Skating technique: Back Pivots

For the "Skating technique" I'm following the ISI levels, I started with the beginner classes and I progress in difficulty. The Back Pivot (on an outside or inside edge) is part of Freestyle 3. I think is usually done just in the direction of the spinning, that's CCW for most skaters.  And as level of difficulty, it is an intermediate skill .

The Back Right Outside Pivot it's done from a Right Back Outside Edge.

I learned it from a Right Forward Inside 3-turn (so Right Inside edge, turn and finish on an Right Back Outside edge. The 3-turn is checked with the Left hand and shoulder in front but if the back edge continues the Left hand will go back and the Right hand forward).
- as you ride Right back outside edge (Left hand back and Right hand forward), the back will be align with the circle you make with your edge, in other words will be over the circle
- you bring the free foot (Left) to the ankle of the right foot and then back into the circle
- transfer the weight between the legs (50-50) while you put the Left toe pick in the ice
- bend strongly into the right ankle, turn out the right foot
- have the right heal "drive" pull forward or lead with the right heal, push inside of the heal out
- I vaguely remember you have to hold the thighs together (I'm not doing it in the video)
- you need 1.5 revolutions, I've just red that, I thought was just one full revolution, so I'll have to work on it.

Here is mine:

And here is the Back Pivot done after a forward spin finished in a landing position so on a Right Back Outside Edge. On the first example, I had the weight more on the right foot so it made the pivot stop. The second one is a little better but it could be hold longer. I had this spin finished with the back pivot at the end of my program.

And I found an example of back pivot on youtube, not concentrating on the technique for the pivot but using the pivot to work on the alignment for the back outside edge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qYDV7DHF64

The Back Left Inside Pivot could start from moving bacwards but also from standing.
-the left hand is hold forward and the left laterally
- you plant the toe pick from the right foot in the ice and transfer the weight on the right foot, on a bent knee while moving the left arm laterally, to start the rotation
- on the same time the left foot presses into the ice to start the rotation and then keeps pressing into ice

The back inside pivot it's used to start the back spin.

The concept of Power in Figure Skating

I test both MITF and Ice Dancing at the standard requirements, as kids test them. My goal was to get to skate likeas the kids do. I didn't know the name for "it", I just knew that adult skaters looked shy and kids were going for "it". This "it" is called power.

As I said in the previous posts,  I tested Preliminary MITF  first on June 2017, and got a "retry" and I tried again and passed on October 2017. The only reason given for the retry was "lack of power" on 2 elements. There are adult versions of the tests with slightly different elements and requirements. The biggest difference is the power expected. So were the standard test requires "power", the adult test requires "flow".

I've tried very hard to figure out what "power" means. Ballet dancers famously require lots of power to be able to do what they do, but then, they have to look gracious, like it's actually easy. In skating,  while learning the power concept, the instructions are to be aggressive, attack, push, sell it, pretend to be (overly) confident. When preparing to take again MITF test that I didn't pass, I was telling my coach that I literally don't understand the concept.

It just happened that I was just talking with a skating friend and she was saying that the skating culture sometimes develops aggressive personalities. And I've recently been bothered by few episodes of aggressive behavior on ice. And I'm wondering if it's partly because of the words used to ask for power. I'm still trying to figure out what power means, and I don't think is aggressiveness.

They may not be the best words to describe it,  but I think power in skating is controlled speed (holding the extensions and tension in the body and the speed will all increase while one progresses in skills). And I think it comes from 2  different places.  
The first one is technique, that gives the control:
- alignment over edges. Knowing the points of balance going forward (back of your foot arch) and backward (front part of your foot arch). And how to lean to maintain the edges.
- posture and core engagement
- pressures into ice. Not once I heard about pressing into ice ore bend your ankles as a beginner. I heard bend your knees. You actually use the knee as a piston to push into the ice and the ankle to grab and hold that pressure.
- edges: correct lean of the body and speed that maintain the edges
- tension in the whole body helped by holding the extensions and pointing the toes
 -my coach's advice on how to work on things to progress is to approach it from 2 sides and go back and forth between them
1. work on technique at comfortable speed
2. do the same elements with more speed over your comfort level

The second one is speed (exuberant speed - the love for skating) I feel seeing power in skating is like seeing a wild horse running. I definitely don't see them being aggressive.

