Figure Skating Journal, Reflections of an Adult Figure Skater

July 2002

Week of July 7, 2002
Under Fair Skies

The weather was unusually pleasant this week, not hot as would be expected during July. Of course, last week, for our vacation, temperatures soared into the high nineties, and we do not have air conditioning at the lake house. The heat threatened to melt the newly repaved street surface, which otherwise seemed ideal for roller skating. Under those scorching conditions, I might have been trapped in molten ooze like an unsuspecting woolly mammoth in the ancient La Brea Tar Pits. Centuries from now, some future archeologist would unearth my fossilized remains along with the peculiar metal and polymeric components of a pair of roller skates. Of course, seasonally comfortable weather returned the day we drove home.

I enjoyed the fair temperatures and cool breezes by roller skating in the park. I actually did not ice skate at all this week. The summer schedule at my usual rink is somewhat inconvenient and the alternate rink I utilize during the off-season is a long drive. With the outdoor roller facility free and available in the park, I decided to practice inline freestyle. My inline skating has improved tremendously since I have had access to this rink. I feel very confident with most of the basic skills and have pushed onward to more challenging moves in the field. I am still struggling with three-turns and have switched my focus toward backward skating and more complicated stroking patterns.

My present workout includes the following:

Although I can do a waltz jump and a salchow on inlines, I do not work on them regularly as I find backward landings on the blacktop surface too jarring to my knees and shins. I have fooled around with the five-step mohawk without much success. My backward one-foot glides are insufficiently developed for this exercise. My current priority is to spend more time on backward skating, ultimately hoping to include the mohawk pattern, alternating backward crossovers with extensions, backward power pulls and spirals in my repertoire. I would also like to build those half jumps into stags and ninety-degree splits.

Overall, I am very satisfied with this list of basic skating skills. I cover the rink nicely with good speed and smoothness. Improving my body carriage and extension on wheels can only lead to better ice skating. Since I do not spin or jump appreciably on inlines, I am forced to concentrate on the fundamentals, which is always beneficial. Someone actually complimented my skating this week. The woman said she enjoyed watching me during her walk. Without any of the big moves that consume my resources at the ice rink, I still managed to look impressive. A skater whose edgework stands alone has truly mastered the art. I wish to become that type of skater.

Week of July 14, 2002
Soft Ice

By the time I got back on the ice this Friday, between vacation and roller skating, I had been away for three weeks. I only visit this particular rink during summer because it is a long drive, a small surface, and rather expensive. However, the place is usually almost empty and the schedule is convenient for me. The ice tends to be soft, which I also do not prefer. Overall, on a once per week basis, the place is acceptable for summer skating just to keep myself in shape.

As I made the long haul through annoying traffic to this little frozen oasis, I realized how dearly I miss spinning and jumping. Most specifically, I craved flying camels, which have possibly surpassed laybacks as my favorite skill. The ice felt odd under my blades, not simply because it was soft but because I have not ice skated in weeks. I have spent my practice time on inlines at an outdoor roller rink. Although my inline skates are rockered to simulate ice blades, they are not ice blades, but I have adjusted to them and engrained their physics in my muscle memory. Through recent repetitive use, this skating format has risen to the forefront of my muscle memory, necessitating conscious adjustment before trying anything difficult. Wheels require vigorous stroking to produce speed one can achieve more easily on ice. Even over soft ice, I glided with amazing ease, renewing my love of the sport.

The place is really too small for moves in the field though I did review a few patterns. A couple of tiny children shared the surface and worked it with exercises that looked proportionally correct for their body size. However, taking a fourth stroke would slam someone of my height and musculature into the back wall. I also had difficulty setting up jumps. I am used to skating aggressively into each preparation, usually covering two-thirds of a hockey rink. This method builds speed and confidence, resulting in bigger jumps, something I could not achieve in the undersized facility. So I was left with spins. The poor quality of my centers disappointed me. Amazing how quickly even the most familiar skill deteriorates! My proficiency returned during that two-hour session, and I landed several good flying camels.

I will probably return next week.

Read about one of my visits to this small rink last summer.

