New Kulik/Gordeeva skating center

[misskarne]

Thanks for the info! Look forward to reading it! There are used copies on Amazon for less than four bucks including shipping! Definitely ordering it when I get my paycheck.

That's the one! Enjoy

And I have seen skaters from a tiny rink (less than 1/3 Olympic size) successfully expand a program to a full ice surface. It can be done.

Exactly. My home rink is DEFINITELY not full size (I don't think it's even close!) and yet our skaters do just fine when they go elsewhere. And Tasmania's skaters sure put up a good showing considering their rink is very tiny (so I've heard).

[Aussie Willy]

Exactly. My home rink is DEFINITELY not full size (I don't think it's even close!) and yet our skaters do just fine when they go elsewhere. And Tasmania's skaters sure put up a good showing considering their rink is very tiny (so I've heard).

That is the one I was referring to. I have judged there twice and I have seen their skaters for many years now come to Melbourne to do competitions. The skaters do a fantastic job when they get on the larger ice. You couldn't tell they train on a small rink.

[misskarne]

That is the one I was referring to. I have judged there twice and I have seen their skaters for many years now come to Melbourne to do competitions. The skaters do a fantastic job when they get on the larger ice. You couldn't tell they train on a small rink.

I thought so. I ran into a Tasmanian skater this afternoon. She's come up a day ahead of time to run her programs through because their rink is about half the size of ours and they need to adjust. I'm sure she'll do just fine.

[paskatefan]

Just found it on the library website, it was "Skate Talk: In the words of the stars" by Steve Milton. It was published around 1998, I don't remember if Ilia was already OGM in it. It had a bunch of interviews with other skaters and stuff too, there was Toller Cranston IIRC and several others.

Thanks for the info! Look forward to reading it! There are used copies on Amazon for less than four bucks including shipping! Definitely ordering it when I get my paycheck.

Sandi, get that book! Of my skating book "library," it's my personal favorite. Lots of fascinating interviews in it. It's one of those books I return to periodically to re-read.

[Jaana]

I think that the coaching by Ilia or Katia will be very beneficial for older skaters who wish to better their technics. In my opinion though, the learning is a lot easier for young skaters. They can learn from the start e.g. the great stroking ability that Ilia and Katia both have. They seem to gather speed without using stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke, etc. technic, but really effortlessly and quickly. And Ilia´s jumping, that is sooo beautiful and effortless!!!

[Aussie Willy]

Ilia is used as an example for Skating Skills on the ISU component DVDs. They just show him in warm ups which even that is very impressive.

[Lacey]

I would think a few of our good but struggling elite jumpers should consult Ilia.

[Ziggy]

Does anyone know why the ice surface is so small? Were there constraints in the size of the original warehouse that Ilia acquired?

I would assume that his budget was limited.

[Willowway]

I would assume that his budget was limited.

In future Ilia will be doing interviews about Kulik's Skating, the vision he has for the short-term and the longer-term, the choices he has made, the process of transforming an industrial space (with some supports in the wrong places!) into an ice surface and training center, etc. - so stay tuned for all of that.

[lulu]

In future Ilia will be doing interviews about Kulik's Skating, the vision he has for the short-term and the longer-term, the choices he has made, the process of transforming an industrial space (with some supports in the wrong places!) into an ice surface and training center, etc. - so stay tuned for all of that.

Thanks, I always look forward to reading Ilia's interviews, he comes across as very grounded and thoughtful.

[Susan M]

In my opinion though, the learning is a lot easier for young skaters. They can learn from the start e.g. the great stroking ability that Ilia and Katia both have. They seem to gather speed without using stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke, etc. technic, but really effortlessly and quickly.

IMO sending a little skater to them for the basics would be really smart. Even at age 5 or 6, you could already see the quality technique in Liza's skating.

