So the 122" laces are a foot shorter. If you get a ruler and measure six inches back from each tip of your current laces, then mark the spot with a pencil (or stick a safety pin through them, or whatever works), you can probably get a decent idea of how short the 122" laces will seem and whether you'll be able to tie them securely. Good luck with it -- I don't know why Jackson ships boots with such absurdly long laces either.
I'm so interested in Warren because he sounds so mysterious! I first heard of him word-of-mouth from another skater who spoke about him like an urban legend since she hasn't been to him yet either.
Unfortunately he may not offer the shipping service any more -- my daughter's coach said in February that he had stopped. I'm a little curious to know why your coaches advise you not to go to Avanta for sharpening in particular... are there issues with the sharpening service?
I have to echo the other comments about how worthless this kind of training is -- if you're curious, just google "sensitivity training doesn't work" and go down the list of results. Abundant peer-reviewed literature concludes that it doesn't work. This statement unfortunately can't be anything besides PR, but it also doesn't mean that Ilia won't change his thinking -- it would just be in spite of the "sensitivity training" b.s., rather than because of it.
This video seems to be from January 2022... was there a particular reason you had for sharing it today? (I'm out of the loop and have no idea what Jia has been up to since Jr Worlds.)
Finally made it back to the hotel... we MISSED Mao Shimada, because a certain member of our traveling party could not stop doing lutz-loop combos at Meiji Jingu Gaien rink until I bribed her with ice cream; however we also missed Morisi because I spent precious minutes derangedly jamming the suitcase with the skates into the only available tiny luggage locker at Saitama train station. Fortunately we did not miss Kazuki, who was magnificent. I don't remember all the highlights even remotely, but a few things I remember:
You're all burying the lede here, which is that no one can quietly show up late to the gala and start with Conti/Macii without missing MAO SHIMADA. It remains to be seen how many people will try to escape and use the extremely in-demand restrooms during slot #2.
Yes! With the caveat that of course no business is perfect, I've worked with the owner in person, have two pairs of skates on consignment now, and recommend. The only caution I would add is that it's a one-person operation, so if everyone on reddit simultaneously realizes they can unload their old skates here, things will get overwhelming. If you're patient, though, it should be okay. (I do see that the inventory hasn't been updated to reflect my backroom dealings, but that's probably less of an issue if you try to do things directly through the website. But maybe that's another caution to keep in mind: she did say that she was taking on more local business and that it wasn't totally seamless yet. She also told me she has a lot of blades in stock if anyone needs blades. Finally, if anyone is particularly interested in
Wait, so Plushenko threatened to move his skaters out of Russia if they continued to be unfairly scored, and the response from the judges here was to double down/call his bluff? Wowwww.
So you look at this -- talented athlete, impressive skills, clearly not going to qualify and not quite at the level of the other competitors here -- and then, if you turn to the women's group, you have Yujae Kim, who has
We are beginning spins in my group class, and I get so queasy after even one or two rotations that it's alarming. I'm going to spend the next 12 hours googling remedies and stock up on ginger candy. Motion sickness runs in my family and I'm definitely more susceptible postpartum, but I hope it's not insurmountable, ugh. (Crazy question: has anyone found that it makes a difference to the inner ear whether you spin clockwise or counterclockwise? I can't imagine why it would, but...?)
I use to get so dizzy. Someone gave me this advise and it has worked for me. (disclaimer!!! I am terrible at spinning, just a beginner (I'm old, starting skating in my late 50's), trying to get from two foot spin to one foot -- so no expert).
Thanks! I discovered the counter-rotation strategy on my own years ago, but haven't given it a serious try on ice. Stamping my feet is definitely new and interesting. Maybe I can just alternate spins and bunny hops? I'm sure it will be very beautiful and graceful.
So wait... do they in fact give each skater a bag full of the plushies thrown to them? I'd just been assuming all the plushies were put in a hopper and donated to the children's hospital en masse. Maybe it varies by competition? If there's a chance a certain skater actually received a certain rather expensive object at U.S. Nationals, it would make my day.
I'm so sad to hear this and wish her a full recovery and speedy departure from Khrustalny. I'm sure her coaches also feel very sorry for her themselves too. It does seem like they were pushing her crazy hard, even by their standards.
Just recently I skated my dance tests perfectly and as I skated back over to my coach I fell over. I thought my job was done after the tests, but apparently my job also should have included getting back to my coach without falling.
I think the most unexpected highlight for me was probably watching the sweepers. A program would end, and they would all zoom out in formation like a flock of baby pelicans, wings out, diligently forward-stroking until they spied their plush quarries. Then they would neatly execute careful T-stops, bend, scoop up the plushies, occasionally examine and/or hug them, and quickly return to their rinkside roost. It made me happy every single time.
Continuing this thought: you don't get quite the same answers if you ask "how do I increase the popularity of this sport?" vs. "how do I increase the popularity of this art form?" Gymnastics is a pretty interesting comparison, because there's much more of a team element. (People love sports teams, or so I've heard from my cave on Mars.) If you're wondering how to get bigger audiences for ballet, or really any kind of dance, it's a different question. Is there a custom, hybrid answer for figure skating beyond "more social media"/"more streaming"?
So the 122" laces are a foot shorter. If you get a ruler and measure six inches back from each tip of your current laces, then mark the spot with a pencil (or stick a safety pin through them, or whatever works), you can probably get a decent idea of how short the 122" laces will seem and whether you'll be able to tie them securely. Good luck with it -- I don't know why Jackson ships boots with such absurdly long laces either.
