In the second question in Two for the Ice’s Ask the Expert series, ice dance coach and Mariposa School of Skating dance director David Islam — whose students have included current Junior Grand Prix competitors Hannah Whitley and Elliott Graham and 2010 Junior World medalists Alexandra Paul and Mitch Islam — tackles the question of training and recognizing skating skill from developmental to elite level.
Q: What are the fundamentals of strong basic skating? (And what distinguishes the skating skills of a strong senior couple from a strong novice or junior?) What should a viewer look for to identify strong basic skating? — Valerie
DAVID ISLAM: The key to just about any sport whether it be aerobic or anaerobic, athletic or aesthetic, or like figure skating, a blend of all those characteristics, is balance.
Ice dancing, in particular, requires good posture to help achieve balance. Not only does balance assist with the aesthetic we require of ice dancers, it is also key in developing power and thrust. Of course none of this happens without that phrase we hear coaches say over and over…. “bend your knees.” I use this phrase as well, but I prefer to focus more on having skaters bend their ankles. Stand up and try this: bend your knees without bending your ankles. What does that do to your posture? I guarantee that if you bend your ankles your knees will follow. Bending your ankles will allow you to achieve glide and thrust in a balanced position. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the hips. Proper alignment of the hips will improve balance and glide as well as make the stroke more efficient.
Another requirement in developing strong basic skating is an awareness of the curvature of the blade. Gliding forward and backward has two distinctly different points of contact with the ice. Once these balance points are achieved the skater can use the curvature of the blade to generate force.
As the skater is achieving speed with proper balance and alignment, they should also incorporate body lean to create edges and curves. Thinking of all these things while ‘bending and pushing’ will lead to strong basic skating.
The viewer should be looking for depth of knee and ankle bend, a stable upper body, skating on edges indicating lean, and a sense that the speed achieved is effortless. If the viewer is watching an event in person, they may even be able to listen to the quality of the skating. If you hear and see ice or snow coming off the blades, this would indicate scratchy skating.
Young teams that display these strong fundamentals will have the foundation to develop into strong senior teams who will be able to skate close together, not have a preponderance of cross-overs, display multi-directional skating, and accelerate seamlessly and effortlessly within the framework of their choreography.
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