On the other hand sports are competitions and one needs to be aggressive or assertive to compete, but that's another story. Maybe the teaching to compete should be separated from the teaching of skating technique.

Mid month updates

I feel this is gonna be a ramble... apologies.

I was invited to join our club board for the next 3 seasons. The voting would have been next month but it would have been a formality. I accepted and then removed my interest. I've got to read lots of the club documents and participated in a introductory meeting. I didn't like what I saw. The club was historically a social ice dancing club and it's run by the same people. They run it in a friendly manner, holding one board meeting per year and not checking on each other and not updating their scope and mission. The think is that now, from the 200 members of the club, 150 are junior members (under 18) interested in testing, 30 members are parents and coaches and 20 are the good old ice dancers. The club offers 5 testing sessions per year (far from enough) but has an ice dance session each week, that losses big money. Practically the junior members sponsor the ice dance sessions... Because the treasurer was on vacation, nobody was able to explain the financial statements to me. It looks like they never analyze them as a board. They don't know how much money they are losing... Plus there is a total luck of transparency in everything related to the club. And they didn't even seem to realize that this is not how things should be done. And they seemed set to continue doing them as they always did them... Well, I lost lots of time, energy and it seems I upset few people.

With the idea that I'll be involved with the board I helped with the last testing session. There were many interesting things catching my attention but  I'll mention  just 2. I saw 3 Pre-juvenile MITF tests (the ones that I'm gonna test next) and I guessed right that 2 passed and one didn't. The one that didn't did everything right but with no power. It looked not confident. I think that's gonna help me for my test.

The second thing worth mentioning is that I've met the judges. There wasn't a long discussion, but as I mentioned I wanted to be more involved in the skating world (like volunteering for that test sessions), one of them said that there is a big need for judges and I should become a trial judge. There were two trial judges present at that sessions and 3 judges. I don't totally understand the process quite yet but the idea is that you are registered with the USFSA to be a trial judge and you go and judge tests that then get send by the test chair together with copies from the real judges test forms to a judge that is your mentor. The mentor judge explains the trial judge the right ways of judging and keeps track of the trial judge progress. There are many requirements to be completed (classes, numbers of test sessions attended, numbers of tests judged, percentage of tests judged similarly with the real judge and more...).

And the most important thing, my skating! Skating... is good. I'm working almost exclusively at Pre-juvenile MITF. It's kind of decided that I'll test on end of June, but today my coach will sign the application, that will make it real.

Skating technique: Forward Crossovers

The Forward Crossovers are taught in the very first sessions of group lessons under ISI curriculum. A Crossovers has 2 strokes on edges, an outside one, then the free foot comes from behind and crosses over the skating foot and gets on an inside edge while the skating foot pushes.

I don't remember much from the beginning instruction. We surely started with CCW, the more comfortable direction for most of us and that is Left Stroke on Outside Edge then cross with the Right Leg on Inside Edge. I don't think we were instructed to stroke on a LO edge, we may have been just gliding on 2 feet. We were asked to pick up the right foot and to put it over the left one. We were instructed to try by the boards and even off ice with and without the skates on. I understand now that the reason to start with picking up the right foot is to transfer the weight completely over the left one before stepping on the right one. In time that will allow to lean towards the left (into the circle). Next step would have been to understand that we follow a circle and learn to twist the upper body towards the circle, look towards the center of the circle and have the arms right hand forward, left hand back. And we would have been asked to try the other side.
Here is an instructional video I like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cyvQ_vPdgA

