Skating on the Planet

[Floria]

hace 8 minutos , liha said:

 

Meanwhile, Yuzu looks divine even when just doing crossovers

 

Actually, crossovers are much harder than I thought they would be I can't seem to be able to keep my outside edge long enough when skating backwards

 

I had problems with backward clockwise crossovers until I understood what I was doing wrong when watching GPF practices. It is really about bending your knees. But probably it does make sense to learn them properly in order to understand how edges work. Actually it is difficult to progress with other moves if you can't feel  and control the edges.

[robin]

12 minutes ago, Floria said:

 

I had problems with backward clockwise crossovers until I understood what I was doing wrong when watching GPF practices. It is really about bending your knees. But probably it does make sense to learn them properly in order to understand how edges work. Actually it is difficult to progress with other moves if you can't feel  and control the edges.

 

Oh interesting! I guess bending the knees help in keeping the edge

 

I'm starting to wonder if me being X-legged makes outside edges so difficult for me

[Murieleirum]

10 hours ago, Floria said:

 

I had problems with backward clockwise crossovers until I understood what I was doing wrong when watching GPF practices. It is really about bending your knees. But probably it does make sense to learn them properly in order to understand how edges work. Actually it is difficult to progress with other moves if you can't feel  and control the edges.

 

I can't even go straight standing on one foot going backwards  I've tried to emulate a crossovers-like movement going backwards, but I wouldn't consider that crossovers. I am usually all crouched over and bending my back too much and I'm scared of not seeing behind me. I have zero idea how skaters can do things like QUADS while skating backwards. It's just mindblowing. 

 

I did try to do a lot of off-ice training though, especially with jumps. I think it's sooo entertaining and funny. I have muscly legs (but I'm not super light), so I guess I have power in my legs but it's not going to be easy to control a jump on ice. I've tried doing single jumps in front of a mirror. The toe loop's pretty easy (and fun, oh so fun), and with the Axel I can't even settle in 1 full rotation properly, nevermind 1 and a half  But I definitely understand why Yuzu loves the Axel so much. The feeling of kicking your leg up and over, it feels like a martial arts move, or something. It's amazing. I love it, even if I barely get the feeling of how it really is, properly done.

 

Knees are really probably the most important thing of skating, because they allow you to "save" yourself. One time I jumped, just 10 cm off the ice, but landing on one foot only without putting my weight on the knee properly I istantly fell back and hit my head on the ice. Wasn't very nice. Luckily my head is hard (LOL).

[Murieleirum]

ah, I forgot! There's this channel with all the off-ice jumps, smart training and oh so useful tips. I love it. It's a Coach named Ken and has all these pretty young lady skaters to train. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGUDndCWeKpppdU8syI0lqg

[Floria]

hace 1 minuto , Murieleirum said:

 

I can't even go straight standing on one foot going backwards  I've tried to emulate a crossovers-like movement going backwards, but I wouldn't consider that crossovers. I am usually all crouched over and bending my back too much and I'm scared of not seeing behind me. I have zero idea how skaters can do things like QUADS while skating backwards. It's just mindblowing. 

 

I did try to do a lot of off-ice training though, especially with jumps. I think it's sooo entertaining and funny. I have muscly legs (but I'm not super light), so I guess I have power in my legs but it's not going to be easy to control a jump on ice. I've tried doing single jumps in front of a mirror. The toe loop's pretty easy (and fun, oh so fun), and with the Axel I can't even settle in 1 full rotation properly, nevermind 1 and a half  But I definitely understand why Yuzu loves the Axel so much. The feeling of kicking your leg up and over, it feels like a martial arts move, or something. It's amazing. I love it, even if I barely get the feeling of how it really is, properly done.

 

Knees are really probably the most important thing of skating, because they allow you to "save" yourself. One time I jumped, just 10 cm off the ice, but landing on one foot only without putting my weight on the knee properly I istantly fell back and hit my head on the ice. Wasn't very nice. Luckily my head is hard (LOL).

