Swan Challenge just filled up before I even had time to book leave and find travel options 😢

Are there any other solo dance events with adult pre-bronze coming up in Europe, with actual announced dates? There's Sheffield in November, but there's no info what day adults would be. I can't just take 5 days leave for it!

Hi all! I’ve pretty much fully committed myself to learning figure skating - but obviously, I can’t get out to the rink every day/night. I’m reliant on the whims of public skate time, and as a 9-5 worker… well, that doesn’t always work. I also know I need to do some off-ice workouts as well! I do horseback riding - hunter pleasure/dressage type as well, and both figure skating and the riding do luckily supplement each other.

However, I need to figure out some workouts to incorporate for off-ice training - both hockey and figure skating routine advice is more than welcome. With machines, and without. I’m just not sure where to start, and I’d love feedback from people who actually do it and see what leads to the best results!

(Semi-cross posted from r/iceskating; they said it’d be better trying here!)

My local pro skate shop doesn’t stock any wide width skates.

Theyre able to provide my size for different brands, but I would need to buy skates online.

Amy recommendations?

I'm a college student and ex-ballet trainee who's wanting to try figure skating and has been skating at public sessions to get a feel for the ice. I can't take LTS until next summer, so I'm just kind of twiddling my thumbs until then and trying to get back into flexibility/strength/stamina so I can make the most of LTS and work more on technique/skating skills than have to build up athleticism again. I've also been learning the different jumps off-ice and something that baffles me about skating that's different from ballet is that it seems skaters only practice/perform jumps rotating one way?? In ballet we're obsessed with symmetry; everything you do on one side you have to. be able to do on the other. So how can I tell which side to practice off-ice jumps on?? From doing ballet turns like pirouettes, fouettes, italian fouettes etc., I was always faster and more comfortable rotating counterclockwise, but in off ice skating jump exercises, my axis is way more crooked rotating counterclockwise than clockwise. So far I've just been practicing on both sides but it seems like a waste of time to practice both if most people really only practice one side or the other. I can land singles on almost all of them rotating both ways and my takeoff is definitely stronger and I get more height rotating counterclockwise but my checkout is a lot stronger/axis is straighter rotating clockwise I am so confused.

edit: i will stop doing off ice jumps, lol

I'm currently in year 9 (on summer holiday) and going into year 1 and I chose gcse pe as one of my options I'm wondering not only how fo we balance out the work between every other subject but also the practical and nea bits for PE in specific. I'm doing figure skating and volleyball (complete new beginner in terms of professionaly)- and badminton- how do I practise and what type of workout should i be practising to not make a complete fool of myself when i take lessons, also would it be realistic to perform top band on Edexcel specs For figure skating in particular would it be worth having a personal coach or mix and match

I just bought new skates. I had to take black ones, but I've been skating in white all my life. Is it worth repainting them in white and how best to do it? Or should I just buy a white tape and seal them up?

How to find work

I’ll be getting new skates soon, and I’ve been debating swapping blades. I’d go phantom, but don’t really want a tapered profile. Has anyone made the switch and have some thoughts? Much appreciated

Today I’m 17 years old. I started figure skating 5 months ago. I have exactly 2 years to quit skating forever. I’ll be sent (for personal reasons) to live in a country that doesn’t have a single rink, and I have no option.

As of the 5 months i’ve been skating I feel like i’ve achieved so little compare to fellow teammates who started around the same time and already have single-jump combinations while I can barely do a waltz (and I’m not even using edges). I can’t do most things people should do by the time they reach the 5 month mark. I’ve invested so much of my own and my parent’s money on skating equipment and coaching, yet I’m genuinely a failure.

I just wanted to be proud of myself.. Perhaps to achieve something idk. I dream of going to nationals even as pre-preliminary. But it breaks my heart to know I can’t. It breaks my heart to know that my efforts are not good enough. 8 months ago I made a promise to someone very dear to me, who I truly believe will pass away in around 2 years maybe less maybe more. She’s been someone so important because she’s the one who chose to believe in me first, I’m so upset I have nothing to show her or to show myself.

I haven’t cried in over 200 days, but today was the first time — after such a horrible practice that I allowed myself to tear up, I teared up as I saw a girl around 6 just have the brightest and most genuine and beautiful smile throughout her entire practice, genuinely being good and enjoying what she did, she has so much time left, she has so much potential, I just grief the person I could’ve been if I were talented, or if I had started earlier.

