This weekend U.S. Speedskating held its 2011 Pack Style Long Track National Championships in Roseville, Minnesota. I’m happy to say that I defended my national championship title, and my daughter Antonia had an absolutely spectacular showing to come in second in her age division.

     Here’s a picture of one of her starts. She’s the second from the left in the green skinsuit.

     Her competition was fierce, and she performed magnificently, even getting a personal best. That’s not easy on an outdoor rink in -12 degree temps with gusting winds. Even an extra layer of spandex doesn’t help. I mean, it’s spandex, after all.

     And here’s a photo of the Master-class gals that I skated with. We just love this sport!

     A special thanks goes out to my daughter Corina and son, Armando, for their help at the meet and to my husband, Jeff, for his constant support.

This weekend, U.S. Speedskating held an officials’ clinic in Milwaukee to cover changes in ISU Short Track Rules. Some of the changes were better received than others, with one in particularly causing some controversy. Some call it the beginning of “roller-derby style” skating. Others think it makes sense.

In the past, an official could disqualify a skater for an infraction called “cross-tracking.” If a passing skater crossed into another’s path and there was contact, the passing skater was in the wrong. S/He held all responsibility to pass cleanly.

The new rules allow officials to call infractions on either skater, depending on who actually does the contacting. If the passing skater causes contact, s/he receives the penalty. If the skater who was passed skates into the skater who is now ahead, s/he receives the penalty.

At this weekend’s Am Cup I event, this new rule was a hot topic with considerable confusion as to its implementation and affect on the sport.

Some believe it will cause much rougher skating, allowing aggressive skaters to push others into dangerous situations and causing a lot of tangles on the ice. This is a sincere concern for parents and skaters alike. You already have a sport in which racers fly across the ice with knives on their feet; there is no need to make the sport even more dangerous than it already is.

Others, however, think the cross-tracking rule was confusing to begin with and that this new rule allows officials more leeway to penalize whomever they feel is guilty of contact. Olympic Short Track Skating is, after all, a race between skaters and not a race against the clock, as is Olympic Long Track. There always has been and always will be contact.

I empathize with both camps, and I expect there will come a time when an official’s call will be vehemently rejected by spectators, half of whom will blame the passing skater for the tangle, while the other half claims just the opposite.

And a few skaters I talked with are reserving judgement for the moment. They plan to see how the new rule pans out over time and whether it benefits the sport or not.

Time will tell.

     My daughters and I are back from the U.S. National Short Track Championships, held with the American Cup Finals, in Wausau, Wisconsin. What a blast!

     There were incredible talents there on the ice. Up for grabs were a spot on the 2010 World Short Track Team for the American Cup men and every age-group championship title.

     My girls and I skated four distances each. Corina’s lean is really improving in her new boots, and Antonia got two personal bests. I managed to get one personal best and finished out the season with both long track and short track national titles.

     Now comes a short period of rest before the real work starts — dryland training over spring and summer. Running hills and stairs will remind me once again what sore legs feel like.

     Look at her go! This is video of my daughter Antonia skating her personal best in the 500 meters — and opening the Olympic Qualifiers at the Pettit.

     Big events like these often have several young people forerunning, ie, skating a distance while the officials check the clocks. Toni skated with fellow Badger Club Member Michael Oechsner.

     Congrats to both for a great skate!

     There’s nothing like breaking in new skates to make you feel foolish. Talk about eating some Humble Pie…

     The skates are great — don’t get me wrong — but you know how it is. New skates have a whole different fit and feel to them. They feel taller / shorter / tighter / looser / more stiff / less stiff / whatever compared to the old ones, so my first time on the ice was fairly ridiculous. Sooooo little of the fierce control I always want and imagine having. 🙂

     So what’s the problem? The new skates are taller than my old ones, so I have to bend lower to touch the ice on the turns. The ankles were tight, so I had to get them punched out a bit. I’m also not confident in them yet, so that doesn’t help anywhere on the track.

     I figure another two sessions and I’ll feel more comfortable. Until then, my fellow skaters might want to keep a safe distance. It’s dangerous out there…