Clothing, skates, music and equipment Rant

[AgnesNitt]

We've got a rink rant, and a work rant. I figure we need a Clothing, Skates, Music and Equipment rant. I mean don't you have things that are just annoying? Here's a place to vent.
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I've lost 3 pairs of gloves this week!  I don't even have a mismatched pair anymore. All  I have is a left glove left in my bag. What's happening? Are they taking a vacation with my socks that disappear from the dryer? Thank goodness it's summer as I'm now skating barehanded. (That remaining left glove is probably the unpopular glove that nobody called to let it know all the other gloves were playing hooky.)

[Sk8Dreams]

I always buy my gloves at a dollar store, and last winter I found ones that were really superior.  I bought four pair of them, thinking that would be plenty.  A month or two went by and then I lost three pair in two weeks.  Of course, by then, I couldn't remember which store had them, and after checking all the stores I had been to, came up empty.  If I find them again, I'll buy ten pair.  Yesterday, I either left my lace hook (the all metal kind) at the rink, or it fell out of my jacket pocket.  In any case, it's gone.

[Skate@Delaware]

its usually guards that either go missing, or get stolen! I check the lost & found at the end of the season for any non-claimed ones and snag them before they get tossed.

Rant: tights that are ladies XL everywhere except the waist elastic, which tends to be XXXSmall!!! WTH? I end up cutting it off which defeats the purpose  but I don't want to feel like a sausage.

[ChristyRN]

Rant: tights that are ladies XL everywhere except the waist elastic, which tends to be XXXSmall!!! WTH? I end up cutting it off which defeats the purpose  but I don't want to feel like a sausage.

^^^^What she said.  I hate the line across my abdomen from tights.

Along those lines--finding off the rack dresses that fit.  An XL (because I'm not and probably never will be a skinny-minny) doesn't fit!  I'm only 5'4", but the girth is always too short.  And, if by some chance a dress does fit and look decent, the skirt is waaaaaayyyyy too short.I have to make all of my dresses. 

And pants that fit my legs are too tight across my a$$ and waist. 

Is it any wonder that I wear my dresses forever?  I've been wearing one since Jan '03--sweat stained armpits and all just because it fits so well and is somewhat flattering.

[Skittl1321]

I just found anomaly pants. The ny2sportswear pants fit my waist but are too tight in the legs. That never happens!
Of course, they are made for someone 10 inches taller than me and this style can't be hemmed.

I hate tight lines and tend to wear body tights, but with my old skates needed otb tights (bought them used and torn up). So I look like the Pillsbury dough boy would in tights...I am going to keep my new skates super clean so I can wear body tights.

[Skate@Delaware]

^^^^What she said.  I hate the line across my abdomen from tights.

Along those lines--finding off the rack dresses that fit.  An XL (because I'm not and probably never will be a skinny-minny) doesn't fit!  I'm only 5'4", but the girth is always too short.  And, if by some chance a dress does fit and look decent, the skirt is waaaaaayyyyy too short.I have to make all of my dresses. 

And pants that fit my legs are too tight across my a$$ and waist. 

Is it any wonder that I wear my dresses forever?  I've been wearing one since Jan '03--sweat stained armpits and all just because it fits so well and is somewhat flattering.

My problem as well-I have a really long girth and legs....all the skirts look like kootchy skirts  and my behind hangs out. I like pants (I get talls whenever I can).

[sarahspins]

Rant: tights that are ladies XL everywhere except the waist elastic, which tends to be XXXSmall!!! WTH? I end up cutting it off which defeats the purpose   but I don't want to feel like a sausage.

I have a solution for this - Euroskins!!!!  There are other brands without waist elastic, but I am a huge fan of the knitted-in waist.... it stays smooth and flat even if you're not   I have both the L/XL and plus size and both fit...

[Elsa]

Euroskins?  Hmm, must google . . .

I haven't tried it yet with skating tights, but with pantyhose, I cut the elastic in half horizontally - so if it was one inch wide, it would then be 1/2 inch wide.  It's enough to keep them up, but not enough cut me in half.  Anyone have an already trashed pair of tights they're willing to experiment on? 

