The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-02-22
LEARNING TO SKATE SIX. III

| should be good. Choose skates that are
exactly the length of the foot, not those
(which have theiron cut of an inch with
in the heel. The iron should extend
backward to the extreme edge OF the
heel, and heeorners should be rounded.
Pay attention to the depth of the blade.
| for it is desirable that the foot be as
near the ice as possible. and yet neces-
| sary to have it so high that, in leaning
over. the edge of the sole should not
touch the ice. AS to the fastenings,
there are many modes e ,ually good; the
main point is to see that the skate is SO
perfectly secured to the foot that it can
not move in the least, and the impor-
lance of this cannot be overrated. ANY
fastening that aids in supporting the
| ankle is good.
! Now let us suppose that you have
donned your skates. At first you will
have enough to do to prevent them run
ming away with you. SO begin by at
tempting, as gently. as you like, and
with the very shortest steps you can
take, to walk upon the ice. After a
little practice you will find yourself in
stinctiyely striking out little. 1t is
then time 70 learn the first movement,
which is called forward striking, or
running, and is done in this way: The
toes are turned out so that the ieet arc
nearly at right angles with each other;
the position is important, because it is
only thus you can obtain pushing power
From that position each foot is lifted
alternately, and set down on the inside
edge, when it Immediately slides for
ward, all the more readily since the 9TH
er foot (feld alright angles) can bear
against the ice without slid ng. Perfect.
regularity in stepping from foot to foot
| is essential. nos teft8 TfEfiEz
/ When you can tine your strokes
evenly, and gain the necessary impetus,
i.you may occasionally vary the proceed
! ingS by bringing your feet together,
and running ii that way fora consider
able distance. In this, which is called
| the serpentine." the feet are placed
parallel, instead OF at right angles. and
they remain parallel throughout tho
movement. Ii you would learn it east
ly, take few strokes forward to gain
force, and then bring the feet parallel,
but well apart, keeping the knees bent,
and while going along in this manner
try to make the. line wavy by turning
both feet at once without lifting thehnJ
in the standardization, say to the right,
swinging the body with them; then
| both to the left, with swing to that
| side. and so on. ,hH Ut
The common backward motion on
both feet is exactly the same as the
serpentinel' except that it is back
ward instead of forward. To learn
| this backward motion take few
strokes forward, then spin quite round,
and while the impetus lasts turn the
fright toe inward, and push yourself
back from that foot; then turn the LETT
one inward, pushing from it, and so on
| alternately, leaning forward all the
time. Practice will, make + it easy not
merely to keep up the first impetus,
but to increase il. and, even to begin il
without any forward strokes. 81
How delightful is the swift motion!
| Exnlting in your growing confidence
and in the progress already made, and
feeling that you are at length attaining
| your wish and becoming indeed
skater, it is crushing at this juncture TO
be told by some friendly proficient that
you are only at the threshold Of the art,
since you know nothing yet of moving
on the outside edge. Moving on the
outside edge! Itsounds alarming.
lake courage; it is really not so for
midable as it seems, and moreover,
4 there are few difficulties, YOU know,
which do not van sh before perseverance.
| The first thing you have to do in
| order to get yourself on the outside
edge is to endeavor to skate round in a
I circle, as large a circle as you please at
first. but to ,befgraduallY reduced as you
/ improve. as you lift each foot for the
next stroke try to cross it in front quite
over the other and set it down then
| the other in front of that, and so on al
ternately. Now. as the iron always
circles toward the. side on which it
/ rests, it follows that the foot nearest
the inside of the circle must work; on
the outside edge of the iron. Conse-
I quently your object will be to dwell as
| long as you can on that foot, and as
briefly as you can on the other, which
works on the inside edge. The foot
that is behind must be kept behind nm
til it is to be set down in front; it must
not be carried in the air in front for an
4 instant. qs..tf;Ff
1t is scarcely necessary to remind
/ you again that the left foot must be sex-
| ercised equally with the right In fact.
| it is good rule IN this and all figures
to give thelas double practice. So
after skating with the right foot to the
| inside of the circle, go OFF in the oppo-
site direction, and make,sa, circle with
! the left foot to t @ inside of it. Some
difficulty is sure to be experienced IN
] putting down the'foot quite. across the
other; but diligent practice will soon
/ repay you with the discovery that you
can dwell for fewyards on the outside
| edge, and perhaps-keeping the raised
4 foot well back in the mean time-near-
ly complete the circle. 40
After this is accomplished you NAV
congratulate yourself on having become
q skillful skater. If you wish to learn
| figure skating, however, yon have much
work still before you The key to it is
being able to turn rapidly from one
edge, Of the skate to the other, but
long and arduous practice will be re-
CURED before the graceful !. grape
vine twist and other figures can be
EaecessfallY accomplished Written