When did you feel like a real skater?

[turnip]

Stolen blatantly from another forum lol!

But seriously, at what point did you feel like a real skater? Not neccessarily a good skater, although share that too!


For me, it's probably skating on patch with the good skaters (at my rink the best skaters are landing double loop or double flip). Or when I can link stuff together, only really simple stuff, but like I'm skating round and then mohawk and go into a jump or spin.

I don't feel like a good skater, and doubt that I ever will! Even if you class "good" as clean edges and turns, power and control rather than triple jumps, I don't have that either lol!

[sarahspins]

For me it was being able to skate a freestyle session and not feel SUPER intimidated by the other skaters... I don't think that actually happened until I had all of my singles except for axel.

[JHarer]

I felt like a real skater when I had consistent back X-overs with speed. I don't think I'll ever feel like a good skater, there is always new things to learn or improve and I'm still a low level skater; just starting to jump again.

[Clarice]

When I realized I was training as hard or harder than the kids at my rink. 

[Sierra]

When I was in group lessons still I started feeling like a real skater when I landed flips and such. Then the feeling went away as I transitioned to all privates and freestyle ice, where everybody pops out axels and doubles to 'warm up' with.

Just recently I have started feeling like a real skater because I've been landing axels and doubles, and working on a 'real' moves test as opposed to 'encouragement' tests (Pre-pre and Prelim).

[davincisop]

When my mom who hadn't seen me skate in 5+ years finally saw me skate and said "you don't look like an awkward kid out there anymore. You look like a skater."

[AgnesNitt]

I've been wanting to post this since August. I felt like a real skater when I was on freestyle working on my inside swing rolls. I'm headed directly at a male skater in a beautiful back spiral, just lovely line and carriage. He eyeballs me, I eyeball him, my skating foot twitches to slow me down, we miss by about two feet.

So what's 'real skatery' about that? Ability to judge speed and collision point, not panicking and doing a stop, acquiring contact with the other skater and silently acknowledging each other, making a tiny adjustment to miss a collision, continuing with the exercise.

[Laneybug7]

When I was no longer skating in jeans and tripping clumsily over my toe picks...lol.  I used to do that all the time when I first started.  In all seriousness though, a few sessions ago I was told by a fellow skater that I'm looking good and look very comfortable on the ice.  So probably in that transition between wobbling all over the place with very little control to really trusting my body, skates, and ice.  This year in particular, I've been feeling like a real skater by consistantly doing off ice, feeling really guilty for missed practices, and making most of every practice I have.

[karne]

When I passed my first Free Skate test! 

Also the first time I took off my boots and my feet were steaming because my tights were soaked in sweat. 

[hopskipjump]

My daughter felt like a "real skater" when she got her first skating dress and her own new white skates.     

[PrettySk8Dress]

My daughter felt like a "real skater" when she got her first skating dress and her own new white skates.    

Just to echo a similar experience, I first began feeling like a " real skater " when I began to wear pretty skating dresses for practice ice ( hence my forum name ), instead of frumpy pants. I also had the feeling when I got my first competitive white Jackson boots and blades, and first began to PASS SKATING TESTS. And finally,
" real skater " status will be totally achieved, only when and if I don't feel nervous or upset when I compete. ( Like that is going to happen any time soon ! )  

[kiwiskater]

I don't consider to have made the real skater point LOL, when I was a brand newbie I did think the group I'm in now were like so awesome real skaters..maybe when I reach the top group in the class and work on jumps, instead of struggling away to get a simple 2 foot spin

[Bunny Hop]

I'm still waiting.


It may be some time.

[ls99]

I am a real skater. With extremely limited skating skill set.

[Elsa]

I'm about to date myself here . . . when I got bumped in to higher level boots/blades for freestyle, bought my own scribe, and added a set of skates just for figures (ouch - that was an expensive pro-shop trip!  )

It wasn't just "the stuff" though. Around that time was also when my skills really took off,  I was bumped up to a higher level freeskate session (without the test level required because my coach felt I had the power and control to handle it), and I started to feel accepted at my club.  I was one of them and not just the awkward teen newbie anymore.

Coming back as an adult . . . I don't think I ever felt like a wasn't still a skater.  The first few times out were a bit shaky, and breaking in boots at the same time made things pretty ugly for awhile, but it was easier than starting from scratch and I just felt so at home being back in a rink.

[PinkLaces]

I always feel like a really skater right before competiting or performing.  When the hair is done, the dress and the skates are on and I am pacing around trying to warm up, I always feel like...this is it!

[FigureSpins]

I felt like a 'real' skater shortly after I started cross-training and dropped several pounds.  I wasn't underweight, but I gained a lot of muscle.  I remember feeling what it meant to be "light on your feet" when I skated and could easily turn, jump, spin, etc.   Stupid Skater Tricks (a regular game we played at public sessions) became a lot more fun when you could move an appendage with losing the edge, spin or jump.  Skipping on the ice was an option!

It was as if I had crossed a threshold into Skater Paradise - I remember that feeling to this day.  I made real progress that season, in spite of a car accident and a bout with the flu.

[jjane45]

I'm curious when do our dancers start to feel like they are real dancers? So far I feel like an old truck on dance ice, lol.

[nicklaszlo]

So far I feel like an old truck on dance ice, lol.

It is supposed to be that way.  That is why ice dance teams can't stop suddenly.

[MimiG]

I'm curious when do our dancers start to feel like they are real dancers? So far I feel like an old truck on dance ice, lol.

When I started, I remember being in awe of the 14step, which was one of the highest dances on the session I was qualified to skate. I remember getting to the 14step and thinking "wow! I can't believe I'm finally on this dance!" and then I moved up to the next level session and saw the "big" dances in person for the first time... eek!

I actually think the first time I truly felt like a real ice dancer was when I was working on the Blues and overheard another coach compliment my coach on my "lovely knee bend" - it gave me a ton of confidence on a dance I was still uncertain about ($#@! choctaw) and it still makes me smile remembering it!

The competition thing is true for me too. In those last few moments before taking the ice for warmup, I always felt a strong connection with other skaters, at all levels - thinking of all the skaters that have been in that moment and all the ones still to come... cheesy, perhaps, but it's always been one of my favorite things about competing.

[fsk8r]

I always feel like a really skater right before competiting or performing.  When the hair is done, the dress and the skates are on and I am pacing around trying to warm up, I always feel like...this is it!

When I first saw myself in a mirror at synchro competition with the hair and makeup done and the dress on, I saw a skater looking back at me. It was a lovely feeling, it just doesn't happen all that often.

[momomizu]

 When someone took my guards for the first time and I almost panicked. lol. got them back though.
And  When someone said I skate really good and looked good out there.