Major milestones in different disciplines

[jjane45]

Every skater learns differently but there seems to be some universally acknowledged "challenge" skating elements. For example the axel jump is without a doubt a major milestone in freestyle skating, I've heard people say intermediate skating starts with the axel jump. (Everyone else must be a beginner lol)

What about other disciplines? Is there an "axel equivalent" in compulsory dances? Where a large percentage skaters hit the wall / dramatically slow down the progress? Figures? Moves in the field? There are always some difficult elements on each level, I am more interested in the big picture, something that really stands out. Bring on the rants 

[icedancer]

In dance a lot of dancers "hit the wall" at the European Waltz.  Tough dance.

In figures it was the 2nd figure test that stopped a lot of skaters in their tracks (including me!)  I also think there was some drop-off at the 4th figure test (back loops, brackets and some double threes - maybe in a serpentine pattern... can't quite remember...)

[sarahspins]

A lot of skaters get "stuck" at intermediate moves because of the twizzles, and again at Novice because of the loops.

[taka]

I'm thinking 14step (knitting with feet/legs - at speed! ) / foxtrot (mohawk  )/ European waltz (1001 3 turns ) as well as just the improvement in skating skills needed by these levels. These seem to be the sticking points for some of the dancers at my rink, kids and adults alike.

No idea on field moves in the UK - I'm stuck, unable to do level 3 out of 10! (alternating forwards and backwards 3 turns, inside and outside forwards spirals, change of edges and forward stroking with extended positions.)

[Live2Sk8]

As an adult skater who never skated as a child, major milestones/hurdles for me are:

FS: sit spin on Bronze FS
Moves: Silver 3-turn patterns on Silver MIF test

I'm a beginner on dance and just finding the entire discipline challenging (but fun!) at the moment but not far enough along to have discovered a real hurdle.

I know these are pretty low level hurdles in the overall scheme of things.

[AgnesNitt]

I'm thinking 14step (knitting with feet/legs - at speed! )

In the days of figures before the 50's, dance started with the 14 step.

[SynchKat]

Ice dancer wrote what I was thinking.  Most test hung up ont the European as far as dances go.  And I am sure out figures were different her ein Canada than in the US but I quit with my second figure and ends p passing it when I started coaching. 

[sarahspins]

Moves: Silver 3-turn patterns on Silver MIF test

I think a lot of us will agree with this... it took me about 18 months of working HARD on that test to get it ready, and when I passed it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I didn't expect to pass on my first try.  Gold, while challenging, doesn't seem like as big of an obstacle, despite the fact that I feel like it will seem like a bigger accomplishment when I pas that one..and I also don't expect to pass the first time

[jjane45]

Gold, while challenging, doesn't seem like as big of an obstacle...

Interesting! Do you have better brackets than 3 turns?

In the days of figures before the 50's, dance started with the 14 step.

Ouch. I wonder if 14 step today is the same 14 step. I don't mind the end pattern, the main challenge for me is to cover so much ice down the rink so quickly.

Most test hung up on the European as far as dances go. 

What usually makes them not pass European?

[sarahspins]

Interesting! Do you have better brackets than 3 turns?

No, in fact I only started working on them last fall (I was only taught how to do the back brackets in September or October) but that pattern doesn't stress me out the way that the 3's in the field did - I think because it's shorter overall. The only ones I still have trouble with are the RBO brackets, but some days they are better than others, and I'm consistently not "touching down" on them with my free foot any more, my problem is with a subcurve/flat before the turn... it just needs to be cleaner/stronger, but it's getting better.  Considering I've only spent about 2 months on gold moves now (I took a break from working on any moves after passing silver), I feel like my progress is much faster than it was for silver, because the test is less difficult overall.  I expect to try to test these moves sometime this fall.

[amy1984]

Here in Canada I've heard it's the 'junior' skills tests, ie: junior bronze (2nd of 6), junior silver (loops) (4th of 6).  I would have to agree as I've failed my JB skills twice this year

As for dances, European and American trip people up around here.  Some have trouble with the rocker fox trot. 

