Revelation #1 : Spins

The ice was really rough today and covered with snow. I'm perfectly happy for the rink to have a crowd, I just wish I had the skills to avoid the ice tourists--or maybe that the ice tourists could avoid the center.

So Coach and I are in the center, avoiding five year olds who stare at me and appear to worship me from afar. I do not kid. Five year olds come up to me in the center and say "How did you get to get so good.?" Seriously underage boys barely above the height of my knee appear to be my fan base . Oh, and dogs--dogs are fascinated by me too; but at least they don't get on the ice and camp out in the center.

Both my fan bases are like this

 

So after some tortuous skating , Coach and I  finally get to where I want to go: Spins. Yes, I've finally turned into one of those skaters with bad spins who hang out in the center,  spinning over and over. (but at least I don't camp out in a 'lucky spot' .)

So back cross, step forward , snap into a two foot spin and begin the mighty struggle as the snow grabs my blades. I pitch forward then snatch back my balance.

Coach sighs. "So try this. When you spin, get on the rocker on your spinning foot, and more towards the middle of the skate behind the rocker on the other foot."

I do a spin entry, snap into a spin my left foot on the rocker, my right foot one one third back on the blade from the toepick and suddenly I'm floating over the ice, perfectly centered,  without friction and perfectly in control.

I glide out of my spin with this look on my face:

Spin Ecstasy

That was what I called a revelation..