HP #30 - The 'saurus silenced!
Usual disclaimer applies: this is an old event I'm recounting. See my first HP post for the full notes on these.
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"These are pretty good!" the Tammasaurus proclaimed with, what I hoped was, a hint of surprise in her voice. You don't get to impress your coach very often at ice skating exercises so I smiled quietly to myself while she couldn't see.
We were doing consecutive backward outside edges. Consecutive edges practice is the bread and butter of ice skating basics. Anyone that's learned a musical instrument in the past will no doubt be familiar with the concept of practising things like scales (piano was my attempt at learning an instrument as a teenager). Practising your consecutive edges fills a very similar function in learning to skate. They're not particularly flashy or fun, but they're essential for getting better overall.
For the uninitiated, the gist is to simply glide for a bit on either the inside or outside blade edge of one foot then switch to the same edge on the other foot and repeat all the way up the side of the rink. Do this correctly and you'll carve a series of semi-circles all the way up the rink. You have to be able to do inside and outside edges as well as the whole lot forwards and backwards.
In my humble opinion, I've always been rather pleased with my consecutive outside edges, everyone else I know hates them and prefers inside a whole lot more, but I've always found something strong and elegant about outside edges that I feel quite comfortable with.
When we started doing backward edges then the Tammasaurus suggested we go with inside first, as that's what most people prefer. I made a few miserable stabs at them, which I held for barely a second before swapping foot.
"I don't like these as much," I whined, "why can't we do outside instead?"
Not asking for permission, I pushed off and swapped from inside to outside; it felt so much better! The Tammasaurus said nothing, content to see how this played out. I soared round a few before she confessed they weren't half bad and she had no idea how I found them easier than inside. Of course, there were always refinements to be made...
A few months of practise later...
"Consecutive backward outside edges," the Tammasaurus announced.
I launched into the exercise with as much vigour as I usually did - they are my favourite after all - and tried to keep focus as I skated down the rink's perimeter.
We reached the bottom of the rink. The Tammasaurus had said nothing. Not a word. The whole way down. No "your leg needs to be lower," or "you're leading with the wrong arm." Nothing.
"Those were good," she said shortly, "backward inside now."
I HAD DONE IT. AT LAST. I HAD COMPLETED AN EXERCISE WITHOUT COMMENT!
I was confident there were at least some small bits I could perfect, or that an even harder variation was awaiting me, but for the current level expected by the Tammasaurus then I had passed!
-------------------------
"These are pretty good!" the Tammasaurus proclaimed with, what I hoped was, a hint of surprise in her voice. You don't get to impress your coach very often at ice skating exercises so I smiled quietly to myself while she couldn't see.
We were doing consecutive backward outside edges. Consecutive edges practice is the bread and butter of ice skating basics. Anyone that's learned a musical instrument in the past will no doubt be familiar with the concept of practising things like scales (piano was my attempt at learning an instrument as a teenager). Practising your consecutive edges fills a very similar function in learning to skate. They're not particularly flashy or fun, but they're essential for getting better overall.
For the uninitiated, the gist is to simply glide for a bit on either the inside or outside blade edge of one foot then switch to the same edge on the other foot and repeat all the way up the side of the rink. Do this correctly and you'll carve a series of semi-circles all the way up the rink. You have to be able to do inside and outside edges as well as the whole lot forwards and backwards.
In my humble opinion, I've always been rather pleased with my consecutive outside edges, everyone else I know hates them and prefers inside a whole lot more, but I've always found something strong and elegant about outside edges that I feel quite comfortable with.
When we started doing backward edges then the Tammasaurus suggested we go with inside first, as that's what most people prefer. I made a few miserable stabs at them, which I held for barely a second before swapping foot.
"I don't like these as much," I whined, "why can't we do outside instead?"
Not asking for permission, I pushed off and swapped from inside to outside; it felt so much better! The Tammasaurus said nothing, content to see how this played out. I soared round a few before she confessed they weren't half bad and she had no idea how I found them easier than inside. Of course, there were always refinements to be made...
A few months of practise later...
"Consecutive backward outside edges," the Tammasaurus announced.
I launched into the exercise with as much vigour as I usually did - they are my favourite after all - and tried to keep focus as I skated down the rink's perimeter.
We reached the bottom of the rink. The Tammasaurus had said nothing. Not a word. The whole way down. No "your leg needs to be lower," or "you're leading with the wrong arm." Nothing.
"Those were good," she said shortly, "backward inside now."
I HAD DONE IT. AT LAST. I HAD COMPLETED AN EXERCISE WITHOUT COMMENT!
I was confident there were at least some small bits I could perfect, or that an even harder variation was awaiting me, but for the current level expected by the Tammasaurus then I had passed!
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