Hi everybody! My name is Tammy Smith. I live near Kansas City MO and I’m a freelance illustrator and ceramicist. I’m super lucky because I live in the same city as Sk8 Shot studio! As an adult, I began my skate journey again about 1 1/2 years ago after 20 years off skates where I focused on running and triathlons. I didn’t really start skating regularly til 9 months ago when I started Sk8 Shot classes. Since then I realize how much there is to learn and I now have a long list of skate goals. I started skating for fitness but have found a new skate family as well. I have a group of skate buddies who I see several times a week for rink sessions or classes. One of my goals in being here is to learn the grapevine and I’ve been working on it for months but am having real trouble with the pigeon toe transition. I’m starting to wonder if it’s harder for some people than others? Anyway, I’m excited to meet you all and learn about your skate journey as well! Here’s the only pic I have of my skates and it’s with some of my skate buddies at Sk8 Shot’s first event. I’m on the far left in the purple skates.

Would yall want to do a group video coaching call like once a week sometime? If so just let me know and drop 2 or 3 of the best times your available to hop on.

I’ve been working on sit spins on my non dominant side and thinking about why one side is so much weaker than the other. I noticed that even when if spinning to the left (my ND side) I tend to shift my weight back into my right leg. I Also struggle with toe corkscrews on my left side and what happens there is my back foot will slip off of the inside edge to the outside edge, stopping the spin and tripping me up. This works to my advantage when doing a back edge spin to the left because, in that one, the back foot is on the outside edge. The wildest thing I’m noticing now is that my left side has become my dominant side while doing one foot spins. Maybe because when I was learning them, I doubled down on that side. I’m starting to think now that it’s less about muscle weakness and more about habits and comfort zones, and how it can be so challenging rewire our brains. I’ve been paying attention to the way that I typically lean into my right leg when standing and shifting it to my left leg. I also tend to have my weight in my heels and back body to consciously trying to focus on moving it forward to the balls of my feet. (While skating and walking). What do you notice about your non dominant side?

Thank all of you for being the pioneers of our online skate skool! I look forward to seeing everyone grow on their skate journey while we build this together 🔥🙌🏽

I’ve been learning sit spins, to the detriment of all other things, because I get really stubborn and single minded about finding it. 🤣🤣