Days of Beauty" showcase dramatic program at the 2020 Pacific Coast Adult Sectionals today.  Here's how it went.

There were only 3 skaters in my group, and I was the first to skate, and our event was the first event of the competition!  The opening moments of my program were featured on the USFS Adult Skating Committee Instagram, that was pretty cool.

So the 3 of us went out for warmup along with the 2 ladies doing compulsories.  Of course the ice had just been cut and it was quite slick, not my favorite -- but it was also pretty soft, so that helped a bit. I basically ran through most of my program (in chunks, and not in order -- I don't like to give it away too much).  I went to do the salchow... and once more I was biffing it.  I tried, I believe, 3, and they were all horrible.  At that point I decided not to try anymore as I didn't think it was the best use of my time, which was short anyway since I was skating first.

I came off the ice with about 30s left and Melissa was kind enough to take my jacket, make sure I had my prop, and say coachy things to me  ( :-) ).  Finally they called my name and out I went.

The program started off okay and I had reasonably good flow.  I headed into the salchow and had some unreasonable terror arise in me... and I did try it, and sure enough it just didn't happen.  AGH.  So frustrating.  Anyway I went on and did the rest as best I could and it actually wasn't bad.  I got a really good spin (if I'm remembering correctly) so that's something.

Finished up, took my bows, etc. and got off.  I got to watch my competitors skate and they were fun to watch.  Good stuff.

I wound up placing 2nd of 3, which I think is the best I've done with this program so I'm pretty happy with that. 

I have the video but I won't have time to post it until Monday.

PCAS 2020 Practice Ice

I arrive in San Francisco late Thursday night, and had to be up early for 7:45 a.m. practice ice.  Yerba Buena skating rink was a 10 minute walk from the hotel (yay!) so I had no problem being on time.

I got to the rink and got on the practice session, which was blissfully not very crowded at all (I think there were 10 of us).  I ran through the chunks of both programs and most things were fine.  It turns out that for this venue the judges were just to the left of the red line, so I could go with my original configurations of my programs just fine.

I spent some quality time on the salchow.  The first few were the same issue I've been having, but then I figured out my issue -- I'm not bringing my hands/arms in!  So I was trying to jump and my arms were just kind of flailing around.  Once I figured that out, I did a large number of salchows (6 or 8) that were all good.  YAY!  So I left the practice ice feeling pretty happy and relieved.

Program Review

My lesson with Holly on the 8 a.m. FS at Gilbert (I got on at 8:15).  Okay ice, and just me, Addy, Q, and Heather.  I warmed up with stroking, a couple of spins, a waltz jump and salchow.

For today's lesson we worked on the salchow a bit, then ran the dramatic program, then worked on the salchow some more, than ran the light program, then worked on the salchow some more.

The programs are reasonably fine, but the salchow is being very inconsistent.  I did some nice ones, but in the program not so much.  It's all mental.