When did you first start testing...and how old were you?

[FSWer]

Say I was just wondering when all our test Skaters here first began testing..and how old they were? Please include what you pasted. As well as the Discipline(s) you tested in.

[Skittl1321]

I was 25 when I passed my first usfsa tests (pb mitf and freeskate).

I'm 29 now and still in the pb level.

[jjane45]

This thread belongs to Sitting on the boards, again

I have not tested in anything yet, will take official ISI tests this summer in order to audition for our rink's ice show. I'd like to test MITF and freestyle sometime in the future.

[sarahspins]

Hmm...I learned to skate at an ISI rink and at 14, tested Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, FS 1, FS 2, and FS3 (all 7 in the same day), then took the FS 4 test a few months later, and I had just turned 15 when I finally tested FS 5 (which was quite some time after I could have - I didn't bother to test until just before the deadline to sign up for a competition).  I was working on FS 6 but didn't have a consistent enough 2S to test.

About 3 months after I passed ISI's FS5, I took USFSA's pre-preliminary MITF and FS and those were the lasts tests I took before I was injured and took the first of my long breaks from skating.

I am planning on testing Pre-Bronze, Bronze, and Silver moves this summer (hoping for before I turn 31, which is in August), and hopefully gold by fall.  Not sure when I'll get around to testing the FS portions.

[FigureSpins]

I started taking lessons when I was around 18 years old.  We had a seasonal ISI rink and I think I passed Alpha through Delta the first season, then ISI FS 1&2 in 1981 or 1982.  Tested through FS3 to get to FS4, where I got stuck for two seasons.  I finally passed ISI FS5 in 1986 - I landed the axel one Sunday, totalled my car the next day and didn't see the axel again for three months, lol.  I passed USFSA Preliminary Figures in 1986 and the Dutch Waltz in 1987.  Didn't test again until 2007, when I passed Pre-Prel Moves and Free.

[davincisop]

I started skating at 11, made it to freeskate 1 or 2 before I stopped, got back into skating at 21 and started testing right before I turned 23. I've passed Pre-bronze moves and freestyle and bronze moves. I will hopefully test Bronze freestyle and Silver moves before the end of the year.

[aussieskater]

Started skating age 39 (?).  All tests passed Standard as we have no adult test system - in Australia, everyone does the same tests to the same passing standard.

Passed Prelim (= the edges component of approx PreBronze I think) in about 2007 (?);
Passed Elementary Dance (Dutch + Canasta) in about 2008;
Passed Pre-Primary dance  (Fiesta + Swing) in 2009.

Now getting the first of the Primary dances ready for testing.  I'm not sure how our Primary equates to the US or the Canadian test system - maybe Bronze dance?   Our Primary has 4 dances:  14step, Foxtrot, European and (gulp) Silver Samba.

Just an aside:  with the Samba there, the Primary test is gonna be a long time completing.  I reckon I'll be ready to pass the Rocker Foxtrot and the Starlight (2 of the 4 dances on our Novice test) before I get the Samba down!!
 

[MimiG]

Started skating in Canada in 1995 at 19 (with a classical & modern dance background). Passed preliminary figure that year & preliminary freestyle & dance the next. By 2002, I'd passed through second figure, junior bronze freestyle (landed up to double loop but never did get that senior bronze test...), class 1 skating skills (before they changed the test structure - equivalent to a gold or senior test), gold dances, the ten-fox variation, and two of the dances on the USFSA gold dances (viennese waltz & quickstep).

Now, at 34 and with a 2 year old pretty much permanently attached to my leg, I coach more than I skate but plan to start working on the MITF tests and get back into shape to complete my US gold dance test.

[chowskates]

OMG MimiG, that sounds like you could be me!

I started skating in 1995 at 19, when in college in upstate NY.  I began testing in 1998 and tested up to prelim moves & Bronze dances by summer 1999.  I stopped testing because I left the US, but have been competing Gold Ladies in the Adult International Competition.

Now at 34 with a 2-year-old permanently attached to me (not always my leg ~ she loves piggy-back) I coach more than I skate.  Having recently come back to the US, I have just committed myself to testing up to Silver MIF & Free in less than 2-weeks' time. (Panic panic, working to get two programs together after not skating at all for the 3 months since I moved here!)

Started skating in Canada in 1995 at 19 (with a classical & modern dance background). Passed preliminary figure that year & preliminary freestyle & dance the next. By 2002, I'd passed through second figure, junior bronze freestyle (landed up to double loop but never did get that senior bronze test...), class 1 skating skills (before they changed the test structure - equivalent to a gold or senior test), gold dances, the ten-fox variation, and two of the dances on the USFSA gold dances (viennese waltz & quickstep).

Now, at 34 and with a 2 year old pretty much permanently attached to my leg, I coach more than I skate but plan to start working on the MITF tests and get back into shape to complete my US gold dance test.

[Purple Sparkly]

Started skating age 39 (?).  All tests passed Standard as we have no adult test system - in Australia, everyone does the same tests to the same passing standard.

Passed Prelim (= the edges component of approx PreBronze I think) in about 2007 (?);
Passed Elementary Dance (Dutch + Canasta) in about 2008;
Passed Pre-Primary dance  (Fiesta + Swing) in 2009.