My biggest clothing rant is regarding jackets.  There are so many cute ones to chose from, but they all cut right across the fattest part of my hips/stomach (pregnancy ruined my stomach - ugh). I want one that covers my stomach and most of my rear.  Not sure which will be cheaper, a lifetime of custom made skating jackets or a tummy tuck, lol.  I've got my fingers crossed for the tummy tuck. 

[emilayy]

at my rink, it's policy for the janitors to throw out any guards that are left on the boards at the end of the day. it sucks!

[aussieskater]

Rant: tights that are ladies XL everywhere except the waist elastic, which tends to be XXXSmall!!! WTH? I end up cutting it off which defeats the purpose  but I don't want to feel like a sausage.

My solution is to cut off the evil elastic and replace it with a 10cm doubled-over (so 5cm finished) band of nude cotton lycra sized to fit my waist, not that of a skinny 10yo.  The tights don't seem to run at all from the cut edge down.

[PrettySk8Dress]

My problem as well-I have a really long girth and legs....all the skirts look like kootchy skirts   and my behind hangs out.

My problem, too ! You and me both ! If I find a skating dress that fits me well length wise, and has long sleeves, invariably the dress will have the skirt part so short that the hemline barely covers the panties. Too short for an adult skater, IMO. If I find a skating dress that has a longer skirt hemline, so that it is styled like a synchro dress, then invariably it looks so frumpy-dumpy on me that I  " wouldn't be caught dead "  wearing it.

Continuing with another related rant---
I obtained a nice skating dress from a used skating clothing sale at a local rink. It fits well, and has the correct longer hemline skirt for an adult skater. The dress is white, with a light blue scroll-work print pattern all over. However, the attached panties are light gray. I have worn the dress just for practice, and have been told by two other adult female skaters, at two different times, that I should not wear the dress because the panties are not white, to match the background color of the dress, namely white. They told me that the dress color and panties color HAVE TO MATCH ! Why is it so wrong, supposedly, to wear a skating dress of one main color, and the attached panties of another similar or contrasting color ?  Why do they absolutely have to be the same color ? I can agree that the dress and panties should be the same color for competition, but must it be just so,
just for a practice dress ?

[AgnesNitt]

I obtained a nice skating dress from a used skating clothing sale at a local rink. It fits well, and has the correct longer hemline skirt for an adult skater. The dress is white, with a light blue scroll-work print pattern all over. However, the attached panties are light gray. I have worn the dress just for practice, and have been told by two other adult female skaters, at two different times, that I should not wear the dress because the panties are not white, to match the background color of the dress, namely white. They told me that the dress color and panties color HAVE TO MATCH ! Why is it so wrong, supposedly, to wear a skating dress of one main color, and the attached panties of another similar or contrasting color ?  Why do they absolutely have to be the same color ? I can agree that the dress and panties should be the same color for competition, but must it be just so,
just for a practice dress ?

I don't see any problem with it, but I don't wear dresses. Maybe ask one of the coaches at the rink, or ask more than one. If the consensus is 'well, it's not a rule, but it's a custom' you can always buy a pair of white dance pants and replace the light gray shorts.

[jjane45]

They told me that the dress color and panties color HAVE TO MATCH ! Why is it so wrong, supposedly, to wear a skating dress of one main color, and the attached panties of another similar or contrasting color ?

IMHO similar taste often applies to competition and practice in this case. This past season Sui Wenjing (the adorable girl in Sui/Han pairs partnership on junior circuit) wore a dress that rose many eyebrows due a similar situation. It looked way more pleasant when she finally switched to a matching color.

You do not have to accept it or modify the dress if you are comfortable with it. To quote Richard P. Feynman, "What do you care what other people think?"

[Isk8NYC]

My equipment rant: I lost my spin trainer.  It was a good, heavy metal one that someone gave me years ago and it's lasted through many skaters' usage.  Been looking for it over a month, so I guess it's gone for good.  No one turned it in at the rink.  sigh

[davincisop]

Funny, I lost mine too, except it's somewhere in my room. Whenever I want to use it I can never find it and when I'm not thinking about it it shows up.


