Book Description
In Ice Skating: Steps to Success, Karin Künzle-Watson—nine-time Swiss National Champion, former Professional World Champion, and one of skating's best instructors—shares the learning sequence that she and many of her students used to become elite skaters. Karin's unique insights along with over 300 detailed illustrations make this guide your best source for learning proper form and technique.

The 50 drills in the book come with performance goals and a list of key points to remember when performing each of them, and many of them include instructions for increasing or decreasing their level of difficulty.

Part of the highly popular Steps to Success Activity Series, this book will help improve your skating knowledge and performance on your way to becoming a confident and capable skater. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

So easy to understand
This book is excellent for the beginner!I just recently started skating and take weekly group lessons.This book has helped me greatly by providing specific excercises to put into my practice sessions which in turn have made me feel like I am finally "getting" the whole concept of edges and especially the crossover maneuver.I highly recommend this book for the beginning skater.

Great introduction for beginners and intermediate skaters
Co-authored by a master teacher and her adult student (a med school prof), this first-rate book concentrates on beginning and intermediate skills. Among the things to recommend it are:

- Extremely clear writing, including clear and readable explanations of body mechanics

- Good organization: a series of lessons, each concluding with a checklist and a troubleshooting table

- Good illustrations: line drawings, made from photographs of co-author Kunzle-Watson, that clearly illustrate body and skate position for each skill

In conclusion: highly recommended!

GOOD FOR BEGINNERS...
I found this book to be very helpful as a beginner skater my first year. I appreciated the usefull checklist to test the basic moves. The diagrams could have been a little clearer. Other than that I would recommend thisbook for beginner figure skaters.

Easy reading, thorough, and all in all a great book!
The pictures and illustrations are fantastic. Shows step by step on how to execute beginning moves from crossovers to three turns, and mohawks. Only thing I wish it covered were some basic jumps and spins.

Truly like having your own coach!!
Even though this was published in 1995-I hope they keep this on the printing press hotlist. This book is one of the most worthwhile books of it's genre. It's not just informative,explaining techniques(though it doesthat,too)It offers a highly structure program that can adjust according toyour ability and proficiancy.It focus's on the basics that many skaterssorely need but lack nowdays. Amust have! ... Read more

Book Description

To be the best on the rink, skaters must spend endless hours strengthening and conditioning their bodies off the ice to build strength for the rigors of their performances. Illustrative and technical, yet user-friendly, Conditioning for Figure Skating provides detailed coverage of the physical preparation necessary for Preliminary through Senior-Elite skaters while concentrating on all disciplines of figure skating, including singles, pairs, and ice dance. More than 300 photos illustrate proper warm-up drills, flexibility stretches, cooldown routines, strength training exercises, jump and plyometric training programs, and endurance conditioning exercises for on-ice injury prevention. A periodization plan also helps skaters maximize their training potential.

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Information
A wealth of information that is hard to find elsewhere.After reading from cover to cover, I handed it over to my daughters coach and together we developed an off ice training regimen that suits her skill level and reflects her goals. Definite improvement in sucessful jumps completed noticed right away.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is serious about ice skating.

Great book for skaters of all levels and age
I highly recommend this book. It details off-ice conditioning programs for singles, pairs, or dance and skaters of all ages and skill levels. Strength training, effective warm-up and cool down, plyometric, and other off-ice conditioning programs are detailed, as well as effectively improving your muscular and cardiovascular conditioning on ice. The only negative to this book is the photos and text explaining some of the moves - they could be a bit more descriptive.
A great book from a very qualified author. These programs will yield great results on the ice if you put the time and effort in to conditioning.

Must have books for competitive skaters in differnt levels
This is a wonderful book that provides both in-depth analysis of why off ice training is critical to a successful skater and step by step off ice strength and conditioning manual.It totally changed my view of ice skating.It helps my daughter to train smarter.Highly recommend. ... Read more

Amazon.com
After watching a figure-skating performance, do you ever wonder what just happened on the ice? The skater supposedly executed a flawless double Salchow and triple Lutz, among other things, and then the judges posted a bunch of numbers. Maybe you need help from the Dummies. Written by 1992 Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi (with a foreword by Scott Hamilton), Figure Skating for Dummies is a primer for spectators and would-be skaters alike. Learn the lingo, understand the judging practice, and--if you're really committed--embark on a practical training schedule in hopes of performing your own double-toe loops and triple axels.Book Description
Twirl andspin your way into the artistic and high-precision world of figure skating with none other than Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist and former amateur winner of thirteen titles, including two consecutive World Championships. Whether you love skating around the rink or you're a fan of the sport and never miss a live or televised skating event, Kristi Yamaguchi's Figure Skating For Dummies covers all the important topics, including Finding the right equipment (from boots to skates) that fits your budget Selecting a practice rink and choosing a choreographer to compose movements to enhance your performances Picking a great coach and getting the most from your lessons Discovering the lowdown on the secret world of figure skating judges; what they look for in a performance and how they themselves qualify to be judges Deciphering what those scores mean and how a 5.5 score can beat a 5.8 scoreFinding out the requirements for passing each test offered by the U.S. Figure Skating AssociationBest of all, Figure Skating For Dummies gives you the inside scoop about ways to improve and enhance your performance, and even lets you in on Kristi's personal conditioning program -- the one she used to win the Gold Medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

The best FS book I've read
I wasted a lot of money on figure skating books prior to buying this one.This book includes everything you need to know if you are a skating parent or are new to figure skating.A lot of books either speak to you as though you are an idiot or they are too advanced.This book is just right and packs EVERYTHING you could ever want to know about FS into an easy-to-read and enjoyable format.Buy this one first, you won't need to waste your money on other books.

