Читать книгу Hippodrome Skating Book. Practical Illustrated Lessons in the Art of Figure Skating онлайн

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The men ought to be told that there is nothing more ungraceful or unsuitable for skating than long trousers. Knickerbockers and tight fitting coats with just a bit of military cut are the right costume for the men who would skate well and look well. The best European skaters among the men all skate in woolen tights, but they are a little theatrical and do not always serve to increase one’s admiration for the wearer.

Bending the body forward or backward from the waist is generally only temporary and for the purpose of obtaining strong impetus for an initial stroke or adding power to a stroke already started. In general the carriage of the body should be upright, with the chest expanded and the shoulders held back.

The skating leg should be bent at the knee. This bending may be increased occasionally to gain power but the straightening up of the body should almost immediately follow. Too much bending of the skating knee makes an ungraceful appearance. The balance leg should be carried somewhat away from the skating leg, with the knee well bent and the foot turned outward and downward. The knees should seldom touch in skating and should never be held close together for any considerable length of time. In some figures there are temporary and necessary violations of both of these rules.