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General Ice Skating Chat / Re: Cambridge ice rink
« Last Post by WednesdayMarch on Today at 11:12:17 AM »Can't be any worse than Planet Ice, surely? Oh. Wait. <looks in the direction of Plymouth> Yeah...
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General Ice Skating Chat / Re: Cambridge ice rink
« Last Post by black on Today at 10:31:04 AM »Yay, it's finally opening! :-)
I'd echo transmissionoftheflame's comments too.
Interesting construction also; looks like a steel frame with big concrete lego bricks, plus glued laminated timber roof supports.
I'd echo transmissionoftheflame's comments too.
Interesting construction also; looks like a steel frame with big concrete lego bricks, plus glued laminated timber roof supports.
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General Ice Skating Chat / Re: What didnt you achieve this week all help welcome
« Last Post by transmissionoftheflame on Today at 10:21:11 AM »I think Skate Excellence is well intentioned but misses the mark. It seems vastly overcomplicated to me. I'm no great fan of Skate UK either and even that to me has too much in it. I think in general beginners need to concentrate on just a few basic elements to help them feel their skates under them and really get down into the ice. Without that feel you'll never skate well and having to remember long lists of rather esoteric elements can't help.
Inventing a whole new set of terminology also seems counterproductive as it hampers communication and learning from the wider world of resources.
That said, I still think that WHO teaches you and HOW they do it, and HOW you approach it, make much more difference than the system you're using.
I think Chris Conte and Nick Perna, who some may have seen on iCoachSkating.com, should be put in charge of how skating is taught to beginners and adults. I fear current approaches put people off and leave them ill prepared so that they become discouraged and drift away.
What's number 11 - "Scoot"?
Inventing a whole new set of terminology also seems counterproductive as it hampers communication and learning from the wider world of resources.
That said, I still think that WHO teaches you and HOW they do it, and HOW you approach it, make much more difference than the system you're using.
I think Chris Conte and Nick Perna, who some may have seen on iCoachSkating.com, should be put in charge of how skating is taught to beginners and adults. I fear current approaches put people off and leave them ill prepared so that they become discouraged and drift away.
What's number 11 - "Scoot"?
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General Ice Skating Chat / Re: What didnt you achieve this week all help welcome
« Last Post by WednesdayMarch on Yesterday at 09:09:32 PM »I used to coach Learn to Skate classes but I have no clue what any of that means. Seriously, if you can find a rink within a reasonable distance that does Skate UK, move to it. Seems to me that system is designed for very young children who can't grasp the concept of inside and outside edges* as children - and their parents appreciate a certificate with some signs of progress/value for money... 
I was chatting with my old coach at the rink where I used to teach and she said that she refused to teach LTS when Planet Ice took over the rink. She now does one session a week. Grudgingly. I don't think I could.
* In my experience, children often grasp the concept more quickly than adults. I have one adult skater at the moment who is really struggling with it...
I was chatting with my old coach at the rink where I used to teach and she said that she refused to teach LTS when Planet Ice took over the rink. She now does one session a week. Grudgingly. I don't think I could.* In my experience, children often grasp the concept more quickly than adults. I have one adult skater at the moment who is really struggling with it...
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General Ice Skating Chat / Re: What didnt you achieve this week all help welcome
« Last Post by Jo on Yesterday at 08:30:07 PM »I'm just having a grump 
. I know it'll all come with practice and I'm not really in a rush to make it through all the grades. But I did think that the "certificate" they gave me today saying I had achieved 5 competencies at Grade 5 was just taking the p***.