Awesome book!Very well written by a champ!
This book was not only extremely informative but it was written with a fun, light tone that made reading enjoyable.Everything was very user friendly and never, at any given time, was I slightly confused or bored.Great book for skaters (because secrets are revealed) and non-skaters (who always wondered about the names of things, how certain moves are done, etc.).

Dummies?
The title might just as well be "Ice skating for aspiring professionals."In any case, a wonderful book about skating, well written and clear.I saw the chart on the Axel and thought, "Oh!It's just a waltz jump with a full turn at the end.Wow!I can do that!"Fortunately, I haven't attempted that yet. I'd have to be a dummy to try.Knees are nice. (BTW I'm well over 13 y.o.)

Good reading, although the judging system has changed
This is a great book for fans of the sport, but especially those armchair fans who know nothing about the elements but want to appreciate the finer points of this lovely sport. An explanation of the jumps and spins, plus how a program is put together and an overview of the rules, make this an entertaining and useful tool.

Figure Skating For Dummies
I am a skater my self and This book has helped me to lear how to do my jumps and spins better.If you like skating and want to lear how to skate, or if you are just starting I would recommed theis book.It tells you how to chose the righ skate for you and It tells you how to do jump and spins.Its a verry good book all aobut skating from some one who has been skating their hole life. ... Read more

Book Description
Fweeeet! Skate session's over--everyone off the ice!Eric and Cam have lost the key to their locker--it's up to Cam to find it before their parents discover it's gone. With a click and a blink, Cam Jansen's amazing memory will have Eric and Cam out of their skates and back in their sneakers in no time. With short sentences, plenty of repetition, and lots of clues, beginning readers will solve this easy-to-read mystery right along with young Cam. David A. Adler, the author of more than 100 books for children, lives in Woodmere, New York. Susanna Natti lives in Bedford, Massachusetts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

good for transition
I home school my son, he's a struggling reader.The Young Cam Jansen series has proven to be wonderful for the transition to books with smaller type face and more words per page. He's feeling successful and loves to help solve the mystery as he reads them.
The series has good pictures that relate well to the written text.And the text is well done in short sentences.There are some challenging words here and there, but my son is so engrossed is the story he tries his darndest to sound the word out. As they say nothing suceeds like success.

Cam Jansen is one of the Best Kid Detectives I've ever read
You have to love Cam Jansen.When you're a kid, you read all of these stories about magic powers, mystery, and adventure.But everyone tells you magic can't exist.Cam Jansen manages to solve every case without the use of magic... she's a real girl.That's what makes her special and what makes you want to red more and more.Cam Jansen is a real kid superhero, and the thought that a person like her could actually exist... makes her the best kid detective ever!The Ice-Skate Mystery is one of the best in the Young Cam series.

my daughter loves Cam Jansen
While my daughter, age 3 1/2, is younger than the targeted readers of this series, she has loved Cam Jansen since she was 2.These stories are wonderfully written and illustrated and they encourage children to think.My daughter has red hair and brown eyes just like Cam, and now she wants to have long hair like Cam.I highly recommend all of the Cam Jansen books.

Not just for Early Readers
...We have most of the Young Cam Jansen paperbacks and recommend them unreservedly for other read-along parents, especially parents of young girls. Less-than-ideal personalities, personal conflicts and misunderstandings are all presented, WITH good resolutions, character modeling, and handling of sticky situations.

The main character is a self-confident, intelligent thinker and investigator, with a boy as her best friend. Not exactly typical, and not for ultraconservative parents who think that only boys should use their minds and have adventures.

One particularly nice aspect is that most of the stories take place outside of a public-school setting, recognizing that most discovery and meaningful social interactions take place outside of that institution -- a point not lost on homeschooling-minded parents. The one public-school setting (see the "Lost Tooth" mystery) is in the Art class, where creativity and fun are the dominant theme.

Get and read the Young Cam Jansen series!....

great book for first graders
This is a great book for your first grader to step up to the next level with. This book is perfect for catching your young scolars intrest in reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent Book
I got this book for my daughter and myself.We are both beginner skaters, my daughter has just turned 7.I found this book to be extremely helpful for the beginner.I found some very good advise on warm up exercises as well as what to look for in skates and correct body positions on skates.It is very easy to read and understand, although I have done the reading.I am sure we will both benefit from the information.There is also information for the intermediate level and advance level skater which I am sure we will benefit from once we get to that level.I highly reccommend this book.

Great book for kids
This book is fantastic for KIDS,but as a skating PARENT, I preferred FS for Dummies.

A classic; a fountain of practical and interesting info
Every skating parent should buy this book - even before you buy skates. You will refer to it again and again, as will the developing skater of any age. Rikki Samuels is a fountain of useful information, and she has written it down to make a book we have needed for a long time. There is helpful advice for every sapect of skating, from how to lace your boots to how to choose a coach and beyond. I have seen my skating friends young and old devouring it like a rich (organic!) chocolate cake. :) ... Read more

Book Description
How does someone turn ice into gold? They skate with the beauty, grace, and power of a champion. Features Dorothy Hamill, Sarah Hughes, Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, and many other skating champions. ... Read more

Book Description
Angelina is planning a New Year’s Eve ice dance for everyone in Mouseland. All of her friends are taking part—even little cousin Henry. But two big boys from school keep interrupting their rehearsals. When a giant snowball fight breaks out, Angelina is sure the dance will be ruined. Will she find a way to make the show a success? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Charming
In this next book in the Angelina Ballerina series, Angelina prepares for the New Year's Eve Ice Dance. It's a lovely pageant, but she repeatedly finds her practice interrupted by Spike and Sammy, two boys from the school. When she complains to her mother, Mrs. Mouseling explains that the two boys just want her attention. And so, Angelina forms a plan to include the two boys...

