Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-12-31
PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR SKATING.

very rough Ice should be avoided.
The person who for the first time attempts
to skate must not trust to a stick He NAV
make a friends hand his support, if he require
one, but that should soon be renquished, in
order to balance himself. He will probably
scramble about for half an hour or so, till he
begins to find out where the edge of his skate
is. The beginner must be fearless but not
violent, nor even in hurry. He should not
let his feet get far apart, and keep his heels
still nearer together. He must keep the ankle
of the foot on the ice quite firm not attempt
ing to gain the edge of the skate by bending
1t, because the right mode of getting to either
edge is by the inclination of the whole body in
the direction required and this inclination
should be made fearlessly and decisively
The leg which is on the ice should be kept
perfectly strait, for though the knee must be
somewhat bent at tine time of striking, it must
be straitened as quickly as possible, without
any jerk The leg which is off the ice should
also be kept strait, though not stiff, having an
easy but slight. play, the toe pointed down
wards, and the heel within from six to twelve
inches Of the other
The learner must not look down on the ice,
nor at his feet, to see how they perform. He
may at first incline his body little forward,
for safety, but hold his head up, and see where
he goes: his person erect. and his face rather
elevated than otherwise.
When once off he must bring both feet up
together, and strike again, as soon as he finds
himself steady enough, rarely allowing both
feet to be on the ice together. The position of
the arms should be easy and varied, one being
always more raised than the other-the eleva.
ton being alternate, and the change cores
ponding with that of the legs; that is, the
right arm being raised as the right leg is put
down, and vice versa, SO that the arm and the
leg of the same side may not be raised togetl-
err
The face must always be turned in the d.
recton of the line intended to be described
Hence in backward skating the head will be
inclined much ovef the shoulder; in forward
skating but slightly All sudden and violent
action must be avoided. Stopping may be
caused by slightly bending the knees, drawing
the feet together nclining the body forward,
and pressing the heels 1t may also be caused
by turning short to the right or lett-the foot
on the side to which we turn being rather
more advanced, and supporting part of the
weight
The first attempt of the beginner is to walk,
and this walk shortly becomes sliding gait,
done entirely on the inside edge of the skate.
The first impulse is to be gained by pressing
the inside edge Of one skate az ainst the ice,
and advancing with the opposite foot. To eff
feet this, the beginner must bring the feet
place the right little in advance and at right
angles with it, lean forward with the right
shoulder, at the same time move the right foot
EDWARDS and press sharply, or strike the ice
with the inside edge of the left skate, care
being taken instantly to throw the weight on
the right foot. While thus in motion the
skater must bring up the left foot nearly to a
level with the other, and may for the present
proceed a short way on both
II ..l.,o IL ,ftf e.
in its turn, bring the left shoulder forward, in
clining to that side, strike from the inside edge
of the right skate, and proceed as before.
Finally, this motion has only to be repeated
on each foot alternately, gradually keeping the
foot from which he struck longer off the ice,
Till he has gained sufficient command of him
self to keep il off altogether and is able to
strike directly from one to the other with
out at any time having them both on the
ice together This must be practsed till
he has gained some degree of firmness
and power and a command of his balance.
Thus accomplished in the rudiments of the
art, the skater may proceed to learn the for
ward roll which is the first step to figure skat-
ing. The impulse is gained in the same man.
ner as for the ordinary run l.; but to get on the
outside edge of the right foot, the moment that
foot is in motion the skater must advance the
left shoulder, throw the right arm back, look
over the right shoulder, and incline the whole
person boldly and decsiyely on that side, keep
ing the left foot suspended behind.
As he proceeds, he must bring the left foot
past the inside of the right with slight jerk,
which produces an opposing balance of the
body the right foot must quickly press, first
on the outside of the heel, then on the inside,
or its toe; the left foot must be placed down in
front before it is removed more than about
eight or ten inches from the other foot; and
by striking outside to the left, giving at the
same moment strong push with the inside of
the right toe, the skater passes from right to
left, inclning to the left side in the same man
ner as he did to the right. He then continues
to change from left to right and from right to
left, in the same manner. AT first he should
not remain long upon one leg, nor scrupe &C.
casionally 10 put the other down to assist; and
throughout he must keep himself erect, lean
ing most on the heel
Having attained this proficiency, there will
be little difficulty in describing any figure
formed by combination of circles or semi.
circles The figure 8 is a favorite among
clever skaters, and also the figure 3, both for
ward and reversed.