Week of July 21, 2002
Roller Skater’s High

Although I originally planned to skate three times this week, twice on wheels and once at the small ice rink, I only got to the park twice and did not commute to the rink at all. One day, I simply was not in the mood to drive anywhere, and took a walk around the neighborhood instead. This was a mistake. I could have used more rigorous exercise. I also decided to skip the long haul to the tiny expensive ice arena and roller skated in the park instead.

My inline skating has improved more than expected this summer since I have had unlimited free access to the outdoor roller rink. I am actually amazed by how adeptly I perform forward power pulls on rockered inline skates. My forward pivots might actually turn into a spin someday and are a pretty move on their own. I have also added backward stroking to my practice schedule.

In an effort to straighten the path of my inside spread eagles, I have begun to work on Besti squats, named after the 1988 Olympic ice dance gold medallist, Natalia Bestemianova. A variation on the basic spread eagle posture, a Besti squat may be performed on the flat of the blade or either edge. Ideally the knees are deeply bent and turned out. Like upright eagles, turn out should originate at the hips to prevent injury. The Besti squat can be used as a training exercise for traditional eagles, teaching the skater to straighten his knees while maintaining proper turn out and continuing to ride the correct edge.

After inline freestyle, I distance skated on quad roller skates. On Friday, the weather was perfect for outdoor exercise: cool, breezy and overcast. Ordinarily, my skin burns and I could drown in my own sweat while circling the trail. I have to sit in the shade and rest before driving home. Enjoying the pleasant weather, I sprinted for a couple of miles, crouching into a speed skater’s stance. After a while, a runner’s high kicked in and I continued to skate at a healthy pace for more laps than usual.

I had a wonderful time roller skating this week. If I ever find myself in a situation where ice is unavailable, I know I can continue to grow as a skater on inlines and quads.

Week of July 28, 2002
Too Small

I have had other things on my mind this week and forced myself to make the long drive to the little oasis where I occasionally skate during the summer. I actually did not want to go but decided skating might make me feel better. With new blades on my boots, I only had to focus on getting used to them. This would liberate me from high expectations and the usual serious practice. I could just fool around without demanding much of myself. Of course, just fooling around is rarely enough anymore. I passed that stage long ago and now expect to skate at a certain level. The new blades essentially precluded that possibility, and I failed to meet my own excellence criteria.

On the ice, I moved like a beginner. A miserable grinding, followed by a corrective sharpening, had destroyed my old set of blades. These events completely flattened my right rocker. On virgin metal, I discovered that I had been curling my toes to compensate for the problem, as though physically gripping the ice where the edge failed. Skating pathetically, I hoped no one I knew would appear at the rink, most notably a friend I have not seen since last summer. She would probably wonder what was wrong with me. Even worse, she might note that I had not improved at all and had actually regressed. After about an hour and a half, I began to skate at normal capacity, considering recent lack of practice.

No doubt, had I continued to skate exclusively at this teeny arena, I never would have improved. I have made this sad evaluation of the very same friend several times. The ice surface is too small for an adult to effectively complete most moves in the field patterns. Sprinkle the rink with only a few people and the place is crowded. One person skating figure-eight crossovers covers the entire expanse. If that individual is on lesson, there is literally no place to hide.

I left this rink about four years ago and have only returned for a few summer sessions each year. No wonder why, at that point in my skating career, I could spin well but initiated my beginner jumps with a couple of modest pushes. I have since poked fun at adults who aspire to learning an axel at the expense of all else, people who stroke sloppily around the rink once then spend the rest of the session klutz jumping in a corner. When I skated exclusively at this tiny rink, I was one of those misguided creatures. My spins were great, but my basic skating stunk. Since then, I have struggled to bring my jumping and basic skills up to par with my spins. My jumps have finally arrived but my footwork still presents a frustrating dichotomy. Had I continued to train at this little frozen fairyland, I never would have gotten any better. I never would have learned to skate.

If I came to this rink feeling unhappy, at least I left knowing I have come a long way. I doubt I will waste much time with this place in the future. It is too far away, too small, and too expensive.

Read about my last set of new blades.

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