Hazards and Artistic Session Skating

[Spins]

Hey Everybody,

Ever skate at a rink where they tell skaters not to congregate and stop the flow of other skaters but never a word gets mentioned about going the other direction?

Last week I saw where one of those skaters who shows up from nowhere to cream you comes from. The little girl was on the sideline when she decided to get onto the floor. But not with the flow of other skaters. Within twenty seconds she was hit and hurting spread eagle. The teen-aged boy was taller than me but she did not fare so well and crawled off the floor. Funny thing that though she'd been doing this for a couple of weeks--here wrong ways stopped.

Last night I was going rather fast when two five-year-olds jump out onto the floor running in the wrong direction. Yes, they came from nowhere again. My left leg avoided one and before a breath could be had I was on the next one. One cannot predict where a runner will leap next but I was headed for him, he jumped out of the way by leaping like Superman. Boy was I glad because that was going to hurt and possibly me too in the fall. Women were screaming on the second one. But you know the parents kept them off the floor after that. I was a bit shaken.

I've never seen more collisions than at a rink where cautions are not given about skating the wrong direction.

Now I have felt odd about doing setups for spins during session with so many skaters but I always make double sure others are not coming my way and many times they could not come my way based on distance and speed.

Gary
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[rwsz]

Originally Posted by Spins

Hey Everybody,

Ever skate at a rink where they tell skaters not to congregate and stop the flow of other skaters but never a word gets mentioned about going the other direction?

Last week I saw where one of those skaters who shows up from nowhere to cream you comes from. The little girl was on the sideline when she decided to get onto the floor. But not with the flow of other skaters. Within twenty seconds she was hit and hurting spread eagle. The teen-aged boy was taller than me but she did not fare so well and crawled off the floor. Funny thing that though she'd been doing this for a couple of weeks--here wrong ways stopped.

Last night I was going rather fast when two five-year-olds jump out onto the floor running in the wrong direction. Yes, they came from nowhere again. My left leg avoided one and before a breath could be had I was on the next one. One cannot predict where a runner will leap next but though I headed for him to get away, he jumped out of the way by leaping like Superman. Boy was I glad because that was going to hurt and possibly me too in the fall. Women were screaming on the second one. But you know the parents kept them off the floor after that. I was a bit shaken.

I've never seen more collisions than at a rink where cautions are not given about skating the wrong direction.

Now I have felt odd about doing setups for spins during session with so many skaters but I always make double sure others are not coming my way and many times they could not come my way based on distance and speed.

Gary
o-o

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sessions are definitely tough to accomplish or do technical items, especially spins as they require more floor and time. a camel can be a very dangerous spin with the leg extended out and people going in circles and different directions.

Rick

[spinjumpsk8]

Session is a most definitely dangerous place. I have just about given up on skating any session. Maybe 3 times in the last year. If you get a good session with good floor guards then thats a plus. Of course, I almost creamed many a skater not during session but during practice time. Some seem to think since you skate freestyle, you can move out of the way faster. And that you can do your jumps/spins anywhere on the floor so you should move for them. It's harder for me since I am the only one in the whole club who does freestyle. So most times its me against a zillion kids doing dance.

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by spinjumpsk8

Session is a most definitely dangerous place. I have just about given up on skating any session. Maybe 3 times in the last year. If you get a good session with good floor guards then thats a plus. Of course, I almost creamed many a skater not during session but during practice time. Some seem to think since you skate freestyle, you can move out of the way faster. And that you can do your jumps/spins anywhere on the floor so you should move for them. It's harder for me since I am the only one in the whole club who does freestyle. So most times its me against a zillion kids doing dance.

i dont blame you for not doing sessions, they dont even allow backward skating in many of them now.

we have the same problem in our club as its mostly dance and figure skaters and even less single skaters this year, only 3, 2 world class and a freshman.
small club and a small rink also. sometimes single skaters cant see the others , especially while doing spins. most single skaters also like to do their jumps at the location of them in the program. good luck

Rick

[Bill]

Skating practices you learn where individual skaters do their jumps, spins and footwork, so that helps to keep things smooth.

Here's one Hazzard you might have to be aware of when skating Art sessions. It's a clip I took of Shane Lashua doing a lift with Juilana Hines practicing durring an "empty" practice time a few years ago....
http://home.pacbell.net/sk8rbill/lift1a.mov
Shane likes to hug the wall... the is scream you hear happened when they get close to the wall, the pole... and the mom's sitting next to the wall in the snack bar who happened to look up at the right time.

They made practicing figures entertaining at times
Bill

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by Bill

Skating practices you learn where individual skaters do their jumps, spins and footwork, so that helps to keep things smooth.

Here's one Hazzard you might have to be aware of when skating Art sessions. It's a clip I took of Shane Lashua doing a lift with Juilana Hines practicing durring an "empty" practice time a few years ago....
http://home.pacbell.net/sk8rbill/lift1a.mov
Shane likes to hug the wall... the is scream you hear happened when they get close to the wall, the pole... and the mom's sitting next to the wall in the snack bar who happened to look up at the right time.

