Adult Training Camp

There is an adult training camp in Hackensack, NJ, June 25-27. I went last year and had a good time and learned a lot. I haven't made up my mind whether or not to go this year. The link for information is:

http://www.icehousenj.com/fskating_special_events_adultcamp.htm

I have to say the most fun last year was the off-ice work with John Zimmerman. At one point, he had us hopping backwards in our landing position, and he would chase us and try to knock us off balance. Hilarious when people starting fighting back! I also loved Artur Dmitriev. He was so cute the way he would encourage people to try new things, and at one point he had everyone clapping for a skater trying some loop jumps from a new entrance.

Pat

That sounds interesting, and not too far from me! But I'm an absolute beginner--would there be anything there for my level?

Chana61,
They did split people according to level/tests passed, and they had a no-test group. I recall seeing a couple people (our stroking classes were combined) who could barely do crossovers, and they were of course having a bit of a hard time. But you have to just pace yourself and try new things, but don't be surprised if some of hte stuff is too hard. Although I'm pre-bronze, I'm still an awful spinner and last summer I was really just stepping through my toe loop. But Artur was great: he saw how much trouble I was having in his spinning class, and he would smile and wink at me and tell me to just keep doing what I was doing (which was simple one foot spins near the boards) while others were doing more advanced spins. Also Moskvina, when she watched my so-called toe loop, approved of my basic technique even as she told me I wasn't jumping. There were one or two people who I felt expected too much from me right then, but one is not back this year and if I had a class with the other I might just skip it.

So it all depends on how brave you are, and also on adapting to what the coaches are asking you to do. I also found my moves class challenging, but the person who taught it was absolutely great. I was having a hard time with some, and he told me what I was doing wrong, encouraged me, and found some things to praise. I would say to be sure to explain your level on the application or even call Mr. Maurizi and see what he has to say. Certainly they were teaching jumps at even the lowest level class, so you'd have to be comfortable at least trying something like them, even if you just stepped through them.

Oh, and you would find hte off-ice stuff very useful.

Good luck!
Pat

Pat: Can you just do the weekend sessions? My associate is away on the Friday, so I can't take that day off. Is it really OK for someone as low level as me? You're more advanced than I am.

Yaz-- No way am I more advanced than you! And last year I was even at a lower level! You would be fine.

And there is actually no skating or training on the Friday, just a coctail party from something like 6-8 or 7-9, I can't quite remember now. Last year I just went and picked up my schedule and T-shirt that night and then took off. But some people just showed up on Saturday morning for the first time.

Pat

I wish they would do one on the west coast.

Hey Sk8pics, you beat me to it! (I was just going to post about the Training camp-Great Minds must think a like )
I never went to it, but from all of the reviews I've read it sounds excellent, if just for the coaches.

I think John Zimmerman taught off ice jumps and Artur Dmitriev taught spins and jump combos(?)

Artur's wife, Tatiana Druchinina taught the stretching class. There's a cool picture of her and an article on the event on the USFSA website, she's very flexible.

Do you remember any of the tips you were given? (I know it was a while ago)

Are you still pre-bronze?
If you do go, give us all of the details.

Hey Lulu,

Yes, John taught off-ice jumps (hence the whole hop-backwards-in-your-landing-position-while-I-try-to-knock-you-off-your-feet thing; when people started fighting back, and then Sylvia came into the room, John ran to hide behind her, saying, "Sylvia, they're hitting me!" It was hilarious.). It was an exhausting class, but great fun.

Artur did spins and edge jumps, I think. I recall him teaching us loops and I did manage some half loops from the entrance he taught us. We were to glide backwards with one foot in front of the other (in my case my right foot since I'm CW) andfirst lean the other way and so curve in the opposite direction from when we would jump, and then lean the other, correct, way, and jump. It actually helped, and he was my new hero at that point. And he was so nice. Tamara Moskvina did choreography and also toe jumps and we also had a stroking class with her. Igor Moskvin also worked with us on toe jumps (he hated my mohawk into my so-called toe loop and kept yelling something unintelligible at me, sigh).

I think people called Tatiana the pretzel lady. The positions she got herself into were unbelievable. My problem with that was that we were on a hard floor and I could not do much of the stretching because of that. This year if I go I'll bring a mat.

The choreography class was great; Tamara was amazing and wonderful. She would ask us to do something, like a 3-turn. Then she'd say, now do it different. then again, do it different. And then we'd put everything together. It was all very interesting.

I'd have to look in my notes to see any other tips. Yes, I'm still pre-bronze, probably will be forever at this rate, but at least I'm a better pre-bronze skater now!

Pat

sk8pics said:

I'd have to look in my notes to see any other tips. Yes, I'm still pre-bronze, probably will be forever at this rate, but at least I'm a better pre-bronze skater now!

Pat

Click to expand...

Thanks Pat. It sounds like you got a lot of great tips. Do you skate at Hackensack regularly? I would love to (if it was convinent) to skate there, but I would probably feel intimidated with all of those great skaters zipping by.

Nope, I'm not from Hackensack. I liked the ice there, though it was very cold. Moves at 8 am in a freezing rink was interesting!

