Streatham ice arena

As I think back, and get extremely excited, over starting the new ice skating term at the end of this month, I also have to reflect on the times that I spent ice skating at Streatham. though it was a pit. And I mean a miserable disaster of the remains to a building, the ceiling was peeling off, you could catch an STI sitting on the toilet seat and I once saw a rat ( yes I know they are everywhere, but this one had surfaced indoors), so I never ate from there again. I also think of all the people I've met, talked to and been friends with. now it's gone for a while and by the time that it's built up again, I'll probably be on to other things and it's hardly likely that I will be skating there anymore. So I commemorate this post to the old Streatham ice arena.

It opened it's door and south London to the world of ice skating in 1931. Over the years it has coached some of London's most talented ( I should know, I am amidst them), including it's home Hockey team. The redskins, one of London's, if not one of Britain's best ice Hockey teams. Sadly after a strong eighty year run, the building had to be demolished to make way for a new leisure centre, that will still be hosting an ice rink, but the focus seems to be that there will be a Tesco built into it. I don't know if that is really anything to celebrate. however the idea that ice skating could possibly become a work out at the gym and a swim too is rather exciting to me. So on Sunday the 18th of December 2011, Streatham held their closing gala. where many of it's talented figure skaters, ice dancers and hockey players, skated on possibly the Ice the first skated on for the last time. undoubtedly, an emotional time for all, but as we say goodbye, we can remember all the skaters that have come and gone with the rink. from those who first came to Streatham at the age of twelve, skating for the first time in 1931 to those who are more recent passers, who maybe began skating a year ago and already consider the ice their home and  those who go to the ice rink her family.

we fall

we spin 

and we smile 

But most of all we have the time of our lives. we love you Streatham ice arena and you will be missed. thanks for the memories.

Goal and Ambitions *re-evaluation

I have spent the past 24 hours obsessing over the 2010 Olympic ladies figure skating circuit, I have watched performance after performance ( though I have a psychology exam on Thursday) watching technique and there level of execution, their drive and also their performance. knowing my favourite and one to win was always Mao Asada I have been repeatedly watching her Long program. It is amazing. Though she only came second, by quite a few points I've  feel as though her program is definitely one of my favourites. so my main goal after watching that program is to achieve her flexibility and power. if  you hadn't seen,  her first triple jump was so high, I struggle to get my second rotation off ice (I can only achieve singles on ice) and I know if I work on the power in my legs I will also be able to get that height. i also have an timed goal. i am currently only executing a standard arabesque spiral on ice, in three months time on the 13th of April I want to achieve the first spiral sequence in her Olympic long program. right now I'm not too far off but I still have a long way to go, that means long early mornings of hard static stretching. If I just start to freeze in the street you know why. I'm on this.

these images display perfectly what Mao is about, you can see the power and flexibility. these are the two positions i want to achieve. Also the connection with the music to the audience is on the money, I love Yuna's program but this program was spot on in my opinion.

Skaters and athletes I need your help!

Due to my leg injury I have found my flexibility has decreased and I am finding it difficult to do simple stretches that i used to. I've always been stronger on one leg, but this injury has been affecting all of my flexibility. I haven't done the splits since the day I did my injury. I think more than anything I am scared to try. so i need some advice. what warm ups I could do so I feel more comfortable stretching. what light stretches I could do so I don't feel like my leg is on fire every time I go into one.
I used to know my body and it's limits very well, but now I feel as though I am starting from the beginning again. as my fitness is going to affect my jumps and speed, whilst my flexibility will effect my artistry. I feel like my spins are the only thing that can progress, but I'm having trouble practising because of the lack of ice time. I am confident that I'll be able to skate in my rinks next gala and probably be better than a few of my friends because of my determination and dedication to practise to better my skills but I want my flexibility to be at a standard of a wow factor. also my parents have never seen me skate and I want my Dad to feel that all the money he has put into me and my sister doing this has been worth it.
Don't worry about being shy to post videos from youtube or comment from your own personal experience. I need all the advice I can get because I am aiming high here and I wont lower my expectations of myself. I know I'm sounding very assertive and serious about this but that's only because I am passionate about it. So I would be very grateful for any type of advice you could give me.
However I am glad to announce that I have one more week until I can have my first lesson of the year, sadly it wont be private until text term because my sister and I are at very different levels. I am adamant that I am a confident grade 10 skater, I am top of my class and if I don't push myself to the next level I will be stuck doing minimal things. and not challenging my skills to be developed faster will only make it harder for me to compete because it will be ages until I finish bronze silver and the rest of that lot. so i offer the advice of confidence to all of you out there. even if your not a figure skater in training, you you are passionate about something and you believe in it, no matter how impossible it sounds or people believe it is, if it's your passion and what you what to so, be bold and confident and don't let others tell you what to do because, at the end of the days, It's your life, and you should gamble what you want with it, playing it safe never made champions. So to my powerful skaters I thank you in advance for you advice and ideas, and you will be seeing me around much sooner than you think.

