2014 Figure Skating Resolutions

Generally, making New Year's Resolutions doesn't work.

source: Pusheen the Cat

But you can look at this page to see what might help you with with your resolutions.

My resolutions this year....

1. Start Group Lessons again.

2. Relearn FI3----yet again!  

3. Improve my mohawks!  Specifically get the free foot over the circle on the back edge!

4. Get some check in FO3 and mohawks.

5. Get more than 3 rotations in my 2 foot spins. 

6. I may be pushing the edge of the envelope here....Do a Bunny Hop.

I Have Duckfeet!

I'm now skating in Jackson Competitors, and I've been really happy with them. They're a lovely intermediate boot with good wearing properties, and just right for me in so many ways.. Except my feet have decided to get 'old lady spread'.  Apparently as you age the ligaments and muscles of your feet lose elasticity and you get 'duck feet' narrow at the heel, wide in the forefoot.

Welome to my Duckfoot Boot World.

There's a way to deal with narrow boots in the forefoot, it's a last ditch effort but I've been happy with it.

Then after 5 years of skating, the heel cups of the  Competitors gave out.  At this point, there's little I can do to fix the heel cups.  I've got gel tubes on my heels already, and putting leather patches on the inside of the heels will only delay replacement.

So my skate tech measured the circumference of the balls of my feet. 9 inches. Jackson 5 1/2 Cs are made for about a 8 1/2 inch circumference. Ditto Reidells. So I have to get customs with a split width.

Jackson's are right out because they only do split width on Premieres which are waaaay to stiff.  Reidells and SP-Teri's  are my only options.  I know you're thinking, "There's other companies," let's just say I had a bad experience with a pair of custom boots from a premiere custom boot maker (so badly fitting on one foot it tore a toenail in half, stiff enough for doubles, no ankle notch,  the only thing they got right was the color).  I'm sticking with the big boys from now on. And I've learned my lesson, send the boot back right away if it's a suspect fit.

All said and done, we're talking about $900 here.  That's bad enough, but then there's the endless self doubt...I'm spending a lot of money here, will they fit?

Man, decisions decisions. Is skating worth it?What do I do?

I see my skate tech next week and I know what I'll do when I see him.

Take my money! I need new boots!

Dull Blades Get an Appointment (UPDATED)

So I have an appointment tomorrow to get my blades sharpened. I'm able to skate on them for now only if I have really deep knee bend and perfect edge placement. Really, I should keep skating on them because maintaining edge control on dull blades is good exercise.  

So my basic rule is, when I'm working so hard to skate that I think...

Time for a sharpening!

I haven't had a sharpening since March! And despite my off and on  skating, I think I've put in the 25-30 hours that's expected between sharpening. So, my sharpener squeezed me in on Sunday. 

And I know what will happen. He'll run his thumb nail over the blade and he'll say the same thing he always does.

"These blades don't need a sharpening,
they've got plenty of life in them."

But it's been 10 months since I had a sharpening, so I figure I'm due. Otherwise 2013 would go down as the "Year without a sharpening."

And if he says, "These are still skatable," I'll do my Tim Curry face!

(Update: My skate tech reported they were dull but with no nicks!  That's so unusual, I have no funny face for it!)