Necklace giveaway WINNER RESULTS! :)

Answer: figure skating, double axel.

And the WINNERS are: Tiffany, Teena Marie, and Dress up Scientist.

YEEEEEE!!! :)  Contact me via convo, at seaunicorn.etsy.com, providing your address, and choice between "3 wishes lamp pendant necklace" or "eternal optimist" necklace :))))


The little Story-

Started firgure skating at 10. My sister wanted to start taking lessons, so three times a week, my mom would drive us over there. And whilst my sister practiced before her hour long lesson- she'd pay for me- to just mess around in the "free skate session." They clear all customers when lessons begin. So id go up on the top area and watch my sis. yum and eat mcdonalds number 7. They had it IN the complex hehe. From my lone dog hours of free skate so many times a week days, all day, I started to teach myself things, and just loved it. But had picked up so much on my own, that when it came to putting me in a class, it was a bit of a head scratcher. My sister was now in level 2- alpha, and by protacal- i had to start at level 1, pre-alpha, with a bunch of 2-6 yr olds, and a teacher who was nicer then any person should be ALLOWED to be heh. Anyways after the first day session i took, he asked me why i was in this class? That he would write up a notice for me to move immediately to level 2-beta. So finally I was with my sister. But then, a bout 2 classes into beta, they moved me to level 3- alpha beta. Then started the underlying tension with me and my sister. I think she was very annoyed, because she started way before me, practiced more then me, and now- I was immediately again thrown to a higher course. Anyways in alpha beta, if im rembering right, becomes the main switch point to start "freestyle 1"
No, there is one more course before you get to freestyle. But they felt I didnt need it. So then I was in freestyle 1. Which was my downfall of my ice skating love. My sister joined me within a couple months. But it wasnt fun anymore. It got into edges, and all this fancy foot work I had never thought much about. "the inner angle of the front left blade, and ayeeeeeee. Me and my sister and about everyone in the class failed. Which is normal, as most have to take it 2 times. We took it again, and I passed, which would now send me, not to freestyle 2-3 but to 4-5. I dont know why. My sister was sent to 2-3. Then she quit. I felt really bad...but I wanted to see what 4-5freestyle would be all about. And it was fkin narly. Most girls in the class, had been in 3 times without moving up. I felt like i was just flying through it all till---that first day, strict scary teachers dwelving right into doubling every jump. Lutz, loop, salcow, ect. And really turning up the volume on spins. Beginning to teach- flying camel spins, (insane and scary to me still) layout spins, (i hate removing my eyes from the ice) and split jumps. (which in freestyle 1, theyd help you with a harness) I was fine with sit spins, backwards/reverse sit spins, camel sins, scratch spins, single jumps, speed, super crazy fast with front crossovers/backwards crossovers, left and right for each. im ambedextrious. Which did screw with alot of the things right handed girls could do, but i couldnt do as well as on my left leg. With alot of things, example- (im r handed) like a basic spiral. :/

Eventually, my mom paid for me to get a private coach instead. He was really rad, laid back, kinda hot, young, and pushed me just enough. We'd work on the fear factor of certain jumps, rotations, etc. As getting over the speed factor/scared to fall on your ass, is crucial. So i'd be doing my backwards crossovers, fast, then hed say- faster, and when i thought i was going pretty fkin fast, he said, now "i know you think you cant, but one level FASTER", "then enter it,  TOE PICK and DO IT". I was so frackin scared, i couldnt do it.
I eventually got over the fear of my little self limitations i'd set that werent even real, fell and scuffed myself up many times. But finally, I could do the split jumps, both ways with the legs haha. Then came double rotation jumps, a single axel. He'd help me the same way as with the split jump... it was similar as far as speed, and certain toe pick for certain jumps (not a loop), and from the speed, that 2nd rotation started to happen. Then we tried a single axel.
Which is the hardest jump, because you go into it- from a front angle. So the friction betwen your legs, to wrap them super tight, holy shit. It tooks me weeks. Gravity is not on your side with an axel. We perfected a basic axel overtime, then went into- the same speed factors as with everything id learned- just X2. We worked with a harness on this one, to try to axel with two rotations and land it. I was getting stuck at 1 and a half.
Even with his help on the harness. Two weeks later finally on that dam harness, after two hours, ---i barely remeber but my coach started cheering YES!!! I guess I finally did two rotations, double axel :). Now was time to try it on the ice, no harness. I dont know why or how or what got into me, but I felt so determined, maybe because I knew these private lessons costed my parents (before they divorced) a fortune. And i couldnt let them down. Anyways, the 2nd try on the ice, I did it. I was at that ice rink almost everyday for years now. Not because I had 2 x a week lessons with my private coach, but because I praticed constantly on free public skate sessions, and would then do the power skate military like crap after 6 hours of almost running into a million little kids.
I got to a point where, I knew id never be good enough probably to compete, and questioned if i really wanted to allow my parents to keep paying for the outrageous bills? That maybe is was just a hobby, and aye its been fun. So, I stopped.
I regret it sometimes, as looking back, i was young enough to have gone farther and possibly been a professional athlete. But... it all works out in a weird way

I still go skate once in a while, once a year or less maybe. But when im on that ice again, after a few laps, and attempts at my old skills/tricks. It comes back over a few hours like riding a bike. and, i dont always land it, but i can still do double jumps, and a double axel :)

Anyone I tell, they think its so random and whaaaa??? I CANT imagine you doing that?? or, I gotta see this. hah

Any ice skaters, I miss people who knew the terminolgy and all my old friends at the rink....Id love love to talk about figure skating w anyone whos been down my road/close to/or made it way farther ;)

Used to loveeee painting and distressing furniture, could do a cartwheel on the beam at 11 and other gymnastics randomness- back handspring, started my own "store" at 10, and started making soaps, lotions oils, all in these bottles from pier one, scented, colored, wrapped in goodie baskets with celophane... :) it was pretty funny for being ten. I got over it pretty fast once summer was over and school started up again..hehe

Much love,

jacq o bee