Ice Skating: Steps To Sucess

Description: This is a guide to ice skating which shows beginners and recreational skaters the fundamental skills of the sport. The author, seven-times Swiss National Champion, shares with readers the steps she and her students learned to become competitive skaters. The 11 steps progress from basic to intermediate skills, and illustrations show the proper form and technique of skating. The book shows how to attain the posture and control required for basic skills; the standard methods of gaining forward and backward speed; four different methods of stopping; how to fall properly and get up easily; how to change direction without loss of control; and how to control the skate edges in order to prepare for advanced manoeuvres, such as jumps, spins and footwork.

Review: ""With the help of Karin Kunzle-Watson and Stephen J. DeArmond, thousands of people who never skated before can now find their way in this beautiful, though technically difficult, sport. Read it and try it, have fun, get your body physically involved and your mind mentally working. Have this book with you on every practice.""Tamara Moskvina, PhDOlympic figure skating coach ""This book has a lot to offer someone who wants to learn the basics of ice skating.""Brian BoitanoFive-time Professional World Champion, Two-time World Champion, Gold Medalist, 1988 Olympics

Author Biography: Karin Kunzle-Watson, one of the world's most prominent ice skating instructors, began her amateur and professional skating career at the age of 6. A former champion at the novice and junior levels, Karin earned seven Swiss national senior titles during her career. She has also placed in many international competitions, including seven European championships, five World championships, and one Olympic appearance. She is one of the few people in the world to have passed Gold Tests (qualifying tests for competition at the highest levels) in all areas of skating--singles, pairs, and dance.Karin is also an accomplished instructor, having been School Director and Head Professional at the Skating School of St. Gervais and Megeve (France) and School Director of the Skating School of San Mateo (U.S.). She presently travels internationally to attend her students' competitions, to teach, and to conduct skating and coaching seminars. Her students consistently rank highly in national and international competitions.Stephen J. DeArmond, MD, PhD, began ice skating at the age of 47 because he wanted a high-energy, low-impact exercise that was enjoyable enough to do several times weekly. Karin Kunzle-Watson's approach to basics helped him to become an accomplished recreational skater. Stephen helped Karin organize her lessons into five basic principles--the foundation of this book--and directed the illustration and photography. Stephen is a Professor of Neuropathology and Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, with special research interests in the effects of aging on the central nervous system and skeletal muscle. In this book, DeArmond shares insights on the health benefits of ice skating, especially to improve both strength and coordination, as well as information on the causes and prevention of injuries. Stephen is the author and illustrator of Structure of the Human Brain, a best-selling textbook of neuroanatomy.