Am I missing something!

I've always known that figure skating is an expensive sport, but somethings just take the biscuit!
I've been off ice for a while and as the weeks are slowly arriving where I have to start training again, and I am all out of clothes to train in. immediately I remember the gorgeously decorated leggings one of my skating sisters wore last year. They looked like ordinary Lycra leggings and had silver, studded diamonties going along one side. She had mentioned at the time, they where expensive, but expensive leggings to me is around £30 max. So I was in complete shock and horror when my eyes scrolled across a website page, selling figure skating training kit and saw £50!
So there it is. The reason I gave up ice skating.
I'm completely kidding. I haven't given up. I'll just hit up Primark and buy four pairs (it still doesn't even scratch the surface of that price). However,there is something I need answered. Why? Why are those extortionate merchants selling me leggings double their actual price? I love ice skating but if I don't get a job really soon, I doubt I'll be able to afford it for much longer.

First things first

For Christmas I got an off ice spin trainer. I wanted one for so long, so badly, even though all the reviews online weren't saying great things, but for some reason the thing with me and reviews online is that, I'm the complete opposite, always. When I came to buying my phone people where saying great things about it and it turns out, that all I can use it for is a paper weight (and a cracked one at that). From this you should have probably gathered that the spin trainer has been working wonders for me. I admit, yes, I fly of it most of the time but when I get the spin down I can feel where I've been going wrong and looking at videos of me from before Christmas, I can notice a huge difference, for example, I am so much lower on my sit spin and I can also do a broken leg spin, not quite as awesome as Elizaveta Tuktamysheva's, but come one, she's a thirteen year old prodigy. But all these new spins I can do doesn't mean anything unless I can do them on the ice too. If I can, all the girls at the rink will be surprised. They better watch out because they might have some unexpected competition on their hands (though it's competition we still love each other). 

Also I have to be tracking my fitness and flexibility. Sadly I was showing off at a party recently. We had been dancing in a circle and being at a party, with all my peers naturally I show off. I can do over splits really well on one leg, but the other it's like such a struggle. Silly me forgets this at a party. Bang I go straight down on the not so developed legs. The crowd goes wild. I smile as if I’m ok but I have badly pulled a muscle. It was shaking when I was just sitting down the next day, luckily for me it was a Saturday and I wasn’t going anywhere. This happened on December 17th 2011. And until today January 11th 2012 I find it extremely painful to get into my normal splits or even train my spiral off ice. To all you young skaters out there I am warning you, know your physical limit. Luckily I wasn't skating the next day or for a few weeks potentially a month later. Never the less I am way out of shape and out of practice. Being subject to school life and stressful exams as well I haven’t had time to work out, take care of myself and stretch every morning as I would usually do so I will mark where I am in terms of fitness from Friday 13th of January 2012, and keep you updated every 13th. Looks likes I am in for some very unlucky days this year. Pray for me my graceful skaters.

                              
 

Goals and Ambitions

So today, January 11th 2012, marks the day I begin my figure skating journey. I have been ice skating for just over a year now but I feel like I am progressing in a slow rate. Therefore I created this blog to show my improvement, in hope it will help me to progress even faster. I have been following figure skating internationally for the past three years and following the sport gave me another reason to write a skating blog. I am also hoping to get some advice to help this progression increase faster. 
I am currently just beginning the Bronze level and taking private lessons at my rink, which has recently moved. I haven't actually seen the new venue, but, I am very excited to break in my brand spanking new home (with brand spanking new skates), with my skating family on the 21st. Yeah, yeah I know for a skater being off the ice for three weeks isn't good, as I've noticed my fitness has weakened greatly over Christmas (it was all those pies), therefore effecting my performance on the ice. so join me all you beautiful skaters, of all experiences, and we can embark on this challenging yet thrilling ice adventure together.