. I know it'll all come with practice and I'm not really in a rush to make it through all the grades. But I did think that the "certificate" they gave me today saying I had achieved 5 competencies at Grade 5 was just taking the p***. 6
General Ice Skating Chat / Re: What didnt you achieve this week all help welcome
« Last Post by Jo on Yesterday at 08:27:03 PM »Grade 5 is mostly backwards in a circle. I just copied and pasted the competencies from the Planet Ice site. I passed 7&8, 13&14, and 18 (which I disagree with as I can't do mohawks at all):
1 Two Foot Changing Directions Outside edge (orange) clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
2 Two Foot Changing Directions Outside edge (orange) stamp downs clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
3 Two Foot Changing Directions Outside edge (orange) changing direction in an S shape clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
4 Two Foot Changing Directions Outside edge (orange) Spiralling circle clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
5 Glide In A Circle Outside edge, (orange) with trunk rotation clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
6 Glide In A Circle Outside edge (orange) with trunk rotation and head rotation clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
7 ½ Star In A Circle Outside edge (orange) ½ Star lift leg to return back to glide (neutral). Clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
8 ½ Star In A Circle Inside edge (green) ½ Star lift leg to return back to glide (neutral). Clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
9 ½ Star In A Circle Outside edge (orange) ½ Star transfer to inside edge (green) on other leg clockwise anticlockwise & (L/R) (R/ L)
10 ½ Lemon In A Circle Outside edge (orange) ½ Lemons clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
11 Scoot Outside edge (orange) and inside edge (green) Scoot (L/R) clockwise & anticlockwise
12 Stepping Backwards To Forwards Scoot to glide (orange ) trunk, head, hip, ankle rotation and step to forwards, Clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
13 Tightrope Position In A Circle Outside edge (orange) and Inside edge (green) ½ tightrope with leg forward clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
14 Tightrope Position In A Circle Outside edge (orange) and Inside edge (green) ½ tightrope with leg behind clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
15 Tightrope Position In A Circle Outside edge (orange) Tightrope (L/R)
16 Tightrope Position In A Circle Outside edge (orange) Tightrope, orange tilt on back leg clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
17 Lemon Pivots Inside edge (green) backward Lemon pivot clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
18 Lemon Pivots Beginners mohawk (vee circles) inside edges (green) clockwise & anticlockwise (R/L)
1 Two Foot Changing Directions Outside edge (orange) clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
2 Two Foot Changing Directions Outside edge (orange) stamp downs clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
3 Two Foot Changing Directions Outside edge (orange) changing direction in an S shape clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
4 Two Foot Changing Directions Outside edge (orange) Spiralling circle clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
5 Glide In A Circle Outside edge, (orange) with trunk rotation clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
6 Glide In A Circle Outside edge (orange) with trunk rotation and head rotation clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
7 ½ Star In A Circle Outside edge (orange) ½ Star lift leg to return back to glide (neutral). Clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
8 ½ Star In A Circle Inside edge (green) ½ Star lift leg to return back to glide (neutral). Clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
9 ½ Star In A Circle Outside edge (orange) ½ Star transfer to inside edge (green) on other leg clockwise anticlockwise & (L/R) (R/ L)
10 ½ Lemon In A Circle Outside edge (orange) ½ Lemons clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
11 Scoot Outside edge (orange) and inside edge (green) Scoot (L/R) clockwise & anticlockwise
12 Stepping Backwards To Forwards Scoot to glide (orange ) trunk, head, hip, ankle rotation and step to forwards, Clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
13 Tightrope Position In A Circle Outside edge (orange) and Inside edge (green) ½ tightrope with leg forward clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
14 Tightrope Position In A Circle Outside edge (orange) and Inside edge (green) ½ tightrope with leg behind clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
15 Tightrope Position In A Circle Outside edge (orange) Tightrope (L/R)
16 Tightrope Position In A Circle Outside edge (orange) Tightrope, orange tilt on back leg clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
17 Lemon Pivots Inside edge (green) backward Lemon pivot clockwise & anticlockwise (L/R)
18 Lemon Pivots Beginners mohawk (vee circles) inside edges (green) clockwise & anticlockwise (R/L)
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General Ice Skating Chat / Re: What didnt you achieve this week all help welcome
« Last Post by WednesdayMarch on Yesterday at 07:30:03 PM »Any chance you can change rinks to a sensible scheme? 
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General Ice Skating Chat / Re: What didnt you achieve this week all help welcome
« Last Post by WednesdayMarch on Yesterday at 07:23:35 PM »"Eighteen competencies"?! What the H E Double Hockey Sticks do you have to do for Grade Five on Planet Ice?
Try not to get too downhearted. You'll get there. What are you not passing? Can we help?
Try not to get too downhearted. You'll get there. What are you not passing? Can we help?
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General Ice Skating Chat / Re: What didnt you achieve this week all help welcome
« Last Post by Jo on Yesterday at 07:00:45 PM »Spent 14 weeks so far working on Skate Excellence Grade 5, and only achieved 5 of the 18 competencies required to pass. *utterly dejected sigh*
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General Ice Skating Chat / Re: Cambridge ice rink
« Last Post by Jo on Yesterday at 06:56:26 PM »It's open as of this August Bank holiday weekend. Free skating apparently on the Bank Holiday Monday.
https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/cambridge-ice-arena-first-look-inside-the-new-ice-rink-9079496/
https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/cambridge-ice-arena-first-look-inside-the-new-ice-rink-9079496/
