FREE SKATING.
The term free skating is applied to that portion of the programme not
included in the school figures. In all championship contests certain
selections are made from the school figures and then the competitor is
allowed a few minutes in which to illustrate his ability to skate
special figures or elements not before shown by him.
While the skating of school figures is always to place, and the marking
of that skating is dependent upon the ability of the skater to make his
tracings upon the ice conform to correct designs, the free skating is,
as its name implies, entirely independent of conventional form and may
be located at any place upon the ice. The free skating programme is the
most interesting portion of the contest generally and offers the best
test of the skater’s ability to illustrate mastery of the spectacular
side of the sport.
There are no set figures which the skater is expected to demonstrate in
free skating. He has a limit of time, that is all. In that time he may
skate as many different or similar figures as he sees fit, large or
small, intricate or simple. Every resource of his skating knowledge may
be brought into play here. Therefore it is not surprising that this
portion of the skating contests in Europe attracts very large crowds
from long distances. My skating on the stage of the Hippodrome is what
might be called free skating, except that I am skating for the general
public and not for skating judges. If I were skating for judges of
skating I would introduce a few more difficult, if not more spectacular,
skating figures.
Any skater intending to enter a competition should carefully work up a
free skating programme, learn it by heart and be able to skate it
without pause. Often this portion of the contest serves to rate a skater
very high and helps out greatly when the skater has had low marks for
the school figures.
Certain programmes are generally followed in free skating. Starting with
a series of running steps, to get momentum, then a long spiral and a
spectacular jump; toe spins; bold, large figures in the form of an
eight; dance steps, a spectacle figure to time of music; finishing with
a spectacular spin on one foot, crouched down close to the ice with the
other foot curled about the skating foot in front: this makes a
combination which suggests what can be done. The spread-eagle is another
important figure to introduce into free skating programmes.
[Illustration:
EIGHT ON ONE FOOT.
]
[Illustration:
THREE—CHANGE—THREE.
]
[Illustration:
CHANGE OF EDGE—THREE.
]
[Illustration:
DOUBLE THREE—CHANGE—DOUBLE THREE.
]
[Illustration:
CHANGE OF EDGE—DOUBLE THREE.
]
[Illustration:
LOOP—CHANGE—LOOP.
]
[Illustration:
CHANGE OF EDGE—LOOP.
]
[Illustration:
BRACKET—CHANGE—BRACKET.
]
[Illustration:
CHANGE OF EDGE—BRACKET.
]