Now for the real forward crossovers (let's still talk about CCW):
1.You start by bending, pressing into ice and pushing (read the Forward Stroking and push post) on a LFO edge with strong knee bend, with the upper body twisted facing the inside of the circle but not so much that the arms are over the circle lines (the front arm is a little outside of the circle and the back am a little inside the circle) and looking towards the inside of the circle, the free leg goes 45 degrees laterally not back (to maintain the edge and also it will be easier to bring it forward to cross), pointed tow, straight knee,
- the weight on the blade for both feet, as for al forward skating is an the back of you arch foot.
- press into the ice
- the body alignment is as if the neck zipper is over the skating foot and you feel the weight on left front ribs
- the left hip shouldn't stick out
- back hand higher
- bend the knee and ankle so the knees forms a 90 degree angle
- LEAN! 
- hold the extension for 2 counts
- a good exercise that allows you to concentrate on all these points is chasses on a circle as here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXFAjcVYOME&t=57s
2. Swipe the free (right) leg forward over the left and set it on an inside edge
- under push  with the left foot from the back arch of your foot laterally outside the circle, not back, I thought the toe is pointed pointed but in the first video I shared he asks to flex the foot but to stretch the leg.
- push forward the opposite side of the rib cage, so the right side here
- allow the left hip to go under the right hip
- hold for 2 counts
- bring the foot near the skating foot and repeat
And here is the ice dancers Oleg and Kseniya  instruction on crossovers, with even more tips. The only difference I see from my coach's instruction, is that they rise (bounce) between strokes, my coach wants me to keep the same level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNedknuKF9g&t=179s

Exercise summer group class 7/19/2018. On all 5 circles...
- stay on outside edge and pumps (half swizzles)
- stay on inside edge after one crossover and under pump
- stay on outside edge and push and hold extension for 3 counts
- crossovers

Crossovers are a basic skating skill that even good skater work on continuously to maintain and improve. My CW crossovers are still weaker then the CCW because I lean forward and I loose the right point of balance on the blade, so I keep paying attention to that. I also push the back shoulder forward as shown in the first video to not do... Another realization I would share is that a coach instruction at one point in time will be different from another time. At each point the coach teaches what the skater needs. The instruction would differ from one skater to another at the same level from the same coach, as the coach would customize the instruction. And obviously different coaches tech different techniques and use different words.

I'm not getting corrections on crossovers at the point I'm at. That means that they are good for my level. But after I'll pass the Pre-Juvenile MITF test and I'll work on the Juvenile (equivalent with adult Gold), surely I'll get new instruction as power crossovers on a spiral pattern will be a requirement for that test.

Dec 2020: I've asked for corrections as I felt that my under push is week, it felt like it was sliding from under me. The correction was to start pressing into that edge while the free leg comes around from being extended after the initial push. Then, for training purpose, I should hold the under push as long as the push, so let's say 2 counts and 2 counts... Also, I was skating those with the upper body square to the circle, as the ice dancing chasses and progressives. So I got the correction to really put the back arm back... that also helps with the posture. Also, I was asked to lean more into the circle.

My rink ice show and Stars on Ice show

I participated this year again in the "teen and adult" group number at my ice rink. After 4 weeks of 1 hour learning choreography, we had an 3 hours technical rehearsal last Tuesday  and a 4 hours dress rehearsal on Thursday when all groups also took professional pictures. The preparation up to the rehearsals is soo draining but then, the actual show is fun.

We had a show on Friday evening, Saturday evening and one Sunday afternoon. This year we were a group of 15 with levels ranging from Beta to FS4. The adult group coach joins the number each year for a quick trick. This years there were 2 instructors on ice with us going full speed and in full performance mode. It was confusing and at points scary. I didn't enjoy it much. Saturday one of the beginners (teenager) fell badly close to the end of the number and didn't get up and didn't exit with us. She came in the locker room wailing after 5 minutes and she continued wailing for other 10 until her mom came and calm her down. It seems she fell on the sit bone. It was very painful to watch her crying. I blame it on her being choreographed over her skating level. I already had planned and told the group on Friday that I had to miss the Sunday performance.

What I didn't tell them is that I was going see the Stars on Ice show! So let me tell you about everybody.

My biggest surprise was to see Meryl Davis having tons of fun. When she was competing she was always serious. She and Charlie White were lovely as usually.

The Shibs were also in the show and I'm happy to report that they had serious Twizzles in both programs. This tells me that they keep working at them to be ready to come back competing. I'm very happy about that. I love all skates but of course i do have favorites. And from ice dancers they are one of my favorites.

Madison Hubble and her partner were also there and they look strong and fit as ever.

being spoiled with so many ice dancers I was worried that I wouldn't find the Freestyle skaters so interesting and "good" skaters. But it's fantastic how good all the freestyle skaters skating skills looked even side by side with the ice dancers.

From Ladies Ashley Wagner was her flirty self. Bradie Tennel looked like she is working hard in looking more polish. She performed her expo and her long competitive program, Romeo and Juliet. And Mirai Nagasu was my favorite for her choice of music and interpretation of her programs.

