Ice Skating

Book excerpt: Now there's a masterfully written guide that shows beginning and recreational skaters the fundamental skills of ice skating. In Ice Skating: Steps to Success, Karin K "nzle-Watson--nine-time Swiss National Champion, former Professional World Champion, and one of skating's best instructors--shares with readers the steps that she and many of her students learned on their way to becoming elite competitive skaters. Most instruction books available on ice skating tend to focus on advanced jumps or spins, assuming the reader will learn the basics through professional instruction. Ice Skating: Steps to Success, however, covers fundamental skills in a way that's easy to understand and apply. Part of the highly popular Steps to Success Series, this book includes 11 steps (chapters) that progress from basic to intermediate skills. It features over 300 illustrations that make it possible to learn proper form and technique. Readers will learn how to: - attain the posture and control required for basic skills; - use standard methods of gaining forward and backward speed; - execute four different methods of stopping; - fall properly and get up easily; - change direction without loss of control; and - control the skate edges in order to prepare for advanced maneuvers, including jumps, spins, and footwork. With Ice Skating: Steps to Success, beginning and recreational skaters will develop a solid foundation of skills to help them gain confidence in their abilities and enjoy the sport more.