Hope you find yours!!!

[Isk8NYC]

My equipment rant: I lost my spin trainer.  It was a good, heavy metal one that someone gave me years ago and it's lasted through many skaters' usage.  Been looking for it over a month, so I guess it's gone for good.  No one turned it in at the rink.  sigh

I stand corrected!  Just found it - it was in my "Magic" bag that I keep packed for shows and competitions.  I did have one student compete at another rink, so I brought that bag but not my skates.  I had her use it during warmup, iirc.  Hooray!

Hope yours turns up davincisoprano1!

[davincisop]

Yay! You found it!   Mine is probably in some random place, like in between books on my bookshelf (no idea how it would get there but I know myself well enough to know I'll stick things in random places thinking I'll remember I put them there....).

[jjane45]

Ha this thread is handy.

Theoretically program skaters should wear a sash so others could see them easily. I certainly have tons of issues figuring out where s/he is to get out of the way. No monitor knows where that rink sash for a long while.

Now I carry a sash with myself and put it on the boards everytime for practice ice, regardless if I skate my program to music. Just gotta see the program skater in less than 2 seconds!! And skaters actually do use it --- safer for everyone afterall!

[Skate@Delaware]

Ha this thread is handy.

Theoretically program skaters should wear a sash so others could see them easily. I certainly have tons of issues figuring out where s/he is to get out of the way. No monitor knows where that rink sash for a long while.

Now I carry a sash with myself and put it on the boards everytime for practice ice, regardless if I skate my program to music. Just gotta see the program skater in less than 2 seconds!! And skaters actually do use it --- safer for everyone afterall!

My club started using a sashes this past year, but it was very small and hard to see (a thin strip of orange fabric)...if you were waiting to go next you could also put a sash on (there were two) and skate around...very confusing!!!

[emilayy]

i skate at 2 rinks, one of them uses sashes and the other doesn't. i think they're definitely helpful, but sometimes if you don't tie them tight enough, they come undone. and that can get annoying when it happens in the middle of your program. but at my home rink, i know most skaters' music so i know to stay out of their way. but if your rink doesn't do it, then just don't be afraid to yell "EXCUSE ME!"

[Sk8tmum]

i but if your rink doesn't do it, then just don't be afraid to yell "EXCUSE ME!"

At our rink, that would result in your having a "discussion" with the coaches, as it is considered to be the height of rudeness.  We have right of way rules that are observed by skaters, fortunately, and everyone is expected to be courteous and observant at all times.

Different rinks, different cultures, different methods.  It does make it difficult when people guest skate at a rink ... getting to know the different practices, so you don't end up doing something that people don't expect.

[karne]

but if your rink doesn't do it, then just don't be afraid to yell "EXCUSE ME!"

Ugh, I HATE HATE HATE HATE skaters who yell "EXCUSE ME!". I find it the height of obnoxiousness. Yes, the skater skating a program has the right of way. I think the sash option could work really well at our rink, but because we're such a small community of skaters everyone grows to know everyone else's music and knows who's working on their program. After a while you even know exactly what beat of the music they'll be heading your way!  

If you are polite, courteous, and keep yourself aware of what's around you, I find that you shouldn't have too many problems. I give all the skaters at my rink respect and room, regardless of whether they're in the Learn to Skate class or if it's the Novice-level girls. And in return, they give me the same respect and room. I've never had anyone yell at me to move and I can tell you what, I wouldn't care if they were Olympic level, if anyone yelled at me like that they'd get a tongue lashing quick smart. It's completely rude and designed for one thing and one thing only: intimidation.

Everyone on that rink has a right to be there. It is a fact of life that you will not always get a clean runthrough of your program. I can probably count on one hand the number of actually clean runthroughs I've done on a freestyle session. (Sometimes I go to the empty morning publics just to get a few more runthroughs in.) I don't give a rats' if you're a quad-jumping Olympian skating on the same ice as little old single toeloop me, nothing gives you the right to yell at me to move.

