Recreational Figure Skating FAQ

Almost everything you wanted to know about recreational figure skating

This archive was originally written and maintained by Karen Bryden. Subsequent updates and additions to the original document are done with her permission.

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Part I: Questions and answers

0 Foreword: ice skating FAQ: 0 Foreword

1.1 Should I buy skates or rent them?: ice skating FAQ: Should I buy skates or rent them?

1.2 Should I buy figure skates or hockey skates?: ice skating FAQ: Should I buy figure skates or hockey skates?

1.3 Why are there different kinds of blades for figure skates?: ice skating FAQ: Why are there different kinds of blades for figure skates?

1.4 How often do I need to sharpen my skates?: ice skating FAQ: How often do I need to sharpen my skates?

1.5 Are hand-held sharpeners useful?: ice skating FAQ: Are hand-held sharpeners useful?

1.6 Will figure skates give me enough ankle support?: ice skating FAQ: Will figure skates give me enough ankle support?

1.7 How do I know my skates are worn out?: ice skating FAQ: How do I know my skates are worn out?

1.8 What is skating leg, free leg, outside edge, inside edge, LFO, RBI, etc.?: ice skating FAQ: What is skating leg, free leg, outside edge, inside edge, LFO, RBI, etc.?

1.9 Why do I skate mostly on my inside edges?: ice skating FAQ: Why do I skate mostly on my inside edges?

1.10 Why do most skaters spin and jump counterclockwise?: ice skating FAQ: Why do most skaters spin and jump counterclockwise?

1.10.1 Is there an easy way to tell what my "natural" spinning direction is?: ice skating FAQ: .1 Is there an easy way to tell what my

1.11 Why can I do X on my right leg but not my left?: ice skating FAQ: Why can I do X on my right leg but not my left?

1.12 What's the difference between a crossover and a progressive?: ice skating FAQ: What's the difference between a crossover and a progressive?

1.13 Turns. What's a counter, rocker, bracket, 3-turn?: ice skating FAQ: Turns. What's a counter, rocker, bracket, 3-turn?

1.14 Turns. What's a mohawk, choctaw?: ice skating FAQ: Turns. What's a mohawk, choctaw?

1.15 Are spin trainers any good?: ice skating FAQ: Are spin trainers any good?

1.16 Will inline skating improve my ice skating?: ice skating FAQ: Will inline skating improve my ice skating?

1.17.1 Should I join ISI or USFSA?: ice skating FAQ: .1 Should I join ISI or USFSA?

1.17 What are USFSA, ISI, Skate Canada, NISA, etc?: ice skating FAQ: What are USFSA, ISI, Skate Canada, NISA, etc?

1.18 What are MITF?: ice skating FAQ: What are MITF?

1.19 Sessions; freestyle, dance, open, public, patch ; what are they?: ice skating FAQ: Sessions; freestyle, dance, open, public, patch ; what are they?

1.20 How do you make an outdoor rink?: ice skating FAQ: How do you make an outdoor rink?

1.21 Why does my music sound terrible in the ice rink?: ice skating FAQ: Why does my music sound terrible in the ice rink?

1.22.1.1 Should I tip my instructor?: ice skating FAQ: .1.1 Should I tip my instructor?

1.22.1.2 What are the rules for taking a coach to competitions?: ice skating FAQ: .1.2 What are the rules for taking a coach to competitions?

1.22.1 What are the guidelines to deal with coaches?: ice skating FAQ: .1 What are the guidelines to deal with coaches?

1.22 How do I find a suitable private instructor?: ice skating FAQ: How do I find a suitable private instructor?

1.23 Is there a painless way to leave my coach?: ice skating FAQ: Is there a painless way to leave my coach?

Part II: Basic Skating

2. Basic Skating: ice skating FAQ: 2. Basic Skating

2.1 First time out: ice skating FAQ: First time out

2.2 Falling and protective equipment: ice skating FAQ: Falling and protective equipment

2.3.1 Snowplow stops: ice skating FAQ: .1 Snowplow stops

2.3.2 Hockey stops: ice skating FAQ: .2 Hockey stops

2.3.3 T-stops: ice skating FAQ: .3 T-stops

2.4 Posture: ice skating FAQ: Posture

2.5 Stroking: ice skating FAQ: Stroking

2.6 Skating backwards: ice skating FAQ: Skating backwards

2.7 Forwards and backwards cross-overs: ice skating FAQ: Forwards and backwards cross-overs

2.8 Forward 3-turns: ice skating FAQ: Forward 3-turns

2.9 Backward 3-turns: ice skating FAQ: Backward 3-turns

2.10 Mohawks: ice skating FAQ: Mohawks

2.10.1 Open and closed mohawks: ice skating FAQ: .1 Open and closed mohawks

2.10.2 Where does the name "mohawk" come from?: ice skating FAQ: .2 Where does the name

2.10.3.Tips to learn a mohawk: ice skating FAQ: .3.Tips to learn a mohawk

Part III: Adult Skaters

3.1 Adult beginner skaters: ice skating FAQ: Adult beginner skaters

3.1.1 The skater mother from Hell and other horrors: ice skating FAQ: .1 The skater mother from Hell and other horrors

3.1.2 Talent vs. determination: ice skating FAQ: .2 Talent vs. determination

3.2 Amount of practice needed to make progress: ice skating FAQ: Amount of practice needed to make progress

3.3 Adult-Onset Skating Syndrome (AOSS): ice skating FAQ: Adult-Onset Skating Syndrome (AOSS)

3.4 Lessons: ice skating FAQ: Lessons

3.5 the pay-off!: ice skating FAQ: the pay-off!