Once again, I must say that Katherine Holabird sure knows how to write a wonderful story. I liked the lesson of the book, and my daughter and I both loved Helen Craig's illustrations. We highly recommend this book to you.

Angelina Ice Skates
I fell in love with Angelina when I was young and the first book came out.I recently read Angelina Ice Skates and loved it as I did all the others.The Angelina books all teach a lesson, yet put the characters in situations that real children could end up in.In Angelina Ice Skates, Angelina and her friends are having trouble with some of the boys at the rink.Hermother gives her some advice and all works out in the end.The perfectlength for a bedtime story, I would recommend this book for all children'slibraries, especially little girls who want to be ballerinas. ... Read more

Book Description
Gain the inside edge on winning competitive events! In Artistry on Ice: Figure Skating Skills and Style, former Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan shares the knowledge she has gained from years of performing at the highest levels of the sport.

Artistry on Ice: Figure Skating Skills and Style gives you an in-depth look at advanced techniques for jumps, spins, and freestyle moves in addition to body alignment and refining footwork, music, and expression. It shows you what it takes to excel from the perspective of one of figure skating's champions.

Four chapters are devoted solely to competition, covering the music, choreography, costumes, and other elements to create the ultimate performance. Also included are renowned trainer Igor Burdenko's insights on physical preparation for powerful and fluid skating.

From triumphs over personal tragedy to her superb performance under pressure in the 2000 Goodwill Games, Kerrigan prevailed against many challenges during her 20-year career. Now she teams with former competitive figure skater and professional instructor Mary Spencer to share the insight that will take your skating to the top. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Resource for Skaters!
Nancy Kerrigan, two-time Olympic medalist, has written a book for skaters full of tips and advice that she has learned and used during her years as a Senior skater. Nancy states in the introduction, "Artistry on Ice is not focused on the early fundamentals...[it] is intended for intermediate to advanced skaters...and includes tips for sharpening their competitive skills". However, even beginners will benefit from the many tips and land and water excercises featured in the book to develop strength for skating. This book features clear instructions and full-color photographs covering nearly every aspect of intermediate and advanced skating, including all kinds of jumps, spins, essential skills like spread eagles and spirals, competition, partner skating, off-ice training, and more. Also, you will find thousands of hints and tips for performing various skating movements that have worked for Kerrigan herself. Plus, a whole section of the book is devoted to competition, covering cosutmes, music, choreography, and bringing it all together. This book is full of practical advice and will help all skaters reach for that shining star!

Insightful Guide for Figure Skaters
This book is full of useful tips for beginner and intermediate skaters. I found it to be clear and concise. The photographs illustrated specific moves well. I have been figure skating since I was a tot and am now an adult -- this book helped to clarify specific techniques which had previously been elusive. I found the chapters on other forms of skating very interesting as well. ... Read more

Book Description
The finest figure skaters in the world make their sport look so graceful and simple. Those who have tried to learn and coach figure skating know that it is not easy. In The Complete Book of Figure Skating, author Carole Shulman combines her vast experience as a former competitive skater, a Master PSA instructor, a professional figure skating judge, and the current Director of the Professional Skaters Association to cover every aspect of the sport with clarity and expertise.

Shulman describes the proper techniques for more than 100 skills, from stops, stroking skills, and freestyle moves to turns and footwork—including ice-dancing techniques, spins, jumps, and pairs skating techniques. Also included are advice and guidelines on choosing equipment, conditioning your body, and creating competition programs that will score high marks with the judges.

This book is an essential guide to participating and excelling in the sport. Whether you're a skater looking to develop your technique or an instructor seeking for innovative coaching methods, you'll find it in The Complete Book of Figure Skating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Figure Skating -
I was disappointed in the book because I wanted it for a new young figure sakter, and I was anticipating more pictures -- this book is very technical and for older skaters.

Not enough detail, some crucial typos
This is a much more visual book than Petkevich's, which has detailed verbal explanations that take a bit of effort to visualize.Unfortunately, some of the pictures in Shulman's book leave large gaps between frames, and it's hard to tell how to get from one position to the next.

There are some editorial or proofing mistakes that really hurt the book.Figure skating spins and jumps are done in one direction (counterclockwise for most, clockwise for some) that the skater chooses early-on in their training.Shulman explains this, and the fact that her directions are for counterclockwise spinners and need to be reversed by clockwise spinners.Unfortunately the picture and directions for the one-footed spin are backwards, and describe a *clockwise* entry and spin when all the other spins are written for counter-clockwise skaters.This will be very confusing for a begining skater who has no coach of their own!

In one or two other places a picture is reversed (mirror image), which again can be very confusing if you're trying to learn on your own and don't know that there's a mistake in the book.

There is a good section on modern off-ice strength training, including periodization.

Overall I'd recommend this book *in conjunction* with Petkevich's book: both have gaps that the other complements.And of course there's no substitute for a real coach!

Excellent book for both parents & skaters
I agree with previous reviews.This is an excellent book for both skaters and their parents.It not only provides detail information and graphics about each move and jump on ice, but also give a good advice on how important it is for off ice training and passion of the sport.

Great Book for Skaters
This is a great book for any figure skater! It gives you tips on moves and tells you step by step how to do them. It gives instruction on the basics, freestyle moves, spins, jumps, footwork, and pairs skating. It also gives you tips for just starting out. It highlights popular figure skaters for their specific moves (example: Lucinda Rue for her spins, Scott Hamilton for his footwork, ect.). It is a great book for any skater of any level or age.

