Is it too late? (age) - similar to another question

[Skate@Delaware]

p.s.--I too refuse to get an 8-5 job & freelance instead because of the freedom it allows me to skate on a flexible schedule. Obsessed person #2 here!!

#3 here! I work a sucky job because I can "flex" my hours for skating

 

[Lanie]

Well, I did spirals and waltzes and stuff on my first few lessons, but I think that was probably because I was in a dorky group session and the guy was like, "Well, uh, you have a gymnastics background, dance background, and you skated when you were a kid. You're fine. Do whatever." Once I got a private coach we really, really worked edges and stuff. I'm not a very good jumper, but I didn't really practice them that often. I'd do lots of edging drills and stuff. My coach had me do lots of spirals to work on control and deep edges, etc. That's the way to go IMO!

I think the dance background will certainly help. I took ballet as a child and other forms of dance and it's helped, but while I was skating I was taking ballet in school too and it helps SO much with your posture and other things. "It makes you look more like a skater," that's what my coach told me, and I guess it's true. It's helped me be very awareof my body, the positioning I'm in, etc for anything I'm doing out there on the ice.

I've actually got a question for you adult skaters. I'm 19, almost 20 -- how old do you have to be to test adult track? Would I just have to go pre-pre, pre, etc as opposed to adult testing?

 

[backspin]

You have to be 21 to test or compete adult track.

 

[julietvalcouer]

21 is the new cut-off for adult. My coaches' current policy with me (27) is to test standard track until I run into a test that I really, really get stuck on, if that happens and then I can test adult if I want. (Frankly looking at the charts in the book I can't see that happening, but I might get injured, you never know. And for Dance, it doesn't matter.) If you are going to start testing reasonably soon, you could always take the first few standard tests and either keep doing that or switch to Adult if you decided you prefer that. Or you could just wait until you're 21 and start with Adult Pre-Bronze. Pre-pre and Preliminary are really easy, but then again APB is, too, by the look of it. It'll depend on what you and your coach want to do and how fast you and s/he think you're progressing.