Archive-name: sports/skating/books/part2
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-Modified: Wed Dec 11 12:26:02 EST 1996
*** Copyright 1994-1996 by George Robbins - see detailed note at end ***
This document is posted periodically to the rec.sport.skating.roller
usenet newsgroup, and can also be accessed via the world wide web (www)
using the following URL:
http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller
-- continued from part 1 of 2 --
Ice Skating Books:
Yes! You Can Do the Triple Jumps
Billy Ng
Nothing But Excellence Publishers, New York - 1996
213 pages, $49.95
1 - What Can This Book Do For You?
2 - Examine Yourself - Your Age
3 - Examine Yourself - Your Physical Condition
4 - Examine Yourself - Are You Lazy?
5 - You Want It When?
6 - Why You Skate
7 - Yes, You Can Do It
8 - Build Yourself Up First and Then Help Others
9 - Yes, You Have to Work Out
10 - Lower Body Strength Work Out Exercises
11 - Upper Body Strength Work Out Exercises
12 - Polyometric Training OR What Was That Again?
13 - Did You Take Your Wheaties Today?
14 - Did You Take Your Vitamins Today?
15 - Stretching OR Doing Funny Things On The Floor
16 - Me No Fear
17 - The Secrets To Jumping Higher
18 - What You Put In, You Will Get Out
19 - Terms Which You Must Know
20 - What?! You Have Never Been On The Ice Before?
21 - For Beginners Only
22 - Are You A Lefty?
23 - In The Beginning There Was The Edge
24 - The Secret To Doing The Singles
25 - The Single Jumps
26 - Are You Dead Out There On The Ice
27 - What? Are You Still Thinking About That?
28 - Why Are You Doing This?
29 - The Secret To Doing Doubles and Triples
30 - The Double Jumps
31 - How To Be Naughty Before An Audience
32 - This One Thing I Do
33 - Where Is Your Brain?
34 - Do It A Badzillion Times
35 - Do It OR Die Trying
36 - Is It Really Impossible To Do This Jump?
37 - The Triple Jumps
38 - Do You Know What I Am Talking About?
39 - Stay Focused Or Else
40 - Come Here And Rest Awhile, You Beautiful Thing
41 - Other Jumps
42 - Are You Mentally Prepared? Or Are You Brain Dead?
43 - How Is Your Belief In Yourself?
44 - What Do You Mean You Cannot Do It?
45 - All, I Mean All, The Spins
46 - Combo Spins
47 - Some Beautiful Glides OR How To Torture Yourself
48 - Down On My Knees
49 - My Poses
50 - My Spin Positions
51 - My Jump Positions
52 - Grab The Popcorn And Turn On the TV
53 - Stay Beautiful For Life
[ from publishers blurb]
Yes! You Can Do The Triple Jumps by Dr Billy Ng is the newest
and most comprehensive book on figure skating. Dr. Ng explains
all the jumps and spins concisely and with great humor. Each
page is a delight to read. The book has 53 chapters, ranging
from technique to psychological motivation, from working-out
to polymetric training, and from nutrition to stretching. It
uses more than 400 clear, step-by-step illustrations.
The language used is easy to understand and very direct. Another
unique aspect of this book is that all the illustrations shown are
of female skaters. Also, the book is extremely funny and blatantly
honest.
See http://www.academic.marist.edu/skate/ for more information
on Billy Ng and the book...
Ice Skating - Steps to Successs
Karen Kuenzle-Watson & Dr Steven DeArmond
Human Kinetics Publisher, Champaign IL - 1995
Trade Paperback, 157 pages, $14.95
ISBN 0-87322-669-0
Preface
The Steps to Success Staircase
The Sport of Ice Skating
Evolution of the Ice Skate
Perparing to Skate
Ice Skating Etiquette
Ice Skating Equipment
Ice Skates and their Care
Protective Equipment
Steps -
1 - Proper Skating Postures: Devloping Balance
2 - Push and Glide: Moving Ahead
3 - Forward Steps: Slowing Down
4 - Figure Skating Maneuvers: Gaining Confidence
5 - Backwards Skating and Stopping: Doubling Your Options
6 - Forward Stroking: Pushing for Power
7 - Foward Crossovers: Stroking on a Curve
8 - Two Foot Turns and Mohawks: Controlling Rotation
9 - Backwards Crossovers: Gaining Speed on a Curve
10 - Swing Rolls and Advanced Edges: Inproving Edge Control
11 - Three Turns: Changing Direction and Edges
12 - Style and Efficiency: Planning Your Skating Program
Glossary
This book is part of the "Steps to Success" series of sports
how-to books. In general, such an approach provides a common
format, pedagogy and terminology with other books in the series,
but at the same time forces the author into a pre-defined and
perhaps limiting model for presenting their material.
In this case, the format doesn't seem to interfere too much with
the presentation and the result is a clear set of skating lessons
with supporting material. The collaboration with Dr. DeArmond
has also contributed a more analytical perspective on skating than
what you might expect from traditional texts. In the end, the
success of the book really depends on how well it works for the
student trying to skate using this presentation - something that
I'm not really prepared to comment on.
Skaters Edge Sourcebook
Alice Berman
Skaters Edge, Kensington MD - 1995
Trade Paperback, 272 pages, $39.95 + $5 S&H
ISBN 0-9643027-0-5
[ order from Skaters Edge; Box 500; Kensington, MD 20895; 301-946-1971 ]
Soaring Without Wings
Associations and Organizations
Choosing a Pro
Books, Books, Books
by Author
by Title (cross-reference)
by Category (cross-reference)
Boots and Blades
Guide to Fittings Skates
Skate Boots
Guide to Blades
Blades: Makes and Models
Lacing Up
Champions
US National Figure Skating Championships
World Championships
Olympic Winter Games
Companies and Organizations
by Category (cross reference)
Fan Mail and Letters
Federations
Rinks, Rinks, Rinks
Finding Rinks in Canada
US Rinks by State/City
US Rinks by Name (cross-reference)
Rinks Affiliated with Colleges or Universities
by State
by School Affiliation
Skaters Marketplace (small advertisments)
Summer Skating Schools
Training Centers: Where Top Skaters Train
Videos; Videos; Videos
Advertisers Index
I almost think it's best to let the table of contents above speak
for this book. It has something for everyone interested in skating,
inlcluding Fan Mail addresses, foreign skating organizations, an
extensive list of medalists, extensive listings of videos and books
and charts/listings for blades and boot models.
