The Figure Skater's Blog

I Need Help | Stupid on Ice???

Hi there~

Firstly, I’d like to congratulate you for landing your axel, 2toe and 2sal! I’m so jealous! I was a fast learner when I first started but I’ve slowed down big time! That being said, I know you’re confident that you’re used to soft skates by now and believe it would be better, but trust me, you need to upgrade your skates into a new, harder pair suitable to your level and skating skill. If you think your ankles are half broken now, it will become so much worse if you’re working on higher levelled jumps with skates that have little to no support at all. You’ll be pushing your ankles past the limit, and that’s so much worse than giving what your ankles really need: a sturdier pair of boots. Ask your coach about which pair of skates would be best for you considering your skill level. A friend of mine who was working on her axel and 2sal has Jackson Competitors. You might like to try them, but she tells me they’re not very supportive for her (she has sprained her ankle in them once before), and recommends you try Edea Ice Flys, which to me doesn’t sound right either, as the Ice Flys are meant for skaters working on their triples not doubles. It would also be so much more stiff in comparison to Jackson Competitors, but apparently the Ice Flys would last you much longer. So, the best thing to do would ask your coach for advice, see what they say about what boots is best for you before you decide which to go for.

When I upgraded my Risport (I don’t remember which one, but it was basically a really low levelled pair) to my Jackson Freestyle, the worst part about getting used to the sturdiness was breaking it in. It was hurting my feet and ankles to the point where I found myself buying these gel pads for my ankles to help, and they worked wonders for me. It’s the Bungapad ankle sleeve. I think for your case, you might prefer the Lace Bite Preventer or the Malleolar Sleeve, which you’ll find in this link: http://www.bungapads.com/gel-pads-en/

This should at least help you get started in getting used to harder skates. Hope everything works out for you!

Me: Aww how cute

Me: You can do it, buddy

Me: Aww, be careful!

Inner me: Seriously, kid, be careful!

Inner me: THAT'S THE 50TH TIME YOU GOT IN MY WAY

Inner me: Why do they even LET kids play tag on the ice!?

Inner me: I WOULD KICK YOU IF ONLY YOUR PARENTS WEREN'T AROUND

Inner me: Stay calm...it's just a child

Hi there~!

How’s your axel off-ice? It’s always great practice to be getting a consistent axel off-ice. Also warm up rotations. When you’re off the ice, just do regular jumping on the spot, and in this case with your axel, jump one and a half rotations on the spot, then move to actually performing your axel off ice. When you are on the ice, warm up some more the waltz-loop, and waltz to backspin. I know you say this doesn’t help, but what is an axel if there is no evident rotation to make one? So this is why practicing your axel off-ice is important, to make sure you have the rotations, have the height to apply it onto the ice.

Once that is solid, all your height is powered by transferring your weight into the air. To get that height, you need to focus more on jumping ‘up’ rather than ‘out’. Chest up, chin up. If you’re looking down, then that’s where your height is gonna go. Kick that free leg up, and DO NOT stop your flow into the jump with your toepick before the takeoff.

Another exercise you could do (if you’re willing, because it could get tiring) is back to back axels (of course, after you’re already capable of landing an axel off-ice). This helps because by the third or fourth axel, it requires a lot more effort on the takeoff. Have your coach watch you carefully so they can analyse which muscle groups you were using, and then use that information to apply it on one single axel on its own. Doing this should help develop that power you need on your takeoff and reach that desired height. It’s also a good idea to start doing leg workouts, if you haven’t started already, to ensure that your legs are more than capable of throwing your whole body into the air for height.

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Outside the rink:

Inside the rink:

Hello~!

It all depends on how often you skate. I skate twice a week, and just recently had to get them sharpened after about a month since I started. Previously, I hadn’t sharpened them since late last year and only went skating once a week. So technically, it took me half a year till I urgently needed to sharpen them. Usually, when judging if your skates need sharpening, you either skate in them as per usual and see if they are losing their edge (i.e. do you feel like you slip around in them more often? Do you or do you not feel your blades gripping the ice enough as you used to?), or take your thumb and shave a bit of your nail onto the blades. If you don’t see it evidently shaving a piece of your nail down, then you definitely need to get them sharpened. If you’ve recently bought skates, most of the time, the blades are not pre-sharpened. So, give the thumbnail test a try and see if your skates are already sharp enough.

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Hello~!

I myself am unable to afford being able to skate to the fullest. I’ve only ever been in one competition in the five years I’ve been skating, yet to me, I am still taking skating seriously. Taking skating seriously does not necessarily mean constantly participating in competitions. Unless you absolutely enjoy skating competitively, you don’t have to compete. I take my skating seriously in terms of improving my skills and polishing them. If you really want to compete, indeed you will have to consider the money involved, but you also need to consider if it just as okay with you if you can’t compete all the time because of financial problems. Once you have your own pair of skates, the only money problem you’d be worrying about is the price for coaching. I think, in your case, you can do a competition here and there, but you need to make sure you’re also fine if your financial problems hold you back from competing as much as you want to. I’d say, for now focus on your skills first. Once you’re old enough to also start working, you should be able to save some money for yourself and your skating too.

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