Review of Ice Follies to Date

I’ve continued to progress in the ice skating.

“Learn to Skate USA” has two basic skills progressions for people learning to skate.  For the children (6-14) they have the Basic 1 to Basic 6 progression.  For “Adults” (15 and up) they have the Adult 1 to Adult 6 series.  There are some differences between the two progressions, some things introduced at different levels in one compared to the other and some things included in one and not the other.

I’m currently working on things in the Adult 4 to Adult 6 range as follows.  Bold indicates things I’ve more or less learned.  Italics means things I’m actively working on.  Plain text means that I’m still working up to it.  In addition to the Adult progression ranking, I’ve listed here where the various things are introduced in the Basic progression.

Adult 4

• Forward outside edge on a circle, R and L (Basic 4)
• Forward inside edge on a circle, R and L (Basic 4)
• Forward crossovers, clockwise and counterclockwise (Basic 4)
• Backward one-foot glides, R and L (Basic 4)
• Backward half-swizzle pumps on a circle, clockwise and counterclockwise (Basic 4)
• Hockey stop, both directions (Basic 5)

Adult 5

• Backward outside edge on circle, R and L (Basic 5)
• Backward inside edge on a circle, R and L (Basic 5)
• Backward crossovers, clockwise and counterclockwise (Basic 5)
• Forward outside three-turn, R and L (Basic 5)
• Forward swing rolls to a count of six (Not included in “Basic”)
• Beginning two-foot spin (Basic 4)

Adult 6

• Forward stroking with crossover end patterns (Not included in Basic)
• Backward stroking with crossover end patterns (Backward stroking is Basic 6, the “crossover end patterns” is not included)
• Forward inside three-turn, R and L (Basic 6)
• Forward outside to inside change of edge on a line, R and L (Not included in Basic)
• T-stop, R or L (Basic 6)
• Lunge (Basic 4)
• Two-foot spin into one-foot spin (Basic 6)

There are some additional skills included in the Basic progression, not included in the Adult progression.  Since I plan to continue with Free Skate once I complete Adult 6, I think it advisable to learn these as well:

Basic 5

• Advanced two-foot spin — 4–6
• «Bonus skill: Side toe hop — R and L

Basic 6

• Moving backward to forward two foot turn on a circle — clockwise and counterclockwise
• Bunny hop
• Forward spiral on a straight line — R or L
•  «Bonus skill: Shoot the duck — R or L

The hockey stop is my current bugaboo.

It looks so simple but in practice it’s…a challenge (at least for me).

On the other hand, I am just about ready…wanting a bit more stability on my backward edges…to start trying the forward outside three turn.

(Edit:  Wrong link in the clipboard when putting that video up.  Now fixed.)

I still find it kind of amazing.  A year ago I never would have imagined I would come so far.