OUTSIDE CIRCLES, BACKWARD.
Most spectacular and most applauded of all the items on my programme in
the ice ballet in “Flirting at St. Moritz,” at the Hippodrome, are the
backward outside edges or circles. Probably the very simplicity of them
adds to the effect which they create in the mind of the crowds. The
series of jumps which I make from a forward outside edge to a backward
outside edge, is nowhere near as hard as it appears. And the complete
revolution in the air which I make from one outside backward edge to the
same edge again is dependent upon the accuracy and firmness of the
outside edges. These are but two of the simple, yet very spectacular
features of my exhibition which are based on the outside backward edges.
The outside edges backward are very popular for exhibition and
spectacular purposes. But they are fundamental figures which must be
mastered by every skater who hopes to make real progress in the most
beautiful of all sports.
First the beginner must get a little confidence in skating backward by
what is called “sculling.” The friend or helper is more important in
learning the fundamental backward figures than in the forward figures.
The best position for the helper when one is learning the backward
strokes is facing the beginner; thus the beginner will skate backward
and the instructor or friend will skate forward, right hands joined to
left hands.
By a gentle push from the instructor or friend, the beginner is sent
backward. Then should begin the waving lines made by the skates on the
ice as the learner sways from side to side and throws the balance of the
body from one foot to the other and from one edge to the other. Probably
the beginner will not realize that he is making a sculling or waving
mark on the ice until he has examined the print of the skates. It is an
excellent practice to look at the marks which you have made in the ice.
Often the accuracy of a curve or circles, or the correct tracing of a
three or counter or rocker will be impossible to determine until the
print has been examined. The judges in all great contests study the
print on the ice as much as they do the carriage of the skater.
[Illustration:
CIRCLE. Right outside edge, backward. (ROB)
]
The sculling motion and strokes should be continued until the skater
realizes that he is making a slight outside edge with each skate as his
body changes its balance. Then learn to take the foot which is not being
skated on, off the ice, carry it forward of the body toward the helper
and trust to the outside edge of the skating foot.
When some considerable practice has been done in this manner and a part
of a circle can be accomplished on the outside edge backward it is time
for the beginner to start the full circles, or at least to learn to make
the figure large and try to get back to the starting point.
The backward outside edges require nerve and daring. Here the skater’s
qualifications for the sport will often come out. Skating backward in
any circumstances is trying work to the beginner, and the curious
balance of the outside backward circles is a hard thing to learn when
one is at the same time distressed by the perfectly natural fear of
skating backward. But make up your mind, clench your fists, grit your
teeth and pluckily go at it.
Standing with both feet together on the ice, the starting stroke is made
by pressing firmly with the flat part of the left skate on the ice and
lunging backward strongly on the outside edge of the right skate. The
chief difficulty in mastering this important figure comes from the
innate hesitancy of the beginner to throw his balance backward. If this
backward lunge is firm and strong, more than half the difficulty of the
stroke has been mastered.
The balance left foot is carried across the right leg with the knee bent
and the toe turned out and the leg carried fairly high in the air, not
dragging behind. The shoulders rotate during all the circle edges, as we
have seen in those which have already been studied. In the backward
circle eights on the right foot, the left shoulder should be held well
in front; this position, holding the shoulders almost square with the
print, should be maintained through the circle.
The left foot, which is carried across the right leg and in front of the
skater at the start of the stroke, should be brought slowly past the
skating foot when about one-third of the circle has been completed, then
carried well extended in a “spread-eagle” position to the end of the
circle. This is one of the few strokes in skating where but little
change of the position of the arms occurs during the completion of the
circle. They slowly turn with the shoulders and maintain a graceful
pose, with hands extended and palms downward. The general idea of the
backward circle is to keep the entire body, arms and legs, almost
directly over and slightly inside the print; its weight will tend to
swing the body around as a revolving pendulum. The outside circle
eights, either forward or backward, are somewhat forced or false
balance, since the body has to lean considerably toward the centre of
the circle to get the centre of gravity in the right place.
These articles are for beginners, and they ought not to hold me too
closely to the rules I lay down. Many of my exhibition figures are so
unusual and contain such unexpected combinations of jumps, counter
rockers and spins that I have to violate rules or the figures could not
be done. I have been accused of having no rules for skating, as I do so
many things my own way. And when you have progressed to the point where
they want newspaper articles from you which they head with the
flattering remark that you are the greatest woman skater in the world,
you will be in a position to violate rules a little bit. My pet
philosopher says that rules were made for slaves.