shape
carat
color
clarity

Amazing skating, but REALLY amazing on-skate camera work

This thread inspired me to watch I Tonya last night

(I watched spinning out last week)

I guess there would be work in Hollywood for a photographer with these skills then

Good movie.
 
Good movie.

Oh man its really sad
She had a pretty cr#p upbringing
Like her mother was so unkind
i mean the whole world felt sorry for Nancy (me included) and we just assumed Tonya was the most terrible person... and she really wasn't at all
she was hard - because her mother made her that way
Its really awful that the judges didn't like her because of her demographic
From the otherside of the world i wouldn't have cared she didn't project some fantasy of the American family
She could have been such a role model - as i think in a lot of other sports she would have been
 
Amazing thanks for posting @kenny
our local rink permanently closed its doors earlier this year
It’s a beautiful sport
 
Re: the I Tonya movie, I didnt like how she was portrayed as a victim of the judges who didn't like her. Hello - USFS sent her to Nationals, Worlds and the Olys 2x. Hardly the behavior of judges who didnt favor her. It was her choice not to train properly and keep her weight steady.. like it or not, these multi-revolution jumps can be thrown off by gaining a small amount of weight.. She made plenty of her own bad choices
 
Amazing thanks for posting @kenny
our local rink permanently closed its doors earlier this year
It’s a beautiful sport

Oh that's so sad
We never had an ice rink when i grew up in Dunedin
But years after the roller skating rinks closed one reopened as an ice rink
now they play ice hockey and can have curling all year around
 
Freestyle or dance? Spins were my favorite.

super amateur! I loved skating as a young adult but never actually pursued it. Started taking lessons last year at 56 after one of the ladies who is an ice dancer asked how long I had been skating .. she assumed I had taken lessons and I explained i had not but would like to,.. ..super fun and really helped me work on my weaker leg.. ack.. skating really exposes that.. my coach said he would have me jumping in no time.. he said I seemed fearless.. not sure about that, lol...then covid hit.. I'm primarily a cyclist and runner but I truly loved being on the ice,, hope to get back at it this year.. sounds like you are an accomplished skater.. do you still skate?
 
super amateur! I loved skating as a young adult but never actually pursued it. Started taking lessons last year at 56 after one of the ladies who is an ice dancer asked how long I had been skating .. she assumed I had taken lessons and I explained i had not but would like to,.. ..super fun and really helped me work on my weaker leg.. ack.. skating really exposes that.. my coach said he would have me jumping in no time.. he said I seemed fearless.. not sure about that, lol...then covid hit.. I'm primarily a cyclist and runner but I truly loved being on the ice,, hope to get back at it this year.. sounds like you are an accomplished skater.. do you still skate?

You'r sooooo brave
I tried ice skating for the first time at 22
a disaster
First off this high school kid tired to pick me up (not cool when your 22)
Then i never realized how cold it would be
i had shorts and a tee shirt on
and the entire time i was terrified i would break a leg and not be able to go to work the next day
 
Wow completely amazing! I am in awe. However I always feel nervous watching ice skating especially pairs, because they seem 3 seconds from disaster if they clip each others skates or fall or drop the person!
 
super amateur! I loved skating as a young adult but never actually pursued it. Started taking lessons last year at 56 after one of the ladies who is an ice dancer asked how long I had been skating .. she assumed I had taken lessons and I explained i had not but would like to,.. ..super fun and really helped me work on my weaker leg.. ack.. skating really exposes that.. my coach said he would have me jumping in no time.. he said I seemed fearless.. not sure about that, lol...then covid hit.. I'm primarily a cyclist and runner but I truly loved being on the ice,, hope to get back at it this year.. sounds like you are an accomplished skater.. do you still skate?

I dont skate any more. I absolutely loved it, went through USFS testing etc, but at 58, with the things I enjoy doing I'm too scared I'll hurt myself. All you need is one little sequin on the ice when you head into a camel spin and you'll end up biting the ice lol. Dont be in a hurry for the jumps. Get really good on your 3 turns - inside, outside, forward and back. Moves in the field are harder than jumps! And until you can do a backspin I wouldn't worry about jumping. An axel is just a backspin in the air. Getting good at spins will give you the core strength to do the jumps properly. Find a coach who stresses how to hold your body before you pick up bad habits.

Ah, good times.
 
I dont skate any more. I absolutely loved it, went through USFS testing etc, but at 58, with the things I enjoy doing I'm too scared I'll hurt myself. All you need is one little sequin on the ice when you head into a camel spin and you'll end up biting the ice lol. Dont be in a hurry for the jumps. Get really good on your 3 turns - inside, outside, forward and back. Moves in the field are harder than jumps! And until you can do a backspin I wouldn't worry about jumping. An axel is just a backspin in the air. Getting good at spins will give you the core strength to do the jumps properly. Find a coach who stresses how to hold your body before you pick up bad habits.

Ah, good times.

Excuse lack of technically terms
When you spin around and around on the spot ?
1. How do you not get dizzy ?
2. How do you keep count of how many spins you have done

its very beautiful, like ballet
 
I used to skate! I made it to state level competition at 13 but then got too tall to go further. In the end my body does better with heavy muscle activities, too much weight for all of the jumping.

