Letting go

[davincisop]

How many of you are able to go out on the ice and just let go of everything? Just not think about what you're doing and just feel your music or whatever music is playing?

My worst problem is I think too much and overanalyze... I think about my feet.  The only day I had successful salchows and toe loops was one day during a public session when I had one headphone in and was listening to Josh Groban.   The salchows just happened and I had absolutely no problem doing them and I was shocked that I did it.

I can't seem to get back to that and it may have something to do with the more crowded than normal public sessions and freestyles (three more days and the monsters go back to school) so I'm intimidated and afraid I'm going to hurt one of the little kids out there who don't know how to watch out for other people.

Do you guys have any suggestions at all? I'm thinking I'm going to start going to one early morning session a week when it's basically empty and put my own music on (if my boss will let me figure out the player upstairs or do it himself) and just skate for me.

[katz in boots]

I have had sessions like that, though they are rare & long waits in between usually.
Seems to happen when I least expect it, when I'm relaxed and just having fun or not expecting much.

Although I've tried to recapture the feeling in subsequent sessions, I have now learned to just enjoy them when they do happen.

[fsk8r]

They are fun days when that happens. Generally I find when I stop thinking, I'll discover that I've actually forgotten what I was trying to do... Such as coach says salchow and I'm halfway through the setup when a random thought pops in saying how the hell do you do one of those?!

But I do like just skating and concentrating on doing moves and forgetting the rest of the world exists because I have to just concentrate so much on controlling the turns.

[Bill_S]

"Letting go" (Freeform Freestyle?  ) is my USUAL mode of skating. When someone else's music comes on, and I like it, I just start doing what feels like the music tells me. The same thing happens with a catchy tune during a public session. I just can't help it.

In my case, I find myself doing footwork instead of jumps (I don't jump that much anymore). As an example, I remember when I was learning brackets,  I found myself doing RBI brackets at full speed without thinking during public sessions. I could barely do them in the moves pattern when practicing, but I was caught up in the excitement of the music and the energy of the session. They just happened. I'd reflect on that after the session and wondered how I could take a move that's normally tentative, and just do it at speed without thinking.

In some ways, it's undisciplined of me because I've stopped taking lessons, however this way of skating is genuinely FUN. If I couldn't just "groove" with the tunes and let my feet do their own thing, I'd stop skating. I DO think it's another avenue to acquire skating skills, and many people neglect it entirely.

[techskater]

Typically when I have outside of skating stress, I am more able to let go while on the ice.  Those days are great and are typically ones where I am highly productive on the ice

[CrossStroke]

Bill: oh, how envious I am of you , I am a very technique-oriented, analytical skater and can just about never simply let go.  For example, I like doing MITF patterns as they have to be done in very particular way.  I cannot "just skate to the music"...  

Sometimes, when I've been on the ice longer than usual and had a good practice, I will start playing around with things I cannot really do but find fun, such as doing shoot-the-ducks that invariably end up in a long butt slide (though the "ducks" themselves are often not bad at all), or hydroblades that end up similarly, etc.  Not much beyond that.

No artistic creative spark in me, I guess  

[Nate]

I'm like fs8r.  I have to think, other wise I start miffing up the most simple things.

I'm real big into visualization, and I like being able to think through things.

[singerskates]

Up until this last month and a half, I was very limited with my turns. But it doesn't matter if the music is mine or not. If the music moves me, I skate to the music and find that I can do things I normally can't do when working on skills. It's also where I find  out how to do my elements more artistically.  But being a musician/singer songwriter first, way before I ever put on a pair of skates, I should be able to relate to the music.

[FigureSpins]

When a good song is on my ipod or the soundsystem, my feet just can't stay still!  That's also when I trip because I didn't plan my next move.  (Guess there's a connection there. )  I tend to fling and repeat my favorite moves, spins and jumps, but it's all in good fun and no one really gets hurt.  I usually trip and catch myself - don't ask me how.

It takes a long time for me to memorize nuances in new program music and really make the program flow with expression.  I'm better at teaching someone else a program than I am at making up my own, especially on the spur of the moment.  When I do perform a choreographed program, I tend to focus more on the next element coming up than on artistry and presentation.

