Coquelicot

I've been only vaguely following skating over the past year, but this news pulled me back into orbit! I'm so ready for next week and so not ready. What a time to be alive.

So much energy!!! Really, really hope we get an On-Ice Perspective of Yuzu this week!

So thanks a lot guys. I heard the Ra Ra Rasputin song for the first time here, and now it's stuck in my head. It is... a very powerful song.

Petition to add this one:

Eep!! It really is beautiful. I don't need a watch but I need a watch.

Bring on the IceScope! I’m SO ready!!

Any chance Koshiro could pick up that open JPN assignment at NHK?

NHK and then GPF back-to-back is going to be tight. But on the other hand, weren’t NHK and GPF 2015 back-to-back? And we know what happened there....

Here are my predictions! SP: Let's Go Crazy FS: Origin Ex: Masquerade

It is interesting that USFS requested for the case to be reopened after his passing. Despite the reasons given, I do think SafeSport owes it to the athletes involved to provide closure. It's all just really sad.

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/26793254/ex-skater-says-deceased-partner-abused-her I really don't understand this last reasoning for dropping the case. SafeSport is endangering athletes by not investigating allegations of previous abuse and environments that foster abuse. And dropping the investigation sends the message that they aren't invested in protecting their athletes in the future.

So true though! Yuzu must have a green thumb by now after looking after so many cacti.

Thinking back to the video of Yuzu dancing along to Uptown Funk during a practice, and I would actually love it if he did it for the short program. I think it would decease many a fanyu.

I think Indila's music could make a great program for someone. I especially like this song:

Thanks for the ideas! My go-to backpack is too small, but I think I have a bigger one somewhere that I could use for my skates.

I'm finally starting to feel comfortable on the ice! My scooter pushes are looking a lot better, and I'm bending my knees more. We're starting to work on one-foot glides now, which is equal parts terrifying and thrilling (I imagine this is what learning new elements will always be like, haha). I actually picked up backward swizzles pretty quickly, but I get nervous about bumping into someone, so I've been practicing by the boards. I'm really enjoying skating so far, and I feel like every time I go, I get a little better. Anyone have recommendations for skate bags? So far I've been using a tote bag, but I want something sturdy that will protect my skates better.

Welp, I finally christened the ice today! Overall it was a good session; I've been working on bending my knees more and doing deeper swizzles while alternating scooter pushes on either foot. My coach is prepping me for one-foot glides, so I'm trying to alternate briefly lifting my foot and tapping it against my other ankle while gliding (very very slowly haha), but it's still such a weird feeling. I think it's a matter of finding my center and just practicing over and over.

I'm a little late to the party, but my pet theory is that Yuzuru is using his Kose blog to help his international fans learn Japanese. He probably knows a lot of people are learning Japanese in part because of him, so the blog entries are short and simple (and includes audio!). The topics also remind me of something you'd see on a language learning website.

Just got back from my first skating session, and here are my two main takeaways: 1) Skating is FUN. 2) Rental skates HURT. I decided to go with a private coach, because where I live, the group lessons are almost the same price as private lessons, so I’d rather pay a couple dollars more for one-on-one instruction. I got to the rink an hour before my lesson (I was too excited!), so I hopped on the ice early to get warmed up. Per advice from YouTube tutorials, I started by doing some marching with my hands in front of me. It felt a little wobbly, and any time I felt like I was rocking forwards and backwards, I’d stop for a moment, regain my center of balance, and then continue. I made a point of not holding onto the boards, but stayed close to them anyways. I did multiple laps and felt pretty comfortable with it, so I then tried to do some forward swizzles. I had taken a couple of lessons when I was little, so it wasn’t too difficult to pick them back up (backward swizzles are another story). Then I met with my coach, and we practiced more marching, two-foot glides, and sets with swizzles. We also practiced the rocking horse. My coach was really nice, and she gave me lots of good tips. Afterwards, I stayed for another hour or so and just went around the rink doing march, march, glide, swizzles. March, march, glide, swizzles. I also practiced the rocking horse over and over. But I can’t seem to do more than three back-to-back, and my backward swizzles are an eyesore. I tried practicing multiple backward swizzles, and they’re not very good. I think part of it is my nonexistent leg muscles, but another part is wondering where my balance is supposed to be for each part of the swizzle. I can usually start going backwards, but then my feet just keep getting farther apart and I can’t bring them back into a V position. Toward the end of the session, I practiced doing them while visualizing what I wanted to happen, and that helped a lot, but I still don’t feel 100% with it. I also actually didn’t fall at all during the entire session, which I was happy about, but isn’t that something I should practice? Already have my next lesson set up, and excited to be going back soon!

Thanks to everyone for your advice!! So I think my plan is to sign up for the group classes in the fall, but before that, I’ll dabble with a couple of private lessons to try out skating and see how it goes. I’ll probably invest in a good pair of skates after the first few lessons and after knowing that I want to stick with it. So I actually did take a couple of lessons when I was really little, but I only remember learning how to fall and to skate “fishies." So in any case, hopefully my falling skills will be slightly above par. I’m getting really excited about going now. I’ll keep you updated with my progress!

Wasn't sure where else to post this, so I'm reviving this thread! I'm seriously considering starting skating, but I'm not quite sure how to start. Some questions: If you're starting from scratch (like me), is it best to take group classes? Should I rent skates for a while or buy skates right off the bat? I've read that rentals can hold you back, but you should only buy if you're committed. How much do private lessons generally cost? I'm thinking I would do that after Adult 1-6. About how much should I expect to budget overall for skating? I'm thinking about starting a class this fall and seeing how it goes. Unfortunately I'd probably only be able to go on the weekends, but I might be able to fit in a couple of extra days here and there. Thanks for your help!

Has this been posted yet?

Mine’s supposed to arrive today!

Perfect timing