Blades of Glory: Competitive Skaters Weigh In

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 05:27:03 PDT

In case you've missed the relentless previews, Blades of Glory comes out next Friday, March 30. Since I've seen the trailer about a million times, I was delighted to come across something new: a webisode that features actual competitive skaters being "interviewed" about the fictitious skating duo, Chazz and Jimmy, played by Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. For non-actors, the skaters do really well with this, and the result is pretty damn funny. To watch the video,

Life Lessons From Figure Skating

Sponsor — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:00:00 PDT

This sponsored post was written by Olympic skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

Like most other kids, I tried my hand at a lot of extracurricular activities before finding my niche. From basketball to baton twirling, you name it; I tried it. I was lucky enough to find my passion when I first stepped into an ice rink at age 6. From that point on, I spent years learning physically demanding jumps, spins, and perfecting my technique, but triple axels aside, I also learned some fundamentals that have stayed with me long after I hung up my skates.

Give ‘em a show. In figure skating, a great smile and eye contact with the judges can mean the difference between a forgettable performance and a memorable one. In everyday life, putting on a smile and making eye contact with others helps convey confidence and might take you further than you might think. Do it even when you’re not feeling your best, and it just might change your attitude.

Find your balance. Being able to balance yourself on nothing more than two thin blades is no easy feat – and neither is balancing your work and personal life. It took a bit of trial and error for me to find the right balance between my time at the rink and my time with friends and family. However, once I did, I felt the difference it made not only in my life but in theirs as well. Start by keeping a calendar nearby or even on your smartphone. When making plans, be sure to jot them down, and leave enough room for plans that start before and after. This way, you won’t be stretched too thin and you can fully enjoy your plans without rushing or worrying about what’s next.

That’s not all! Keep reading for some more helpful tips.