Much of the information in in the form of listings or tables, but
there are also various introductions, articles reproduced from the
Skaters Edge newsletter, illustrations and advertisments.
Figure Skating: Sharpen your Skills (Spalding)
Patricia Hagen [ed]
Masters Press/Sams; Indianapolis - 1994
Trade Paperback, 155 [ages. $14.95
ISBN 1-57028-007-X
1 - Introduction
2 - Equipment
3 - Basics
4 - Free Skating
5 - Figures
6 - Ice Dancing
Written by members of the staff of the Indiana/World Skating
Academy, this is a concise but complete guide to learning to
skate. It seems mainly focused on ISIA or USFSA basic skills
level skating for adults, not that it makes any concessions to
Adult, but rather that the advice is practical and directed at
the skater, rather than being written down or depending on the
intercession of coach or parent.
Each topic is granted a little section which typically includes
a description, instructions and illustrations. Most topics also
have "Sharpen your Skills" section relating ways to build on or
updgrade the basic skill and some topics also have a structured
presentation (ala Petkevich) including perparation, execution,
exit/landing, timing and common errors.
I've actually found this book to be quite useful at my current
level of skating - I can open the book before/after a lesson
or practic session and find words that make sense, parallel
when the instructor says and are simple enough to work with.
The 1994 Official USFSA Rulebook
United States Figures Skating Association
USFSA, Colorado Springs - 1993
3-Ring Binder, 334 pages, $5 + $5 for Binder
no ISBN
1. Bylaws of the USFSA
2. Technical Rules
3. Administrative Rules
4. Committee Rules
5. Glossary
6. Index
Published yearly, this book includes all that is "offical" about
the USFSA skating program, from bylaws and organization rules to
the patterns for compulsory dances. While some parts are pretty
dry reading, others convey essential or useful information.
Figure Skating: A Celebration
Beverley Smith
St. Martins, New York - 1994
Hardcover, $35
This seems to be the coffee-table skating book for the 90's.
It differs from some of the older ones by providing more profuse
color illustrations, and a relatively large amount of textual
content on skating in the recent years.
Ice Time: A Portrait of Figure Skating
Debbi Wilkes and Greg Cable
Prentice Hall Canada - 1994
Hardcover, $24.95
[Dave Fraser (dfra...@nbnet.nb.ca)]
This is not as sumptous as the Beverley Smith book, but it has some
interesting stuff. Debbi can be pretty blunt sometimes and has some
intelligent comments about various skaters and why they are successful
or not successful.
The book covers a variety of topics: her career with Guy Revell,
broadcasting, Barbara Ann, Kurt and Elvis, etc. Only a few pictures.
Figure Skating Performance: A Psychological Study
Peter Paul Moormann
Leiden University - 1994
Dissertation, 269 pages
ISBN 90-9006862-7
[Arthur Kosten <ajkos...@dds.nl>]
In addition to the Skate Book FAQ, I would like to recommend an
excellent book written by psychology-lecturer and coach of the Dutch
National Figure Skating Team Peter Paul Moormann. It deals with
various aspects of figure skating and ice dancing performance.
The Complete Manual of Ice Dance patterns
Jeff Lerner
Lexicon Ventures, Vancouver CA - 1993
Ring Bound, 402 pages, $35.00
ISBN 0-9696538-0-8
[ available from Platoro Press, see below ]
1. Introduction
2. Dance Steps
3. Dance Turns
4. Dance Positions
5. Explanatory Key to Lists of Steps
6. Lists of Abbreviations and Symbols
7. Glossary
8. Dance Patterns and Lists of Steps
9. Index of Dances (Alphabetical)
10. Index of Dances (by Type)
11. List of Dance Pattern Originators
12. Bibliographic References
This book is primarily a compilation of ice dance patterns, with
listings of the steps and skeletal supplementary information.
Beyond than the vast number of dances presented, the best feature
is that all patterns and step-listings have been redrawn to a clear
common format. Older variations of dances that have evolved over
time aren't shown, but you can see the Copely-Graves book for many
additional older patterns. Some "roller only" dances are included,
but apprently limited those listed in Arnold's book. Finally, note
that for the current complusory dances, the USFSA rulebook includes
very good diagrams, step listings and extensive notes.
A companion work is also available which covers only the current
compulsory dances, but includes plastic overlays allowing clear
depiction of both the mens and ladies steps.
Figure Skating History: The Evolution of Dance on Ice
Lynn Copley-Graves
Platoro Press, Columbus OH, 1993
Soft Cover, 385 pages, $35.00
ISBN 0-9696538-1-5
I guess the best way to describe this book is to say that it consists
mainly of excerpts from US, UK and world skating publications, which
are organized by skating season for each year from 1920 to 1990.
The editorial contribution is mainly in the selection of the items,
presented, with occasional interjections and attempts to summarize the
key points of each decade. It is important to keep in mind that the
topic is "Ice Dance", while many of the names are familar, there's a
"ghost sport" of figure skating overhanging everything, which gets
only occasional direct mention.
For each season the chapter typically contains news from associations
including ISU, USFSA, CFSA and NSA; dance notes; people; clubs and
rinks; and finally competitions. Sidebars provide some illustrations,
competitive result, reproductions of period dance patterns and other
nuggets from the publications. The color insert appears to be mostly
snapshots from 80's competitions, though there are many back and white
magazine photographs reproduced thoughout the book.
Choreography & Style for Ice Skaters
Ricky Harris
St. Martins, NY NY - 1980, 1991
Trade Paperback, 150 pages, $9.95
ISBN 0-312-05401-7
I. Elements of Choreography
1. Energize and Improvise
2. Music for Skaters
3. Principles of Movement
4. Movement from Gestures
5. Design in Space and Time
II. Creating a Program
6. Selecting and Arranging Music
7. Ice Patterns
8. Choreographing Movement
9. Polish and Perform
III. Additional Training Aspects
10. Why Dance?
11. The Fatigue Factor
12. Warming Up
13. The Ice Barre
14. Attitudes of the Skater
An interesting book, which explains some of the choreographic
concepts in dance or freestyle skating and provides various
exercise and outlines for improving artistic expression. It's
perhaps best used as an adjunct to the suggestions of your
coach or simply for getting better insight into an otherwise
obscure area.