At his peak, Ilia could get around the end of an Olympic rink using only 3 back crossovers (*most guys need at least 4). His speed is so effortless. I remember once after an SOI group number, Ilia was skating casually back to the tunnel entrance. Katia started maybe 20' farther back and still needed almost the entire length of the ice to catch him, and she was chasing hard.

And Katia also has a famously beautiful and technically perfect stroke. I believe all her jump take-offs are also textbook.

[marysy]

And Katia also has a famously beautiful and technically perfect stroke.

This reminds me of some of the large pinwheels that they used to do in the SOI group numbers. Katia and Sergei were almost always at one end, and she, despite being smaller than many of the other skaters, was sometimes even a little ahead of the line.

[sandi]

Sandi, get that book! Of my skating book "library," it's my personal favorite. Lots of fascinating interviews in it. It's one of those books I return to periodically to re-read.

I sure will be getting it! Hopefully by next week.

In future Ilia will be doing interviews about Kulik's Skating, the vision he has for the short-term and the longer-term, the choices he has made, the process of transforming an industrial space (with some supports in the wrong places!) into an ice surface and training center, etc. - so stay tuned for all of that.

Can't wait to read for those interviews! Will Katia take part in the interviews, too? I would love to hear her thoughts as well.

[Aussie Willy]

This reminds me of some of the large pinwheels that they used to do in the SOI group numbers. Katia and Sergei were almost always at one end, and she, despite being smaller than many of the other skaters, was sometimes even a little ahead of the line.

I heard and read that Sergei had to keep up with her because she was so fast. She really has the most amazing skating technique. I could probably watch her just skate around the rink all day.

A coach of mine saw them compete as juniors before they won their world championships. It was at Skate Canada and he was told they were the ones to watch. I will have to ask him about it again.

[I was there!]

As a great (maybe greatest) pair skater, she should know that you need a larger surface to complete lifts, throws and twists safely. I would also argue that it is not wise to be practicing a step sequence that MUST cover the ice on a small surface. IMO they aren't going to have many pairs train there.

[kwanfan1818]

I mean no disrespect, but have you ever skated, overedge?

Not only does overedge skate, I've seen overedge compete, and in different size rinks.

Congratulations to Gordeeva and Kulik. If I had a kid in their area, I would send it to their rink to learn how to skate.

I loved the tiffed girl to the far right at the end of the welcome video.

The Kulik jumps video was wonderful: he looked so relaxed when he jumped. It reminded me of how David Jenkins, who was self-taught when it came to triples, said in the manleywoman podcast that the key to learning to jump was learning to fall. If he could relax when jumping, even if he knew he could fall, he continued to practice. If he felt tight, he wasn't ready, and needed to keep learning to fall, but the key was being relaxed.

[Aussie Willy]

As a great (maybe greatest) pair skater, she should know that you need a larger surface to complete lifts, throws and twists safely. I would also argue that it is not wise to be practicing a step sequence that MUST cover the ice on a small surface. IMO they aren't going to have many pairs train there.

I don't think their goal is to be creating world class pairs teams but rather helping skaters develop. It is not the size but rather what you do with it that matters.

[sammyf]

Exactly. My home rink is DEFINITELY not full size (I don't think it's even close!) and yet our skaters do just fine when they go elsewhere. And Tasmania's skaters sure put up a good showing considering their rink is very tiny (so I've heard).

Tasmania's rink is just under 50ft by 100ft so much smaller than this one.

[Marlowe]

As a great (maybe greatest) pair skater, she should know that you need a larger surface to complete lifts, throws and twists safely. I would also argue that it is not wise to be practicing a step sequence that MUST cover the ice on a small surface. IMO they aren't going to have many pairs train there.

I think you can relax. It's not like two dentists walked off a golf course one day and decided on a whim to open an ice skating rink. We are talking about Olympic champions here. Wise and aware. Disciplined and dedicated. Experts in their field. Highly respected. What's to worry?

[Willowway]

It's not like two dentists walked off a golf course one day and decided on a whim to open an ice skating rink.

Love it! ITA, these are two people who know what they're doing.