Customer Reviews

Ice Skating: Steps to Success

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Whether you're a beginner or intermediate skater, Karin Künzle Watson helps make the most of your time on the ice. Nine-time Swiss National Champion Karin Künzle Watson pairs up with adult skater Dr. Stephen J. DeArmond to give basic skaters a foundation from which to build. Watson, who began skating at age six, went on to become a world professional champion skater and now coaches skaters from around the world. She is one of the few individuals worldwide to have passed Gold-level tests in all disciplines of figure skating: singles, pairs, dance and Published by Human Kinetics as a part of their Steps to Success sports series, the book offers 50 training exercises and over 300 technical illustrations and renderings of some of the best places to skate in the country. Each skating drill includes key points to remember when you're on the ice. Künzle teaches a series of skating principles to control your posture, balance, degree of lean and rotation. These aren't just book techniques, but are the same principles she teaches her skaters. What's more, they work! The authors have even included hints on how to increase the difficulty or make the exercises a little less challenging for less "practiced" skaters. The book celebrates the history of skating, plus offers useful information on sating posture, balance, correct push and glide techniques, forward stops, forward and backward skating, crossovers, two foot turns, mohawks, three turns, swingrolls and even more advanced edge moves. If you're looking to jump and spin, this book is and isn't for you. It doesn't contain specifics on jumps and spins, but face it, if you're three turn or mohawk isn't perfect going into a jump, then you need this book to examine the reasons. Consider likewise, the myriad of young skaters who can do double jumps, but hardly a clean crossover and you'll see why this is a "must have". Tommy Mullins, Publisher SK8USA Webzine

I found this book to be very helpful as a beginner skater my first year. I appreciated the usefull checklist to test the basic moves. The diagrams could have been a little clearer. Other than that I would recommend this book for beginner figure skaters.

Co-authored by a master teacher and her adult student (a med school prof), this first-rate book concentrates on beginning and intermediate skills. Among the things to recommend it are:

- Extremely clear writing, including clear and readable explanations of body mechanics

- Good organization: a series of lessons, each concluding with a checklist and a troubleshooting table

- Good illustrations: line drawings, made from photographs of co-author Kunzle-Watson, that clearly illustrate body and skate position for each skill

In conclusion: highly recommended!

The pictures and illustrations are fantastic. Shows step by step on how to execute beginning moves from crossovers to three turns, and mohawks. Only thing I wish it covered were some basic jumps and spins.

This book doesn't spend much time in my bookshelf! When I considered learning to skate, I wanted to find a book that focused on the real basics of figure skating. This book is by far the best I have seen of that genre and I refer to it after nearly every lesson or practice. The authors stick to beginner moves and techniques only. You won't find any spins or jumps here! After a brief discussion of the history of ice skating and a good discussion of how to buy and fit boots and blades, each principle and move is introduced both in text and with sketches. The sketches, presumably of the author, include itemized steps to performing the move and lines and arrows to show the foot and body movement. The writing is generally clear and detailed enough so that with the corresponding diagram, a reader would know just what to do. Of course, actually *doing* something like a three turn won't always come right away! Certain fundamentals, like balance, are referred to throughout the book to reinforce their importance. Some good concepts are used, like the "body box" for explaining balance. Each chapter ends with a table of common problems and how to correct each one. The descriptions and diagrams are not perfect, though. I still can't quite see the different between crossovers and advanced crossovers despite reading and re-reading those sections. I'm sure an explanation and demonstration by my instructor will clear it up. As an adult skater, I'm anxious to develop skills quickly. This book describes nearly every item on the ISI Alpha through Delta lists. I'm convinced that this book, together with lessons, will have me working on Freestyle I before long!

Even though this was published in 1995-I hope they keep this on the printing press hotlist. This book is one of the most worthwhile books of it's genre. It's not just informative,explaining techniques(though it does that,too)It offers a highly structure program that can adjust according to your ability and proficiancy.It focus's on the basics that many skaters sorely need but lack nowdays. Amust have!

This book is daunting for a true beginner. However, I found myself reading sections over and over again, and each time I got more out of it. I didn't skate as a child, and started at age 55. It hasn't come easily to me. I'm glad I didn't get this book at the very beginning, but now I find it is particularly useful for pointing out common mistakes, and tips for correcting them. There are drills and diagrams, and detailed explanations of what each part of your body should be doing on a turn, for example. It's definitely a technical manual more than a coffee table book with pretty photographs, so if that's what you need, I recommend it.

I will echo what other reviewers have said: this is an excellent book for beginning skaters. It will help you understand and develop basic skills so you can progress in whatever direction you choose, even if it's just to have more fun and be a more confident recreational skater.

I like that she explains the value in each drill; what it does specifically (i.e. "swizzles" teach you to keep your weight on a certain part of the blade), and how it will improve your skills as a skater. I'm currently taking group classes, but it was due to the written information in this book, plus the illustrations, that I am finally able to properly do the one foot glide (and am getting better at it every day).

The actual instructions are generally detailed enough that the reader can usually grasp what she means just by reading, but the illustrations take it to a whole new level. The only possible improvement would be a companion DVD, but as well done as the illustrations and written descriptions are, it probably isn't necessary.

My only complaint with the book is that every once in awhile, she uses descriptions/terminology that are non-intuitive and would not be familiar to a new skater. It's infrequent, but a brand-spanking-new beginner will have to head to google from time to time to look up some of the terminology. In a book written specifically for beginners, that shouldn't be happening. She does specify in the beginning that the book isn't meant to be a substitute for a good coach, but realistically, she should have known that many of her readers would be people who do not have access to professional coaching of any kind.

Overall, for any beginner looking to learn some basics on their own, or supplement what they're learning in classes or lessons, this book is worth checking out.

This book is excellent for the beginner! I just recently started skating and take weekly group lessons. This book has helped me greatly by providing specific excercises to put into my practice sessions which in turn have made me feel like I am finally "getting" the whole concept of edges and especially the crossover maneuver. I highly recommend this book for the beginning skater.

I am an adult male who knows how to use figure skates for ordinary skating, having learned the most basic stuff when young. Now, I wish to do some more. This is the right book for the purpose.

The book has a good combination of written description, diagrams, and drills (along with the objective of each drill) as well as points of error. It won't replace live coaching, but I assume that the reader (as with myself) is not taking lessons. The stress is on the use of figure skates, although much of the material applies to hockey skates, as far as I know. The book does not go as far as fancy spins or tricks; for that, you'd need coaching, and starting it late in life might not be a good idea.

Posture is stressed throughout, and this is a very good feature. Even at my relatively low level of skill, I've observed that most problems are caused by incorrect posture.

I began at the beginning, and noted that the first 20-30 pages cover things I have already learned, by trial and error, over the years. I verified that what the authors wrote actually agreed with what I have been doing for the basic skills. This suggests that I'll be able to follow the more advanced exercises. I believe this will be typical of most adult skaters.

By the time I reach the end of the book, I expect to be able to skate as well as about one-third of the 8 year old girls taking lessons at the rink. The rest will skate better. Ever seen how well little girls taking lessons can skate?

If you are an adult trying to improve, then I suggest you wear protective gear. Butt pads specially made for skaters are available (not cheap). I have found that an inexpensive skateboard helmet, and soft elbow and kneepads, are helpful. Wrist protectors are a must. With the protective gear, I am more willing to try new things.