The Devil is in the details

I'm beginning to think that I shouldn't be permitted to skate without supervision.  No, not because I'm getting so old that I might wander off but rather it seems that when I practice stuff in the absence of a coach bad habits creep into my skating.  This was brought to light last night when coach K introduced me to the waltz eight, a component of the USFSA's adult pre-bronze moves in the field test: 

Waltz Eight.

This figure-8 pattern harks back to the origins of "figure skating" as it is an actual "figure".  The "waltz" part of this element comes from the fact that the skater is supposed to execute the various edges to a six count cadence, i.e. in waltz time.  To do a waltz eight the skater pushes off at the bottom of the top most of the co-joined circles onto a right outside forward edge.  This edge is held for a count of three.  The skater then does a 3-turn onto a right back inside edge which is also held for a count of three (six total).  Next, after a pump of right skate to maintain momentum at about the 10 o'clock position on the circle, a left outside back edge is held for a count of six.  At that point (~2 o'clock) the skater steps around onto a right outside forward edge, again held for a count of six.  This returns the skater to the bottom of the top circle.  Without stopping or hesitation, the skater then does the mirror image of these maneuvers starting at the top of the bottom circle.  To complete the pattern, the skater must go around the figure twice without stopping or putting down an inappropriate foot.  And although the two tracings from the blades no longer have to be exactly on top of each other, one must strive to keep them as close as possible in the hopes of a passing grade from the panel of judges.

This is where all those bad habits I mentioned at the beginning of this post come home to roost.  Come on--any skater can do a couple of three turns and strike some edges, right?  Yes, but probably not with this level of control.  Compulsory figures are where the rubber hits the road.  It's one thing to be able to do relatively simple skating elements when it feels "right" to pull the trigger and a whole different kettle of fish to do them on a defined pattern with this level of precision, not to mention the timing aspect.  Needless to say your diarist quickly discovered the limits of his mastery.  We gave up attempting to perform the figure and spent the remainder of the lesson beating the demons out of my three turns.  This was a bit humbling.  I'll be the first to admit that my CCW forward 3 is a bit wonky most of the time but I was surprised that, when applied to the pattern, even the 3 in my "strong" CW direction was not up to the task.  Lots of refinement needs to take place before I can hope to pass pre-bronze.  The good news is that when I'm good enough to demo a passable waltz eight pattern, I really will own the turns and edges required by this pattern.  Now if I can just remember all of the (many, many) things that coach K. said while I practice alone...

The waltz eight performed at a passing standard.

Pre-Stone Age Skating

Yesterday, the 13th of March, marked the two year anniversary of me breaking my right radius.   That little episode of clumsiness side-lined me four months to the day; I finally returned to skating on Friday the 13th in July of 2012.  I told myself at the time that I still had unfinished business out on the ice.

Since then I've completed ISI's Gamma, Delta and FS-1 skill levels and am currently chipping away at FS-2 plus introductory ice dancing and, although I'm a much better skater now than then, I still have lot of unfinished business to transact.  As I progress, the new elements become harder and harder to master but in addition, I'm accumulating lots of sloppy lower level skills which I need to revisit--important skills which I mastered well enough to get a pass on a test but in truth have not entirely made my own.

At last night's group freestyle lesson, coach M. had me work on the entry for the one foot spin.  After 15 dizzying minutes of that he told me to move on to something different.  He asked if I wanted to work on FS-2 required jumps and I said "No, I'd like to work on foundation skills with the goal of joining the rink's USFSA club and taking the Pre-bronze moves in the field test."  For those unfamiliar with MIF, these tests, to a degree, replaced the skills which were called "compulsory figures" or sometimes "school figures" back in the early 1990s.

We talked about that for a couple minutes with me indicating that preparing for the MIF test would force me to refine all the basic elements like consecutive edges, back cross-overs, 3-turns, Mohawks, etc. which I hate doing in my weak direction.  He listened and then pulled out his water proof marker and drew two co-joined circles on the ice--a basic figure 8.  I spent the remaining lesson time attempting forward outside 8s around those circles.  The CW direction was no problem but hugging the CCW circle really forced me to think about keeping my free shoulder back if I wanted to make it around the circle on a single push without putting the free skate down on the ice.  By the end of the lesson I could just about do three continuous circuits of this "patch".  No, my tracings weren't on top of each other but at least I wasn't putting the free foot down. 

Exercises like this will help me get to the Waltz 8 pattern which is one of the moves required in the Pre-bronze level test.  Short video clips of the various USFSA Moves test elements can be seen here.

The Waltz Eight Pattern

Pre-bronze.  An odd name for a proficiency level. The more advanced levels are of course Bronze, Silver and Gold.  I suppose if I manage to pass the Pre-bronze test that I could claim to be at the Stone Age level of figure skating.  That implies that I'm currently Pre-Stone Age.  Some days that seems about right.