You Need this Book!
This is one of the best books about figure skating available. It is an excellent guide for figure skaters who want to improve their skills and a good coaching reference. Many photos and step-by-step instructions provide information for learning turns and footwork, spins, jumps, freestyle moves, basic moves, and pairs. Also included in this book are information on choosing skates, warming up, types of figure skating, fitness and strength, and more. Plus, there is helpful information on choosing music and costumes for programs. This book is a wonderful, helpful reference for all figure skaters and coaches. ... Read more

Book Description
Hockey is played faster every year. Players are bigger, stronger, faster, and more skilled than ever. Those who can't maintain the pace have little chance of making it at the higher levels.

Laura Stamm's Power Skating, Third Edition will help you develop explosive speed with Stamm's proven techniques that have helped thousands of skaters at all levels of the game become great skaters. It also provides you with practice drills that will help you hone and transfer that speed to game situations.

Laura Stamm has taught the Los Angeles Kings, the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders, the New Jersey Devils, and other teams around the world have employed her Power Skating System as well. Thousands of amateur and pro players—including many NHL stars—learned directly from Stamm how to increase their speed, ability, and efficiency on the ice.

In this updated edition of her popular power skating book, Stamm introduces additional coverage of the topics most important to today's hockey coaches and players. She explains everything from how to select proper skates and equipment for superior skating to all the critical components of explosive skating:

• Balance for stability and speed
• Explosiveness through greater force application
• Starts for a step advantage on the opposition
• Forward stride for a more aggressive attack
• Backward stride for mobility on defense
• Crossovers for split-second change of direction
• Stops for being able to halt on a dime
• Turns and transitions for multi-directional moves
• Agility for maximum coverage of the ice
• Training for faster and more powerful skating

Nearly 300 drawings and photographs illustrate skating skills from the basic to the complex. And for each maneuver you'll also find a detailed explanation of how to perform the skill, plus proven drills and exercises to help you practice that maneuver. The exercises progress from the simplest to the most difficult and include special pointers for coaches.

Every great hockey player skates powerfully and is able to get in position to make the key play. Laura Stamm's Power Skating will give you that explosive edge on the competition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great book for the beginner hockey skater!
This book has helped me out tremendously! I have an instructor, when he shows me something, and i still don't understand it, i flip this book open, it gives you step by step what you should do and it usually works..

Even on things my instructor does not go over because it's for more advanced than i am currently, this book helps you understand how to at least attempt to do it, and usually it works if you do what the book says..

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is just start to play ice hockey.. it has helped me out a lot!

great book
great book but more for beginners.great drills to help build edge control

Just what I was looking for!
I was searching for a book or video that would teach me all I needed to know about skating so I could get into inline hockey. This book delivered beyond my expectations! Not only has it allowed me to get all of the basics quickly, it taught me the all important lesson of what to focus on when I'm practicing these skills. I will be using this book for many years to help me continually refine my technique. Although there are some differences between ice and inline skating, all of the techniques covered in this book relate directly.

This book is priceless!!!!!

Power Skating
This is an excellent book.I am a recreational skater, who plays the occasional pick-up/old folkshockey.I learned skating skills and techniques from some of the chapters, that I could not learn from myfriends.My skating has improved since I read Laura Stamm's Power Skating.The author really knows how to express herself and teach.Techiques aredescribed with clarity and appropriate drills are detailed.This should bebeneficial to all skaters, from novice to expert.If you are only buyingone hockey skating book, it should be this one.

An excellent book on skating!
Although I play roller hockey instead of ice hockey, this book is still an excellent resource. Very thorough explanations, illustrated with many clear photographs.

I think it is most appropriate for beginning tointermediate skaters. However, if you are an advanced skater and want tocheck that your mechanics or sound, or want to squeeze the last bit ofperformance from your technique, you should consider this book.

I can'trecomend this book highly enough. In the first week after getting it, I wasable to skate faster than many of the other people in my hockey class whohad blown me away the previous week. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Helpful for Me
I didn't know how to skate at all, and my instructor thought I didn't care, but I just didn't know the basics!This book really helped me learn to skate.

excellent book on ice skating
I didn't know ANYTHING about skating, but this book made me look good on the ice. Now I can skate, stop, do cross-overs and somebody even asked ME for advice the other day. I really recommend it to anyone getting started in skating.

Ohhhhhhhh boy!
Not the greatest guide to ice skating! There is a lot on what you should wear and look for in skates, but as far as the skating goes. . .There's practically nothing in it!But what's in it is written well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Axels, salchows, and the Dutch Roll
My sister and niece both figure skate competitively, so I figured it was time to learn something about their sport."Ice Skating" by Dan Gutman is a good beginner's book with lots of memorable quotations, although even I know that his description of a `death spiral' is incorrect:

"The couple originated the `death spiral' spin---the one in which the lady is held by her legs [sic] and spun in a wide circle so her head nearly scrapes the ice."

This book was published in 1995 and contains short biographies and color pictures of some of the skaters (mostly but not entirely American) who were popular back then, including Michelle Kwan, Christopher Bowman, Scott Hamilton, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

One of my favorite biographies is that of Dick Button, who is pictured as an earnest young man in a flying sit spin.I have always loved him for his acerbic commentary on the TV ice skating championships, but he was first and foremost a top skater, and the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating.(He also used to have a full head of hair!).I had always thought Button was famous for his spins, but he also introduced many new jumps, including the double salchow, the double loop, the double flip, the double lutz, the double axel, and the difficult triple axel (which some men still have problems performing, including the current world champion).