Laura Stamm's Power Skating
Laura Stamm
Leisure Press, 1989, $17.95
Trade Paperback
ISBN 0-88011-331-6
1. Coaches Corner
2. Sktes and Equipment
3. Balance
4. Principles of Force Application
5. The Forward Stride
6. The Backwards Stride
7. Crossovers
8. Starts
9. Stops
10. Turns
11. Agility
12. Training and Conditioning
This is a well written book that deals exclusively with the
skating part of ice hockey. It spends a lot of time on concepts,
drills, and exercise for improving skating and is aimed either
at the hockey coach/instructor or the adult hockey player.
Figure Skating - Championship Techniques
John Misha Petkevich
Sports Illustrated - Winners Circle Books, 1988
Trade Paperback, 288 pages, $10.95
ISBN 0-452-26209-7
[ back in print! visit your local bookstore ]
1. Some Preliminaries
2. Principles and Terminology
3. Body Positions
4. First Strides and Glides
5. Stroking and Crossovers
6. Push-offs and Edges
7. Turns
8. Stopping and Falling
9. Spins: General Principles and Positions
10. Basic Spins
11. Flying Spins
12. Combination Spins
13. Jumps: General Principles and Positions
14. Edge Jumps
15. Toe Jumps
16. Splits and Stags
17. Jump Combinations
18. Pairs and Ice Dancing
19. The Program/The "Great" Skater
This book is the most readily available quality reference on figure
skating. It provides a thorough and easily readable overview of
figures and free-style moves including turns, jumps and spins. For
each given move, it describes the move, then breaks the action down
into setup, execution and completion phases, and then details the
frequently encountered problems or quality issues.
While the book starts out at a fairly basic level, it is not really
intended as a self-teaching guide. The beginner will find that
the discussion of basic principles and stroking proceeds onward
to the triple-jumps much quicker then they do. Also, there is only
minimal coverage of ice-dance, which is usually an important part
of any adult-skating program. Still, this is a book which every
skater or serious spectator should have at hand as a primary
reference source.
Dancing on Skates
Richard Arnold
St. Martins, NY NY - 1985
Hardcover, 128 pages
ISBN 0-312-18209-0
See Roller Skating section for a complete description...
Competitive Figure Skating - A Parents Guide
Robert Ogilvie
Harper & Row, 1985
Hardcover, 330 Pages
ISBN 0-06-015357-1
1. The Many Forms of Figure Skating
2. Equipment for the Beginner
3. Instruction For the Beginner
4. How the Sport is Organized
5. The USFSA Test Structure
6. Becoming a Member of the USFSA
7. Arranging to Take a Test
8. How USFSA Test Are Judged
9. Hints on Taking Tests
10. The Organization of Practice Sessions
11. Equipment for the Advanced Skater
12. USFSA Championships and Competitions
13. International Championships and Competitions
14. How Competitions Are Conducted
15. Professions Championships
16. Club Harmony
17. Fair Play for Judges
18. Hints for Competitors
19. Higher-Level Instruction
20. The Professional Skaters Guild of Americe (PSGA)
21. Music for Free Skating
22. The Special Place of Figures
23. Recognizing Turns and Figures
24. Recognizing Free Skating Moves
25. Parental Involvement
26. Talent and the Learning Process
27. How to Save Time and Money
28. How the Ice is Resurfaced
29. Where to Go for Further Information
While this book is subtitled "a Parents Guide" it is a really a
"must read" for anyone involved with or interested in competitive
Ice *or* Roller skating. It provides an essential overview of all
aspects of the learning process and entry into the competitive arena.
Particularly interesting are the chapters on Club Harmony, Parental
Involvement and the role of figures.
The Complete Handbook of Speed Skating
Dianne Holum
Enslow Publishers; Hillside NJ - 1984
Trade Paperback?, 256 Pages, ~$30.00
ISBN 0-89490-051-X
[ may be available from mail-order in-line shops ]
Foreward
Speed Skating Facts
Equipment
Skating Technique
Straightaway Technique
Turn Technique
Introduction to Training
Dry-land Training
Resistance and Weight Training
Flexibility
Training on the Ice
Warm-up
Using the Taper to Reach Peak Performance
Season Planning
Dianne Holum's 1980 U.S. Olympic Team Training Program
Race Strategy
Psychological Training
Suppliers and Organizations
[ William Bradley <wbrad...@thor.ece.uc.edu> ]
This book is primarily concerned with ice speedskating, but most
of the technique and dry-land training chapters are applicable to
in-line speedskating as well. As can be seen from the page counts,
the six technique and training chapters make up over half the book.
This is a very well-written book, and I feel that speedskaters
(ice and inline alike) would find it indispensable.
The Skaters Handbook
John Misha Petkevich
Scribners, NY - 1984
Hardcover, 210 Pages
ISBN 0684180162
While I've only scanned this book briefly in a library, it's
mentioned in Petkevich's other book, and has been mentioned on
the net a few times. In contrast to Ogilvie's "parents guide",
this book is probably most useful to the skater who is already
involved in a competive program and interested in maximizing
their prospects as they move to higher competitive levels, and
as such, it'd be a bit dated by the changes to the competitive
sport and environment since it's publication.
How to Succeed at Skating
Monika Maier
Sterling Publishing, NY - 1982
Trade Paperback, 128 pages
ISBN 0-8069-4154-5
[ loosemore-san...@CS.YALE.EDU (Sandra Loosemore) ]
This is a translation of a book originally published in Germany.
It covers basic skating skills, up to the level of a waltz jump and
one-foot spins. The moves are illustrated with clear photos (most
of them in color). Unlike most learn-to-skate books, this one
contains some useful information about ice dancing, including basic
dance holds and steps, and a few compulsory dances. The back of the
book has some reference information about competitive-level skating.
There are also many color pictures of famous skaters from around 1980
in the book, including one on the cover of Torvill & Dean looking
much younger than they do now.
