Anyone here participate in the Gay Games?

[LJC1861]

I am a former figure skater and competed in the figure skating competition in New York in '94 and Amsterdam in '98. Both were totally amazing for entirely different reasons. In NY it was the entire experience from the opening ceremonies to the closing at Yankee Stadium. It was seeing gay and lesbian athletes all over the city wearing their credentials. It was meeting athletes from all over the world. It was all about competing for the first time in my home town. It was making history as part of the first same sex pairs skating team.

In Amsterdam it was all of those things, but on a grander scale as Amsterdam is even more gay friendly than NYC.

So, any other Gay Games athletes want to share their experiences? Did any of you go watch any of the events?

Linda

 

[iankh]

If anyone is participating please let me know, seeing as I live in Chicago.

 

[toto2]

I am not an athlete , but , I live in Montréal and , we will have the first Outgames ! Anyone coming ?

 

[LJC1861]

When are the Outgames? I know that there are lots of figure skaters going up for the event. It should be a great deal of fun!

Linda

 

[icebrat001]

I am a figure skater too. USFSA Novice level. Wow, small world.

 

[Adrienne]

I competed in TEn Pin bowling in Sydney 2002 gay games. It was great. I got a scholarship cause i was under 24. didn't win anything but it was a great experience

Adrienne

 

[LJC1861]

Malaysia,

I figured that you were from you username! I started skating as an adult and when I stopped had passed all my preliminary moves and dance tests as well as my Adult Bronze level test. I had all my single jumps and almost had my axel. I stopped competing when I had a bad fall that resulted in a ruptured disc in my neck that needed surgery. I just decided that after all that....I just couldn't risk training hard and falling alot. It was GREAT fun though!

Glad to see that there is another skater on this particular board!

Linda

 

[toto2]

When are the Outgames? I know that there are lots of figure skaters going up for the event. It should be a great deal of fun!

Linda

The 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006: From Saturday, 29 July to Saturday, 5 August 2006

http://www.montreal2006.org/home.html

 

[icebrat001]

Malaysia,

I figured that you were from you username! I started skating as an adult and when I stopped had passed all my preliminary moves and dance tests as well as my Adult Bronze level test. I had all my single jumps and almost had my axel. I stopped competing when I had a bad fall that resulted in a ruptured disc in my neck that needed surgery. I just decided that after all that....I just couldn't risk training hard and falling alot. It was GREAT fun though!

Glad to see that there is another skater on this particular board!

Linda

Ouch! It is great fun. I got burned out because I skated my entire life until I was 19 years old. Then I coached a bit but even that is horrible when you are burned out and you see everyone doing what you were used to do. So one day I up and stopped and I haven't gone back since. But now, I want to start again and have fun, but all I see myself doing is training and it's not like I would every get anywhere so I'm debating if I should go back again.

I had all my jumps except the triple loop, triple flip and triple lutz.

Like most skaters, I got my triple toe and sal before I got my double axel. I hate the entry on axels, I never felt secure.

Can you believe the girls no days trying triple axels and quad toes?

 

[LJC1861]

I know what you mean about the axel and the takeoff.....it bothered me too. I almost had it! I could do it on the ground, but not on the ice. I fell learning my double toe, and that is what injured my neck. I had actually landed a few, but never consistently. Of course starting skating as an adult made learning anything that much harder. Kids are basically fearless and not afraid to fall and fall hard.

I am totally amazed at what the kids can do these days. I KNOW how hard it is and they are truly fearless and amazingly talented. I actually shared ice with Sarah Hughes one summer when she was about 10. I was working on my lutz at the time. She skated by, told me she knew how to do that and proceeded to do the most beautiful triple lutz right then and there. A few more attempts on my part and I landed 2 in a row. She actually noticed, skated by and complimented me. That was really cool....and a moment I will never forget.