@Daisys and Diamonds

You just get used to the spinning, it was my favorite thing to do. I don't jump anymore but I still spin! I never counted spins, I just knew how long I had to spin to the music, it's all completely timed.
 
@Daisys and Diamonds

I dont know why but I never got dizzy, although if I skated on a public session people would always ask me about that. It's pretty easy to count the revolutions when you're in the spin - you actually have to count for tests/competitions. If you come in under then you fail that element. I think you just get used to it over time.
 
Excuse lack of technically terms
When you spin around and around on the spot ?
1. How do you not get dizzy ?
2. How do you keep count of how many spins you have done

its very beautiful, like ballet

They DO get dizzy!!!!!

DandD, this may help you understand what's going on in the vestibular and visual systems, and the brain of an ice skater in a spin:

The vestibular system is perfectly designed for our three-dimensional world. Located in our inner ear, this sensory system is composed of three semicircular canals situated at right angles to one another. These canals allow us to detect movement horizontally (like shaking our head left to right), vertically (nodding), and along a frontal plane (like when performing a cartwheel). If you’ve ever had the sensation of vertigo, you’ve experienced a problem with your vestibular system.

Each semicircular canal contains fluid called endolymph. When one moves their head, the endolymph displaces tiny hair-like cells, which translate movement into electrical impulses and let us perceive our relationship to the world around us.

There are two moments during a skater’s spin during which they feel dizziest. At the beginning, as they are picking up speed, their endolymph lags behind. Then toward the end of their spin, the body’s inertia keeps the endolymph moving quickly, even though everything else is slowing down—kind of like how your keep moving forward right after you slam on your car’s brakes. In the middle of the spin, however, when the body and endolymph are moving at the same speed, skaters are on cloud 9.


Also, If they are not spinning too fast, they can suppress some of the dizziness by fixating on a set point in the horizon. This means that their head and eyes are not turning as their body is, the eyes stay focused on one point while the body rotates, they then move their head to a second point as the body continues to turn, and so on...

During a fast spin, the eyes focus on a point on the ice and look to find that point with each rotation.

There is some degree of habituation that occurs during a spin, which lessens the physical sensations felt during such a stimulation of the balance system.
 
I dont skate any more. I absolutely loved it, went through USFS testing etc, but at 58, with the things I enjoy doing I'm too scared I'll hurt myself. All you need is one little sequin on the ice when you head into a camel spin and you'll end up biting the ice lol. Dont be in a hurry for the jumps. Get really good on your 3 turns - inside, outside, forward and back. Moves in the field are harder than jumps! And until you can do a backspin I wouldn't worry about jumping. An axel is just a backspin in the air. Getting good at spins will give you the core strength to do the jumps properly. Find a coach who stresses how to hold your body before you pick up bad habits.

Ah, good times.

yep.. not really interested in jumping..too old!! I no longer bounce! My coach is young, compared to me, so I don't think he has the point of reference.. I love working on the balance and control.. challenging, but nice when you make some progress. I don't really have the energy & time to devote to it to progress if I want to do all my all my other activities and I do not want to get hurt..3 turns are where I was and really working on edges.. I work on stroking and form /position a lot!! And I got a coach for exactly the reasons you said.. good habits and form,..which he is militant about..arms, head body, hips.. it's a lot to coordinate.. I like the challenge.. I have a little trouble slowing down sometimes because I have a lot of muscle power(quads and glutes from cycling.. just not enough control.. it's actually kind of amusing.. ) watching all the young kids when I have a lesson is insane!! No. Fear.
 
@doberman there are actually quite a few ladies who skate that are older than me and are really great.. mostly ice dancers and they are so friendly and helpful, one in her 60's is just getting into freestyle..it's really kind of awesome!
 
How beautiful! And I have to say I love how they look in simple black workout gear. I felt like I could really appreciate their movements more without being distracted by glitzy outfits.

Torville and Dean were breathtaking. I remember watching their Olympic performance in stunned silence. Perfection.
 
I have a nuance to add.
I have skated, (ice, roller, rollerblade, skate-board) since I was a toddler.
I certainly was not advanced, but I was very comfortable and smooth going forward and backwards.
I loved the enjoyment of it, and spent a zillion hours doing it.

I'm now mid-60s; at 45 I fell on ice and was on crutches for months.
Of course skaters of any age can and do fall.
But this fall affected my confidence.
I'm also aware of, and accept, that everyone gradually loses coordination and healing-ability with increasing age.
So after that fall I retired myself from all skating and skiing.

As always people vary.
Some will, or try to, continue all of their activities till they die at 125, of course with varying degrees of success.
I, like some others, hung up my skates at some point to avoid the increasing odds of harm that come with age.
So, YMMV. ;-)

ETA: Many people greatly admire those who keep doing all their activities till death at 125.
I don't ... I see admiring them as a slight against those who made the choice to hang up their skates at some age because of the increasing odds of injury to an older body.
I don't think individuals who make either choice are more admirable than the others.
People just vary.
 
