Skating with a Star

[jjane45]

I have heard that if the opportunity arises, take lessons or a seminar with Paul Wylie and/or Todd Eldredge as both are great teachers.

I definitely heard lots of raves about Paul Wylie. Teaching is a completely different set of talent for sure!!

First of all, almost everyone I've met who teaches skating at a professional level is an incredibly good athlete. Take a look at the Bios various clubs post. It seems like everyone has won regional competitions, or made it to Nationals of one country or another, or has USFSA gold test levels in freestyle and dance, or toured or choreographed with Disney On Ice, Stars on Ice, etc. They are all so high above most of us...

Not sure about everyone else, for me a "famous skater" in the context of this thread is more than winning regionals or competing on the national stage. Does not have to be Michelle Kwan famous, but with a national, World, or Olympic medal.

Recently I had a discussion with rink friends about how well a coach's resume on paper reflects his or her ability to teach recreational adult students. Nearly impossible. Our rink's adult class was much better attended under a coach who learned skating as a middle-aged adult (you may know whom am I talking about) than the champion coach.

[Janie]

My adult novice/intermediate and advanced group class has an Olympian for a coach! I didn't find that out until after the first ten-week semester with her, and was so surprised that someone so high level would be teaching adult skaters! She's a really good coach and I love taking lessons with her. I don't know how she is as a private coach though, I wouldn't be able to afford her

[Skittl1321]

I took a seminar once from Alissa and Amber Czisny, and during the seminar they divided up with Amber taking the lower level skaters and Alissa the higher.  The higher skaters raved about Alissa and her work with them on spin variations, but I didn't feel like the private lesson I took from her later was that beneficial.  For one thing- I was nervous so I wasn't skating well, but then she also didn't seem to know what to say to help me.  I bet she could develop into a very good coach, but teaching low level skaters is a real skill, and at least at that time, I don't know that she had it yet.  (She is very quiet, and likely hadn't done too much coaching yet.)  Amber on the other hand, seemed to have a lot of experience with lower level skaters and gave me some really good tips.  Alissa did teach me where to put my hands during a backspin as off centered over the heart- rather than to the right or center.  I still do that.

I'm glad I did the lesson though.  I was a huge fan of hers, so it was just really cool to get to skate with her.   


I think my favorite story of a star skater working with adults was Brian Orser. He had to miss nationals when Adam Rippon had just joined him- he had promised adults at the rink he would take them to skate Rideau Canal, and he upheld his promise.

[jjane45]

I'm glad I did the lesson though.  I was a huge fan of hers, so it was just really cool to get to skate with her.   

I can totally imagine how it feels like!

Ha ha, you would be on the ice with him, it was an adult session.  And he would give way to you, they respect everyone's space and right to use the ice. 

My chain of thoughts went like this: being on the ice with a gorgeous famous skater ->  swoon^10  ->  may not be able to skate safely and become a hazard on the ice... LOL

[SynchKat]

Ha ha I didn't think of it that way.  Maybe he could carry you off the ice and sit with you until you felt better.  .  But better still you could just sit in the lounge, have a drink and admire him from the safety of a comfy seat. 

[PinkLaces]

My DD had Keiffer Hubbell partner her through a dance test last year. The other partner could not make it so he filled in last minute. 

[davincisop]

Paul Wylie visits my rink every few months. Unfortunately we don't find out until after the sign up sheet for lessons is full. The same girls continue to get 4+ lessons with out visiting coaches and are already signed up on the sheets (and morning slots, the only ones I CAN attend because of work are already taken) before said coaches are even announced. 

One of the coaches' moms works in our front office and I think she gives certain parents a heads up, and the coach will sign up the girls before asking the parents so they get on the list, so I've heard.

It's unfair to us who really want to take a lesson with said visiting coach and are unable to because of rink politics. I work 9-6 so the only session I can attend are the 7 and 8am ones.

I would love to take lessons from an Olympian though. It would be super awesome and inspiring.

[jjane45]

I would talk to the skating director if I were in your shoes, Davinci.

[jenniturtle]

We have an Olympic silver medallist at our rink, but I wouldn't take lessons for two reasons:  she's waaaay out of my budget, and more importantly, I wouldn't learn under her teaching style.  I'd be too frustrated.  She seems to relate better to the kids, and that's fine.

I believe I know the one you speak of. She does turn out winners though. My DD's coach calls her students "robots" at a recent competition they were warming up as a group all with game faces and attitudes, and this was a very low level.

[davincisop]

I would talk to the skating director if I were in your shoes, Davinci.

He's friends with said mother.... The lady that told me the coach was coming did look at the sheet for me to see if he had any morning sessions but he doesn't have anything earlier than 9. But she didn't even know until she saw the sheet.