Jason Brown also performed of his competitive program and looked damn good. Jeremy Abbot rounded up the group with lovely, artistic, delicate and introvert programs.

That put me in such a good mood and I couldn't wait to skate again myself!

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

MITF: Last month I skated Monday, Wednesday, Friday on my own and I had my lessons on Thursday. The plan was to push the MITF to hopefully have Pre-Juvenile ready for testing for June. And that's what I did.  Each day I started with the moves and I stayed with them as long as the ice wasn't too crowded and I wasn't too tired. And every single minute in my lessons was about the moves. A miracle has happen! My coach doesn't ask for more power at this point. He still adjusted the inside edge after the back crossovers, I'm missing something there. The 3-turns are quite ok. The backward power pulls on one of the sides (the hurt hip one)  is not on committed edges. He readjusted the initial push on the circle eight and the inside circle hips alignment. On the 5 step Mohawk he keeps asking to look up. And he adds new corrections (over what's necessary for this test). Like on the intro steps that are not judged, to hold the extension on the Mohawk second edge, bring feet together at ankle and start with a  power wide step. I said, "You never asked me that before", he said "Because you couldn't do it before". As we put in new corrections I mess up some things but there is still enough time until the test to be able to bring everything back together.

Then I did Freestyle, spins and jumps:
- Forward Scratch Spin, I'm trying to put more oomph into it. I had during  last year a handful of them that felt quite fantastic, but I wasn't be able to identify what made them better and repeat that. Now I'm starting to get it. Firstly it cannot be done without a strong pressed entrance edge. But then, it's all in the swipe of the free leg around, it's the confidence (tension, stretch, speed) of it and also I try to stop the foot more forward then latterly (as my coach instructed).
- the Back Spin was getting consistent few months ago, but as I stopped working at it consistently when I worked intensely at my Freestyle program, it stopped being consistent. I think I'm also going into it faster then before. So, when I don't abort at the entrance, it goes quite well, but then again, I cannot try the entrance 2 times in a program to get it right. The last instruction from my coach was few moths ago and was just to keep at it and don't go fast. But I really think it's time for updated instruction.
- The Sit Spin... I enter it  just 2 out of 3 tries, then from those entered I get into the position on 1 out of 3 (basically I don't bring the free foot forward enough). And those that happen, are far away from a sitting position. But some days are better then others, so there is definitely hope.
- Waltz Jump. I'm trying to do it from entering with more speed and make it higher. I'll do it in the ice show, 2 or 3 in a row...
- Salchow I do just a couple here and there because my left ankle still feels tight
- the Loop. I've worked on it last time last summer, but just in the group lessons, and it was going consistently 3/4 rotated, occasionally fully rotated. Now it's between 1/2 and 3/4. I've realized recently that before jumping I had my weight on both feet, so maybe working on keeping the weight on the right foot and hip will help...
- the program I did just once a week and without music. I wanted to present it at my rink competition but it seems to be lots of obstacles. The competition is ISI and even if I was tested in my group classes up to FS4, it seems that I have to be re tested and put into the system, starting with Alpha! Alpha trough Delta is pass/retry, but then they need a score for each element. The coaches run the tests and I understand that if they coach you day by day they can fill up the papers. My regular coach is not registered with ISI so he cannot test me. So whoever would test me, would need to see the elements, at least from Fs1 and up. And I think it would take few sessions to get trough everything. Also, the rink asks the coach who enters a student in the competition, to make themselves available for judging. I think it's hard to ask somebody that's not my permanent coach to ruin their weekend, unless I find a coach that already has students in the competition willing to enter me too... The other thing is that the competition is mid June and my MITF test would be a week away towards the end of June and I'm afraid not to get distracted in preparation for the test. And the deadline to enter the competition is May 5...

Ice Dancing I did rarely, at the end, with tired legs. My coach said to not let it go completely, but I'm worrying that I do more harm then good.

The ice show rehearsals go as I expected, unexciting. I think I've outgrown this shows.

The ballet goes so well. It is funny how I'm fighting the turn out (that I do have) because I'm used to keep my feet parallel from skating.

For next month: This first week of the month is weird with the ice show taking over the ice time. But for the rest of the month, the plan is the same: push the moves, keep working at Freestyle and don't let go of Ice Dancing.