Monday, November 26, 2012

Strokes and Crossovers

I feel like the most boring part of this blog is my figure skating posts.  To me it isn't of course, but unless you could relate to it, then you probably won't even read it.  Right?  Admit it!  Haha.  But someday, when I get really better, I may even post photos or videos of me on the ice!  That sure got me excited!  Anyway, we're already doing forward strokes and forward crossovers.

To do forward strokes, you basically lift a leg up while gliding on your other foot.  But unlike the one-foot glide, where you only raise it up, you lift it up this time in a 45-ish degree behind you kind of way.  I can't find a decent picture of it in the net.  :(  I'm having a trouble with raising my right foot.  I hope I get the hang of it.


Here's a picture I found on the web of someone doing crossovers.  So in doing this move, you just raise your free leg up and cross it all over the other foot, which you will put back into its original position.  Since I still haven't "perfected" forward stroking, it's still not easy for me to do crossovers.  But my coach said that this is already advanced for us because it's only our third meeting last week.  Strokes and crossovers are supposed to be taught in the second level, alpha.  And each level consists of six meetings.  So I think we're gonna finish two levels in six meetings, which is really cool!  Our recreational skating last summer did pay off.  :)

Just a side story, my sister and I met two lovely girls last time at the rink, which is the first.  It's their first time and they noticed we're gliding like a pro... kidding!  I mean, for recreational skaters, we're okay.  Though we  are not, because we're taking lessons.  But since we're not wearing "white" skates, maybe we don't look that intimidating.  I don't know.  It's just that when we see skaters with freestyle (mostly white) skates, we have this kind of respect or whatever for them.  Not that they're unapproachable, but they're just.. okay.. intimidating (repeating for the lack of a better term), somehow.  So about the kids we met, they asked us to teach them.  It turns out they got skates at least three sizes bigger than their size!  That's the common mistake of first timers.  They think that the more extra room for their feet, the better.  Well it's not.  You should get the size most fit to your feet.  (Rhyming!)  Or at least, the next bigger size.  Then when they changed their skates, they felt the difference.  And they were really thankful.  They told us that before they approached us, they couldn't even get off the railings.  And now, they could already walk in the middle and even glide a little. Not bad for first timers!

My sister and I always talk about wanting to meet new friends in the rink.  But we're kinda shy.  We see some skaters that are on the same level as us but we think they don't approach us because we only use rental skates!  Hahahaha kidding aside, maybe it's because there are two of us.  And it's easier to meet friends, if you're alone, I think?  Maybe next time, we'll try to be friendlier.  Another thing, our "white" skates will be arriving on December 15!  Three weeks to go....  We're really really excited.  But THREE WEEKS is so long.  I still got two exams to sit in before that.  Oh well, I can't wait to skate with those on.  What would it feel like?  Ohhhh giddy giddy giddy me.  :)

2 comments:

  1. Saw the link to your blog (I'm flashingneonlights/winterlovexx on tumblr!)

    I think it's really cool you managed to talk to people at the rink! I skate alone sometimes, but I don't know how to approach anyone. I don't want to get in peoples' way because I'm such a beginner hahah.

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    1. Hi Cheryl, thanks for checking out my blog here! :)

      Well we have the same problem. Good thing I always skate with my sister. But now, some of the older students of our coach started talking to us. But they're advanced so they already have their own groups there. We're thinking about approaching skaters with the same level as us, you should try that too! :)

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