 

When you are skating backwards you should bend slightly forward, this way you will not fall on your back.

 

I also did some off-ice jump training. It seems relatively easy and is good to gain leg power, but once on the ice the feeling is so different.  And 1 full rotation seems almost impossible. To get the feeling of Axel I usually do the waltz jump, it has the same take off and landing but only 0,5 rotation.

 

 

[Murieleirum]

1 minute ago, Floria said:

 

When you are skating backwards you should bend slightly forward, this way you will not fall on your back.

 

I also did some off-ice jump training. It seems relatively easy and is good to gain leg power, but once on the ice the feeling is so different.  And 1 full rotation seems almost impossible. To get the feeling of Axel I usually do the waltz jump, it has the same take off and landing but only 0,5 rotation.

 

 

 

I hope I will learn to do the waltz jump on ice next year. It seems so hard to jump on ice, it's true that the feeling is completely different. 

This is why I think judges should make more difference between big, high jumps and smaller jumps. It takes a lot more courage to jump even just 15 cm higher, no? 

[Floria]

Hace 4 horas, Murieleirum said:

 

I hope I will learn to do the waltz jump on ice next year. It seems so hard to jump on ice, it's true that the feeling is completely different. 

This is why I think judges should make more difference between big, high jumps and smaller jumps. It takes a lot more courage to jump even just 15 cm higher, no? 

I was looking for this video and finally found it. Waltz jump from Yuzu followed by 1A and 3A .

[robin]

3 hours ago, Floria said:

I was looking for this video and finally found it. Waltz jump from Yuzu followed by 1A and 3A .

 

Ahhh I could watch this video for hours and never get tired of it! He makes everything look so easy but then I try an axel off ice and land straight on my butt

 

Also a question. What kind of skates do you guys use?

 

 

[Meiyz]

Hi guys! I started skating last month and am planning on taking group classes soon. Not sure if this is the best place to ask but does anyone have any recommendation on boots for beginners? The rental costs add up and they don't give me enough support. I was looking at Riedell 133 and 229 (older version so its about the same price as the 133).. I feel like 229 might be overbooting but some adults do overboot as they wear them down faster than kids. I'm worried the 133's might only last a few months and upgrading is expensive. What did you guys use as beginners?

[Murieleirum]

My boots are definitely not professional, but they fit my feet for now, so that's already impressive, knowing my history with shoes  a group of friends gave them to me for my birthday, so I don't even know how much they cost. 

 

6 hours ago, Floria said:

I was looking for this video and finally found it. Waltz jump from Yuzu followed by 1A and 3A .

 

Amazing. If I'll ever be able to do a waltz jump as beautiful as that one, I can consider myself a satisfied skater for life 

[Floria]

Hace 3 horas, Meiyz said:

Hi guys! I started skating last month and am planning on taking group classes soon. Not sure if this is the best place to ask but does anyone have any recommendation on boots for beginners? The rental costs add up and they don't give me enough support. I was looking at Riedell 133 and 229 (older version so its about the same price as the 133).. I feel like 229 might be overbooting but some adults do overboot as they wear them down faster than kids. I'm worried the 133's might only last a few months and upgrading is expensive. What did you guys use as beginners?

 

I have Wifa Prima Hobby. These are for first skating classes (single jumps and simple spins). It is not the cheapest option, there are other brands with cheaper boots for the same skating level but mine are so comfortable!   Wearing them was a pleasure from the first day. When you are not so young you start to appreciate these things .

Normally these boots come with very simple blades, so I changed it with Jackson Ultima Mirage, these are intermediate ones, so I will not have to upgrade soon. 

 

 

I have found this: https://www.kinziescloset.com/skate-comparison-guide.html It mentions both models from your post, so you can find which one is suitable for your level. 