Some rinks offer Artistry and Artistic Movement group lessons, usually as part of a camp or clinic.
My kids love doing those sessions since they can just be creative and move to the music instead of fitting in all the required elements.

If you're interested in doing Interpretative events, it's helpful to have a few pre-planned combinations of movements for fast/slow/medium music, so improvising to whatever's playing is good practice for those events.

[davincisop]

since all the little children go back to school tomorrow (thank goodness), I'm thinking of taking Tuesday morning to go skate the early morning freestyle since the one other time I went to a freestyle that early there was no one there (also why they cut back on early morning freestyle bc no one was there and it was empty ice, and there was no one there to check it in so whoever came got free ice time). And since Tuesday is my 23rd birthday, I figured there'd be no better way to start it off before I have to get to my internship. Get there at 7, skate til 8, and plug all noise with my ipod and some angry rock music. Seems like a great combo to me!

For my birthday, I'd like to be able to take off from my jumps rather than hesitate every time I try.

[sk8Joyful]

How many of you are able to go out on the ice and just let go of everything?
Just not think about what you're doing and just feel your music or whatever music is playing?

I have been very musically-oriented my entire life, I am always either humming, or singing, all my favorite Songs  and aside my having also served as a church choir Director for years, I know alot of FUN songs, I would dearly LOVE skating to but, I'm tired of being patient, lol - Lacking enough, skills yet  I WANT to skate everything, sigh.

[singerskates]

I have been very musically-oriented my entire life, I am always either humming, or singing, all my favorite Songs  and aside my having also served as a church choir Director for years, I know a lot of FUN songs, I would dearly LOVE skating to but, I'm tired of being patient, lol - Lacking enough, skills yet  I WANT to skate everything, sigh.

This is where I was for a very long time. I can do more in the way of turns and skills but I'm still not at the comfort range I'd like to be. I'd like to some day do whatever my mind and soul feels like on the ice like Jeffrey Buttle does. But I'm afraid that Jeffrey Buttle's gift of skating isn't going to be given to everyone. And so, with that, we have to make do with whatever God gives us one edge at a time.

[JimStanmore]

I'm like renatele and am very analytical.  I was a theater choreographer so, I like to break everything into components parts and beats, then throw the math/physics teacher thing in there and analyze the forces.  On the other hand, I am very paranoid about having the "adult skater" look and and the theater dancer side wants everything to look smooth and effortless.  

I end up working very focused on a certain move(s) for 25 or 30 minutes and then it's like I need a release and just take off to whatever song is on and do things.  I move my arms creatively, try head drops and poses with simple steps because I have noticed that's what the high level elite skaters do.  My body seems to be good at translating what it sees so, I watch a lot of Lambiel, Curry and a couple of others on YouTube repetitively.  I still can't resist opening them in Kinovea (free motion analysis software) and stepping through them frame by frame to see what's happening so my body can hopefully absorb it.  

My new boots must be working because I skated at a rink a lot in SC over the holidays and I kept getting asked if I was a professional skater, LOL.  That was good for my ego because at my home rink there are several current and former Olympic skaters and I am hardly given a second glance.

Two of my recent inspirational finds:

(Really like those short spirals he uses to shoot out of a move to the next, 1:42 )


Starting at :36


My current goal (minus the spins  ):

[Isk8NYC]

Love, love, love Kurt Browning's Singing in the Rain routine - it's a work of art.

Lambiel's performance is one of my favorite SP's of all time and look: he didn't need a fancy costume - he makes his statement with his skating!
I'm biased: I adore Stephane Lambiel as a skater and a person.  After watching that interview, I am even more impressed. 
A Swiss skater who gives an interview to Japanese (?) reporters in English. 

[sk8Joyful]

This is where I was for a very long time.
I can do more in the way of turns and skills but I'm still not at the comfort range I'd like to be. I'd like to some day do whatever my mind and soul feels like on the ice like Jeffrey Buttle does.
But I'm afraid - that Jeffrey Buttle's gift of skating isn't going to be given to everyone.
And so, with that, we have to make do with whatever God gives us, one edge at a time.

