Sometimes I Feel As Though I'm Running On Ice

[anarchist_nomad]

I PASSED LEVEL SIX!!!!!

Ahem. Tonight, I had originally intended to have a social night, either at either the London Poly MeetUp or at Coffe, Cake and Kink. Those plans got the axe, however, on account of the need for an additional ice skating lesson.

Yesterday was week five of my Level Six course. At the end of it, I had passed three of the four skills for this level: a two-foot slalom, backwards chasses around a circle (both directions), and turning from backwards to forwards on one leg. I had not yet passed the "forward three-turn" -- a maneuver wherein one begins by skating forward, raises one leg, pivots to backwards on the other leg, and ends in a backwards glide on one foot. To pass Level Six, it was necessary to do the move on either leg. My turns weren't bad, but I found it difficult to end in a one foot backwards glide; the second foot kept coming down too soon.

Normally, this would not be a problem. After all, there is one week left in the course. However, I leave for the States (and P**T***!) on Thursday and will miss the final week. Whoops. To make up for the loss of a thirty minute group lesson, I sprung for a fifteen minute private lesson tonight. I would have preferred a different evening, to preserve the social night. Alas, this was the only evening that my instructor had available.

In any case, I am very glad that this worked out. We got me through the three-turn relatively quickly... so I am now certified as a Level Six NISA skater! We also had time to start looking at one of the Level Seven skills for next term: Backwards crossovers. Astoundingly enough, my first attempts at them were not bad!

Oh, my goodness. Eight months ago, I could barely stand up on the ice. Tonight, I just did backwards crossovers.

I can't wait to get to Rockefeller Center in December!!!

Comments

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

Congrats!!!! I ice skated once - in May of 1987. T'was my friend Tiffany's 16th birthday party. We had Pappy Parker's chicken after skating at the Fairfax Ice Arena.

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Understood. Until Jan 2007, I had not been on ice for well over a decade. I think Rockefeller Center on Dec 31 1992 was the last time -- and all I could do was clutch the wall. Then we had a night out at the ice rink at the start of a board game convention... which led me to put my name on the list for skating lessons. It took a year, but I finally made it to the front of the list... and here I am! Fun times!

P.S. See you Friday!!!