 

[yuzuangel]

22 hours ago, Murieleirum said:

I can't even go straight standing on one foot going backwards

 

this is definitely something i tried when i first started skating and even though it looks easy (cuz it's like, so easy to do going forwards), it's actually ridiculously difficult! but it's one of those things that, you never really need to spend time practicing, you just skate, and after a while you go back and do it and you realize you can do it fine now. lol.

 

and 3-turns. hm. those are pretty killer. they look so easy but they're ridiculously hard, especially the ones that you hardly use (i.e. left inside 3-turn). when i first learned it i learned to do a 3-turn by turning your shoulders, but you're supposed to actually turn from the lowering/rising of your knees apparently, and now it's a hard habit to break (the turning/checking with your shoulders thing).

 

hm crossovers. weirdly enough my forward counter clockwise crossovers are not my best ones (even though they're the ones you do the most). my backwards counter clockwise crossovers are by far the most natural crossovers. like if i'm skating backwards, counter clockwise, i will naturally do crossovers without thinking, but i have to force myself to do them when going forwards. i also feel unstable. 20 minutes of crossovers sounds exhausting. crossovers are definitely aerobic workout...haha. but ... maybe i should do it too.

 

and toe loop...well, i'm only starting to get the timing of the toe loop. compared to waltz and salchow, it's not easy to me at all. my upper body doesn't seem to want to rotate at the same time as my lower body. i always end up twisted and it prevents me from rotating and also landing correctly. it didn't help that i used to do a "toe-waltz" jump where i would pick the same way as a flip/lutz (directly behind rather than across and behind) so that was another habit i had to break. actually mayyyyyybe all the most difficult elements are the ones where i carried over some bad habits.

 

it helped to jump the toe loop off ice more  and the floor at my rink is kind of rubbery so it's very bouncy so sometimes you want to do a single and then you suddenly do 1.5-2 revolutions or something lol. 

and spins...  don't get me started. one day it works and another day it totally doesn't and you have NO idea why!!

 

honestly, everything in figure skating is hard! and frustrating! but as is the nature of the sport, i guess. it makes it VERY obvious whether you're doing something right or wrong, at least to a degree compared to other sports. you either fall on your face or you don't!  (on the other hand, figure skating requires a level of precision that most other sports do not. there's almost always something you're doing wrong with any move, sadly.) and it is very addicting, especially if you're addicted to progress, because figure skating also makes it very obvious when you're progressing. you're like "well i couldn't land a toe loop last week but now i can!" so it's definitely a double edged sword  i'm glad we have so many skaters here actually, we can update each other on our progress!

[Xen]

I think skating is one of those things where so long as you have some memory of how things are done, it won't really go away. I stepped off ice for about 8-9 years, and have only been back on ice for about 2 months, it's not too bad but my edges and turns are definitely not textbook perfect. 

 

@Murieleirum Another channel you can check is this one: https://www.youtube.com/user/kseniyaOleg they actually do pictures that show where your weight and pressure should be distributed both on your foot and throughout the move.  For 3 turns, you can do some practice off ice. 

 

@Meiyz Is there a pro shop close to you that can recommend skating boots and blade combos? What type you should wear is also dependent on your weight.

 

@lihaCurrently I'm in a pair of RF3+Cornation Ace, but might be switching soon since my boot is about 1 size too big. I got them online and probably messed up my measurements, since I've never measured my own feet before.

 

On the other hand, I scared a coach the other day, because I'm jumping around in a pair of boots that are 1 size too big for my feet, and my blades got ruined in the last sharpening (the left blade is uneven with the inside being deeper than my outside edge, and my left and right blades have different hollow radius).

Hmm, and now looking at Yuzu's waltz jump, maybe I'm doing it wrong. Recently I've been trying to imitate his axel take off for my waltz jumps, which he apparently does not do for his waltz jumps...

[Murieleirum]

1 hour ago, yuzuangel said:

and 3-turns. hm. those are pretty killer. they look so easy but they're ridiculously hard, especially the ones that you hardly use (i.e. left inside 3-turn). when i first learned it i learned to do a 3-turn by turning your shoulders, but you're supposed to actually turn from the lowering/rising of your knees apparently, and now it's a hard habit to break (the turning/checking with your shoulders thing).

