1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Book, September 9, 2007
This review is from: Kids' Book of Figure Skating (Paperback)
I got this book for my daughter and myself. We are both beginner skaters, my daughter has just turned 7. I found this book to be extremely helpful for the beginner. I found some very good advise on warm up exercises as well as what to look for in skates and correct body positions on skates. It is very easy to read and understand, although I have done the reading. I am sure we will both benefit from the information. There is also information for the intermediate level and advance level skater which I am sure we will benefit from once we get to that level. I highly reccommend this book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for kids, August 2, 2007
This review is from: Kids' Book of Figure Skating (Paperback)
This book is fantastic for KIDS, but as a skating PARENT, I preferred FS for Dummies.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Quite a Triple Axel. . ., February 16, 2012
This review is from: Kids' Book of Figure Skating (Paperback)
This book has its good qualities and its confusing qualities. When I first read it, I loved it. It presented figure skating in a clear, easy to understand way--or so I thought. As I kept reading, I started getting confused.
First, the good stuff. It tells a little about the history of ice rinks and the Zamboni, and how rinks dealt with cleaning the ice before the Zamboni was invented, which I found interesting. It has a good section on choosing skates that fit, and how to lace your skates properly. It's the only skating book I've found that goes into warming up before you skate, so in that regard, it's invaluable, although some illustrations of these stretches would have been even nicer.
Now, the not-so-good stuff. The way it teaches you to get up off the ice after a fall is NOT the right way. It has you push up with your hands on the ice, which puts you at risk of having your fingers skated over by other skaters. It also teaches crossovers and swing rolls as beginning moves, right after you've learned the snowplow stop. I've been in classes for almost four months now, learned the snowplow stop in week two, and I still haven't learned crossovers or swing rolls.
Another error is the numbers it gives for having your blades sharpened. According to the book, beginners should start with 1/2" radius and more advanced skaters should use 3/8". Therefore the more advanced you are, the shallower you want your radius. According to the professional who sharpens my skates, the opposite is true: the more advanced you are, the deeper you want your radius. Therefore, beginners should start with 3/4", and only very advanced skaters should use a radius of 1/2".
This book is also confusing with what it considers beginner, intermediate, and advanced. If you only skate occasionally, it has you learning techniques that are for advanced students. If you are committed to skating once a week, this book considers you an intermediate skater and teaches you even more advanced techniques, things like spins and jumps!
Overall, I give this book three stars. I'd recommend it for its advice on choosing skates, lacing skates, and its warm-up exercises. If you happen to be learning any of the techniques it teaches, you can use its advice on those moves to supplement your lessons. But don't try to teach yourself the skating moves it says are for your level, because it's very confused about what constitutes a beginner versus an intermediate or advanced skater. And definitely don't listen to its advice on sharpening your blades, because you'll end up with a radius that's too advanced for your skill level!
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