Though some gifts may be given to some people in some contexts, the way I was given to understand it is God *lovingly Blessed* each of us with a marvelously-renewable body which we can train to our heart's content,  for HIS Glory Do you agree?

Kurt Browning's Singing in the Rain: so FLUID, so seemingly effortless, looking, like it is absolutely & completely-natural   And Stephane Lambiel too: Wow, skaters so polished.

Kinovea (free motion analysis software)

I wonder what this is

[PinkLaces]

If you're interested in doing Interpretative events, it's helpful to have a few pre-planned combinations of movements for fast/slow/medium music, so improvising to whatever's playing is good practice for those events.

My DD loves doing interpretive events where you don't get the music ahead of time...just listen to it 3 times and have to make up a program.  She loves ice dance the best (struggles with her double jumps) and loves the footwork parts of programs.  Often times at the end of the session, she will just skate whatever she feels to whomever's music is playing...making it up as she goes along.  I hope someday I can get to that place.

[singerskates]

Though some gifts may be given to some people in some contexts, the way I was given to understand it is God *lovingly Blessed* each of us with a marvelously-renewable body which we can train to our heart's content,  for HIS Glory Do you agree?

Kurt Browning's Singing in the Rain: so FLUID, so seemingly effortless, looking, like it is absolutely & completely-natural   And Stephane Lambiel too: Wow, skaters so polished.I wonder what this is

Amen!!!!!!!

[VAsk8r]

That's one reason why I keep doggedly going to public sessions, even though many are too crowded or obnoxious kids keep cutting through the center. When it's a good day, I can get into the music they're playing and good things just happen.

I've also found when I'm doing my moves, if I get distracted when I'm about to do something I usually struggle with, the hard part just happens.

[sampaguita]

I end up working very focused on a certain move(s) for 25 or 30 minutes and then it's like I need a release and just take off to whatever song is on and do things.  I move my arms creatively, try head drops and poses with simple steps because I have noticed that's what the high level elite skaters do.  My body seems to be good at translating what it sees so, I watch a lot of Lambiel, Curry and a couple of others on YouTube repetitively.  I still can't resist opening them in Kinovea (free motion analysis software) and stepping through them frame by frame to see what's happening so my body can hopefully absorb it.  

My goodness, I am exactly like you!!! I do watch skating videos over and over and over again, frame by frame, to try to get how to do things. It's not always effective, but I find the whole analysis activity very exciting.

[ls99]

How many of you are able to go out on the ice and just let go of everything?

I do. Nothing exists. Skates move me. Some music i can't stand. Good classical tunes or some Latin tunes are great for me. Headbanger tunes prompt me for earplugs. Or my Ipod to drown out the noise.

[turnip]

I do in the sense that all I think about when I'm on the ice is what I'm doing on the ice. I can't think about anything else that stresses me out at home or at work. Unfortunately, rink drama intrudes on this forgetting everything thing, but for a couple of weeks, on one session a week, there was only my coach and her skaters so no dramas, just skaaating

[sampaguita]

Kurt Browning was skating on REALLY WET ICE!!! How'd he do that?

[Doubletoe]

Kurt Browning was skating on REALLY WET ICE!!! How'd he do that?

From what I remember hearing about this masterpiece, it took 10 hours to film.  They had to use warm water so Kurt wouldn't freeze, and they could only film for 10 minutes at a time because the ice would get too flooded and start melting and Kurt's clothes would get too heavy from being soaked in water.  That's what I call a loooong day!  But the result is what I consider to be the best figure skating video ever.

[jjane45]

From what I remember hearing about this masterpiece, it took 10 hours to film.  They had to use warm water so Kurt wouldn't freeze, and they could only film for 10 minutes at a time because the ice would get too flooded and start melting and Kurt's clothes would get too heavy from being soaked in water.  That's what I call a loooong day!  But the result is what I consider to be the best figure skating video ever.

pure genius...