Figure Skating
Carlo Fassi with Greg Smith
Charles Schribners, NY 1980
Hardcover, 179 Pages, $17.95
ISBN 0-684-16314-4
[ out of print ]
Skates, Lessons and Training
Figure Skates; Skate Care; The Skater's Clothing; Training
Beginning to Skate
Walking on the Ice; Sculling; The Dip; Gliding on One Skate;
Taking a Fall; Basic Stroking; Forward Crossovers;
Backward Crossovers; Forward Outside Edge; Forward Inside Edge;
Backward Outside Edge; Backward Inside Edge; How to Stop on Ice
Compulsory Figures
Forward outside Eight; Forward Inside Eight;
Backward Outside Eight; Backward Inside Eight;
Serpentine Forward Right; Threes: The Three-Turn;
Forward Outside Double Threes; Brackets;
Forward Outside Loop; Backward Outside Loop;
Serpentine Forward Loop; Counter; Rocker; Paragraph;
Basic Theory for All Figures; Layout; My Theory of Turns
Free Skating
Spins; Two-Foot Spin; Back Spin; Fast or Scratch Spin;
Sit Spin; Camel Spin; Flying Camel and Flying Sit Spin;
Flying Camel - Variations; Butterfly; Layback Spin
Jumps; Waltz Jump; Loop Jump; Double Loop; Triple Loop;
Axel Jump; Doubel Axel; Triple Axel; Salchow; Double Salchow;
Triple Salchow; Single Toe Walley; Single Toe Loop;
Double Toe Walley; Double Toe Loop; Triple Toe Walley;
Triple Toe Loop; Flip Jump; Double Flip; Triple Flip;
Lutz Jump; Double Lutz; Triple Lutz; Backward Somersault;
Free Skating Programs in Competition; Choreography;
Expressive Moves
Nutrition and Competitive Skaters
Competitions
International Skating Union; World Figure Skating Championships;
European Figure Skating Championships; The Winter Olympics;
The United States Nationals; Tests; Judges
Some Thoughs About Coaching
Good Coaching versus Good Teaching; Getting along with Parents;
At Competition
Glossary
This book covers very similar material to Petkevich and is
similar in content and style. The differences are interesting -
Petkevich speaks as a retired skater, Fassi as a skater turned
professional coach. Petkevich's book is illustrated with good,
clear photographs, Fassi's with line drawings executed to show
exactly the critical intent. Petkevich's book is a little bit
more useful to the spectator or advanced skater, while Fassi's
has a bit more material useful for the beginner to intermediate
skater.
Ice Dancing Illustrated
Lorna Dyer with Harry Brandt
Moore Publications, Bellevue, WA - 1980
Hardbound, 297 pages, 105 b/w plates plus dance diagrams.
ISBN 0-9602616-0-5
[ out of print ]
1. Introduction
2. General Instruction
(including posture, lead, unison, technique, and etiquette)
3. Dance Positions
4. Dance Steps
5. Dance Turns
6. Beginning Dances---Preliminary and Bronze
(Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango, Swing Dance, Fiesta Tango,
Willow Waltz, Ten-Fox)
7. Intermediate Dances---Presilver and Silver
(Fourteenstep, European Waltz, Foxtrot, American Waltz,
Tango, Rocker Foxtrot)
8. Advanced Dances---Pregold and Gold
(Killian, Blues, Paso Doble, Three-lobe Waltz, Viennese Waltz,
Westminster Waltz, Quickstep, Argentine Tango)
9. International Dances
(Starlight Waltz, Rhumba, Ravensburger Waltz)
[j...@jpl.nasa.gov (Jeff Goldsmith)]
This is a complete text on ice dancing. It is remarkably technical
and covers each dance in great detail, including introductory steps,
comments to the man, comments to the woman, and comments to the
couple.
For example, comments to the man about the Willow Waltz include:
At step 17 the man has a strong tendency to anticipate
stepping forward by allowing his left shoulder to rotate
counter-clockwise. To correct this tendency, skate step 17
with the right shoulder leading slightly on the circle.
Also, the right backward inside edge, step 17, should be
skated as a fairly deep edge toward the side barrier.
Skaters commonly flatten this edge by skating it straight
toward the end barrier of the arena.
Each dance has about five-ten pages of text, full of densely packed
information of this sort, plus a page of introductory steps and a
page for the diagram. Over two-thirds of the book is comments and
instruction about individual dances; the first 84 pages is mostly
pictures and descriptions of each step, common errors, and ways to
try to correct those errors.
Creative Ice Skating: Ice Dancing, Freestyle, and Pair Skating
Frances Dorsey and Wendy Williams
Contemporary Books, Chicago - 1980
86 pages
[Jennifer Kretschmer <jkret...@trumpet.aix.calpoly.edu>]
This isn't the greatest book in the world, by they do try to
diagram how some of the jumps go. They also have some beginning
and intermediate routines choreographed and diagramed.
[ Most books have nothing concrete about programs, assuming that's
something that the instructor and student will work out. ]
Skating: Elegance on Ice
Howard Bass
Chartwell Books, NJ - 1980
Hardcover, 96 pages
ISBN 0-89009-341-5
1. Yesteryears
2. New Ice Age
3. Figures
4. Team Work
5. Artistic Presentation
6. Pair Skaters
7. Ice Dancers
8. Olympics
9. Theatre on Ice
10. Medalists
This book provides a general history of skating, with color
illustrations of more recent events/stars. While this crop of
skaters is mostly retired, it's interesting to see pictures of
some of the current commentators and public figures in earlier
phases of their careers.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ice Skating
Mark Heller
Paddigton Press/Grosset & Dunlap - 1979
Hardcover, 220 pages
ISBN 0-448-22427-5
While somewhat dated, this book provides a reasonably complete
general overview of all aspects of ice skating. Of special
interest are the section on non-hockey skating games, a list of
world/Olympic (but not US national) champions, and a tri-lingual
glossary of skating terms.
Figure Skating
Dianne Deleeuw with Steve Lehrman
Athenum, NY, 1978
Hardcover, 168 Pages, $8.95
ISBN 0-689-10820-6
This book provides a good introduction to basic skating skills
including figures and freestyle. It is a bit more comprehensive
than Ogilvie's book, but lacks the simple step-by-step lesson
outline.