The author spins a sprightly history of ice skating (mainly figure skating), starting with the unfortunate Swiss skater who tumbled through a hole in the ice and drowned some time around 3000 B.C.This accident preserved for posterity the first primitive pair of bone skates ever discovered, although historians believe the people of Finland were actually the first to don skates.

"Ice Skating" is a quick, enjoyable read for those of us who would like to learn more about this graceful sport.

Figure Skating Sensation
Gutman has written a clear, concise book about figure skating.It has biographies on today's skaters, skating history and wonderful photos (both black and color).It has lists of competitions and their winners.However, you may want to read something a little more recent.But it's still a great read!

Don't bother!
I got the feeling that this book was hastily put together to cash in on the popularity of figure skating.There is an unbelievable amount ofincorrect information!Don't waste your money on this one!My recommendation for a great book to give a child on the subject of skating is "Boitano's Edge".The information in this beautiful book is accurate, inspiring and fun.

Very good info.loaded with interesting facts & trivia .
Is just as informative to adults as adolescents as both an outstanding introduction and detailed insight into figure skating.Gutman has virtually every sentence count and wastes few, if any words, in this succinct book.Touches a little of everything only to fire your interest even more.Probably best for countless engaging facts and trivia.Difficult to imagine another book on skating where you can learn any more in the same number of pages.American translation: Lots of fun to read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Less interesting than it could have been
This was ... pretty good ... but kinda like the little girl with the little curl. Where it's good it's really interesting. Where it's bad it just ... dull.Some sections the author goes into a lot of detail about skaters and events.Other sections read rather like a biblical geneology. "Jane Jones won in 1936 and Sue Smith won in 1937 and Mary Martin won in 1938 and 1939." Tell us MORE about Jane and Sue and Mary. What were their performances like? Who was the competition?

Skaters who were neither world nor olympic champions, even if their stories are interesting and they've made a major impact (i.e., Paul Wylie) barely rate a mention.

Many of the photos are posed shots rather than action photos, making it hard to picture what the events might have been like.

I did find it very interesting to read about synchronized skating and adult skating. (Having a friend who is involved in both, but knowing little about it, it was very enlightening.)

Well-written history without being sappy
This book will go over the heads of most skating fans and the author admits it.He even says that most books about figure skating fall into the category of "juvenile literature" because that's who's interested in them.

That said, it's a wonderful history of the sport - back to caveman days! - and goes into the story of things many people don't know about now, like school figures, or bat an eye at, like non-white skaters.The photos at the back are fascinating to look at because of the changes in clothing styles and the sport's transition from winter-only to year-round in the 1960s.There is also a chapter on skating teams, including foursomes, a phenomenon almost unique to Canadian skaters, with a bizarre picture of two men and two women doing a simultaneous death spiral.It looked, um, kinda kinky.The section on adult skating - competitive or not - was fun to read as well.Its participants range from late teens to seniors.

Little is said about scandals other than the infamous Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan thing, but the AIDS epidemic's impact on male skaters, a huge percentage of whom are gay, is hinted at simply because of the large number of men who died too young in the 1980s and 1990s.There is also a section on the plane crash that killed the entire 1961 U.S. skating team, their coaches, and some of their relatives, and led to the cancellation of that year's world championships and destroyed America's lead in this sport for many years afterwards.

I found it was not a book that I could just sit down and read, other than the chapters in the front, but rather looked things up in the index and went from there.

Enjoy!

Long overdue...a perfect 6.0
This is a brilliant book -- and sorely needed one for afficionados of the sport.At last -- a serious, scholarly, up-to-date history of figure skating!The book traces the history of sport (the development of skates, positions, moves, etc.) from its earliest days in the Middle Ages when skating was a practical way of getting around in Nordic countries, through the first skating clubs in Elizabethan England and its rise in popularity in the 19th century, and, especially, 19th century America.The book is well documented, with footnotes and photos of all the important figures (there's even a picture of St. Lydwina -- the Roman Catholic patroness of skaters!)It gives a descriptive accounts of figure skating moves (jumps, spins, spirals, school figures, etc.) and how they developed along with their inventors; it also focuses on innovators of the sport who may not have won any championships and the development of the scoring system.It is all-embracing in its approach describing the sport as found in Europe, the Americas and the sport's recent surge in Asia.It also includes an appendix with tables of all winners (up to the year 2005) for World, European, Olympic and various oher championships.There are photographs of every world and Olympic champion -- a nice added extra, as it helps reveal how much the sport has changed through the past century.This book is for those who are serious about the sport, follow it closely and are interested in detailed accounts of figure skating as a competitive sport with a noble history, and as entertainment -- qualities unique to skating.It's a terrific book -- and it's about time! ... Read more

Book Description
As a sport, an art, and a fitness activity, nothing quite beats figure skating for excitement, grace, beauty, or fun.Now former U.S. Champion figure skater John Misha Petkevich shows how you can find your full potential as a figure skater. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

mixed feelings
As a newbie skater, this book offers some good general info and advice as most instructional books do.
My main complaint is that the pictures are not descriptive enough to follow a sequence and, let's face it, it's tough to show movement in book form anyway.However, the other issue is that the text is hard to follow as well, if you are trying to learn about a new move.Naturally the text and the pictures make more sense when you already know the move and want to improve on it.
So, depending on your ice-skating skill level, your ability to decifer instructions and your imagination, you might say this book is skating on thin ice.

