Secrets of Skating [Hardcover]

Oksana Baiul (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1997

With her trademark grace and charm, Olympic champion Oksana Baiul takes readers "backstage" into her world, giving them insight into the moves, the music, the costumes, the makeup, the personalities, and more, which are involved in this immensely popular sport. 200 color photos.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA?A treat for anyone who follows figure skating. Sweet gives readers a close look at the philosophy and personality of an individual performer but introduces many other skaters. This account of the career of Oksana Baiul, a gold medalist in the 1994 Olympics at Lillehamer, is formatted in a design that is as sweeping, colorful, and risky as its subject's performance. Occasionally, the photos seem fuzzy and the text, on busy backgrounds, hard to read, but the presentation suits the dashing style of the narrative. It is rich in quotations and photographs of contemporary skating stars?Victor Petrenko, Michelle Kwan, Brian Boitano, Tara Lipinski, and others. The foreword is written by Dorothy Hamill. Within the glamour action shots and the flashy format are the details of Baiul's early life in Ukraine and insights into the rigors of Olympic competition. The author also conveys the flash, dash, and camaraderie of the professional life. In addition, there is a technical portion that defines and diagrams a variety of spins and jumps. This is a book that delivers.?Frances Reiher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Universe (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789301040
• ISBN-13: 978-0789301048
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,396,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Winter Sports > Ice Skating & Figure Skating

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining read and a treat for skating fans, August 18, 2004

By 

Fruit Loop (Down South) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Secrets of Skating (Hardcover)

Who can fail but sympathize with Ms. Baiul, an anomaly in this glittering sport of young women who usually have it all - looks, money, and loving families. That Oksana managed to achieve greatness with none of the above says it all about her talent. Oksana's fans won't be disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Oksana - professional but not personal, July 8, 2004

By 

jackieskates "jackieskates" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of Skating (Hardcover)

I do not like biographies, yet this book was able to keep my attention. Oksana discusses her life as it relates to various parts of ice skating. The only drawback is that you do not learn about the everyday Oksana. You do not learn about any of her other interests (sports done in her training routine do not necessarily count as "fun, relaxing hobbies"), her favorite foods, favorite types of music, or her feelings about having a family or dating.
I love the numerous ways that she compares and contrasts ballet and ice skating without making either activity seem inferior or superior to the other.
She appears to be an emotional person and the writing style is just as emotional - written in typeset, cursive, straight lines, circles, and various colors. The photographs are taken from very interesting perspectives, and do make sure that you see the photo of the man doing a headstand without the use of his hands! She did a very interesting job of combining a book about the factual aspects of figure skating with the story of her life - she even explains how to do basic jumps and spins. Many ice skating books explain figure skating for beginners, but this book is a great starter for those considering a professional career on the ice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great photos overshadow lacking text, May 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Secrets of Skating (Hardcover)

I managed to get an autographed copy of this book last year, and I have to say the photos and illustrations in this book are fabulous, although some more text would have been nice. Oksana takes the "reader" into the backstage world of ice shows, competitions, shows how a costume is made, and even has pictures of herself as a child....but she has such an interesting/inspirational life story something more along the lines of a biography would have been more interesting. All in all, it's a very attractive book and I give it a solid 7.