Enjoying skating
the Diagram Group
Paddington Press/Grosset & Dunlap, New York - 1978
Trade Paperback, 160 pages
1. Introduction
2. Figure Skating
3. Figure Skating on Rollers
4. Speed Skating
5. Games on Skates
6. Skateboarding
7. Fitness on Skates
I mention this book only because it's one of the few currently in print.
Apparently it's one of a series of sports books by the Diagram Group,
which uses little schematic figures to illustrate the action involved.
While the book covers Roller Skating, Ice Skating and Hockey, and isn't
actively bad, I didn't find it at all useful.
Singles Figure Skating (for Beginners and Champions)
Dr. Josef Dedic
ISU/Olympia, Prague - 1974
Hardcover, 240 pages
[ Sandra Loosemore <loosemore-san...@cs.yale.edu> ]
This is an ISU sponsored book written by a Dr. J. Dedic, who was a
Czech judge. It was published in 1973 and therefore has a lot of
stuff about compulsory figures, but otherwise it's quite similar in
content and format to the Petkevitch book. There are stop-frame
picture sequences of everything (including Gordie McKellan doing a
triple axel), and Dedic makes many of the same points about the true
rotations of various jumps, and such like. The book also includes
some interesting historical material about the development of modern
jumping technique around the time of WWII, and comparisons of pre-war
and post-war skating styles. He also lists the technical elements
from some championship programs in the early 1970s, which you can
compare to what you see today.
[ j...@jpl.nasa.gov ]
I have a copy of the Dedic book and have read it. It's not too
bad, all in all, but the English is a little hard to read and it
goes into minor technical physics details for no good reason, which
will scare away most skaters. I don't remember if I learned anything
from it. If you'd like a full review, I suppose I can reread it
sometime.
Basic Ice Skating Skills
Robert Ogilvie
USFSA/Lippencott, 1968
Hardcover/Trade Paperback, 176 page
ISBN 0-397-00518-0 (Hardcover)
0-397-00519-9 (Paperback)
[ may be available through USFSA ]
I. Before You Skate
1. Preliminary Questions
2. Equipment
II. Fundamentals
3. First Objectives
4. You Learn to Stroke
5. A Turn and a Curve on wo Feet
6. Basic Stops and Terminology
7. Key Positions; Forward Edges and Crossovers
8. A Three Turn and a Mohawk
9. Consecutive Forward Edges
10. The Waltz Three and Drop Mohawk
11. Back Outside Edges and a Change of Edge
III. Basic Free Style
13. A Spin, a Jump, and a Spiral
14. Fast Drop Mohawk and Waltz Jump
15. Toe Loop Jump, Inside Pivot, and Outside Spiral
16. Mazurka and Salchow
17. One-foot Spin, Back Outside Pivot, and Step
18. Loop Jump, back Inside Pivot, and Step
IV. Basic Dance Movements
19. Forward Outside Swing Rolls, Chasse and Progressive
20. Slide Chasse, Back Outside Swing Rolls, Cross Roll
21. Back Chasse and Progressive, Closed Drop Mohawk
22. Open and Closed Mohawks; Dance Positions
23. Three Dances
V. A Basic Figure
24. how to skate a Figure Eight
This book address a more basic level than the Petkevich book and
can be used as either an "about skating" book or as a progressive
lesson guide for the USFSA or ISIA basic skating test programs.
The book limits itself to the moves that the skater is likely to
learn without extensive coaching. It includes a fair amount of
material on the moves needed for dance.
Skating For Beginners
Barbara Ann Scott and Michael Kirby
Knopf, NY - 1953
Hardcover, 156 pages
Skate with Me
Barbara Ann Scott
Doubleday & Company Inc, NY - 1950
Hardcover, 159 pages
Primer of Figure Skating
Maribel Y. Vinson
McGraw-Hill/Whittlesey House - 1938
Hardcover, 182 pages
Advanced Figure Skating
Maribel Y. Vinson
McGraw-Hill/Whittlesey House - 1940
The Fun of Figure Skating
Maribel Vinson Owen
Harper & Row, NY - 1960
Hardcover, 168 pages
Instant Skating
Dick Button
Grosset & Dunlap, NY - 1964
Trade Paperback, 64 pages, $1.95
I'll mention these books briefly, since they are "classics" and seem
to pop up regularly in small libraries and used bookstores. They're
actually reasonably good books, the problem is that they don't really
contain anything not found in newer books, the illustrations are
marginal or absurdly dated, and mentions of "contemporary" skaters,
events and styles are largely irrelevant. There also exists a
primarily auto-biograhphical work by Dick Button, but other than
pictures of a younger, handsome looking follow, this contains little
of current value.
The Art of Skating
Irving Brokaw
Spalding/Scribners, NY - 1910, 1928
Hardcover/Paperback
[ Sandra Loosemore <loosemore-san...@cs.yale.edu> ]
This is one of Spalding's old "Athletic Handbooks" series and appears
to be a slight revision of a book originally published in 1910. Most
of the pictures certainly date from the pre-WWI era, anyway. (There
is a picture of Ulrich Salchow doing figures while nattily attired
in checkered knickers, and various ladies skating very sedately in
corsets, long skirts, and large hats, with the illuminating comment
that "no woman can skate in a hobble skirt".) It talks about free
skating mostly in terms of making tracings of intricate figures on the
ice and has very little to say about jumps and spins. The book is no
doubt totally worthless as a technical reference, but it does have
some entertainment value.
Skateology
Sidney Broadbent
Privately Published
[danielg...@aol.com (DanielG551)]
The definitive resource on ice blade design is a manual called
Skateology, written by Sidney Broadbent. (He also engineers and
markets advanced blade-sharpening machines.)
The manual may be purchased via mail order from Rainbo Sports, or
by contacting Broadbent directly:
Sidney Broadbent
Ice Skate Conditioning Equipment Co.
5265 W. Quarles Dr.
Littleton, CO 80123
Platoro Press Books
Platoro press press is a small press that seems to be specializing
mostly in reprints ice skating books, including works translated from
Russian. The also sell videos, photographs and the infamous Skate
Spinner. Be warned that some of their publications are re-prints of
dated material, which may be more useful from a historical perspective
than for instructional purposes.