Pat

Pat, what was it like to skate and stretch all day for two days?

As an adult skater, I don't know if I can physically do that (although the more I read about it, the more fun it sounds).

Sk8pics, thanks so much for the info. I'll have to think about it. I don't know if I'm that brave!

But if not this year, definitely next. I should have a lot more confidence then...at least I hope so!

Icer and Chana61--It is exhausting, to say the least! But you are not skating for 8 hours. And they do schedule breaks. And you can always take your own break if you need it. And if there's a lot of instruction going on, you may spend a lot of time standing and watching, so again it's not like you're flying around the ice all the time.

I went to an adult camp in Lake Placid in '99 run by Ron Ludington, Peter Burrows, and Kerry Leitch and had a fabulous time even though I was by far the lowest level skater there. And for the most part, the coaches were able to teach me something at my level, too. I don't recall now how different the scheduling was there, but I remember being SO stiff and sore the second day! We stayed together in a dorm and everyone was limping because they were so sore. I remember Mr. Ludington telling us they'd taken it easy on us the day before! But of course we all survived and no one was actually hurt, just sore.

That didn't happen to me at Hackensack last year, perhaps because I'm in better shape. I did notice that only about half my group actually made it to our moves session at 8 am Sunday, and it was hard to get going. I made sure to stretch each time I was going to get on the ice. And I took it a little easy in the stretching class for the reasons I already mentioned. I remember being starving and tired at the end of the Saturday sessions, so I went out to dinner with a friend and then just crashed in my room, early!

Don't underestimate yourself, give it a try. You don't have to do everything. You can always sit down by the side of the ice and watch and listen. Of course, the more you can physically do the more you will get out of it. A lot of the skaters, especially the higher level ones, are quite serious and intense about it. But I think everyone had a good time.

I do remember wanting more food! They had a lunch and it was good, but I like to snack under these types of circumstances. I recall at Lake Placid we all just ate whatever they put in front of us at any time because we were working so hard we were very hungry!

And Chana61, I didn't even have a waltz jump when I went to the Lake Placid camp and I couldn't spin at all! Really I was out of my league, but I didn't know that until I got there. I still got a lot out of it. I'm sure the coaches at Hackensack would work with you at your level, and you'd be in the no-test group too and that would help.

Icer--It is a lot of fun and interesting insights into the lives of people training full-time.

Any other questions?
Pat

There are no questions from me here! I'm packing my Ben Gay and coming up in June- I've already reserved my hotel room!

Gosh I wanted to go this year, but my roof sprung three leaks all at once!! Re-roofing and installing proper ventilation is over $10,000!! So I gave my papers that I had already printed from the site to a fellow adult skater at the rink. I really hope she goes, I know she will love it from all the reports from the past events! I can only hope for next year.......

For those who went in past years - did you do a lot of stuff with the other skaters after-hours, or was it pretty much your own time? I ask because, if I go, I'll probably drive home at night to save $$$ and see my baby. However, if there's a lot of after-hours activity, I'm willing to reconsider.

yeah, one more question...

what IS it with Artur Dmitriev and flexible women?!?!?! Seriously though, I lve him and am planning on going next year just to fawn all over him and tell him how his Rach Rached my world (awful, I know )--I don't feel like going this year and having no basic skating skills or quality to work on with these skating gods---one more thing...MOSKVINA!?!?!?!?!??!?!!?! Will I get to kiss her feet as well?!?!?!??? I adore them both, they are so exquisite at what they do, it takes my breath away to think that I could one day take lessons from them!!! Thanks for all the great info. Actually, I have one real, non-facetious question: can I take a lesson in the future from Dmitriev &/or Moskvina? Are they on the regular Ice House staff, available by appointment (For whatever staggering fee the place demands--I'll sell a kidney or something)? I should know these things; I'm actually half an hour away by bus (I know; unforgivable ), but for some reason I can never get it together and go. Real soon, though; I wonder if they allow wide-eyed spectators at that camp, since I want to hold off on it for another year. It would make my next five years to work on an actual skating skill, any skill, with Moskvina who coached my golden pairs and prepared them "like painting" (B&S & M&D), and/or Artur who was one half of one of them!

Okay, I'll stop gushing now.

Sarah

Roaring Mice -- I don't know what other people did; I went out to dinner with a friend who lived nearby, and most of the time during the day I hung out with a skater who was there from my own rink. I think most people had friends they came with, or who they knew from the previous year or other camps/competitions. It's not like there were any organized activities, except for the opening cocktail party.

Sarah --Uh, I'm not exactly sure how to react to all you wrote, but Moskvina and Moskvin are not at the camp this year. As for lessons, you would have to call the facility directly and ask about the availability of specific coaches.

Pat

no need to react, Pat...

just gushing; didn't mean to freak anyone out--happens all the time, no? Gushing, that is

Sarah

Hey, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a fan of Dmitriev!


As for the Ice House, I'm *hoping* to skate there for sometime this summer-I have a friend who lives in NYC-and the Ice house is only 15 minutes away.

If not this summer-than def sometime next year.