 

really? out of all the tutorials I've watched, I don't remember them ever talking about a change of the knee positions, except the usual 'keep the knees bent'. A video I watched was talking about moving the weight from the whole foot to the top of the foot, like doing a ballet pointe, just as you're about to turn, and then go back to normal whole-foot weight. 

Is this because everyone has different methods to do things? Aaah man, the only thing I know is that yes, 3-turns are quite hard for me and don't come naturally. Another video I saw said that the inside 3-turn should come naturally as you are turning on your edge. Never happened to me, I slow down and stop LOL.

 

1 hour ago, yuzuangel said:

it helped to jump the toe loop off ice more  and the floor at my rink is kind of rubbery so it's very bouncy so sometimes you want to do a single and then you suddenly do 1.5-2 revolutions or something lol. 

 

That sounds scary! Do falls after jumps hurt more than normal falls-on-the-butt because of random mistakes? I fall A LOT when skating, my average was 4 falls in 1 hour and a half at the beginning, and then it went down to 1 or 2 falls when I got more comfortable on ice. Some falls were more painful than others. Jumping sounds so scary to me. 

1 hour ago, yuzuangel said:

and spins...  don't get me started. one day it works and another day it totally doesn't and you have NO idea why!!

 

I've been seriously committed to do more than 3 rotations on two feet for months... never happened  I also tried to learn on my own, so after a while I discovered that the most natural 'entering spin' technique for me was the back scratch. Or, also going from a spread eagle (pass the me term, it's not an actual spread eagle that you hold for several seconds, but like, you turn your foot into a second position ballet and your body automatically starts turning. I liked the feeling of it).

 

Point is: I am an excellent self-learner with things like languages or history or theory of anything - but I am an awful self-learner when it comes to physical stuff 

25 minutes ago, Xen said:

I think skating is one of those, so long as you have some memory of how things are done, it won't really go away. I stepped off ice for about 8-9 years, and have only been back on ice for about 2 months, it's not too bad but my edges and turns are definitely not as clean.

@Murieleirum Another channel you can check is this one: https://www.youtube.com/user/kseniyaOleg

 

 

I know them! I tried to watch their videos from time to time! And I hope you are right, and in September I won't have to completely start all over again. It was really hard for me to get comfortable on ice. I was so scared do to anything. 

[Xen]

31 minutes ago, Murieleirum said:

 

really? out of all the tutorials I've watched, I don't remember them ever talking about a change of the knee positions, except the usual 'keep the knees bent'. A video I watched was talking about moving the weight from the whole foot to the top of the foot, like doing a ballet pointe, just as you're about to turn, and then go back to normal whole-foot weight. 

Is this because everyone has different methods to do things? Aaah man, the only thing I know is that yes, 3-turns are quite hard for me and don't come naturally. Another video I saw said that the inside 3-turn should come naturally as you are turning on your edge. Never happened to me, I slow down and stop LOL.

 

I know them! I tried to watch their videos from time to time! And I hope you are right, and in September I won't have to completely start all over again. It was really hard for me to get comfortable on ice. I was so scared do to anything. 

Footwork practice has the most painful falls. I don't think it's a change of knee positions. 

And the backwards and forwards 3 turns are different. In this case, I'll refer to the forward right inside 3 turn, since that is my strongest 3 turn. You actually apply the most pressure and have a deeper knee bend when you enter the edge. In fact, you kind of transfer the weight from the arch and heel/back section of your foot to the balls of your foot, and you kind of rise up/straighten your leg a bit to relieve the pressure and turn. As for when you should turn, think of the entirety of the 3 turn as drawing a giant semi circle- your forward edge being 1 half of the semi-circle, and the backward edge part being the other half. You turn at the top of the semi-circle, and that's the easiest part of the circle to turn on. Not sure if this helps?