Last edited:
I have a nuance to add.
I have skated, (ice, roller, rollerblade, skate-board) since I was a toddler.
I certainly was not advanced, but I was very comfortable and smooth going forward and backwards.
I loved the enjoyment of it, and spent a zillion hours doing it.

I'm now mid-60s; at 45 I fell on ice and was on crutches for months.
Of course skaters of any age can and do fall.
But this fall affected my confidence.
I'm also aware of, and accept, that everyone gradually loses coordination and healing-ability with increasing age.
So after that fall I retired myself from all skating and skiing.

As always people vary.
Some will, or try to, continue all of their activities till they die at 125, of course with varying degrees of success.
I, like some others, hung up my skates at some point to avoid the increasing odds of harm that come with age.
So, YMMV. ;-)

ETA: Many people greatly admire those who keep doing all their activities till death at 125.
I don't ... I see admiring them as a slight against those who made the choice to hang up their skates at some age because of the increasing odds of injury to an older body.
I don't think individuals who make either choice are more admirable than the others.
People just vary.

Agree to all of this. The odds are that if I fell I would be messed up for a long time and I'm just not willing to take that risk.
 
Maybe my intent was misinterpreted.. I strive to not judge any one else for the choices they make. To each his own..Strangely, I feel that way about my mountain bike and mountain biking in general now.. I love being in the woods, but do not take chances I used to and often opt out because I am not willing to take the chance of getting injured. I realize that I could get injured on my road bike (badly) but try not to focus on that.. I ride as safely as I can and love riding so I continue. I suppose anything can be dangerous.. walking in my house full of kittens toys, lol.. I broke my toe on the scratching post I put by the bed for them to scamp up on when they were little..‍♀️ I suppose I meant it's awesome for the woman I know who is just getting into freestyle who is in her sixties to be doing what she loves..she's very fit & quite careful and wears protective gear, and is aware of the risks..but I didn't mean to say that I think anyone who opts out of something they used to do is making the wrong or lesser choice. Apologies if it sounded that way. I agree @kenny people vary. No right or wrong, just what's right for you or me or anyone. I also don't think admiring anyone is a slight against anyone else.
 
When i had the vertigo so bad a few months back i still feel like im being extra cautious walking up and down our 3 back and front steps
i can totally see how a fall can cause a lack of confidence
 
Maybe my intent was misinterpreted.. I strive to not judge any one else for the choices they make. To each his own..Strangely, I feel that way about my mountain bike and mountain biking in general now.. I love being in the woods, but do not take chances I used to and often opt out because I am not willing to take the chance of getting injured. I realize that I could get injured on my road bike (badly) but try not to focus on that.. I ride as safely as I can and love riding so I continue. I suppose anything can be dangerous.. walking in my house full of kittens toys, lol.. I broke my toe on the scratching post I put by the bed for them to scamp up on when they were little..‍♀️ I suppose I meant it's awesome for the woman I know who is just getting into freestyle who is in her sixties to be doing what she loves..she's very fit & quite careful and wears protective gear, and is aware of the risks..but I didn't mean to say that I think anyone who opts out of something they used to do is making the wrong or lesser choice. Apologies if it sounded that way. I agree @kenny people vary. No right or wrong, just what's right for you or me or anyone. I also don't think admiring anyone is a slight against anyone else.

My cats have all caused me to trip. I just wait until one of them does it at the top of the stairs!
 
My cats have all caused me to trip. I just wait until one of them does it at the top of the stairs!

My big male cat has never been triped on or stood on
I can tell !
And when it happens its still going to be all my fault !
 
that's another thing, I always feel that especially the female skater is too cold and exposed in those outfits. Them wearing those more sensible outfits made me appreciate the entire sequence more; you could see their bodies better and appreciate it better as well.
 
that's another thing, I always feel that especially the female skater is too cold and exposed in those outfits. Them wearing those more sensible outfits made me appreciate the entire sequence more; you could see their bodies better and appreciate it better as well.

If you're just starting out on the ice those outfits feel cold, but after you warm up your body is actually giving off quite a lot of heat, so don't worry about the female skaters being cold during competition!

This is why skaters wear a jacket before they go on the the ice and after they come off the ice, but they always take it off while they're on the ice. Enough calorie burn is happening that they'd feel too warm if they dressed with conventional logic.

I'm no pro, but have taken skating lessons, and this is my personal experience.
 
So beautiful. I love ice-skating.
 
that's another thing, I always feel that especially the female skater is too cold and exposed in those outfits. Them wearing those more sensible outfits made me appreciate the entire sequence more; you could see their bodies better and appreciate it better as well.

off on a slight tangent
Years ago Gary won us tickets on the radio to swan lake on ice
He is surprisingly knowledgeable when it comes to ballet because as a wee boy at M t Cook primary school in Wellington, the kids went to the dress rehearsals of the Royal NZ ballet which was just down the hill

Anyway he said how he enjoyed it so much more with ice skating customes over ballet and also how graceful it was on ice
 
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