Linda

 

[icebrat001]

I know what you mean about the axel and the takeoff.....it bothered me too. I almost had it! I could do it on the ground, but not on the ice. I fell learning my double toe, and that is what injured my neck. I had actually landed a few, but never consistently. Of course starting skating as an adult made learning anything that much harder. Kids are basically fearless and not afraid to fall and fall hard.

I am totally amazed at what the kids can do these days. I KNOW how hard it is and they are truly fearless and amazingly talented. I actually shared ice with Sarah Hughes one summer when she was about 10. I was working on my lutz at the time. She skated by, told me she knew how to do that and proceeded to do the most beautiful triple lutz right then and there. A few more attempts on my part and I landed 2 in a row. She actually noticed, skated by and complimented me. That was really cool....and a moment I will never forget.

Linda

The Sarah Hughes thing is really cool, I've never shared the ice with her. I've shared it with quite a few pair skaters, michelle kwan, karen kwan who is a total sweet heart, irina, surya. I trained with several coaches in the past including Frank and Ken, it's so weird seeing Ken on TV now because when he was my coach he was a nobody lol.

Toe loops can be tricky if you don't launch off your toe the correct way. The jump I most fear is the double loop and triple loop, that is the worst takeoff of them off, i can't even count the number of times I've lost my edge and hit my hip. I've hated it from day one and that's one jump i always omit from my program Of course the coaches never knew I took it out until I skated the program and competition and I get a major yelling once I get off the ice. Frank is not as nice as he looks, he is really hard on his skaters. But I've heard Sasha's coach takes the cake, he is really mean, his way or no way, isn't that why she left him the first time?

Nonetheless, I want to start skating again, we have an outdoor rink about a mile from my house, but there are so many people on the ice, public skaters that I don't even want to go, it is busy all day long.

we are buying a house this April, planning to close the beginning of June and moving at the end of June. Probably to lakeland, FL, it's in between Tampa and Orlando, and I can't even find an ice rink nearby

I've probably bored you,

Malaysia

 

[LJC1861]

No way have you bored me! I have found that some of the big name coaches, once they get that name, often turn into tyrants. Sarah Hughes coach was always a bit on the "intense" side and was even worse after Sarah did so well in Salt Lake. There were several parents clamoring for her to coach their kids and when they left the ice in tears no longer wanted her to coach them! I always worked with coaches who were very into coaching adult skaters. There were some at the rink that looked down on us, but we never threw temper tantrums, or had parents who did, and were were always there ready and working! I was blessed to have the coaches that I did. There were a couple at my rink.

As for jumps, I know what you are saying about the toe loop. I often hit it incorrectly but once I got it, I had it. Learning the double completely knocked it out of whack again. I fell and landed on my shoulder and popped a disc in my neck. I also felt very hesitant about my loop jump, so I would always put that early in my program to get it over with.

Linda

 

[icebrat001]

Ouch on your injury that sounds so painful!

We went skating today at the outdoor rink near it our home, it closes on Tuesday. We only stayed for an hour, ever 2 minutes Valencia kept complaining that something hurt! I didn't realize that I missed the ice that much. I did a couple of spins and edge work with no problems at all, there were only 10 people on the ice including the two of us. I was itching to do some jumps, but I didn't. i think I'll go to another rink soon.

No way have you bored me! I have found that some of the big name coaches, once they get that name, often turn into tyrants. Sarah Hughes coach was always a bit on the "intense" side and was even worse after Sarah did so well in Salt Lake. There were several parents clamoring for her to coach their kids and when they left the ice in tears no longer wanted her to coach them! I always worked with coaches who were very into coaching adult skaters. There were some at the rink that looked down on us, but we never threw temper tantrums, or had parents who did, and were were always there ready and working! I was blessed to have the coaches that I did. There were a couple at my rink.

As for jumps, I know what you are saying about the toe loop. I often hit it incorrectly but once I got it, I had it. Learning the double completely knocked it out of whack again. I fell and landed on my shoulder and popped a disc in my neck. I also felt very hesitant about my loop jump, so I would always put that early in my program to get it over with.

Linda