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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stands alone in its class!!!, September 12, 2000
Can an in-line skater duplicate the aerial grace of Kristi Yamaguchi, or the fluid moves of Brian Boitano when all there is to work with are eight plastic wheels?Until recently the answer to that question would have been negative, but as Bob Dylan once wrote, "the times they are a changin'." Just as in-line skates revolutionized roller skating, it looks like history is about to repeat itself as a new generation of purpose-built in-line skates prepares to boost artistic roller skating into a higher, faster orbit. But even though these new skates, like the Pic Skate by Harmony Sports and the Triax skate at last have the potential to bring the Triple Lutz, Salchow, and perhaps someday even Quad Toe Loop to the hardwood floor, many traditional roller skaters still question whether true ice-style figure skating is really attainable. "How to Jump and Spin on In-Line Skates", by Jo Ann Schneider Farris and Marion Curtis attempts to answer that question, as it bridges the technique-gap by translating ice moves into in-line moves. As a professional ice skater, trainer and U.S. Figure Skating Association Gold Medalist, Schneider Farris not only has the credentials, but also plenty of enthusiasm to back up her claim that in-line figure skating has arrived. Salting the text periodically with phrases like, "you'll love this move," or "learning this move is fun and it enhances your creativity..." the author keeps the budding in-line figure skater interested, and more importantly--motivated. While this book addresses various levels of skill by adding advanced techniques onto basic moves, it clearly isn't intended to be a pure training manual, though no doubt it will be used as such, since it's literally the only training and technique book available on in-line figure skating. The various subjects are delivered up in short vignette form instead of ponderous long chapters, and frequent sidebar discussions highlight the text. Techniques for sizing, skate selection, brief history and general interest blurbs show up frequently in the margins. "How to Jump and Spin on In-line Skates" is designed to motivate and encourage, while explaining in enough detail to satisfy even proficient figure skaters wishing to transition from ice to in-line. While the book focuses primarily on the new generation of purpose-built in-line figure skates, Schneider Farris frequently points out that many moves can be accomplished with reasonable success even on sporting goods-store-quality recreational in-line skates. That means a big cash outlay isn't required before the reader can pick up enough technique to turn heads at the roller rink. The difficulty in writing such a book is that in-line figure skating is a sport still in process; techniques and moves are being invented and refined even as in-line figure skates continue to be fine-tuned, honed and shaped to mimic the feel of ice skates. While the skates aren't quite there yet, this is the first time the sport has gotten this close, so at least now the tools are available, even when the ice isn't. A talented skater can now get incredibly close to his or her potential, even though riding eight little plastic wheels. To sample things, I stepped into a pair of high-line Harmony Sports skates in order to get a feel for their performance. I was promptly amazed. Coming from a pair of recreational Bauers, I first noticed that the Pic Skates deliver a pronounced toe-low feel along with enough steering-twitch to hint at the potential for lightning jumps and spins. The disk-shaped urethane toe-pick--designed for launching into jumps--is somewhat easy to catch on the floor; in short, these skates feel eerily like an ice skate--even to a novice such as myself. And while my 45 year old frame wouldn't dream of playing Scott Hamilton in a succession of back-flips, it is easy to grasp a sense of the performance potential in these skates, at least if strapped to sufficiently talented feet. Additional chapters written by contributor Marion Ennis-Curtis are also quite palatable; she explains complex moves with an economy of words while creating clear mental images. That's not surprising; Ennis-Curtis is herself a skating instructor and U.S.F.S.A. double silver medalist, as well as a credentialed schoolteacher. She has already racked up several years of giving instruction on a set of in-line figure skates. The book is illustrated by Larisa Gendernalik, whose simple diagrams and whimsical images eliminate the need for those ugly numbered black and white diagrams with their confusing lines and arrows. That's another reason readers won't easily nod off, despite a distinct training tone to the book. And just when the technical descriptions seem too hard to decipher, Schneider Farris pops up with another humorous aside that allows the reader a moment for a welcome brain-reboot. In-line figure skating is about to take off, and while no one is willing to venture a guess as to when, or even if it will make it to the Olympics, "How to Jump and Spin on In-line Skates" is clear evidence that this is a sport on the cusp, poised to make one grand entrance.
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