[DrillingSkills]

Here in Canada I've heard it's the 'junior' skills tests, ie: junior bronze (2nd of 6), junior silver (loops) (4th of 6).  I would have to agree as I've failed my JB skills twice this year

I can attest to the junior silver skills' difficulty - I passed those last month, and I am truly glad I'm done with them! I originally felt like the senior bronze test was much more difficult than jr bronze, since I'd learned 3-turns in freestyle and dance but brackets were new. However, that was just a small stepping stone compared to the hell of those 8 nearly consecutive loops in junior silver! Senior silver so far is much easier, and Gold looks ok too, which is what everyone had been telling me as motivation for my jr silver skills (even on warmup for the test, and before the reskate of the loops haha! "Do your loops well now, and you'll never skate that pattern again "). The last 2 tests seem to build upon the foundation of the previous two, and be more about connecting turns than simply doing them individually. As many coaches say, once you've passed junior silver skills, you can sail on to Gold!

[techskater]

Novice moves is typically a test taken multiple times, so that's a milestone test.  Landing an Axel and then double Axel are jumping hurdles (pun intended) typically.

[Icicle]

I think a lot of us will agree with this... it took me about 18 months of working HARD on that test to get it ready, and when I passed it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I didn't expect to pass on my first try.  Gold, while challenging, doesn't seem like as big of an obstacle, despite the fact that I feel like it will seem like a bigger accomplishment when I pas that one..and I also don't expect to pass the first time

I must be weird, because three turns seem to be the easiest part of the silver moves test for me. My huge milestone is the eight-step-mohawk sequence. I'm working on it all the time, but it's still not test ready, while three turns are, that's what my coach says. Strange, huh?

[SynchKat]

I can attest to the junior silver skills' difficulty - I passed those last month, and I am truly glad I'm done with them! I originally felt like the senior bronze test was much more difficult than jr bronze, since I'd learned 3-turns in freestyle and dance but brackets were new. However, that was just a small stepping stone compared to the hell of those 8 nearly consecutive loops in junior silver! Senior silver so far is much easier, and Gold looks ok too, which is what everyone had been telling me as motivation for my jr silver skills (even on warmup for the test, and before the reskate of the loops haha! "Do your loops well now, and you'll never skate that pattern again "). The last 2 tests seem to build upon the foundation of the previous two, and be more about connecting turns than simply doing them individually. As many coaches say, once you've passed junior silver skills, you can sail on to Gold!

Glad I was grandfathered all my skills tests!!!

I think lots of people struggle with the Keats' Foxtrot as well.  That mohawk trips lots of people up.

I'd say the freeskate test where you need an Axel is the milestone free skate test. 

[TreSk8sAZ]

What usually makes them not pass European?

While the steps seem very simple, it is a very difficult dance to do properly. People can get tripped up on axis shifts, expression, and it's kind of looked at as a gateway to higher level dances and it used to have a higher passing standard. It also used to have to be soloed as well as partnered, so that also made it harder to pass.

That's always the dance I've heard horror stories about with people having to take it multiple times (some in the double digits) before they passed.

[ChristyRN]

My personal milestone will be a spin.  Any spin will count, as long as it is a full spin.  I have been against that wall for years and am pretty sure that most of it is in my head.  Yup, I'm a head case.   

[CaraSkates]

While the steps seem very simple, it is a very difficult dance to do properly. People can get tripped up on axis shifts, expression, and it's kind of looked at as a gateway to higher level dances and it used to have a higher passing standard. It also used to have to be soloed as well as partnered, so that also made it harder to pass.

That's always the dance I've heard horror stories about with people having to take it multiple times (some in the double digits) before they passed.

I'm feeling very grateful I passed the European on the first try! It was a hard dance, I saved it for last out of the pre-silvers.

My milestone MIF test was Novice - I am sure that passing Junior and Senior will feel amazing but my Novice pass was the result of a LOT of hard work - I could not do any of the patterns/turns in May and managed to pass it in August, first try, and two weeks before the changes.