Summer's Over

This is always a sad feeling for me ... when summer if over.  Now I know it's not technically over until September 22 on the first day of fall, but come on people, doesn't it feel like fall today?

The kids have gone back or just went back to school today.  I don't know where you live, but the weather here is fifteen degrees cooler than last week and pools and amusement parks start shutting down or altering the schedule.

And that is where my feeling of sadness comes in - amusement parks closing or altering the schedule.  For many years, I existed on summer skating jobs to earn enough to go back to school, pay for school, or keep me doing something besides school and they usually ended in September.

It's been over twenty years since I skated in one of those shows - three of them were in southern Japan at Mistui Greenland - but I still remember the pit in my stomach the day the show was over.

It was different for touring shows like Capades or Holiday or Disney.  When they had there last show it was considered a break until next year and most skaters planned to come back.  That a different feeling.  That's a good feeling.

But amusement park shows aren't as long and offer a skater has no idea if they'll be asked back or if they'll be skating somewhere else by the following year.  So in these shows, we knew the end was coming.  We often skated outdoors and as August wore on the night show got darker sooner and sooner.  We had more parties and our "we have to do this now or never" stunts pick up.  And let's get one thing straight - is there anything so cool as to actually live in an amusement park?  Go on the rides whenever you want?  That's a nine year old's dream come true!

And then September 1st - done.  No more.

No where was this change of schedule more abrupt than in Japan.  I skated in the Mitsui Greenland Amusement park three different years, but each time, after six weeks/four shows a day/ seven days a week on September 1 there was nothing.  No shows, nobody (okay a dozen people at most) visiting the park and a skeleton crew that looked like new staff.  Besides the sadness in saying goodbye to our park crew and fellow skaters, it probably meant I had no job to go home to.

That made my wallet sad too.

So where ever you are today and whatever situation, I hope it's not a sad one for you.  I know, I know, most people really like the start of fall with new goals and diets in mind, but give me one day to feel a little melancholy.   Again.

How about you?  Is there a particular day you feel this kind of melancholy?

Sun Valley 2016 Live Auditions and Workshop

Oh, how I wish I could get to Sun Valley one of these years ...

ProSkaters, the associations is holding auditions on the indoor rink from 6 pm until 8 pm on Monday, July 25.  There is no cost to audition.  However, you must be a member of ProSkaters and must be 16 or older to audition.

There would be no better way to see if you have the chops to perform, make connections, and skate in a beautiful environment (okay it's the indoor rink, but still).

The Workshop will begin at 4 pm on Tuesday, July 26 with an off-ice classes.  After a short break from 6:00 until 6:30 pm, The Workshop will continue on the ice from 6:45 pm until 8:45 pm on the indoor rink.  The cost is $50 for  members of ProSkaters or $110 for non-members.

Click here for more information and to sign up.
  

I told you he was that good!

U.S. Open Competition 2016 Results:  Rohene won!

And on August 12, 2015 I posted a very daring statement ... I called him the best skater in the world.  --cough, cough, Ms. Ice Charades pats herself on the back -- so I wasn't so far off then.

I'll let IceNetwork give you a more official report right here.  There were a lot of great performances and I for one am glad to see this article sharing space with amateur competition results on the IceNetwork website.

2016 U.S. Open Professional Skating Championshps

It's being held in Las Vegas next week and I really wish I could see it.  The 2016 U.S  Open Professional Skating Championships!

Presented by the Professional Skaters Association, this event will be held on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 from 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm at the SoBe Arena, North Las Vegas, NV.  The event is open to the public and admission is FREE!

I'll keep my eye on this to post results.  It would be wonderful for anyone in Vegas and it's FREE! 

I'm so excited for this!!!

Confession time - I really don't think I'm the target audience for the Australian teen-oriented television show Dance Academy - but I love this show.  I first saw it in Germany in German, so I had to watch the episodes a few times to get it.

Then I bought the DVD and watched them in English.  And I watched all of them.  Again and again.  And now they're making a movie! 

I promise you if you watch the first five to six episodes, you'll be hooked.  (And most fans will tell you season 2 is better than 1, so keep going!)

And if you end up going to the movie first, you'll want to go back and watch them all.  So strap in, either way, you're going to want to binge watch.

There is so much in this series that relates to skating.  It takes place at the prestigious national ballet school in Sydney, Australia.  Instead of going to high school, those that are good enough to get in, attend three years of schooling to prepare for life as a professional ballet dancer.

Whether it's an episode about crippling stage fright, lack of funds for training, performing while in pain, competing against the naturally talented, or wanting to quit -- any skater or fan of skating will relate.  I like that the actors are the dancers as well.  So very talented.

Have you seen the show?  Already a big fan?  Let me know.

I Saw #Worlds2016 on Twitter

How did you watch it?

I don't have a subscription to icenetwork.com, and I wasn't paying attention to the schedule until Saturday, so that meant the only skating I caught was the womens' free late on Saturday night.

My thoughts about that (and I am no journalist or skating expert btw) was how bummed I felt for Gracie, how excited I was for Ashley and how stunned I was with Mao.  (Is that under 140 characters?)  Stunned in a good way, that is.

Anyone else feel that way?  I'd love to hear it.


Now, on to what I learned by reading my twitter feed (and also a bit on FB) Sunday morning.  I know who won the mens, the pairs, not so much about ice dancing though.  I know how well # 2 and #3 skated in mens, womens, pairs, and I know what the crowd thought of each and every program.

Thanks to two blogger/tweeter/journos (Jackie Wong @rockerskating and Ollie Williams @OllieW) you'll get all the insight you could need.  Almost like being in the audience.

Check this out, Worlds 2016, a recap of everything - at Rocker by Jackie Wong.  You're welcome.  And Ollie had a handy chart for every skate that went something like this ...

     Judges
     Crowd
     Music
     Heat - as in Heat Maps!!  Yeah, I know.

I also follow Xanboni and Aaron (thanks guys) who live tweet like crazy.  They had a lot of great insight.  And there are others of course.  Sara on Skating, Inside Edge, and of course, Ryan at Skate Guard and others.  I swear, next year, I'll be on Twitter as the skaters take the ice.  It will be much more fun that way.

Attention Ballet Teachers - Repost

 I've seen so many FB posts on skaters and dance lately, I thought I'd repost this to help explain why skaters have the posture we do ...

  Jan 2010


I went to a ballet class yesterday for the first time in nineteen years. This time in a different country and a different language, but it's always the same thing. I got called out because my butt was sticking out.

Even though I don't know the Spanish words for "Tuck in your butt," I knew what the teacher was saying.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute, Ice Charades, back up. What were you doing in a ballet class? You don't even skate anymore, are you insane?

Why, yes, thanks for asking. A very nice gal from Ecquador talked me into taking classes with her, but she used to be a dancer. Not me. And you can tell when a skater takes ballet lessons.

We can't tuck in our butts, because we have sway backs. And the late, great choreographer Brian Wright, who experienced the same, drove the point home to me when doing this experiment.

Okay, skaters, get off the couch now and get into the landing position. A nice deep one, arms checked. See how your back sways to balance the stretch? Put your free leg down and slowly stand up keeping you back in the exact same position. Got it?

Unfortunately, that doesn't look good when doing a grand plie.

But you skaters need to know this if you take ballet classes (and you should take ballet classes.) If you don't have time to demonstrate this to your ballet teachers, tell them when you skate with blades that extend two inches past your heel, your center of balance has to shift to compensate.

I hope that will keep the teachers off your back, no pun intended, until you wow them with killer chaines turns.