This was one of the better skating books...
This book has wonderful descriptions about just about everything in skating, except for take off technique. I dont understand why the author goes into extreme detail explaining how to do a three turn before a flip, but barley mentions how to take off into the actual jump.(This has been the case with just about every skating book I have read) Also the pictures are in black and white. The book has some very helpful tips and I think it is worth reading I just wish he would explain take off in a lot more detail.

"Excellent Instruction"
This book is excellent for both beginners learning basic figure skating techniques and more advanced skaters who want to improve their overall ability on the ice. It includes helpful advice on improving your technical ability and provides possible mistakes that may slow your progress, so you can treat this book as a sort of "coach". It also includes pictoral descriptions for executing many of the moves, which I found very helpful. However, one downside is that this book was written in 1988 so it is a little old fashioned (there's mention of compulsory figures, which have since been eliminated from competition). However, it still contains all you need to know to improve your skating and I would highly recommend this book as one of the best I have read for skating instruction for both beginners and advanced skaters alike.

If you're a skater this is for you!
This book is THE BEST!it's got everything you need to know about the jumps spins and techniques of this sport!READ IT AND YOU'LL WANT TO KEEP IT WITHIN REACH FOREVER (if you're a skater)hahano really, it's great!BUY IT!

A life-long manualfreestyle skate
This book by Misha gives the very comprehensive description to the basic spins and back spins, jumps from single rotation to multi rotational, and of course the fundamentals of skating, ie edges and stroking. The wonderful thing about this book is that Misha provided the possible faults to the failure of execution of a particular move. So one may treat this book as a 'coach'. I personally liked the illustration of the sketches of the tracing on ice and the precision that is shown by Brian Boitano featured for the jumps and spins. You get to watch a few frames of a quadruple toe loop tooA must buy for any freestyle skater in advance technique. Truly a treasure of a life-time. ... Read more

Book Description

The budding Elvis Stojko or Josee Choinard in your family will love this guide with diagrams and instruction on jumps, steps and other recommendations.

Figure Skating School is for people of all ages and abilities. Whatever your level of fitness and sporting ability, you can make great progress with this practical guide. A systematic course of instruction, it guides you from basic steps--skating forwards and backwards -- through the most advanced techniques such as double flip and triple Salchow.

Written by two professional instructors, the clear text is complemented by over 30 full-color figure illustrations. Diagrams showing correct positioning of the feet accompany each illustration, making sure you don't put the wrong foot forward.

Also includes:

• History of Figure Skating
• Guidance on clothing and equipment
• General principles of good skating
• Sections on pairs skating and ice dance

Stunning photographs of today's skating stars complete a figure skating treat for anyone interested in the sport.

Customer Reviews (9)

from one of the best
i think the book is great and i have been awarded several medals and trophies in skating. it has a good technique for beginingto professional. the best of the best!!!!!!

I wish there is a two-and-a-half star rating
Like my title says, I wish there is a two and a half star rating. I have read better skating books than this one, such as " Figure Skating For Dummies" and "The Essential Figure Skater". This book is too vague in some parts of the book and too much information in the other parts. Not a very good guide to figure skating. The beautiful pictures of famous figure skaters are the best parts of this book.

To much covered not enough info!
This book is only 128pgs and covered to much with to little info. With everything covered this book needed to be at least 300pgs. Over all worth reading.

Excellent book for illustrating skating moves!
This book provides step by step illustrations of a range of skating moves from beginners to advance. The placement of the foot patterns is easy to see with arrows to show direction. As a level one freestyle figure skater, I find that the book is missing directions on beginning movements, warmups, and preparation for jumps and spins.Advanced skaters find this book extremely helpful in learning to perform double and triple rotations in jumps and various spins. Written instructions are provided to assist skaters at all levels.

Easy to Understand
I like the ease of understanding of the various techniques involved.Explanation's good. Pictures' very helpful. ... Read more

Amazon.com
The cover photo of a swanlike Michelle Kwan sets the tone for the sweeping, beautifully illustrated volume behind it. It is as attractive as it is skillful, as balanced as it is smart, as seemingly effortless as it is hard-working. There's a helluva lot happening beneath its cool, glittery surface.

The Official Book does duty on several fronts. It offers an authoritative illustrated history of the sport; short biographies of the most influential and important skaters; lists of U.S., Olympic, and world champions in all categories; and an extensive directory of figure-skating clubs around the country. Chapters glide easily from the evolution of the skate itself to a primer--with helpful line drawings--on how to use those skates, from simple forward "stoking" to the complex jumps and spins that enthrall audiences everywhere. There's a hilarious tour of skating's changing and fickle fashions and sections that explain how skaters create routines and exactly what they are required to put into them, the rigors of actual competition (and how best to watch it), and even one on how the often mysterious judges arrive at their often mysterious scores.

As a reference book, it's useful and conclusive. As a history, it's enjoyably informative. And--most alluringly--as a celebration, it is every bit as exquisite as the sport it celebrates. --Jeff SilvermanBook Description
For little girls and boys with a dream and a new pair of skates, for millions who can't be pried away from the television when Brian Boitano performs, for anyone who wonders just how it's done, the United States Figure Skating Association presents the first full-color, official guide to figure skating -- the second most popular sport in America after pro football. Prepared with the full cooperation of the sport's national governing body -- the USFSA -- along with its experts, coaches, and archives, The Official Book of Figure Skating is the one publication every skating fan must have.