The following material is from their current (10/94) advertisment. They
do not accept credit cards, just US bank personal checks, international
money orders and AMEX Travellers Checks. Prices do include postage and
multi-book discount are availalable
Platoro Press
4481 Floyd Drive
Columbus, OH 43232
614-837-0003 (leave message)
Figure Skating History: The Evolution of Dance on Ice; Lynn C. Graves; $35
o 415 8-1/2 x 11 pages, 16-page color insert
o Complete history - Olympics, Worlds, Nationals, results
o Hundreds of photos, illustrations, with anecdotes, controversy
o To date sold in 18 countries - a must have book
[ reviewed above...]
Ice Skating Fundamentals; Marilyn Grace House; $25
o Illustrations, photos, basics for learners
Get the Edge: Sport Psychology for Figure Skaters; $30
o Set goals, control nerves, self-arouse, relax, image
o Used by skaters, coaches, parents - it works!
How Sport Psychology Can Make You a Champion; $18
o Think like a champion - overcome mental mistakes
o Turn stress into strength - psych up, not out
Symphony on Ice: The Protopopovs; A. Shelukhin; $12
o First Russian Olympic Pair Champions - how they trained
o Philosophy of innovation with 33 photos
Key to Rythmic Ice Dancing; Muriel Kay; $20
o Lessons on 21 compulsory dances - in-depth analysis
o Basics and higher skills in one book
Origins of Ice Dance Music; Muriel Kay; $12
o Roots of 11 rhythms used in ice dancing
o Essential for coaches, skaters, judges
Complete Manual of Ice Dance Patterns; Jeff Lerner; $35
o 400+ pages, 152 huge, easy-to-read patterns
o Ideas for free, pairs footwork, ice show dances for groups
[ reviewed above...]
Secrets of Soviet Skaters: Off-Ice Training Methods; T Moskvina (upcoming)
Figure Skating: The Pages of History; R. Chubrik (upcoming)
Patterns of Russian Ice Dance; Y. Tchaikovskaya (upcoming)
Biographical Works of Interest:
Full Circle: an autobiography
Dan Jansen with Jack McCallum
Villiard/Random House, NY - 1994
Hardcover, 215 pages, $21.50
ISBN 0-679-43801-7
This is an autobiography of Dan Jansen which covers his ice speed
skating career in some detail, including both his early olympic
dissapointments and recent success.
Torvill and Dean: Fire on Ice
Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean with Neil Wilson
Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London - 1994
Hardcover, ? pages, Cdn$24.95
ISBN 0-297-83415-0
Karen Duncan <kdun...@cc.umanitoba.ca>
Much to my surprise, I found a new ice skating book yesterday
and thought others here might be interested. It's a coffee table
book on and by T&D covering their career from 1975 through the
1994 Olympics. There isn't very much text but there are *lots*
of glossy pictures.
Kurt: Forcing the Edge
Kurt Browning with Neil Stevens
Harper-Collins, Toronto - 1991
Hardcover, 195 pages
Kurt Browning is a prominent contemporary Canadian figure skater.
Thumbs Up! The Elizabeth Manley Story
Elizabeth Manley With Elva Clairmont Oglanby
McMillan-Canada, Toronto - 1990
Hardcover, 224 pages
Liz Manley is a prominent contemporary Canadian figure skater.
Orser: A Skaters Life
Brian Orser with Steve Milton
Key-Porter, Toronto - 1988
Hardcover, 214 pages
Brian Orser is a prominent contemporary Canadian figure skater.
Queen of Ice, Queen of Shadows: the Unsuspected life of Sonja Henie
Raymond Strait
Stein & Day, NY - 1985
Hardcover, 339 pages
This book attempts a independent retrospective of Sonja Henie's
skating and entertainment career. it's been a while since I
scanned a copy, but the points of controversy seemed to be Henie's
domination of the pre-war ice skating scene and her unfortunate
flirtation with Hitler's Aryan "racial superiority" propaganda
machine.
Scott Hamilton, A behind the Scenes Look at the Life and Competitive Times
of America's Favorite Figure Skater - an Unauthorized Biography
Micheal Steere
St. Martins, NY - 1985
Hardcover, 347 pages, $17.95
ISBN 0-312-70449-6
This book seems to be more in the line of a journalist trying to
write a celebrity/sports figure biography about a local figure
than a biography of a skater. There is much ado about Scott's
personal problems and tribulations, but overall the work seems
trivial and doesn't give any particular insight into either the
subject or the world of skating, not to mention that a lot has
happened with Scott in the last ten years...
Skating for Gold: the Intimate Life Story of Scott Hamilton
Michael Steere
St. Martin's Press, New York - 1984
Hardcover?
I have no idea how this relates to Steere's other book on Scott Hamilton
also published by St. Martin's just a year later...
Torvill and Dean
Jayne Torvill with John Hennessy
St. Martins, New York - 1983
Hardcover, 208 pages
Jayne Torvill and Chris Dean are one of the best known English
ice dance teams. They added a new element of showmanship and drama
to the event and broke a 12-year domination by classical ballet
oriented USSR teams.
John Curry
Keith Money
Alfred A. Knopf, NY - 1978
Hardcover, 224 pages, $17.50
ISBN 0-394-50134-9
[ also a prior UK edition ]
The first third of this book is an illustrated skating and personal
autobiography of John Curry up through his last amateur season, the
remainder is a narrative and photo essay on his "Theater of Skating".
The autobiography is frank, and while not overly detailed gives
good insight into the thoughts and concerns of a top level skater.
The second part is unique to any skating book - it details the
ideas behind Curry's "Theater of Skating", an attempt to form a
new systhesis of theater, dance and skating, and the photo essay
provides a detailed pictorial study of an individual skater.
While there no forced attempt to capture motion, there are often
several related shots intended to show a sequence or alternative
presentation of a move or concept.
While it's not clear whether you would want to consider the images
art per se, they certainly transcend any common notion of photo-
journalism. See also Money's book on Nureyev & Fonteyn for more
in this line.
Natalie Dunn: World Roller Skating Champion
Gloria D. Miklowitz
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York - 1979
Hardcover, 147 pages
A biography of a three-time world champion roller skater who
began skating at the age of two and competing at six. Teen
or juvenile oriented.
