2013 Skating Resolutions

[FigureSpins]

As 2012 draws to a close, it's time to assess whether or not you kept your resolutions, set new ones for next year and plan out how you'll make them happen!

What are your skating goals and objectives for 2013? 

What do you want to achieve or master? 
Acquisitions of equipment, resources or materials?

Off-ice training?  Testing, competing, demonstrating, coaching?

Post here and set your bar for 2012 - we'll check in on our goals throughout the year.


Here's the 2012 thread: 2012 Skating Resolutions thread
If you didn't get as far as you wanted, start over.  Start working toward your resolutions now, so when the ball drops on New Year's Eve, they'll already be regular habits for you.  It's best to figure out HOW you can make things happen, rather than focus only on the big goal at the end. 

[FigureSpins]

One of my resolutions for 2013 is to eat properly before/after skating.  Too often, I try to skate when I'm hungry and feel tired right away, plus I can't concentrate.  A conference presenter explained that you can't tell a car that "we'll fill up later."  You have to fill up before you run out out gas. 

The same is true of exercise and skating: eat about an hour before and then eat something with protein shortly after skating and you'll avoid the blood sugar problems that make everything more difficult.  So, I've put some granola bars in my car for before/after skating snacks and have far more energy and focus.  This is good!

Another resolution is to finally beat this chronic tendonitis issue.  I started my attack in August with PT and have made great strides over the past few months.  I need to continue my exercises and get the skates corrected properly to stop the injury, plus do the ice and anti-inflammatory treatments until it's gone for good.

I'd like to go to the ISI Lake Placid competition and start knocking off USFSA tests once I get my feet back under me.  I also want to pursue my PSA ratings further.

[sarahspins]

Considering how few of mine I actually met this year, I think I'm going to keep 2012's goals for this year  

Of last year's list I only completed 3 items... I tested pre-bronze mitf and freeskate, and bronze moves (all of that was in my #1 goal last year so it counts as one thing), I got my lutz back, and my silver moves are pretty much test ready - all I need is confidence and a good skate day.

So that leaves the following I am absolutely accomplishing in 2013:

1. Test Bronze Freeskate (scheduled for February).
2. Test Silver Moves (I will attempt them in February).  Passing would be great, but I'll settle for just TRYING since I chickened out for the last two test sessions
3.  Get Axel back.  I'm landing them consistently in the harness, along with my double salchow and double loop, so this is really more of a getting the confidence to do it on my own issue than a physical one.
4.  Be working on at least one double off the harness (likely 2sal - my coach thinks I'll get that one back before my Axel).
5.  Consistent and solid haircutter spin - I've managed to do a few wimpy ones in the past few weeks.. but this is a spin I'd really like to have in my bag of tricks.

Then there's some "it would be nice" goals.

1.  Pass Silver moves
2.  Test/Pass Silver Freeskate.
3.  Test gold moves.

[JHarer]

Looking back at last years resolutions, I accomplished 1,2 and 3;

1. focus on edges and power
2. test pre-bronze MITF
3. learn the half-flip and one foot spin
4. test pre-bronze freeskate
5. add an off-ice conditioning class and an off-ice choreography class.

So this year I will;
1. Focus on speed and power
2. Test Pre-Bronze freeskate (scheduled Jan 20th)
3. Compete at the ISI Adult Championships in San Francisco
4. Test Bronze MITF
5. Start a collegiate figure skating team at school.
6. Learn the scratch spin and toe loop

[Janie]

2012 was basically my first year at skating, and I didn't set any goals at the beginning. I had no idea what to expect and how much I'd come to love the sport

So here it is for 2013:
1. Pass bronze MITF
2. Pass bronze freeskate (assuming I pass this Friday's pre-bronze FS)
3. Enter a competition
4. Perform at rink recital
5. Be able to do the Lutz again, consistently
6. Stop being afraid of the scratch spin
7. Good sit spin
8. Good camel spin
9. Learn to do back spin
10. Learn to do Ina Bauers
11. Learn to do twizzles
12. Stretch! More height and extension on the spiral
13. Axel!! I don't know if this is even a realistic goal. Do people learn the axel in a year?
14. Start working on double jumps. But I've had quite a few people tell me that the easiest double jump is easier than the axel!