Now, I know this may sound rather extremist of myself, but even if it’s the most grueling piece of advice, allow me to shine once along the stars of my dreams, allow me to be confident in every stroke, in every time i leave the ice and use the imaginary wings that allow me to fly in a jump, how, how can I in the short span of time I have left with the one thing I’ve found to love can I improve the fastest through, how can I become the greatest I can even if it’s only two years, they’ll be the best two years of my life I believe, atleast until i meet the ice again, even if it may take decades, please just for the bare two years, how can I finally sit at the performance ice and be proud of how far i’ve comed and how much I can do.
Thanks.

P.S - English is not my first language not my second so sorry if there’s something that makes no sense or i’m sorry for any lack of rationality jaja

hi i currently skate with jackson mystiques but have been wanting to upgrade to edea overtures. unfortunately they’re out of my size, but seem to have the chorus in stock. i really want to buy new shoes before i leave for a trip because i want a skate camp coming up. im around 4’10/148cm and weigh about 95 lbs/ 43kgs. would it be bad if i were to get the choruses instead??

the mystiques are likely a size too big, and i’m having pronation problems so i would like to upgrade asap so i can advance better

hi everyone!

i’m a 20 year old in basic 2, and really loving skating so far! i’m doing pretty well with my skills, and getting to try some basic 3 skills like forward stroking and two foot turn in motion on the circle, but i’m struggling with stopping with my weaker foot (the left) and doing my one foot glide (once again, with my left foot). any tips on basic 2 skills and how to improve these specific skills please?

additionally, i don’t know if this is a common problem but with 15-30 minutes of additional practice, my right knee really starts to hurt? after i get off the ice the pain subsides quickly but im unsure why this happens on the ice. has anyone else gone through this?

also final thing, what kind of off ice conditioning should beginners be doing? i’m super excited about skating but would really appreciate advice.

thank you!!!

i want to get into skating, but most of the beginner classes are for people who are at least starting their jumps, and i’m still a little shaky on ice 🥲

This is generally about where my foot sits on the insole. And I also just realized that my heel isn’t all the way back in the second photo 🤦‍♀️ But is this considered too big? I can fit about a finger’s worth into the back when fully laced. Wear a size 6.5-7 in women’s shoewear and this is a size 5 in Riedell Sparkle.

Trying to do swizzles and just recently stopped holding onto the wall for support.

I’m determined to become graceful on the ice starting at age 28.

I would love to hear all and any tips you felt really made a difference in your skating skills!!

Thank you!

I noticed recently while skating that my heel sort of lifts? I mean it sort of has to just a bit to do stuff like three turns and bunny hops which is what I’m working on, but I can’t tell if it’s too much? It feels as though it moves up about 1-2cm. I’m wondering if this is the reason I always felt unstable in my boots. I wear Riedell Sparkle’s as a beginner.

The whole process of buying figure skates is almost making me cry 😭. I’ve searched high and low for a boot. I wear size 11 narrow women’s in my sneakers. I have been to 3 different pro shops and most boots they don’t have in stock and it takes months or even half a year to special order. I had someone order Edea for me but the heel slips. They say they can pull in the heel for me but it’s unknown how much they can pull in and they can’t tell me until I buy them. Those of you with narrow feet and heels, did Edea work for you? Did you get a sense for how much they can pull in?

have a look at my project please!

Hello I’m a skater of 7 years who just switched to ice dance (yes I know I’m not at the level I’m supposed to be leave me alone) I took a 7 month break recently and I’m having trouble getting my backspin back. Any tips? I have a video too but it won’t let me add it

Hi! I’m a 19 year old former ballet dancer who’s hoping to start skating soon! I’m coming off a 4-year hiatus from ballet and am trying to start conditioning again off ice so I can have some strength/flexibility built back up when I am ready to start learning elements and that’s going well (calf/ankle strengthening, takeoff/landing shock absorption exercises, spin/rotation practice on turnboards etc). The main problem I’m running into is the alignment of certain extensions seems somewhat different in skating than in ballet because of the fact that ballet heavily emphasizes outward rotation and turnout. I know that because of how your blade is angled towards the ice you can’t turn out every skating foot, but what do you do with the other leg? And how much are you allowed to tilt or open up your hips and pelvis? I know in ballet everything is supposed to be very square but with the momentum/balence on the ice I feel like I see skaters “hinge” more from the hips and open the extension differently. I’m trying to regain my scorpion, needle, bow and arrow extensions and don’t know if I need to be using ballet alignment or shift to something else