Now getting the first of the Primary dances ready for testing.  I'm not sure how our Primary equates to the US or the Canadian test system - maybe Bronze dance?   Our Primary has 4 dances:  14step, Foxtrot, European and (gulp) Silver Samba.

Just an aside:  with the Samba there, the Primary test is gonna be a long time completing.  I reckon I'll be ready to pass the Rocker Foxtrot and the Starlight (2 of the 4 dances on our Novice test) before I get the Samba down!!

In the US:
Preliminary dances are Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango, and Rhythm Blues. 
Pre-Bronze daces are Fiesta Tango, Swing Dance, and Cha Cha. 
Bronze dances are Willow Waltz, Hickory Hoedown, and Ten Fox. 
Pre-silver dances are Fourteenstep, Foxtrot, and European Waltz.
Silver dances are American Waltz, Rocker Foxtrot, and Tango.

Looks like your Elementary is like our Preliminary and your Pre-Primary is like our Pre-Bronze.  Then your Primary is like our Pre-Silver.  Quite a jump from Fiesta Tango to European Waltz!

[Purple Sparkly]

I started skating in October of 1992 or 1993 when I was 8 or 9.  I can never remember which year it was, but I usually say I was 9.  I think I did Pre-Alpha, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta that first year.  After that it is a little fuzzy as to what happened when, but I think I have a test form from 1996 for Freestyle 4.  That is the last ISI level I passed, but I was planning on testing more at some point.

I started testing USFSA when I was 15.  I took a break from skating when I was 19 and at that point I had passed Intermediate moves and Pre-Juvenile freeskate.  Since I came back to skating when I was 21, I have passed Junior moves, Juvenile freeskate, and Bronze dance.

I greatly resent my late start into USFSA testing.  I firmly believe I would have passed Senior moves years ago if I had started testing earlier.  For this reason, I prefer Basic Skills to ISI and advocate starting moves testing earlier rather than later.

[sk8tegirl06]

Basic Skills/Freestyle Levels-I don't remember what was the last one I fully passed, but it was around age 12

1 session of ISI- a Delta/Gamma combined group age 18-19

Pre-pre Moves and Free- age 20

Preliminary Moves- age 21

Pre-Juvenile Moves-??

[aussieskater]

In the US:
Preliminary dances are Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango, and Rhythm Blues. 
Pre-Bronze daces are Fiesta Tango, Swing Dance, and Cha Cha. 
Bronze dances are Willow Waltz, Hickory Hoedown, and Ten Fox. 
Pre-silver dances are Fourteenstep, Foxtrot, and European Waltz.
Silver dances are American Waltz, Rocker Foxtrot, and Tango.

Looks like your Elementary is like our Preliminary and your Pre-Primary is like our Pre-Bronze.  Then your Primary is like our Pre-Silver.  Quite a jump from Fiesta Tango to European Waltz!

Thanks for the info Purple Sparkly.  You're right about the jump from our Pre-Primary to Primary - there really should be a level between these dance sets.  I've been told that in the olden days there was another level, which comprised the (I think) 14step, something else, and the Fiesta done solo.  Our Novice dance test (next after Primary) consists of Rocker Foxtrot, Starlight, Cha Cha Congelado and Tango, which looks pretty close to your Silver.

Silver Samba aside, it's not the European that's scaring me in this test, it's the 14step.  I know it's supposed to be the "gimme" dance in that set, but I'm having huge problems getting the pattern up to size at the correct speed!  The only blessing is that we don't have to pass all dances at the same test session.

[Doubletoe]

I took my first test (Adult Pre-Bronze) when I was 37.

[Purple Sparkly]

Now getting the first of the Primary dances ready for testing.  I'm not sure how our Primary equates to the US or the Canadian test system - maybe Bronze dance?   Our Primary has 4 dances:  14step, Foxtrot, European and (gulp) Silver Samba.

Just an aside:  with the Samba there, the Primary test is gonna be a long time completing.  I reckon I'll be ready to pass the Rocker Foxtrot and the Starlight (2 of the 4 dances on our Novice test) before I get the Samba down!!

I hope your Silver Samba is different than our Silver Samba because ours is an International dance!  I can't believe that would be in the same group as Fourteenstep and Foxtrot!

[aussieskater]

I hope your Silver Samba is different than our Silver Samba because ours is an International dance!  I can't believe that would be in the same group as Fourteenstep and Foxtrot!

Nope it's the standard version  .  At Primary, it's sure not done like an International though!!   Hopefully they give us a pass for just remembering the steps in order and skating them at something like the correct timing in a small flat pattern with no expression ... coz that's all they're gonna get out of me!

Absolutely agree it should be nowhere our Primary.  Like I said in another thread, I've been told they put it in as a "reach" element, but it's so far above "reach" it's ridiculous.

