July 31, 2010

Going to see the big guns!


Now I'm back in the seat (or should that be office chair) after a small spell of ill health, I bring to you my first post in a little while - attending high profile skating events! I've been to see a few European championships in my time but never a world event, and certainly not the Olympics. Far too expensive.

July 10, 2010

How to: Get Into Figure Skating As An Adult

You might feel that as you are no longer a 7 year old, figure skating is not an adventure you're allowed to embark upon. You couldn't be more wrong ! Adult skating has grown so much since it's beginnings, and now the Adult World Championships exist, among many other amazing international events. Whether that's where you want to be, or you're happy to dance a foxtrot or two on a sunday morning, skating is something open to everyone.

July 6, 2010

Breaking In Figure Skating Boots: Blisters, Ovens & More!

Breaking in skates is one of the most painful, and annoying, things a skater has to go through. Although many skaters go through a pair of skates a year (or season...) I know a lot who keep theirs a great deal longer.

I got scared out of doing this some years ago when I broke my ankle on a triple flip take off due to boots that had broken down without me realising it. The importance of foot and ankle support is so paramount I don't even know how to express it with words (so unusual for a blabbermouth like me!)!

July 4, 2010

Figure Skating & Ballet Class



I recently read a post on a forum by a beginner skater, asking if it was a given that to start skating it was necessary to start ballet.

There is no easy answer for this. Obviously a person who takes ballet class is going to have some preconceptions about how to hold and carry oneself, but this doesn't by any means make it a prerequisite for figure skating.



July 2, 2010

How To Stay Warm In The Ice Rink

We've all been there. Sat in the stands or upright rink-side, the cold rising through our shoes and slowly turning our muscles to stone (or at least that's what it feels like). As a skater (a childless one at that) I'm not in the best position to talk about my skater-parent experiences, but I have spent a lot of years hanging around giant freezers and I'm currently undergoing long hours of mentoring for my coaching diploma. I thus feel qualified enough to share a few of my heat-retention tips with you guys!

July 1, 2010

Figure Skating Costume Ideas List

Ok, this is going to be a short post. It's more like a list of things to consider during costume conception. It's intended as an aid to designing your costume (whether you'll be making it or not), in the form of a list of styles per element of the costume (piccies included!). 

Drawing for Figure Skating Costumes

As discussed in my previous post on colour for costumes, I love drawing my outfit ideas. The lovely IceMom is also a professed sketcher and carries a notebook with her at all times, as she mentions in her great sewing post that you can read here.

Do you have a love for art, and wish you had more time or simply more ideas to doodle skating outfits? Or are you a klutz with a pencil but need decent sketches to convey your costume ideas? Here we're going to have a look at a few ways to get you off to a flying start. Once you're imagination is flowing you'll be unstoppable!!
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