This authoritative volume celebrates all aspects of figure skating -- the speed and power, the grace and glamour, how it's done as well as who does it -- so that everyone from casual fan to beginner to budding champion can appreciate its range and beauty. Sections on history, personalities, and costumes tell the fascinating story of how skating, originating with the simple need to cross frozen water, has been transformed into a unique blend of sport, art, and entertainment. The book also reveals the experts' secrets behind choreography and conditioning, and presents dozens of skating moves described by USFSA coaches and illustrated in revealing detail. Chapters on judging and competition explain the intricacies of skating success, and some of the sport's finest athletes share memories of their greatest moments on ice. Finally, a glossary and full lists of skating champions and USFSA affiliated clubs make this book an invaluable reference for both skaters and fans.

With its authoritative and comprehensive treatment, The Official Book of Figure Skating is the final word for followers of this dazzling sport. But it is also an exceptionally beautiful volume, one with an unsurpassed visual archive. Nearly 250 photographs and images, many never before seen, have been drawn from the collection of the World Figure Skating Museum and ABC Sports. Including the most recent stars in full-color action, rare photos of the men and women who built the sport, and original commissioned drawings of figure skating's most important moves -- from the Salchow to the double Lutz -- this beautiful and definitive book is as full of artistry and excitement as figure skating itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A Comprehensive, Solid Guide To One Of The Most Popular Sports In The World Today
Some people complain that a certain book they purchased on figure skating is not "official." Well, this is about as official as you can get. Written by the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA), this book is jam-packed with everything any die-hard skating fan or any amateur skating fan could ever want to know. The Official Book Of Figure Skating scores major points with a cooler-than-ice intro by Peggy Fleming herself, then escalades into covering every topic including the very evoulution/history of figure skating into the costumes that the top figure skaters wear today. This book is for three specific people: 1. A die-hard skating fan who loves looking at glossy pictures of her favorite stars and also loves to gush and dream about meeting them 2. The serious athlete who buys the book for help and instruction with his/her's jumps and spins, physical fitness/training advice, and help with what moves he/she needs to perform in their short and long programs 3.The average person on the block who just buys the book partly because he/she is bored and partly because he/she views it as another book on the shelf to brag about and feels that he/she could benefit with SOME knowledge of figure skating. Chapter 1 is basically a comprehensive and thorough description of the history of figure skating and how it began, while Chapter 2 describes the individual personalities that made figure skating so popular and who were so instrumental in building the foundation of what it is today.
Also, weaven throughout the book are one-page profiles of some of the most prolific skaters old and new, such as Tara Lipinski and Scott Hamilton. Chapter 3 gives an outline of the skate boot itself and differentiates between "good" skates and "bad" skates. Chapter 4 tells the reader how to skate and gives slow motion sketches and instructions on every figure skating move from jumps to spins and tells you how to perfrom them. Chapter 5 is dedicated to the proper fitness and training regimen for skaters, while Chapter 6 is probably the tween skating fan's most studied chapter: Fashion in Skating. It describes in chronological order the changes in fashion from the 1900's, World War-eras, 50's,60's, 70's, and so on.
It shows the progression and the different style and changes in costumes in the decade-eras by description and pictures. Chapters 7 and 8 are basically a guide to creating the perfect routine and what moves you are required to perform in that routine while also detailing what forms of competition you can expect to see in each field. It describes the programs that are commonly seen in each category, such as ice dancing, mens, womens, and pairs, while flashing back to some legendary programs in the past, such as Kristi Yamaguchi's and Brian Orser's. Chapter 9 gives a decription of every skater's personal enemy and the system that can either make them or break them: judging.However, since this book was published in 1998, before the 2002 judging scandal, the 6.0 system has been abolished and I would recommend not reading through this chapter if you are a real skater but only reading it through for reminiscing's sake.
The last items to note are the record book and the list of USFSA figure skating clubs in the U.S. The record book is just the final statement to the reader that this book covers everything figure skating from A to Z and leaves absolutely NOTHING out by giving records of all the U.S., World, and Olympic Champions in all four categories of skating from the very beginning of each category while the list of skating clubs can be helpful if you or someone you know wants to find a USFSA club in your area to join. In conclusion, if you want to know anything about figure skating, look no further than right here. Sure, the other books with glossy photos of all the major skaters are nice and easy-on-the-eyes, but this book has the cold, hard facts on figure skating. Just as schools teach ancient to modern history in class, this book teaches the same ancient to modern history about figure skating; and I can assure you, if there was ever a "school" of figure skating, this would be the textbook.
Yup, this is truly the "Official" Book Of Figure Skating!

Great Book...but i little disapointing
I love this book...but even the important skaters only got a one page biography written about them. I think that is quite a shame, all else is great though...

Amazing Book
This is quite an amazing book! Anybody can read it! I found it in the adult section at a library but it also is a great book for young figure skaters. The best part about it is that it shows you how to do all the jumps and unique stretches. I guarantee you'll love this book within a week of reading it!

Amazing Book
This is quite an amazing book! Anybody can read it! I found it in the adult section at a library but it also is a great book for young figure skaters. The best part about it is that it shows you how to do all the jumps and unique stretches. I guarantee you'll love this book within a week of reading it!

Best Book About Figure Skating Available Today!
I'm a figure skating fan and I thoroughly love this book. Written by the U.S. Figure Skating Association, this book includes a history of figure skating, biographical sketches of famous figure skaters, how to skate, fitness, information about competition and judging, and much, much more. This book also has many beautiful, full-color photographs of figure skaters and also has instructions and clear pictures on how to perform various skating moves. This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to all figure skaters, fans, coaches, and anyone who just wants to learn more about this wonderful sport. ... Read more

Book Description

Updated to include the 2003 Worlds competition.