/soapbox

[Purple Sparkly]

Ugh, I HATE HATE HATE HATE skaters who yell "EXCUSE ME!". I find it the height of obnoxiousness. Yes, the skater skating a program has the right of way. I think the sash option could work really well at our rink, but because we're such a small community of skaters everyone grows to know everyone else's music and knows who's working on their program. After a while you even know exactly what beat of the music they'll be heading your way!  

If you are polite, courteous, and keep yourself aware of what's around you, I find that you shouldn't have too many problems. I give all the skaters at my rink respect and room, regardless of whether they're in the Learn to Skate class or if it's the Novice-level girls. And in return, they give me the same respect and room. I've never had anyone yell at me to move and I can tell you what, I wouldn't care if they were Olympic level, if anyone yelled at me like that they'd get a tongue lashing quick smart. It's completely rude and designed for one thing and one thing only: intimidation.

Everyone on that rink has a right to be there. It is a fact of life that you will not always get a clean runthrough of your program. I can probably count on one hand the number of actually clean runthroughs I've done on a freestyle session. (Sometimes I go to the empty morning publics just to get a few more runthroughs in.) I don't give a rats' if you're a quad-jumping Olympian skating on the same ice as little old single toeloop me, nothing gives you the right to yell at me to move.

/soapbox

I don't at all think it's rude, obnoxious, or intimidating to say "Excuse me" most of the time.  My rink is fairly small, also, and you would THINK that people know who has what music and when they are coming by, but a surprising number of skaters have no clue and make no effort to get a clue.  Also, I probably sound much meaner when yelling "excuse me" during my program because I'm tired, out of breath, and pushing hard.  I sound much more pleasant in the beginning of my program.  Sometimes it takes a yell to get the kids to open their eyes and realize they are NOT the only one out there.  Yes, coaches can tell them to look out, but some kids don't actually listen until they almost get run over.  I make every effort to figure out who has what music and get out of their way during their program.  Some make the same effort, and some are completely oblivious.

[Skittl1321]

The club I used to belong to actually had it posted in the rules that "Excuse Me" was the correct thing to say when skating in a program to warn another skater you were coming through.  And it kind of has to be yelled, because you need to say it with enough time for that person to react before you get to them.

I agree sometimes it can be said with a rude tone, but often that has to do with trying to talk while running a demanding program, like Purple Sparkly said.

I much prefer an "Excuse Me" to a glare as they go around me because I didn't know they had right of way.  Normally, it's pretty easy to keep up with everyone's programs, but with ISI World's on the horizon (we are a USFS rink) there are kids with 15-20 different programs they are practicing for.  I have no clue if Ke$ha is playing because we are listening to an i-pod of because someone is in program. (Us non-World's bound skaters are scared to play music right now, because we don't know if we are turning off someone's program...)

[davincisop]

The "excuse me" has to be used A LOT in my rink, and even then it doesn't always work. I always get cut off DURING my lesson by girls not in lesson or program because they're doing doubles and they always practice in that spot. My coach is making me more agressive out there because for the last 10 months I've just moved out of the way. But some of these girls think they're god's gift to skating and don't move or don't pay attention to what is around them or are too young to realize and no one teaches them. Unfortunately we have one girl that will yell EXCUSE ME but it's the rudest tone I've ever heard. Strangely enough she's one of the sweetest girls at the rink.

I know personally, if I'm not smiling I look like I'm giving a death glare, that's just how my face is, so maybe some people don't realize how rude it sounds because they're focused on not hitting the person in the way.

My favorite are the ones that regardless of being told over and over and over and... well you get my idea... again on every session they're on, they still skate without any regard to who or what is around them and don't practice what they're supposed to. The two girls I've complained about in rants often, but they're STILL not practicing and keep skating without looking where they're going and I've almost run into them because they'll skate in your blind spot and they've almost run into me. It's frustrating. But the older ones need to set an example for the younger ones.