How to Skate - Part 3

Well now. This is the third article in the series entitled How To Skate, and I am sure you will agree that it comes not a moment to soon. For indeed, when we last parted, I had just given you the instructions for how to develop and practice basic left and right strokes, the gliding back and forth steps that a skater makes as he goes around a rink.

Well, almost. You may have realized that while the instructions I gave you for executing the stroke movements back and forth were most helpful, they are only helpful as long as you, the skater, is skating basically straight. Rinks, however, are round, and sooner or later you are going to have to skate in a curved path in order to come around one of the ends of the rink in order to once again skate straight ahead.

So without further adieu, let us take a look at the technique you will want to couple with your strokes to facilitate making a turn around a rinks end.

Supposing that you are skating in a counter clockwise direction with long, even, left and right alternating strokes. When you approach the end of the rink you should begin to make a series of corner strokes to the left. This is done by continuing to skate on your left foot on a left outside edge, with your knee, comfortably bent and angled to the left over the little toe of your left foot. As you continue, to complete a right footed stroke, you will bring your right foot parallel to your left foot and set it down so that your right foot is making a stroke to the left and traveling to the left on the inside edge of your right foot. Your right knee will be bent and angled over the big toe of your right foot.

As you change your weight to your right foot, you will pull your left foot back behind you keeping your left toe pulled up, as opposed to pushing outward and pointing your toe out and to the back as you did while stroking on the straight away.

But what about crossing one foot over the other, you might ask? Practicing this method of making your corners is not only correct and important when it comes to learning more advanced steps and classical skating dances, it will also give you the strength, control, and skill needed to effortlessly begin crossover steps as you gain a mastery of it as will the entire practice of rudimentary stroke skating.