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Skating Fridays

Welcome to the 2nd edition of Skating Fridays! I had such an overwhelmingly positive response to the inaugural post that I will try to make this a weekly thing. Thank you all for being so supportive and interested in my life outside of baking.

If you are unfamiliar with skating, there are 4 levels that adult skaters can test out of in the United States Figure Skating (USFSA) track - think of it like belts in karate. You start off with Pre-Bronze moves-in-the-field (or MIF), then Bronze, Silver and finally Gold.  One must take and pass the corresponding MIF test before testing its equivalent in other disciplines like freestyle (that's the one with jumps and spins) and pairs. Dance is completely separate.  If and when a skater competes, he or she must compete at the highest level that has been passed.

Here is a link to the diagrams and some videos that the USFSA showcases on their website for each level of MIF.

Last week I showed you my forward outside and inside double-three turns for my Gold MIF test. Today I wanted to show you one of my weaker moves - backward inside double-three turns. It took me months to figure out how to do these correctly, but they are improving. I'm curious - after viewing the videos below, can you tell which is my weaker side?

Left backward inside double-three turns:


Right backward inside double-three turns (got interrupted by some kids during one of the turns):

The MIF pattern is not on the circle like I have demonstrated above but rather in alternating half circles down the length of the ice. Fun, isn't it?

And just because I can't work on MIF all the time, here is one of my favorite spins... it's a sit spin / cannonball / back sit spin combo.  My back sit isn't very low, but it's something I'll keep working on.



Less than a month to go before Test Day!

Photobucket
Welcome to the 2nd edition of Skating Fridays! I had such an overwhelmingly positive response to the inaugural post that I will try to make this a weekly thing. Thank you all for being so supportive and interested in my life outside of baking.

If you are unfamiliar with skating, there are 4 levels that adult skaters can test out of in the United States Figure Skating (USFSA) track - think of it like belts in karate. You start off with Pre-Bronze moves-in-the-field (or MIF), then Bronze, Silver and finally Gold.  One must take and pass the corresponding MIF test before testing its equivalent in other disciplines like freestyle (that's the one with jumps and spins) and pairs. Dance is completely separate.  If and when a skater competes, he or she must compete at the highest level that has been passed.

Here is a link to the diagrams and some videos that the USFSA showcases on their website for each level of MIF.

Last week I showed you my forward outside and inside double-three turns for my Gold MIF test. Today I wanted to show you one of my weaker moves - backward inside double-three turns. It took me months to figure out how to do these correctly, but they are improving. I'm curious - after viewing the videos below, can you tell which is my weaker side?

Left backward inside double-three turns:


Right backward inside double-three turns (got interrupted by some kids during one of the turns):

The MIF pattern is not on the circle like I have demonstrated above but rather in alternating half circles down the length of the ice. Fun, isn't it?

And just because I can't work on MIF all the time, here is one of my favorite spins... it's a sit spin / cannonball / back sit spin combo.  My back sit isn't very low, but it's something I'll keep working on.



Less than a month to go before Test Day!

Photobucket

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