[supra]

There's a former ISU World level Ukranian pair skater who coaches at my rink. He was most active in about the year 2000, but now I think only coaches. He's nice, as in, he didn't like totally blow me off like some others when I was a beginner, but he's very cold and distant, and I've never seen him smile or laugh ever. So, I don't believe he'd be asking me how my day is or anything like that, he'd definitely not be a "rent-a-friend" kinda coach. He seems to get results, though, just nobody else uses him, at least none of the adult skaters. He is most expensive ($80 an hour, but the other coaches are at least 60, and he's got the highest credentials,) but I figure he'll give me the most bang for the buck, but I'll have to see what my experience is when the time comes.

As far as watching him goes, besides his pretty elite level people he coaches (that are mostly from Eastern Europe) more or less fulltime, I did see him coach like a 5-6 year old kid on hockey skates, and it was complete magic what he did with him in an hour. The kid had good posture and could do forward crossovers no problem, starting from being barely able to skate. As far as the Eastern European skaters he mainly coaches, I don't want to bring up too much, but it's quite grueling, 4-5 hours ice time, he's fairly nice, but his female partner is significantly less nice.

[supra]

I can totally imagine how it feels like!


My chain of thoughts went like this: being on the ice with a gorgeous famous skater ->  swoon^10  ->  may not be able to skate safely and become a hazard on the ice... LOL

I guess I should be thankful that the highest level coaches at my rink are male then.

[jjane45]

If anyone trains alongside elite competitors who contend nationally or internationally, is it normal to see visiting fans running around hoping to catch a practice session, a photo, or an autograph?

I know if my faves train anywhere near me, my schedule would be greatly disturbed by spending too much time at the rink, lol.

Do you know any current (eta: still competing) big name competitors who coach regularly on the side, not just occasional seminars? I believe Rockne Brubaker does.

[AgnesNitt]

If anyone trains alongside elite competitors who contend nationally or internationally, is it normal to see visiting fans running around hoping to catch a practice session, a photo, or an autograph?

I remember reading there was a woman from Japan who used to watch all of Johnny Weir's practices from  the bleachers.

[supra]

If anyone trains alongside elite competitors who contend nationally or internationally, is it normal to see visiting fans running around hoping to catch a practice session, a photo, or an autograph?

I know if my faves train anywhere near me, my schedule would be greatly disturbed by spending too much time at the rink, lol.

Do you know any current big name competitors who coach regularly on the side, not just occasional seminars? I believe Rockne Brubaker does.

Dennis Petukhov and Melissa Gregory don't compete anymore, but they fairly recently stopped, 2008 or so. I'd guess they're fairly big names. He lives in my state, however, he coaches at a rink a good drive away (approx an hour) from me. I've seen him at my rink before, only a couple times, I'd guess he either goes if he has business in the area or in the case where I talked to him, the power was out and my rink was the only rink in the state open.

I have a funny story regarding Dennis and Melissa, though, on the day the power was out, I had a friend staying at my house, and I took him skating with me. In front of all the figure skaters (mostly attractive girls) he decides to start going into a narrative in a movie preview voice about me and ice skating, saying things like "Passion, romance, suspense!" and then as he's saying this all, Dennis Petukhov walks by. My friend has the oddest luck in the world, and whenever I go out with him, it's never a "normal" day, and that day was the day Dennis Petukhov came by. 

I guess moral of the story is.... don't have friends?

[SynchKat]

My rink is in a private club so you have to be brought in by a member to watch.  I have brought in my parents and plan to take an aunt. 

When I was training we would have random people drop I and watch sometimes.  I think they were just locals.  I liked and still do when random people come and watch a session.  Back in the day I did dance but at the club was a young Elvis Stojko and eventually and young Emmanuel Sandhu. So it pays to drop into random rinks to watch a session.

[techskater]

If anyone trains alongside elite competitors who contend nationally or internationally, is it normal to see visiting fans running around hoping to catch a practice session, a photo, or an autograph?

I skate frequently with Gracie Gold, but no one bothers her at all.  We kid around with her all the time about stalking her and wanting her autograph. 

[jjane45]

I skate frequently with Gracie Gold, but no one bothers her at all.  We kid around with her all the time about stalking her and wanting her autograph. 

Well, if we give her a few years to gather the big medals, royal fans will start watching every practice from the bleachers lol.

My rink is in a private club so you have to be brought in by a member to watch.  I have brought in my parents and plan to take an aunt. 

When I was training we would have random people drop in and watch sometimes.  I think they were just locals.  I liked and still do when random people come and watch a session.  Back in the day I did dance but at the club was a young Elvis Stojko and eventually and young Emmanuel Sandhu. So it pays to drop into random rinks to watch a session.

I guess the relative privacy is nice for some huge skating stars that train / trained at your rink