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

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Curves are the fundamental figures in skating. True, the racing skate and the hockey skate permit only straight strokes, but these skates are a development of the sport by which greater speed or steadier position against attack is obtained. Graceful skating and the execution of figures on the ice are impossible without the proper skate.

The first figures to learn, and the basis of all further progress in the art, are the outside edge circles. The outside edge of the skate is the edge furthest away from the body. There is an outside edge on each skate and this edge can be used to skate forward or backward; there are, therefore, four outside edge circles, one on right forward, one on left forward, one on right backward and one on left backward. For convenience and simplicity these edges are often designated thus: ROF, meaning right outside forward, etc.

The most important things to have in mind as one skates the elementary figure are carriage, poise and deliberation. If the body is correctly poised a slight stroke will carry the skater in the right direction; no amount of straining or kicking will cause the skate to execute the right figures if the body over that skate is in the wrong position or wrong balance.