Skating Accomplishments 2014

This has definitely been an up and down year for me as far as skating is concerned.  While I did accomplish many things I had been working towards for a long time, I also had quite a few failures as well.  Costume sewing stress had combined with it all to produce a... less than favorable feeling about the whole thing post-nationals this year.  I'm not ready to be done, but I'm also not going to deny that there was some serious burn-out happening after nationals.  All in all it has been an interesting year.  Maybe not the best, but then one learns more from failure than from success.  So I guess I'll call this a learning year.  In any case, a few highlights:

• Was part of the National Champion Large Show Group (and made all the props for said performance, including a 6-ft tall replica of Van Gogh's portrait)
• Participated in World Class Figures
• Placed 3rd at Regionals in Classic Solo Dance
• Passed 10th and 11th International Solo Dance Tests
• Passed 7th Loop Test
• Skated (but did not pass) my American Gold Medal Dance Test
• Judged at the US National Championships

I actually accomplished most of my goals for the season, so I suppose I should be really happy with the results from the year.  Looking forward, I think my future plans are more focused more on the judging side of things - I should very much like to increase my test commissions to #4s (which allows a person to judge gold medal tests), and to increase my competitive judging commission to include the CIPA (international) events.  With work being crazy as it has been, it will be difficult to find the time to study, but I'll just have to figure out a way to make it all work.  Skating wise, I really just want to re-take my gold medal dance test for American solo, and hopefully take the team test as well this year.  It is quite a few months until testing is available (it can only be skated at an invitational or regional meet), so anything could happen in the meantime, but, with a little luck and a lot of work, all of my junked-up joints will hold together long enough to make it happen.