Skating Books

[lutefisk]

In this day and age of websites and youtube videos I still find myself enjoying the sensation of holding an actual book in my hands.  Having said that, there is a very limited selection of good books which address freestyle, pairs, ice dance, figures, etc. with any real depth.  My favorites are Robert S. Ogilvie's "Basic Ice Skating Skills" (this was the textbook used when I took skating lessons at Univ. of Delaware back in the mid-1970s via my student activity fee); Karin Kunzle-Watsons' "Ice Skating Steps to Success"; Carole Shulman's "The Complete Book of Figure Skating".

Any recommendations beyond these three? 

[Query]

I've liked the ISI "Skaters and Coaches Manual" and the USFSA "Basic Skills Instructor's Manual", as well as the instructional DVDs that both organizations both offer. The ISI manual is available to any ISI member, and becoming an ISI member is fairly cheap, and you probably know some ISI members anyway.

But I think the newest USFSA Basic Skills Instructor's manual isn't as complete in the descriptions of skills as the older ones were. Instead of describing what proper technique is for many of the skills, it says to use "proper technique". You also have to be associated as an instructor with a USFSA Basic Skills program to get it. (I got one as a volunteer instructor - they "registered" us with the USFSA).

I think the reduction in detail corresponds to USFSA's delegation of teaching to the PSA. Last I checked, the PSA on-line materials were very good. But expensive, and last I knew, you need to be associated with a USFSA coaching program to get them. That may have changed, though. BTW the Basic Skills manual doesn't have the highest level skills.

The ISU also produces a series of teaching videos that are very good, but a little expensive. Anyone can buy them.

Maybe Youtube is replacing a lot of these things.

[lutefisk]

I do have a copy of the 2012 ISI handbook.  While it gives insight about the aspects of grading a student during testing and preparing skaters for competition, etc. it falls woefully short in the description of most of the elements required for any of the ISI skating levels.  I would be interested in learning which editions of the older USFSA handbooks have the best instructional content.  Knowing that, I'll keep an eye open for a used copy.

[Query]

I think most of the USFSA handbook omissions occurred this skating season, together with the format change.

Ogilvie's book was great, but it is pretty old. For example, I think the forward skating method taught there, in which both skates move along the same straight line, accomplished by rotating the body which each stroke, has been almost entirely replaced by skating along alternate diagonals, with much less body rotation. I'm sure a lot of other things have changed.

I met Ogilvie about a decade ago in a Baltimore area rink. He said that copies of his book (actually he wrote several figure skating books) had circulated throughout the Soviet figure skating community, without paying him royalties, to his great displeasure. I guess that means it was influential in other parts of the world too.

You can find a bunch of old skating manuals from around the beginning of the 20th century at Google books. Many are very well written, but they are even more out of date.

BTW, I also enjoyed reading Kristi Yamaguchi's "Figure Skating for Dummies" and Michelle Kwan's book on figure skating too. But I haven't read any of the more recent books. I think the most knowledgeable people now - coaches and judges - don't want their books to replace coaches, so they limit how much information they put in the books.

But let someone else talk, who actually knows something about skating. I just try, very imperfectly.

[4711]

Have you checked the Gutenberg Project?
I have come across some rather odd publications, free to use, etc.

[Rachelsk8s]

One of the best books, in my opinion, is the sports illustrated figure skating book by John Misha Petkevich. I got it when I was a kid and I honestly am not sure which unpacked box it is currently in now lol but it is jammed packed with freestyle elements. Talking about this is motivating me to find it

[lutefisk]

One of the best books, in my opinion, is the sports illustrated figure skating book by John Misha Petkevich. I got it when I was a kid and I honestly am not sure which unpacked box it is currently in now lol but it is jammed packed with freestyle elements. Talking about this is motivating me to find it

Thanks for the tip.  I've seen that book on flea-bay.  I'll snap up a copy the next time I see one at an agreeable bid price.

[Query]

You may also find used copies at Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. I just saw one for $5 plus shipping.

I think you need the ISI DVD to understand the ISI manual, and the USFSA Basic Skills DVD to understand the USFSA manual, to resolve various ambiguities about which foot does what when.

Unfortunately, those DVDs only demonstrate the skills at a minimum passing level, but I don't know what is better.

In contrast, the ISU videos generally show the skills done at a high standard. Their problem is that they say almost nothing about how to make the body perform as required.

The figure skating world is oriented towards being taught by a good coach, rather than self-study. Most of the books are written by people who very carefully avoid competing too much with coaches.

[AgnesNitt]

I have most of the books mentioned, including some that few have heard of. ("I can teach you to figure skate" by Tina Noyes for example."The Skating Manual", a self published rarity. )

As possibly the most non-natural skater on the board, I've found books only instructive to refine my skills not teach me new ones. 

