December 5, 2006

Test Day: Basic 7
Today was the test for Basic 7, we find out our results at our lesson next week, which is a "fun and games day"- I'd rather have a "learn more stuff day" but hopefully fun and games will be good too.

Anyhow- I don't know yet, but I think I passed Basic 7. The reason I think this is a) I did everything right, and b) the phrase "if you don't know how to do it, watch Jessica" was used by the instructor more than once during the test.

So here's how it went:

Basic 7 skills-
Forward inside open mohawk from standstill- I was a little shaky on my bad side (still can't remember exactly which one is the bad one... I think left to right) while warming them up, but when she came over to test I did them both "perfectly" (for the Basic 7 level) looking up, extending my free leg and holding for a count of 6. She said okay, and I left it at that. I didn't want to try them again, in case they went away!

Backward outisde edge to forward outside edge tansition on a circle- these were good on both the right and left side. Aren't these just outside mohawks? I did outside mohawks with burton and I'm not sure of the difference between that and this, but what I typed up there is the official USFSA element name in the basic skills book. This was one of the "if you don't know what you are doing watch Jessica moves. I also got told I have beautiful edges. That made me really happy to hear.

Ballet jump (off of left toepick)- it was okay. I barely get off the ice. She asked me to do it again, because my free leg wasn't very straight and she said she had seen it straighter. After I did it she whispered to me that me and the other girl who did it with me (whose name I neither know or would publish on the internet since she is like 7) were the only ones who knew how to do it. If I was to not pass an element, this is the one I wouldn't pass me on. Yeah I can "do" it, but I jump about a millimeter off the ice and it looks bad.

Backward corssovers to a backward outside edge glide (landing positions)- Hmmm, we just did the landing position, not the crossovers. On the CW side I actually did do crossovers because thats how I get speed but on the CCW side I did half swizzles. Now I feel like i cheated. But she just tested us on our landing positions. My left outside edge was stronger than my right, both were passable.

Forward inside pivots- My left is stronger than my right. I can get 1.5 rotations off of one push on both of them, and thats what was asked for. I doubt they look pretty though. I really don't like forward pivots. I love to do backwards ones on my left foot.

Other things-
Kevin (my husband) came and watched me skate!!!! He said he couldn't see a ton, because I hid in the back, but that he can tell I got a lot better. He told me my spin was good, and my waltz jump was better than the waltz step to the other foot I showed him when we lived in Ohio (yeah, no discernable jump involved then, although I was proud of it)- but it still only barely qualifies as a jump. He did not realize the toe loop was a different thing than the waltz jump. Either I need to warn him about what he's watching for or I really need to work on these :)

waltz jump- got a few "good" ones in. I also 2 footed one. Is that possible on a waltz jump.
toe loop- only did one, I overrotated the takeoff, so i guess it was a toe waltz, but I love the feeling of jumping off the toepick. Keep in mind for both of these jumps, jumping is like 3 inches.
1 footed spin- 8 revolutions of a 1 footed spin! From a 2 footed spin entry. I am so proud of myself, if only I could get the durn 3 turn entry down. I also do 5 revolutions from a hockey glide. Kevin saw a few of my good spins and told me they were very good but slow. I don't feel slow but I can still more or less see everything as I rotate so they must be slow. Whenever the instructor would look I would immediatly fall. She told me she could tell I was spinning well out of the corner of her eye, turn to watch and then I'd mess up. Oh well...

Also, I've been officially taken on to help with the tot classes in January assuming enrollment allows it. Hopefully this will allow me to better afford skating! (It looks like they can't trade ice time, so I'll just use my pay to pay for ice time. Which means it would probably make more sense to take a group lesson if there is one time seperate from the ones I'm helping with and with the group lessons I get ice time for free, rather than using the money just to pay for ice time.)