They made practicing figures entertaining at times
Bill

Bill i remember them not so long ago doing pairs at nationals, a good pairs team. too bad they werent still together. thanks for the video link

Rick

[Bill]

Originally Posted by rwsz

Bill i remember them not so long ago doing pairs at nationals, a good pairs team. too bad they werent still together. thanks for the video link

Rick

N/P Rick,
I've always been amazed by pairs skaters, that used to be my favorite event to watch... but now I think they all are, (pairs, singles, and dance).
btw, You probably saw Juliana's borther Robert skating pairs with Aubrey at nationals this year. They have been skating togeather for a few years now.

Bill

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by Bill

N/P Rick,
I've always been amazed by pairs skaters, that used to be my favorite event to watch... but now I think they all are, (pairs, singles, and dance).
btw, You probably saw Juliana's borther Robert skating pairs with Aubrey at nationals this year. They have been skating togeather for a few years now.

Bill

yes Bill i always liked singles the best because of the jumps and spins but i like pairs also. i did get more appreciation this year at nationals for pairs when i went to the practice rink to watch their practice. dave and megan, robert and aubrey, tracey and kylee and another team i wasnt sure who they were. well it was at the fairgrounds which had the old pensacola national floor put down for practice, it was raised by about 5 inches from the ground and had the boards around it. i was standing at the boards and talking with a coach of one of the wc mens singles skaters. all the teams were on the floor and doing lifts and you were looking up at them instead of down and it gave u a totally difference prospective of what they did, usually you are looking down at nationals. the lifts were absolutely amazing as they were high, fast and great positions for a long period of time. i had to step back and still got the wind from the speed they were going. also dave and megan did side by side 2axles and side by side 3mapes. they didnt fare well in their long program but had a good short. it was great to watch for 20 minutes or so. i liked it better then the competition to be honest.
i been watching robert and aubrey since they were junior world class, and aubrey as a single skater since she was like juvenile or primary.

Rick

[rachelannfournier]

Yes, I agree session skating can be dangerous. I'm not an artistic skater, but last weekend a friend of mine was helping me skate backwards. Everyone else was going backwards too, but a lot of them weren't looking where they were going. First we almost got knocked over by one guy, who just laughed like it was funny. Almost immediately after, we noticed a girl who wasn't looking either. She would have hit us if my friend hadn't called out. By that time I was too nervous to continue and had to sit down. Of course, those two people were never spoken to, although it does seem like common sense to look behind you when you are skating backwards. Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by rachelannfournier

Yes, I agree session skating can be dangerous. I'm not an artistic skater, but last weekend a friend of mine was helping me skate backwards. Everyone else was going backwards too, but a lot of them weren't looking where they were going. First we almost got knocked over by one guy, who just laughed like it was funny. Almost immediately after, we noticed a girl who wasn't looking either. She would have hit us if my friend hadn't called out. By that time I was too nervous to continue and had to sit down. Of course, those two people were never spoken to, although it does seem like common sense to look behind you when you are skating backwards. Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

if your in in a rink and skating backwards you have to watch to one side of you who is behind you to keep from accidents happening, you could also glance quite often to accomplish this too. the skateguards should be speaking to skaters about this. its not a good experience and i am sorry to hear you had to have it happen to you.

Rick

[Bill]

As a general public session rule it's the faster skater that is responsible to avoid the slower skaters. If they lack the control to avoid slower skaters then they are going too fast or not paying attention.

I've found some sessions are much better then other sessions, so you might try another day or another rink. Maybe you could ask your friend to block for you

Bill

[Spins]

Sounds like roller derby...(ha, ha).

Gary
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[skaterdog]

Originally Posted by Bill

As a general public session rule it's the faster skater that is responsible to avoid the slower skaters. If they lack the control to avoid slower skaters then they are going too fast or not paying attention.

I've found some sessions are much better then other sessions, so you might try another day or another rink. Maybe you could ask your friend to block for you

Bill

It's not that hard for faster skaters to avoid slower skaters if they follow the rules. But if you have kids playing tag or skating at you the wrong way I will grab them or nudge them out of the way to prevent them from getting squashed by me.

The thing that is more unclear for me is when you have kids erratically "dancing" around the floor. The artistic folks are generally predictable and much easier for us speed skaters.

[Spins]

Skaterdog,

We have that "dancing" also. They can't get a clue that even dancing on the ends of the rink or in the middle is better than along the sidelines of the skate floor.

They want to be seen.

Gary
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[Spins]

With the addition of jump bar lights lighting the floor underneath my skates, kids are giving me some distance than jamming next to me during a normal skate session. Regardless of what their opinions might of something they've never seen before or approval I am very happy to report the outcome prevails. I shall report what the effect is after continued exposure to this method of scarring them off is--ha, ha.

The lights have three modes: single flash of a bulb; outter three, inner two and then one; and inner one, outer two and outer three bulbs. Kind of has a police effect. Hey, that could be it!!!

Gary
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[Bill]

Kids...I out weigh them by 100 lbs so I try to be very carefull around them. I fell on one once, and I hope she's ok. I was skating backwards very slowly and talking to a friend. A girl, about 10, was playing tag and skating the wrong direction, ran into me. I didn't see her, and sat down on her. I wasn't hurt, and she managed to skate away, but I'm sure she wished she ran into the wall instead of me.

I avoid the kid sessions, which are Friday and Saturday nights at most rinks. There are a few adult sessions in my area, which I skate, and of course the club practice times. Between the 3 rinks in my area, I easily have a nice club or public session that I can skate at every day of the week.

Bill