Skating!

[dawn_felagund]

After talking with tarion_anarore about all the atrocious Olympic skating falls this year, I wasn't sure I wanted to go. You know, "Eeeew...he tore his Achilles! Oh my! She slammed right into the wall

Comments

[miss_nightowl]

Not big on figure skating over here, but I did watch the ice dance and noticed that they were falling like they were drunk. What as up with that....?

[dawn_felagund]

I don't know. And the funny thing is that ice dancing is the "calmer" of the two pairs events, as they don't do the overhead lifts or any jumps at all. It's ballroom dancing on skates.

I felt for the French woman who got dropped during that lift...ouch!

[frenchpony]

I have come to the conclusion that Olympic figure skating is neither a sport nor an art. It is pure comedy. That's the only way to explain the drama, the costumes, the hair, and the bad musical choices.

[ann_arien]

I have to agree with you, especially on the musical choices. I've seen some completely mismatched music to the ice dance programs.

[dawn_felagund]

Yes, I am constantly thankful that I am not a competitive skater. (Not that that helps with the costumes, always--I've had some pretty atrocious ones--but it does help with the music a bit.)

The fact that it is regarded somewhere between sport and art makes it kind of annoying for me as an artistic skater to watch. You have athletes trying to pull off artistry...and not always with great success. Or a strange hybrid of the two where skaters are doing big jumps at weird places in the music.

Our exhibitions/shows/whatever are less about big moves (most of my jumps, I've never done in a show) and more about choreography and putting on an entertaining performance. I like it better that way.

[tarion_anarore]

Haha, yay for not dying while skating!!

I used to think about how good I would be if I practiced more/better...but, now I don't have time to think. ;P

[dawn_felagund]

Eek! Not even about chemistry? Equine science?? ;)

Wait 'til you graduate. Then you'll be like me and thinking of all that you could have been doing instead of wasting time in school!

(I'm half-kidding, btw. But only half.)

[tarion_anarore]

Well, chemistry fries my brain, so whenever I have time to think, I can't. lol!

Then you'll be like me and thinking of all that you could have been doing instead of wasting time in school!

Who says I don't do that now?? ;P

"Man, I could be wasting time in front of the computer, trying to write that SWG challenge!"

[ann_arien]

Bravo to you, Dawn. Wish I could skate, or ride a bike... or anything. But I was the laziest kid ever and I would not pick any sport to practice. The only thing that I like to so is swim. There were some months, not so long ago when I went swimming four days a week and I swam for over an hour without a break, just because I enjoyed the exhaustion and that great feeling of muscles being put to work.

I have to watch that Meissner teen. She does a triple axel?! o_O And she is so high up after the short programs? Egads!

[dawn_felagund]

I couldn't stand sports or athletic pursuits of any kind until I started skating. And I only started skating because my mom prodded me to and promised that I could quit if I didn't like it.

Well, fourteen years later....

I know that "used muscle" feeling. :) Bobby and I always finish our good practices with "I feel used! It feels great!" And then it's nice to sleep after a good practice. Except that last night, my stupid muses kept waking me up. Nrgh.

Yep, Kimmie's 16 and does triple axles. (Felak can't even do a single axle...although I can cheat one unconvincingly!) She ended so high mostly because she was the only woman to do a triple-triple combination in her program, which earned her extra points.

[ann_arien]

Except that last night, my stupid muses kept waking me up. Nrgh.

Yea, they get stupid like that. ;p I've sent mine on vacation for a while so I can have a little rest. (except Feany, whom I keep for personal amusement)

Egads again! I just noticed that I wrote "axel" instead of "axle", in true Teh Stupid fashion. :p

[dawn_felagund]

Actually, it *is* "axel"...for skating. :)

And I'm a skater! (No one said anything about a good speller though.... ;^D)

[greenknight33]

Great Jaaaarb Babe! If you are anything like me (which I know you are) watching the pros do the sport that you love makes you push harder and try things that you wouldn't usually try. I know when I watch hockey I study the players, their movements, and their positioning, and I try to mimic that during games. I figure, if these guys are the best, then why not try to play the way they play. Since I have been doing this, I think my game has improved greatly. Keep pushing your skillz to the limit, I find that is the only true way to really test yourself and improve your abilities. Congrats on the progress though, that is freakin’ awesome!

[dawn_felagund]

Thanks, love! Ms. Jackie calls it an "Aha!" moment, when you realize what's been wrong all along, fix it, and everything comes together. I think the arms are the "Aha!" moment for my jumping. :)

And I'm happy to finally like jumping. I kinda can't wait 'til Sunday to work on my new-n-improved flips and maybe even *cue dramatic music* land a lutz!