I do wish Slavka Kohout Button would write a book. I heard her interview on the ManleyWoman podcast and her comments about how the lack of figures has made people work against the flow of skating. It was a throw away comment that really intrigued me.

[Rachelsk8s]

Thanks for the tip.  I've seen that book on flea-bay.  I'll snap up a copy the next time I see one at an agreeable bid price.

Glad I could help!! I definitely think it's a very useful book hope you enjoy it!!

[lutefisk]

The figure skating world is oriented towards being taught by a good coach, rather than self-study.

Yes, and that's a pity.  I like having both coaches and books.  Coaches are great for verbal and demonstrational instruction, but sometimes I find that a well written description of a skill can help clarify what a coach has been attempting to convey for ages.  A book is another voice--one that you can consult and think about at a slow pace, over and over if need be.  Not only that, books are great sleep inducers.  I seem to barely read a half dozen pages at night...

[xoxo_tw]

I have this:
http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Skating-School-Professionally-Structured/dp/155209166X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392020107&sr=8-2&keywords=figure+skate+school

Full of great color photos, and instructional illustrations. 

[lutefisk]

Thanks xoxo.  This also looks like an interesting read.  One small gripe I have with all these books is that they invariably start off with a review of the history of the sport starting with the invention of the ice skate by cave dwellers, and then rake the coals over the subject of equipment (a moving target which pretty much guarantees that those comments are out of date before the book gets printed).  It's kinda like google map always starting off by having you back out of your own driveway!  After that, however, one finally gets to the actual meat of subject--the skating techniques which, like ice, are more or less timeless. I've ordered a copy of Petkevich's book and will likewise track down a copy of your recommendation.  Thanks again for the input.

[fsk8r]

If you're after basic technique for edges and turns, a lot of the books written in the late 19th Century (1880 onwards) give very clear explanations for these things. And given the era they were written in, they were designed for self study.
Some of the other descriptions about clothing and skates are slightly dated, but some of the comments are fairly timeless (like needing to put hours of practice in at ungodly hours of the day).

[lutefisk]

I have most of the books mentioned, including some that few have heard of. ("I can teach you to figure skate" by Tina Noyes for example."The Skating Manual", a self published rarity. )

AgnesNitt:  Tina's book seems easily obtainable.  A bit of serendipity may be required in order to track down a copy of Kenny Isely's "The Skating Manual".

Thanks for the recommendations.

[Query]

Some of them, like the Sports Illustrated book, and the Dummy's book, are probably in a local library. So you take a quick look-see.

Why don't you write a book?  Put it on the web for free

Actually, there are a few Internet sources already.

(E.g., some of these links are out of date: http://mgrunes.com/mybookmark.html#ska )

[lutefisk]

Query:  That's a massive list!  Thanks.

[Query]

One of the best books, in my opinion, is the sports illustrated figure skating book by John Misha Petkevich.

I just looked at this book again, on spins.

I think the book is mostly very well written. But it has a minor issue that will only be a problem for physics geeks. The author uses physics terms, like "center of gravity" and "angular momentum", a lot. But he doesn't use the conventional physics definitions.

It is quite common for textbook to define its own definitions - even the most common physics textbooks have some variation of terms and conventions, but the terms he uses are pretty well standardized.

He was a great skater, and his way of thinking must have worked for him, and might work for you. But if you have, you may find it easiest to internally remap the physics terms to other terms.

For example, he says that while you are doing a well centered spin, your "center of gravity" is on the ice, and you have no "angular momentum".

In conventional physics definitions, if you conceptually divide your body into tiny pieces of equal weight, their average position would be your center of gravity - so your center of gravity is somewhere in the middle of your body, and is not on the ice.

So, you could remap his "center of gravity" to something physically undefined, like "support point", to avoid a conflict between definitions.

Likewise, he effectively defines "angular momentum" as the sideways force from the ice on your blade created as you skate on edge, which is more properly known as the "centripetal force". So when he says that you have no angular momentum while doing a well centered spin, he means that the blade follows a circle because you are spinning, not because of the force of the blade from the ice - i.e., he doesn't press sideways against his blade while in such a spin.

But in conventional physics, angular momentum is a complicated measure of your amount of spin, which means you do have angular momentum while in a well centered spin.

So, if you correctly remap his "angular momentum" to "centripetal force" or to a physically undefined term like "side force", there will be no confusion.

(BTW, centripetal force from your blade is the force that creates your angular momentum. And you can have net spin without net angular momentum, if one part of your body turns one way while another part turns the opposite way - like the motion cats use to right themselves while falling  - but not while you are holding a rigid pose.)
 
Like I already said, physics term definition issues are only significant for physics geeks, and need not concern the rest of you.