[sk8lady]

I skated for 6 weeks when I was 15 in an ISI program and passed Alpha and Beta. I didn't skate again till I was around 30 (in Basic Skills, before the Adult Levels existed--Freestyle only went up to Level 3 or 4 in those days!) and didn't start testing till 2005, when I turned 45. Starting that year, I passed Pre-pre MIF and Free, Pre-Bronze MIF and Free, Bronze MIF and Free, Preliminary and Pre-Bronze dances at the standard level, and the Hick Ho and the Willow at the Adult level. (I was afraid that at the rate I was going, if I started allowing for several failures at higher level dances I would need to use a walker for the Gold dances!) I'm working on the Ten Fox and Silver Moves now and hoping to take them both in 2012 (fingers crossed...).

[emilayy]

i took my prepre mif when i was 11ish and my prepre free when i was 13ish

[Skate@Delaware]

I took the ISI freestyle 2 test about 2-3 years ago (don't recall exactly when); last year I passed the USFS Pre-bronze MIF test (age 48), this year I passed the USFS Bronze MIF test (age 49). I'm getting ready to test USFS Pre-Bronze & Bronze Freestyle by the end of this year (still age 49).

[jumpingbeansmom]

Hmmm....jumpingbean took her first test (pre pre MIF) at age 7 and now at 10 has just passed Int MIF.   Her first FS test was at age 8 and she passed through to Juv FS (at age 9)

[hopskipjump]

Dd was 6 and did alpha with ISI.
Her coach didn't coach USFS until last summer and at 8 dd took pre-pre mitf.

Her ISI tests weren't scary or worrisome for dd.  The first USFS was simply exciting to her, the second one was VERY nerve wracking - mostly because she knew what to expect and was building it up in her mind. 

[MadMac]

Hmmm, believe I was 47 when I took Pre-pre MIF and Adult Pre-Bronze FS.
I was the only big kid on the ice along with about 6 little ones.  One of them managed to blindly skate right into my FO consecutive edge pattern forcing me to slam on the brakes.  I looked over at my judge, we both shrugged our shoulders and I continued on. I remember complaining to my coach about how much I had looked forward to skating without obstacles -- HA!! Think again.  

[Elsa]

Started skating the summer I was 17, and passed my pre figure test that fall, and pre-pre freestyle later that winter.  I went on to pass my first figure test the following fall.  Fast forward 22 years and I'm gearing up to do pre-bronze MIF in august.  I could pass my pre-bronze free now, but am holding off until I figure out my competition plans - as in, do I have any, or am I just going to do testing? 

[davincisop]

Hmmm, believe I was 47 when I took Pre-pre MIF and Adult Pre-Bronze FS.
I was the only big kid on the ice along with about 6 little ones.  One of them managed to blindly skate right into my FO consecutive edge pattern forcing me to slam on the brakes.  I looked over at my judge, we both shrugged our shoulders and I continued on. I remember complaining to my coach about how much I had looked forward to skating without obstacles -- HA!! Think again.  

I know how you feel, except I was 22 on the ice with young preteens and a 7 year old doing pre pre (I was doing pre bronze, a close enough equivalent). That test I didn't have to worry about running into anyone, my bronze mif test though was another story. There were only 4 of us testing total and so they did it on a club ice session, and didn't announce it to the skaters out there. I almost got taken out by/took out the 7 year old in my 5 step mohawk sequence because she wasn't paying attention and started to do an axel in my pattern. I thankfully am very good at deviating a pattern and getting right back on it if necessary, but boy was I scared. Ended up somehow passing with above average marks though. The judge I'd had for pre-bronze as well and she remembered how nervous I was for the first test so when I got out there she asked if I was nervous and was going to help ease the nerves and I told her "I'm actually not nervous for this test at all, I'm nervous I'm going to take out one of these kids..." and just as I said that we looked over and saw my coach corralling them all into the corner, we laughed so hard.    So I feel for ya MadMac!

[Skate@Delaware]

I know how you feel, except I was 22 on the ice with young preteens and a 7 year old doing pre pre (I was doing pre bronze, a close enough equivalent). That test I didn't have to worry about running into anyone, my bronze mif test though was another story. There were only 4 of us testing total and so they did it on a club ice session, and didn't announce it to the skaters out there. I almost got taken out by/took out the 7 year old in my 5 step mohawk sequence because she wasn't paying attention and started to do an axel in my pattern. I thankfully am very good at deviating a pattern and getting right back on it if necessary, but boy was I scared. Ended up somehow passing with above average marks though. The judge I'd had for pre-bronze as well and she remembered how nervous I was for the first test so when I got out there she asked if I was nervous and was going to help ease the nerves and I told her "I'm actually not nervous for this test at all, I'm nervous I'm going to take out one of these kids..." and just as I said that we looked over and saw my coach corralling them all into the corner, we laughed so hard.    So I feel for ya MadMac!

Wow!
Last year when I tested the Pre-Bronze MIF, some of the little girls asked, "What are YOU doing here???" Because they really didn't know that adults tested!  This year, I was testing my Bronze Moves at the same time another lady was testing her Pre-Bronze MIF...so my coach started me first.  Everything was going well until I was doing the Power 3's (second half)....when I turned to do the RFO 3-turn I had a heart attack-the other lady was doing one of her moves headed right into me! I had to swerve & it got me all wonky for a bit. It had been so quiet on the ice I had forgotten she was there!