I'm so interested in Warren because he sounds so mysterious! I first heard of him word-of-mouth from another skater who spoke about him like an urban legend since she hasn't been to him yet either.
Unfortunately he may not offer the shipping service any more -- my daughter's coach said in February that he had stopped. I'm a little curious to know why your coaches advise you not to go to Avanta for sharpening in particular... are there issues with the sharpening service?
I have to echo the other comments about how worthless this kind of training is -- if you're curious, just google "sensitivity training doesn't work" and go down the list of results. Abundant peer-reviewed literature concludes that it doesn't work. This statement unfortunately can't be anything besides PR, but it also doesn't mean that Ilia won't change his thinking -- it would just be in spite of the "sensitivity training" b.s., rather than because of it.
This video seems to be from January 2022... was there a particular reason you had for sharing it today? (I'm out of the loop and have no idea what Jia has been up to since Jr Worlds.)
Finally made it back to the hotel... we MISSED Mao Shimada, because a certain member of our traveling party could not stop doing lutz-loop combos at Meiji Jingu Gaien rink until I bribed her with ice cream; however we also missed Morisi because I spent precious minutes derangedly jamming the suitcase with the skates into the only available tiny luggage locker at Saitama train station. Fortunately we did not miss Kazuki, who was magnificent. I don't remember all the highlights even remotely, but a few things I remember:
Starts at 15:00 Japan time but the live chat here will open around an hour before
Doesn't it start at 15:00?
You're all burying the lede here, which is that no one can quietly show up late to the gala and start with Conti/Macii without missing MAO SHIMADA. It remains to be seen how many people will try to escape and use the extremely in-demand restrooms during slot #2.
Yes! With the caveat that of course no business is perfect, I've worked with the owner in person, have two pairs of skates on consignment now, and recommend. The only caution I would add is that it's a one-person operation, so if everyone on reddit simultaneously realizes they can unload their old skates here, things will get overwhelming. If you're patient, though, it should be okay. (I do see that the inventory hasn't been updated to reflect my backroom dealings, but that's probably less of an issue if you try to do things directly through the website. But maybe that's another caution to keep in mind: she did say that she was taking on more local business and that it wasn't totally seamless yet. She also told me she has a lot of blades in stock if anyone needs blades. Finally, if anyone is particularly interested in
Wait, so Plushenko threatened to move his skaters out of Russia if they continued to be unfairly scored, and the response from the judges here was to double down/call his bluff? Wowwww.
So you look at this -- talented athlete, impressive skills, clearly not going to qualify and not quite at the level of the other competitors here -- and then, if you turn to the women's group, you have Yujae Kim, who has
We are beginning spins in my group class, and I get so queasy after even one or two rotations that it's alarming. I'm going to spend the next 12 hours googling remedies and stock up on ginger candy. Motion sickness runs in my family and I'm definitely more susceptible postpartum, but I hope it's not insurmountable, ugh. (Crazy question: has anyone found that it makes a difference to the inner ear whether you spin clockwise or counterclockwise? I can't imagine why it would, but...?)
I use to get so dizzy. Someone gave me this advise and it has worked for me. (disclaimer!!! I am terrible at spinning, just a beginner (I'm old, starting skating in my late 50's), trying to get from two foot spin to one foot -- so no expert).
Thanks! I discovered the counter-rotation strategy on my own years ago, but haven't given it a serious try on ice. Stamping my feet is definitely new and interesting. Maybe I can just alternate spins and bunny hops? I'm sure it will be very beautiful and graceful.
So wait... do they in fact give each skater a bag full of the plushies thrown to them? I'd just been assuming all the plushies were put in a hopper and donated to the children's hospital en masse. Maybe it varies by competition? If there's a chance a certain skater actually received a certain rather expensive object at U.S. Nationals, it would make my day.
Hana. How long is the SP versus length of time I can survive without oxygen?
The fact that no one has hit the worlds tech minimum today...says something about how ridiculous that minimum is.
I checked, and ~ half the competitors at Worlds 2022 scored below 32 TES
I also wonder if she is rethinking her training/coaching situation...
Do you think they're holding her back in some obvious way? Is there a particular upward direction for her to go? Just curious.
I'm so sad to hear this and wish her a full recovery and speedy departure from Khrustalny. I'm sure her coaches also feel very sorry for her themselves too. It does seem like they were pushing her crazy hard, even by their standards.
Regarding sponsors: it's sort of wonderful that no one is likely to remember Prevagen, the memory drug.
Just recently I skated my dance tests perfectly and as I skated back over to my coach I fell over. I thought my job was done after the tests, but apparently my job also should have included getting back to my coach without falling.
Congratulations and condolences!
I think the most unexpected highlight for me was probably watching the sweepers. A program would end, and they would all zoom out in formation like a flock of baby pelicans, wings out, diligently forward-stroking until they spied their plush quarries. Then they would neatly execute careful T-stops, bend, scoop up the plushies, occasionally examine and/or hug them, and quickly return to their rinkside roost. It made me happy every single time.
Continuing this thought: you don't get quite the same answers if you ask "how do I increase the popularity of this sport?" vs. "how do I increase the popularity of this art form?" Gymnastics is a pretty interesting comparison, because there's much more of a team element. (People love sports teams, or so I've heard from my cave on Mars.) If you're wondering how to get bigger audiences for ballet, or really any kind of dance, it's a different question. Is there a custom, hybrid answer for figure skating beyond "more social media"/"more streaming"?