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| Real Carmens getting their game faces on. |
Dear constant reader: When I first mentioned that I'd been sucked into the
competition vortex, I pointed out that as an adult male skating under ISI rules, I might (probably would) have to compete against the book. The rink finally posted the competition schedule today and lo and behold I've got a real live human bean to compete against! Having said that I'll more than likely still come in second but if so, I'll have been beaten by a better skater rather than by a lousy book. When I first asked Madam Skating Director if she was going to combine adults doing solo ice dances she said she wasn't sure she could combine genders within the same "technical group". She needed to consult the ice dance gurus within her
posse comitatus. I quizzed my coach about this topic during our last lesson and her take was that USFS competitions do this all the time, even factoring in that with higher level dances the men's and ladies' steps are quite different. Since the schedule indicates that I'm skating against a lady I guess the consulting oracles quacked the same tune for Madame SD.
My event takes place bright and early on Sunday morning April the 17th; warm up time is at an uncivilized 8:09 am for the two Solo Dance-3 groups (first group on ice is Females 17-23 years old; my group is Mixed Adult). We skate at 8:17 with my competitor skating first.
Sizing up my competition: She's a better skater than I am (she's passed her preliminary dances with USFS) and she's a member of the adult synchro team. Plus, she's competed before. I assume she and I are both dancing the Canasta Tango, although technically she could do the Rhythm Blues instead--we shall see! Either way it'll be fabulous darh-ling, the highlight of the competition weekend: The Battle of the Carmens.
To be honest, its harder to skate with the book. It always doesnt mean first. You have to do it all the right way. My son when he did ISI was always with the book in FS and di come in second a few times.
ReplyDeleteThat said, its nice to be with someone else !
See my comments in the earlier post. Yes, a single skater in a group can still come in second. A score of 79.9% will do it. Kafka's dog wouldn't like it...
ReplyDeleteYay, competition! That means that you will post pictures, no? Can't wait to hear details of what music and what everyone wore!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know. It's early on a Sunday morning. My wife and daughter will probably have to give it a miss due to choir duties and there might not be very many people in the stands. But one never knows! I'll probably snap a few pix of other skaters with my cell phone if I get a chance.
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