How To Win The British Open Skating Championships

Two essays written by classmates of Harry Mattick, who won the British Open Skating Championships in February 2006.

How to Win the British Open Skating Championships

by Hannah F

The current popularity of skating

Skating is very popular nowadays because of the TV series 'Dancing on Ice'. People watch it because there are celebrities trying to skate. There is also the Winter Olympicsand many people watch that in awe of skill and talent.

The elements of the competition

In the competition you can't just skate for the fun of it, you have to include many spins, jumps etc. those are your set moves. You have to jump from a step, twist and a combination jump. In the long programme you must have at least 1 jump combination and for the maximum 3. All of the moves need to be artistic.

Preparation

To win the championships you need many years of practice. And not just every so often - 8 times a week and 1 and a half hour sessions! It does cost a lot of money but if you've got talent that would be one of the sacrifices you should be willing to take.

For all that time spent training, you would need a good coach and a supporting family. You also need a costume to wear on the ice.

Things to bear in mind

When you're skating in the championships remember your set moves - don't get carried away and don't rush your performance. And if you want to win - stay focussed!

How to Win the British Open Skating Championships

by Jess M

The current popularity of the sport

At the moment skating is popular because a lot of people have been watching things involved with ice skating. On television recently there have been programs to watch about ice skating, such as 'Dancing on Ice' and the Winter Olympics.

The elements of the competition

In a skating competition there are two different sections, the short programme and the long programme. In the short programme you have to perform certain skating moves in a certain amount of time. In the space of two minutes and fifteen seconds you would have to perform a jump from a step, twists and combination jumps. In the long programme you would have to perform the maximum of three jump combinations and you can never skate a long programme without any jump combinations. You would be judged on technical and artistic skating moves.

Preparation

To be good enough to skate in a competition you have to go through years of practice. You will need a family who are willing to pay money for a good coach and who are willing to support at all times. You would have to train about 7 or 8 times a week to be really good, which means a lot of pain and suffering.

Things to bear in mind

When you are performing don't get carried away, remember you have certain moves to do in a certain amount of time. Never rush your performance. If you have trained and practiced for your competition then you shouldn't have a problem putting all the moves into a time limit. Always stay focussed on what you are doing, concentrate on what you are doing and the things you have to do.

Related pages: Skating Championships 2005

Categories: English, Spring 2006