I don't know if 13 and 14 are too much of a stretch, but since I've learnt up to a flip in a year, surely I'm not going to just be working on Lutzes for a whole year?!

[Vicki7]

Well I've only been back skating for just under a month, after learning as a child. So, my 2013 goals are:

1. Complete Skate UK (currently working on Levels 2 and 3, with stuff from 4 and 5 thrown in
2. Begin Skate UK Star - Singles
3. Begin SkateUK Star - Dance
4. Learn a jump. I'm not picky, any will do
5. Get a job so I can skate more than once a week
6. Have fun, don't get injured, and don't take myself too seriously
7. Skate in a beginner competition, exhibition or rink show
8. Make at least one skating friend at my rink

[jjane45]

I'm going thru some situations and it's very hard to tell what will 2013 look like in terms of skating... Just wild guesses!

Testing: I hope to get thru pre bronze dances, silver moves, and silver FS.

Freestyle training: fix Lutz and camel, start layback spin. I don't see myself starting the Axel jump but will do the prep drills in group lesson as needed.

Off-ice: big sigh. Watch what I eat, try to stretch and work out. I haven't been doing warmups either. Bad bad bad.

[hopskipjump]

Last year her goals were: I asked dd and she said she wants to have consistent doubles (not including a consistent 2A).  She is happy to skate prepre this year, but I think she would like to be ready for preliminary in 2013.  She would like to take her juv moves and her intermediate moves this year.

She is still prepre and was sidelined 1/4 of the year so she was only able to do Juv moves.  She has to re-learn doubles but cannot do any jumps that require a toepick.  So I think for her this year will have to be a recovery year. 

[RosiePosie.iskates]

Oh gee, now that I think about it, I have alot of stuff I want to work toward next year!

1) Pass Intermediate moves
2) Land a double Flip
3) Get at least 3rd in Preliminary
4) Limit my junk food intake down even farther!
5) Get over "popping" my jumps at least twice every practice
6) A decent biellman spin maybe?
7) Compete out of state
Hopefully my boots will last until at least September/August-ish....I'm really hard on boots even though I only weigh around 88lbs..

I could go on, but these are the major ones! Good luck to everyone else on keeping their resolutions next year! 

[ChristyRN]

I'm going to go easy:

1. Pass PB MITF and Moves (January)
2. Consistant one foot-->scratch spin
3. Get half flip to full flip
4. Compete.

[karne]

Hm, I was ambitious in 2012...

1. Get loop and flip consistent, land Lutz

2. Pass Free Skate 4 (since my injury now means that won't happen this year)

3. Pass Preliminary

4. Work on Elementary moves

5. Lose 25kg

6. STOP AVOIDING SPIRALS

7. Get flexible!

[sk8lady]

I have to be more realistic about freestyle goals, since we have limited ice from March to November and therefore few or no freestyle lessons during that time (the rink where I take dance has year round ice) so:

1. Work on Fourteenstep so I can make a stab at doing it with music before March.
2. Do a competition with current freestyle and light interp. routine (probably Winter Classic).
3. Camel with more than 3 revolutions.
4. At least 1 1/2 rev flying camel without falling out of it.
5. Work on lutz every practice.
6. Camel-sit with sit in attractive position and more than 1 rev.
7. Take loop slowly and calmly every time with a little speed, pointing toe on take-off and landing.
8. Land flip with some height consistently and without cheating the take-off.
9. Try waltz-loop at least once every session.

[taka]

Looks like I'll be busy!

• Sit my next pattern dance test. (I test in a fortnight so which level I hope to test in 2013 depends on how that one goes! )
• Test my Rhythm Blues variation.
• Improve spins (carried over from 2012!) especially backspin.
• A foxtrot Right Outside closed mohawk that works consistently. I want to do the foxtrot!
• Move closer to testing level 3 field moves. Currently 2/4 parts are improving, but the other 2 (spirals on edges + forward & backwards 3 turns) suck!
• Learn a Free dance program. (carried over from 2012!)
• Learn more footwork, especially turns (rockers, counters and maybe brackets).
• Re-learn Speadeagles and Ina Bauers.
• Do something in the club exhibition or club competition (if it happens this year!). Try skating at an Adult Open competition (maybe in Nov?)? Pattern dance and maybe free dance depending on how that goes!