3.6 Skating programs for adults: ice skating FAQ: Skating programs for adults

3.6.1 USFSA adult testing track: ice skating FAQ: .1 USFSA adult testing track

3.6.2 Skating competitions for adults: ice skating FAQ: .2 Skating competitions for adults

Part IV: Boots

4. Boots: ice skating FAQ: 4. Boots

4.1 Selecting new boots: ice skating FAQ: Selecting new boots

4.2 Breaking in your boots:: ice skating FAQ: Breaking in your boots:

4.3 Maintenance: ice skating FAQ: Maintenance

4.3.1 Waterproofing: ice skating FAQ: .1 Waterproofing

4.3.2. Re-plugging the screw holes: ice skating FAQ: .2. Re-plugging the screw holes

4.4 Selecting used boots: ice skating FAQ: Selecting used boots

4.5 Lacing: ice skating FAQ: Lacing

4.6 Children's skates: ice skating FAQ: Children's skates

Part V: Blades

5. Blades: ice skating FAQ: 5. Blades

5.1 Buying new blades: ice skating FAQ: Buying new blades

5.2 Three ways of checking used blades:: ice skating FAQ: Three ways of checking used blades:

5.3 Mounting: ice skating FAQ: Mounting

5.3.1 Problems with warping: ice skating FAQ: .1 Problems with warping

5.3.2 Checking for mounting problems: ice skating FAQ: .2 Checking for mounting problems

5.4 Rocker: ice skating FAQ: Rocker

5.5 Grind or hollow: ice skating FAQ: Grind or hollow

5.6.1 Advanced blade features: K-pick: ice skating FAQ: .1 Advanced blade features: K-pick

5.6.2 Advanced blade features: Side honed, parabolic and tapered blades: ice skating FAQ: .2 Advanced blade features: Side honed, parabolic and tapered blades

5.7 Sharpening explained by an expert: ice skating FAQ: Sharpening explained by an expert

5.8 Maintenance: ice skating FAQ: Maintenance

Part VI: Figure skating skills

6. Figure skating skills: ice skating FAQ: 6. Figure skating skills

6.1 Dance: ice skating FAQ: Dance

6.2 Freestyle skating: ice skating FAQ: Freestyle skating

6.2.1 Waltz jump: ice skating FAQ: .1 Waltz jump

6.2.2 Salchow: ice skating FAQ: .2 Salchow

6.2.3 Toe-loop: ice skating FAQ: .3 Toe-loop

6.2.4 Loop jump: ice skating FAQ: .4 Loop jump

6.2.5 Flip jump: ice skating FAQ: .5 Flip jump

6.2.6 Lutz jump: ice skating FAQ: .6 Lutz jump

6.2.7.1 Axel exercises: ice skating FAQ: .7.1 Axel exercises

6.2.7. Axel jump: ice skating FAQ: .7. Axel jump

6.2.8 Two foot spin: ice skating FAQ: .8 Two foot spin

6.2.9.1 about dizziness: ice skating FAQ: .9.1 about dizziness

6.2.9 Forward Scratch spin: ice skating FAQ: .9 Forward Scratch spin

6.2.10 Backspin: ice skating FAQ: .10 Backspin

6.2.11 Sit spin: ice skating FAQ: .11 Sit spin

6.2.12 Camel spin: ice skating FAQ: .12 Camel spin

6.3 Synchronized skating: ice skating FAQ: Synchronized skating

6.4 Figures: ice skating FAQ: Figures

Part VII: Injuries

7.1 Concussion: ice skating FAQ: Concussion

7.2 Arm injuries: ice skating FAQ: Arm injuries

7.3 Knee injuries: ice skating FAQ: Knee injuries

7.4.1 Bumps on feet: ice skating FAQ: .1 Bumps on feet

7.4 Foot injuries: ice skating FAQ: Foot injuries

Part VIII: Off-ice training and endurance

8. Off-ice training and endurance: ice skating FAQ: 8. Off-ice training and endurance

8.1 Weight training: ice skating FAQ: Weight training

8.2 Improving turn-out: ice skating FAQ: Improving turn-out

8.3 Knee strengthening exercises: ice skating FAQ: Knee strengthening exercises

8.4 Plyometrics: ice skating FAQ: Plyometrics

8.5 Pilates: ice skating FAQ: Pilates

8.6 Off ice warm-up: ice skating FAQ: Off ice warm-up

8.6.1 The cooling-down: ice skating FAQ: .1 The cooling-down

Part IX: Appendices

9.1 Appendix 1: Commonly available blades: ice skating FAQ: Appendix 1: Commonly available blades

9.2 Appendix 2: Test requirements: ice skating FAQ: Appendix 2: Test requirements

9.2.1 ISI tests (incorporating changes introduced in Jan 2004): ice skating FAQ: .1 ISI tests (incorporating changes introduced in Jan 2004)

9.2.3 USFSA Adult freestyle test requirements: ice skating FAQ: .3 USFSA Adult freestyle test requirements

9.2.4 USFSA test dances: ice skating FAQ: .4 USFSA test dances

9.2.5 FFSG freestyle "Club" track test requirements: ice skating FAQ: .5 FFSG freestyle

9.2.6 NISA test requirements: ice skating FAQ: .6 NISA test requirements

9.3 Appendix 3: Comparative table of national freestyle tests: ice skating FAQ: Appendix 3: Comparative table of national freestyle tests

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