[ litln...@slumberland.com (Wendi Dunlap) ]
It is definitely youth-oriented, but has a lot of photos of
Natalie's career and of specific skating moves so it is worth
looking at.
On Thin Ice
Henry Jelinek Jr. and Ann Pinchot
Prentice-Hall, NJ - 1965
Hardcover, 169 pages
The Jelineks were a Czech family who emigrated from just pre-war
Czechoslovkia to Canada. Otto and Marie Jelinek skated competitively
for Canada and went on to win the World's Pairs title in Prague in
1962. This book probably covers their skating career with attention
to the questionable reception the expatriates might receive in cold
war era Czechoslovkia.
Skate with Me
Barbara Ann Scott
Doubleday & Company Inc, NY - 1950
Hardcover, 159 pages
The first two-thirds of this book combines an autobiography of
Barbara Ann Scott with general skating advice and opinions. The
remainder is a brief introduction to figures and a few words about
free skating. The biographical material is clearly written with
the edification of young skaters in mind, but still contains enough
meat to be of interest to the adult reader. The problem is that
this book was written in 1950 to cover the previous decade, making
the references and some of the attitudes expressed a bit dated.
Dick Button on Skates
Dick Button
Prentice-Hall, NJ - 1955
Hardcover, 217 pages, $3.95
[ Sandra Loosemore <loosemore-san...@cs.yale.edu> ]
This is a gossipy autobiography which covers Button's years as a
competitive skater. It includes a few chapters where Button argues
for decreasing emphasis on compulsory figures, reducing excessive
restrictions on amateur status, and making judges more accountable
for their decisions - all of which have happened in the years since
he wrote the book. The book also contains some material about skating
technique that's mostly of interest for historical perspective.
Wings on My Feet
Sonja Henie
Prentice-Hall, NJ - 1940
Hardcover, 177 pages
This is Henie's autobiography, written several years after she
had retired from amateur skating in favor of a show skating and
movie career. See the 1985 Strait biography for a more complete
career picture.
Irrelevant non-skating Books:
How to play the piano, despite years of lessons;
What music is and how to make it at home
Ward Cannel and Fred Marx
Crown & Bridge, NJ - 1976
Trade Paperback, 240 pages, $17.95
ISBN 0-385-14263-3 (trade) 0-385-14262-5 (hardcover)
There are a vast number of books that purport to teach you how to
make music or play the xyz, but this one seems to combine a clear,
refreshing approach to the basics with a considerable level of
detail and insite into the practicalities of performance/perception.
Note that the primary thrust of the book is to explain to keyboard
players how to generate accompaniment to basic tunes, but in so
doing, it also manages to expose the various layers and skeletons
beneath the music as commonly performed.
I'm not going to suggest that a little bit of music theory is good
for everyone, but while some folks "got rhythm" the rest of us
have to work at it. In particular, if you get into Ice or Roller
Dance it will be to your advantage to understand the underlying
order in the music and how to extract your timing and expression
cues from the beat - especially in more complex orchestrated works
where the basic Om-pah-pah takes an ocasional vacation.
How To Dance Forever - Surviving Against the Odds
Daniel Nagrin
William Morrow and Co, New York, 1988
Trade Paperback, 367 pages, $14.95
ISBN 0-688-07479-0
I. The Dancers Day
II. Diet
III. Danger
IV. Healers and Treatments
V. Questions Asking to be Researched
VI. The Heart-Mind of the Dancer
VII. Tricks
VIII. The Survivors Speak
IX. The Youth Conspiracy
X. More
This is a book about life and health for the performance dancer
that has quite a bit to say that applies directly to either the
adult skater that has skating as being a secondary activity or
to the skater considering a career. The focus is on maximizing
the life-time value of your skating career - using your body
safely and wisely, and getting the best return on your investment
of time and risk.
The attitude is refereshing but thoughtful, for example a section
title "who am I, and how do I get off writing this book" explains
just that. The approach is generally inquiring and holistic, not
in the sense of pressing crank solutions, but rather raising key
questions, discussing some of the alternatives and pointing out
where there is conflicting opinion, answers that have changed over
time or a need for research.
The Magic of Dance
Margot Fonteyn
Knopf, New York, 1979
Hardcover, 326 pages
ISBN 0-394-50778-9
Dance Magical
Dance Universal
Dance Experimental
Dance Imperial
Dance Aerial
Dance Mythological
Dance Traditional
This book provides an execellent overview of performance dance -
ballet, modern, etc. - from a reasonably contemporary perspective.
I found the first sections most interesting - Dance Universal and
Dance Experimental, in that they provide a framework to understand
the importance and roles of dancers and concepts that I'd heard
of but, really couldn't really place in any useful context.
Even though not intended as a "coffe table" book, some of the
photography reproduced is awesome, artistically speaking, elsewhere
it provides documentary images that help fix persons, constumes and
dance positions in context. It also provides precedent for the
various aspects of that have wandered over in to skating, be it
the Oksana's Swan Lake headdress or Curry's faun costume.
Dance With the Music: The World of the Ballet Musician
Elizabeth Sawyer
Cambridge University Press, New York, 1985
Trade Paperback, 364 Pages
ISBN 0-521-31925-0
I. The Art: Perspectives
1. Introduction: the situation
2. The relationship of movement and music
3. Music for ballet: stepchild, despot or helpmeet?
II. The Practice: In the Studio
4. The contribution of the accompanist
5. Teachers and schools
6. Selection of music 1 - Theoretical: rhythm
7. Selection of music 2 - Esthetic: style and quality
8. Selection of music 3 - Practical: three combinations
9. Performance: musician and dancer
10. Improvisation 1 - Some basic principles
11. Improvisatoin 2 - Renaissance-rock excursion
12. Rehearsal and real life
Appendix A. The dancers impediment:
An excercise in imagination for the musician
Appendix B. Books particularly recommended
Whether you consider skating a degeneate form of Dance, with
a limited vocabulary of demanding words, or a form of athletic
motion, conveniently paced via music, it's hard to deny some
relation to dance and musical accompaniment. This book is
written from the perspective of a musician who provides live
"music on demand" for ballet classes, practice and rehersals,
the object being to provide a rhythm, melodey and mood to
enable the dancers to implement the instructors excercises
or directions.
