Last Thursday, our adult skating group had our final skate of the season.
Summer is coming, and the schedule gets crazy, kids out of school, more summer camps for figure skating, hockey, and public sessions can be a bit wild.
After we skate, we go to lunch.
This week the group was extremely large.
Some folks were doing ice dance, I did free skating, jumps, spins, and some just stroked around the edges of the rink and chatted as they skated.
I was careful as to skate with sensitivity and not get in the dancers patterns.
It can be interesting getting dance and free skating together as we as jumpers have our patterns, and dancers have their patterns.
Our group gets along well.Actually; more than well.We get along great, help each other, and somehow inspire each other, and we as a group seem to know when someone needs help on or off the ice.
I did the usual experimenting with blades and remembered a dream I had the night before about jumping and how the jumps felt was so amazing in my dream.
I thought I would do some more experimenting and could I duplicate my dream on the ice?
I started physically doing the things I did in my dream.
My jumps felt good, I felt comfortable, and didn’t think too much about it as I was having so much fun experimenting and enjoying the sounds of fellow skaters laughing, gliding past, talking as they would skate by, and occasionally someone would say that jump or spin looked good.
Whatever I tried, whatever I thought I wouldn’t or sometimes couldn’t do, I did.
Some of my foot-work, the brackets and rockers and counters honestly can look sloppy.
That’s why I have to feel first and form follows, but; when I’m in a hurry I want form first and who cares if I really feel.
I just want the turns finished!
There is a school of thought in skating that says
If you have great edges, jumping is the most easy thing in skating.
I have to tell you this school of thought works for me.
The less I forced, I experienced more flow, and fun plus I had less friction, with more speed, power, glide, and comfort.
During lunch, I got to sit accrossfrom Kip and Joyce, the newest of the group only connecting with our group early April of 2009 or late March.
They made such a hit with the group, and Kip with his cross overs inspires me and Joyce with her wanting technical info about skating always keeps me on my toes.
I got to sit next to Bill, who is a fearless adult skater, 60 years young or a few years plus, but who cares.
He is absolutely fearless.We lovingly sometimes joke with him and call him Wild Bill.
He can do way more than skating.
He does that hand gliding thing, probably climbs mountains, has so much fun with his dances and turned himself from a pure hockey skater to a figure skater now doing dance.
I respect him so much for his freedom and fearless approach to skating.
He was kind enough to read me the menu as he borrowed glasses from his wonderful wife, Carol, who recently passed two dance tests with ease and grace.
Bill was so patient reading me the menu with such care, managing to describe everything perfect.
While we were eating, several folks commented how nice my Axles looked,
which made me feel good.
I had lost the feel of the Axle a few months ago, and it felt wonderful knowing people could see the Axles landed and they looked nice.
When jumps feel too easy, I get somewhat suspicious, and now I am finally learning
That ease is the way for my skating.
If that wasn’t enough, Hank told me he actually did forward cross overs.
I am so proud of my friend, Hank who turned 89 in April finally did his forward cross overs his way.
He says he felt comfortable and the cross overs just happened.
Five or six weeks ago, Hank got a helmet as he saw one in a sports store and thought it would be a good idea to skate with a helmet in case he took an unexpected fall.
He did fall, and fall hard he did.Hank fell on his back trying a cross over about a week after he got his new helmet.
The helmet took the bulk of the fall; although he was stiff a few days, and he went right back trying cross overs as if nothing happened.
I asked him what made him try cross overs after the fall?He says he realized what he did wrong, and wanted to see if he could correct his mistake which made him fall.
He always says profound things, and I learn so much from Hank.
His wise words of wisdom said he went too fast, tried to fly before he was sensitive, and you know the rest.
His courage and love for skating never ceases to amaze me and the other piece of this story is how Hank has the courage to allow a totally blind skater teach him edges, stroking, and the cross over when done well feels and looks spectacular.
Yes; we have a bunch of skaters that I feel are special.
Many of the skaters in our adult group are in their 70’s, and Hank is 89, Dick, a former skater is 98 and enjoyed watching me demonstrate brackets on the floor after we got off the ice.
Dick use to be a high level ice dancer and still has sharp eyes, and an honest tongue.
One of our skaters will have a hip replaced this fall, another had a knee replaced several years ago, and I’m waiting for eye replacements, and will be waiting a long time.
My new friends,
Rugby Jones and
inspire me to new heights of awareness.
If they can do it.Then I can do it.
One person at a time.We do make a difference.
June 18, 2009 at 5:01 am |
Hey…I got to this and read with joy. It flows beautifully, and because of the way you input it…it is easy on the eyes and in reading.