Scary list but hopefully some with tie in with each other eg footwork, spreadeagle+ina bauer (maybe?) for a free dance program. Free dance prog and pattern dance would be what I use for competing or club exhibition etc.
We'll see how it all goes!

[TreSk8sAZ]

Well, since I've officially been back on the ice long enough to regain some of my skills, I can actually make goals for next year:

1. Pass Intermediate MITF
2. Land my axel again
3. (Ambitious goal) Land my double sal again
4. Compete at PCAS and ANs
5. Not come in last in my group at ANs
6. Take my next set of partnered dances
7. Pass Pre-Juv FS.

[SynchKat]

Pass my Austrian Waltz.  By passing I will have completed my Diamond Dances!

[AgnesNitt]

I'm setting my standards low. Finish off with my 2008 resolutions, plus back 3's, and a dance choctaw.

[Twizzler]

1- pass my Registered Group ratings exam (schedule in January)--have been doing an apprenticeship for past 2 yrs and working with master coach for test practice, so really think I should be able to do this one
2-pass silver free skate test--this one is more difficult as I'm not a great jumper (and 55 yrs old), but really want to do it so I can try for the Registered Free skate ratings.
3--take either the Registered Free skate or Certified Group ratings exam (need to figure out which is more likely to be successful)
4-land a damn Lutz--it scares me! and I'll need to do it in order to accomplish #2 above

[Gabby on Ice]

My goal is to do at least one competition.

[icedancer]

Goals for 2013:

1. Continue re-gaining old skills

2. Work on Silver Moves - especially 8-step mohawk sequence.

3. Continue to work on Paso with fellow adult skater and go to dance sessions and do solo dances - all of them!

4. Maybe hire a male coach to work towards testing Pre-Gold dances - have not tested in 19 1/2 years!!

5. Twizzles and loops

6.  Get in shape (ha-ha) - this is a goal I set every year and pretty much break it every time but hey, why not??

[Clarice]

I met my goal for 2012, which was to pass the tests needed to qualify for Bronze dance at ANs (in my case, that meant passing one Pre-Silver).  So, for 2013, I'd like to:

1) Pass the other two Pre-Silver dances (European and Foxtrot).
2) Compete at ANs in Bronze dance and Pre-Silver solo dance.
3) Master inside twizzles in my wrong direction, and start the outside ones.
4) Figure out how to do a hydroblade, just for fun.
5) Lose some weight (hah!).
6) Increase my flexibility - maybe take a ballet or yoga class?

[moment of inertia]

It only seems fitting that my first post here is my resolutions, so here goes:

1. Conquer my fear of speed.
2. Make more friends at the rink (and keep in touch with my old group class friends).
3. Have consistently clean scratch spins.
4. Do more off-ice training.
5. Test pre-Bronze MITF.

[iomoon]

1) Pass pre-bronze, work on bronze
2) Strengthen my weak side
3) Flip and Loop jumps
4) new spins.
5) Perform an actual program. Let's see if I'm still coordinated. XD
6) Do transitions without getting dizzy

[rosereedy]

In 2012 I wanted to do the following:
1.  Consistent clean 2S and 2T (2T by end of 2012 would be excellent)
2.  Level 3 spins
3.  Start 2L and 2F
4.  Increase flexibility
5.  Increase strength

I have not accomplished 1 or 2 but everything else I have.  So for 2013, I would like to...
1.  Consistent clean 2S and 2T
2.  Level 3 spins
3.  Land with more consistency 2L and 2F
4.  Begin dbl dbl combo jumps
5.  Be all around better skater

[alainajane]

1.  Pass adult Basic 2 and, maybe, 3.
2.  Figure out padding solution.  I have only been skating for about 6 weeks.  However, I've noticed I'm developing a fear of falling.  I have a bleeding disorder, and would like to give myself some additional confidence on the ice by minimizing my injury risk.

[treesprite]

1. start working with a coach 
2. find out if USFS has record of my prelim freestyle & figures tests from 30 years ago, or get them to "take my word for it" (I refuse to do them over again)
3. improve posture, stop looking down
4. get back my spins in at least the basic positions 
5. stop making big scratches in the ice with my pushing foot when stepping into spins 
6. get back loops, get back at least 2-ft landed axels, think about flips, decide if I hate lutzes too much to try getting them back
7. get back all of my turns
8. lose the flab on my inner thighs so I don't look so bad in skating pants