Reading this book is a bit like eavedropping on a conversation
that might be about you, at times it all seems unlikely and your
attention wanders, at others you're jerked back by some reference
or common context. The detachment from ballet per se manages to
avoid an direct concentration on Dance and making it easier to
consider the concepts as they might also apply to skating. An
example - attributed to Fokine: "Ballet should be expressive
rather than exhibitionistic, with music integral to its organic
unity" - surely this esthetic has dread application to skating.
The Pointe Book - Success through Technique
Janice Barringer
Princeton Books, New Jersey, 1990
Trade Paperback, 193 pages, $16.95
ISBN 0-87127-150-8
While we usually associate "Ballet" with images of ballarinas in
tutus, prancing or spinning on their toes, tutus are now period
costumes and toe or pointe work is only a small but visible part of
the overall art. By focusing on this limited area, this book
threatens an inversion of priorities or such specialization that it
might offer little to the skater. On the contrary, it points out
the need for more contemporary technical literature on the equipment
and training aspects of skating.
I find some interesting parallels in that this form of dance requires
specialized, even custom shoes, which require breaking in, sometimes
modification, have a finite lifetime and while providing necessary
support, fall short of protecting the foot from injury. Also, the
pointe work often takes the form form of short, higher energy output
"programs" within the overall presentation.
The first part of the book covers the anatomy of the foot and how the
pointe shoe works with the foot to allow relatively safe, extended
dancing on the toes. There's some discussion of shoe construction,
manufacturers and how the dancer customizes their shoes during the
break-in process. Other chapters deal with training, foot injuries
and fitness, followed by some brief commentary from dancers about
their own shoe preferences and techniques.
The Dancers Body Book
Allegra Kent with J & C Cammer
Quill/Morrow, New York, 1984
Trade Paperback, 220 pages, $12.00
ISBN 0688-01539-5
This book deals with physical fitness, primarily for professional
or would-be professional ballet dancers. A large part of the book
focuses on dieting, a controversial neccesity to maintain the body
contours required for preformance dance, but the presentation is
fairly comprehensive with attention to nutrition, fitness and dietary
disicpline, not simply calorie counting and starvation.
The remainder of the book address broader issues of fitness and
excercise and the treatment of and recovery from injuries in an
enviroment that requires maintaining fitness and activity during
the recovery period.
The Complete Guide to Disco Dancing
Karen Lustgarten
Warner Books, New York, 1978
Trade Paperback, 127 pages, $4.95
ISBN 0-446-87943-6
[ out of print ]
Disco dance is a fad that intersected with roller skating back in
the late 70's and early 80's and has never quite gone away, since
"dance" music, with a clearly defined beat, be it march, ballroom
or disco fuels public skating sessions everywhere. This book is
clearly written, comprehensive and well illustrated. The approach
is a progressive, step-by-step learn and learn by doing. Companion
books deal with slow/ballroom dance and aerobic/excercise dance.
The Official Guide to Disco Steps
Jack Villari and Kathleen Sims Villari
Chartwell Books, New Jersey - 1978
Hardcover, 115 pages
ISBN 0-89009-259-1
[ out of print ]
This book covers similar territory to the Lustgarten book, but with a
more detailed and analytical approach. Particularly interesting to
the skater are the chapters on isolations, excercises and basic steps.
Night Dancin'
Vita Miezitis and Bill Bernstein
Ballantine Books, New York - 1980
Trade Paperback, 220 pages, $9.95
ISBN 0-345-28649-9
A strange excercise in urban archeology, this book is a contemporary
exploration of New York's trendy disco's at the peak of the disco era.
Nominally a guidebook, it dips fairly deeply into the journalistic
mode, asking why a club is there, who goes, why and what they like -
in effect becoming a documentary of a bygone era.
Byegone in the sense that of 30 clubs detailed only a few are more
than memories, and those are the ones that weren't just "discos" -
The Cotton Club, The Roseland Ballroom and the Empire Roller Disco,
for example.
The latter is really what get the book in here - there's about
11 pages of text and pictures of the roller disco scene at the
Empire and Metropolis clubs, mostly individual/small group shots
of just-us-folks.
A Social History of the Bicycle
Robert A. Smith
American Heritage Press/McGraw-Hill, NY - 1972
Hardcover, 269 pages
ISBN 0-70-058457-6
[ try a city/university library ]
While one often assumes that in-line skaters have a basic right
to share the road with other users, this book details the battle
that early cyclists had earn a place on the roads of the day and
the role that their political action group (League of American
Wheelman) played in sponsoring road improvements, bike paths and
mapping. While the first cycle boom was largely subsumed by the
advent of the trolley car and then the personal automobile, latter
cycling and road skating booms took advantage of the foundations
laid in this earlier era. Also notable are perspectives on thes
boom/bust cycles in popular athletic/health/transportation fads
and the roles played by promoters, manufacturers, and racing/record
setting professionals. Another area deals with the propriety and
physical abilitles of woman cyclist and with the clothing, equipment
compromises and social adaptations entailed.
Mental Toughness Training For Sports: Achieving Athletic Excellence
James E. Loehr
Penguin/Plume Books - 1986
Trade Paperback, 190 pages, $11.00.
ISBN-0-452-26795-1
[Jane Harrison <harri...@mcz.harvard.edu>]
I am applying [this book] to my career as a professional musician,
since we experience the same sorts of "performance anxieties" as
athletes and though I am not a competitive skater, I know lots of
you are and might find this book helpful for keeping cool under
pressure.
I'm only halfway through it at the moment, but it seems to really
have some good techniques for keeping your energy "positive" rather
than "negative" when you are performing.
- the End -
========================================================================
Copyright Notice:
This material is Copyright 1994-1996 by George Robbins. Rights to reproduce
or distribute via on-line services offering general usenet or internet access
is freely granted, provided that such services do not impose contractural or
copyright restrictions upon further free reproduction or re-distribution of
the material, and that this copyright notice remains intact and visible. All
other rights are reserved, contact George Robbins (g...@tharsis.com) regarding
permissions.
--
George Robbins - not working for, work: to be avoided at all costs...
but still emotionally attached to: uucp: ...!uunet!tharsis.com!grr
Commodore, Engineering Department domain: g...@tharsis.com