Today's most exciting figure skaters are spotlighted in this richly illustrated book. Combining grace, incredible athletic ability and artistic showmanship, figure stating is exhilarating and highly entertaining. Anything can happen on the ice and often does. As the fans of competitive figure skating know, beauty and danger add up to the greatest show on ice.

Figure Skating Now covers the men, the women, the pairs teams and the dance teams. This second edition covers the reigning stars such as Timothy Goebel, Sarah Hughes, and Michelle Kwan, and introduces the next generation of competitors: Brian Joubert, Sasha Cohen, the pairs team Oberta and Sokolov and many others. With biographies and statistics, Figure Skating Now is an insider's view of international figure skating at its highest levels.

Customer Reviews (8)

Wonderful Photography, That Glossy Skating Book That's Fun To Browse Through
I only have the first edition of Figure Skating Now, so if I mention some skaters that dropped off the scene around 2001, that's my solid explanation why I did. Figure Skating Now is a better buy than Icestars because of it's wonderful photography and solidly edited profile info, and, after I buy a book, my fetish is to see if the pages "smell" good, and if you're on the same page with me and my fetish, then Figure Skating Now is a top-notch book because of it's forever-glossy smell contained in it's pages. Still, you have to remember that Figure Skating Now is not an informational guide to figure skating, like The Official Guide To Figure Skating, it's simply a book with extremely nice photography, glossy pages, and well-edited if not very informative, profiles of the top skaters in the world today. In that aspect, it's simply classified as a just-so-you-know book that fans of skating, particularly female fans, will love to flip through and chant a chorus of "Ooh!s and Aah!s" about over their favorite skaters. In that sense, it is similar to Icestars, only it's edited much better.
It basically gives profiles of all the four aspects of skating (mens, womens, pairs, and ice dancing) and the top skaters in each category (examples include Evgeny Plushenko, Michelle Kwan, Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao, and Barbara Fusar Poli and Maurizio Margaglio). Some other previous skaters whose profiles were featured include Alexei Yagudin, Todd Eldridge, Sarah Hughes, Maria Butyrskaya, Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat and Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kratz-retired skaters featured in the 2001 edition, the majority who competed in the 2002 Olympics before announcing their retirement. My point is that I would get the more updated version of Figure Skating Now (the 2nd edition) just to be more updated in your knowledge of the biggest stars in figure skating. Overall, this book is fine and is worth the money if you want a glossy skating book with nice profiles of your favorite skaters, if you want a book describing the comprehensive history and knowledge of figure skating, this isn't the one to get, but it doesn't claim to be that. In fact, it succeeds extremely well at what it claims to be.

Difficult to know which edition is which
The second edition (Sept 2003) does feature Sasha Cohen and is up to date - loads of photos very good info for the new or experienced skating fan.

Good for "New" Skate Fans
This is a good introduction to the current stars of figure skating. If you have read books about skating and they have told you about recent stars then this book won't do you a lot of good. It does have a lot of good photography and does include info about some people that you don't normally find in other books. One other thing is, because it reviews figure skaters who did well in the 2001 worlds, it does not include Sasha Cohen considering she was out with an injury that season. It really depends on you if you want to get it or not. If you love reading skating books then this is a great book, but if you'd either only want to read about the champions or read about them once this isn't the book for you.

i thought i would get better
I got this book and was excited, but they wrote about such pointless stuff, its good for a quick ref i guess. They also didn't include skaters such as Sasha Cohen (:}) but oh well, don't buy it!

Great Book of knowledge
I recommend this book to anyone that wants to know the gossip on how the latest figure skaters got to where they are today. With lots of great pictures of all stars including Michelle Kwan, Sarah Huges, Irina Slutskya, Elvis Stojko, Alexei Yagudin and much much more from all around the world. ... Read more

Product Description
Spiral, spins, jumps, intricate footwork - we all marvel when figure skaters perform their Wonders on Ice. Many of us are skaters, while others prefer to watch the simple grace of the sport. Minnesotans have been figure skating for 150 years. We have built rinks, started clubs, held local, national, and world competitions, and attended ice shows such as the Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice, and Tom Collin's Champions on Ice, all with strong ties to Minnesota. Skating is a lifelong sport that can be enjoyed by the whole family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Winter Wonderland Delights of Long Ago
A delightful history, from mid 19th-century to the present, of a sport that has flourished in the state that boasts of a "thousand lakes" (that are frozen solid in Minnesota's long winter).Since the beginning of the St. Paul Winter Carnival in 1886, that city has become a favorite location for many of the historic ice shows and extravaganzas that have evolved into big-time national entertainment.Charming and often hilarious illustrations depict Minnesota skating from the 1880s.This book is fun!

What Minnesota -- and figure skating -- has to offer!
Minnesota has enjoyed ice skating and ice shows for the past 150 years. There is a particular fondness for figure skating which has led the construction of ice rinks, the founding of figure skating clubs, and an enduring enthusiasm for local, national, and world figure skating competitions. Now there is "Wonders On Ice", a superbly researched and profusely illustrated history of figure skating in Minnesota by skating enthusiast Moira F. Harris. In addition to providing an historical overview, readers will also become informed concerning the basic needs of the figure skater, skating clubs they can join, ice rinks they can visit, as well as what it's like to figure skate in front of crowds and in competitions. Of special note is the chapter on 'The Learning Curve: Teachers, Coaches, and Judges'. Enhanced with an appendix listing Minnesota State Champions, and an extensive bibliography, "Wonders On Ice" is especially recommended reading for anyone who has ever wanted to strap on a pair of ice skates and take advantage of what Minnesota -- and figure skating -- has to offer! ... Read more