might seem like a strange pair... I just thought that I want to learn these now. It's not a requirement yet. but I think it'd be cool.

so, I'm really open hipped (apparently when I was a baby, TOO open hipped, so you get the idea). I can easily get the ina bauer position, but I seem to travel in a circle on it. how can I go on a more straight line?

and, how do I even start doing hydroblades? I've never seen them done at my rink, so I can't ask anyone. some step-by-step instructions would be gratefully received! and tips obviously.

ah ok whilst I'm here, let's talk about the spread eagle. I can easily get the outside straight leg position at the boards, but I can't step into it whilst travelling? how do you get on that really strong outside edge?

ok thanks!!

peanutskates x

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You start with good solid shoot-the-ducks for the hydroblades, then you learn to do that position but backwards. Then you start leaning onto an edge and going onto a deeper edge and sitting down as deep as you can every time. Take care to learn to get up and down on the muscles of 1 leg and 1 leg only, the hydroblades require actually quite a bit of upper thigh strength (which is good to build, because you'll need it for the sit spins also). And then the other hydroblades, where the free leg goes under the skating leg, that's basically the same thing, you start from as close a representation to that as you can and you push lower and lower every time.
Mostly I've fallen on them a lot, pushing too far at once, but you can't really hurt yourself falling from those unless you smack into the boarding or into somebody else.

Oh yeah, it helps to get down once you're on a slight outside or inside (depending which hydroblade you're aiming for) edge already, it's easier than getting down on a flat and trying to get an edge after that.

Maybe somebody can fill in how to do the REAL deep hydroblades with the upper body almost horizontal to the ice, since nobody at our rink does them either.

I really want to learn to do hydroblades. Almost more than an axel. A true, deep hydroblade. I want to be doing a crazily freakishly deep hydroblade on my 45th birthday that will freak people out.

(I'm turning 40 in November but can't learn it by then)

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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

The only hydroblade I've tried is the one where you're going backward and have your free leg crossed under your skating leg. For that one, I just pretend like I'm doing a spin wind-up - get on a deep RBI edge and cross my free leg behind my skating leg. But instead of stepping into a spin, I just keep lowering myself and pushing my free leg out further behind/under my skating leg. I can get down, but it looks kinda ugly because I haven't quite figured out how to keep my rear from sticking up in the air!! Getting back up is another story...

I have 0 tips on spread eagles & Ina Bauers because I have no turnout and knees that are prone to dislocation. I'm surely going to have arthritis in my knees when I get older - they creak and crack all the time!

That's not so crazy! There is man at my rink who is in his 50s and has THE BEST shoot-the-duck I've ever seen.

I used to skate with a guy in his 50s who had an amazing shoot the duck as well (are you in Florida??)...also the best sit spin I have ever seen. He looked like he was maybe 2 inches off the ice. Just amazing!

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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

Nope, Kentucky. Those guys must have been separated at birth or something!

I read somewhere you can practice with a hockey puck in your hand, because it slides. Help you find the balance point and strengthen.

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It's all about the dress!

This is one of my big goals too, and I just turned 40 last week. What has helped me is attempting 1 legged squats for strength - I do them in front of a chair because I usually lose my balance. Also check out hte first volume of Physics on Ice - Charlie Butler gives great demos and instruction on BO and BI hydroblades.

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3turn
The Great Skate Experiment

OUTSIDE SPREAD EAGLE - Outside mohawk entrance

1. Preparation: Holding onto the wall and facing the wall, turn your leading foot out and place it down on the outside of the blade. Now bring your trailing foot down, heel first into the instep (arch) of your leading foot. Notice how it makes your trailing foot turn out and fall right into place.

2. Now, stand in the middle of the rink, facing the end of the rink. Take a few strokes straight forward, then push off at a 90-degree angle toward the side of the rink, pushing onto whichever foot is your leading foot (the knee of the leading leg will be bent). Pushing off at a 90-degree angle will put you on a nice deep outside edge on your leading foot. You want to feel like you're almost on the side of the blade, and going in a big circle around your own leading shoulder.

3. Looking over your leading shoulder, gently swing your trailing foot in front of your leading foot to solidify the outside edge, straightening the skating leg as you do so. Now bring the trailing foot back halfway (so that it's in front of you at about a 45-degree angle), turn the foot out, point the toe and lock the knee out straight.

4. With the knee locked out straight and the foot turned out and pointed, bring the trailing foot in, heel first, to the instep of your leading foot (the skating leg is already locked out straight). The trailing foot should fall into place and turn out as soon as it is on the ice. Make sure you shift at least half of your weight (maybe more) to the trailing foot once you put it down. Try not to keep looking down at the ice once you've brought the trailing foot into place.

5. Look over your leading shoulder and pull your leading shoulder back. This will solidify your outside edge.

6. Now squeeze your butt in, push your pelvis forward and try to pull your thighs together. This will straighten your body. This part will probably take awhile to achieve.

7. You can get out of an outside spread eagle by shifting all of your weight to one side and lifting up the other leg, or by switching over to an inside edge to end in an inside spread eagle (I like to do an outside to inside spread eagle, then lift my back foot and go into an inside 3-turn with the leading foot).


OUTSIDE INA BAUER

1. Take a few strokes forward and push off at a 90 degree angle onto a deep outside edge on your leading foot, keepign your leading leg deeply bent. Make sure you are balanced well over the knee of your leading leg and on a deep outside edge, looking over your leading shoulder. You'll want to feel like you are starting a circle that goes around your own leading shoulder.

2. Now you are balanced on a deep outside edge over the deeply bent knee of your leading leg, and your trailing leg is extended behind you like it is on a jump landing. Now turn your trailing foot out as far as you can, point the toes, and lock the knee out straight. Now bring that foot down onto the inside of the blade behind you. Bend the leading knee deeply, lean back and push your weight onto the back blade to lock the edge in. Continue to look over your leading shoulder so you don't lose the outside edge.

3. There's another way to get into an Ina Bauer that some people find easier: Do back crossovers with your leading foot crossing over your trailing foot so that your trailing foot is on a back outside edge. Now, with your trailing foot on a back outside edge, turn out forward, turn the leading foot out and placing it down onto the outside of the blade and bend the knee deeply. Your trailing leg is already on the ice so you don't have to worry about it too much. Just make sure it's locked out straight. Keep looking over your leading shoulder and pulling your leading shoulder back so you don't lose the outside edge.

4. You can get out of an outside Ina Bauer by bringing your weight forward and shifting over to an inside edge. Now you can lift your trailing leg or you can end in an inside 3-turn on your leading foot.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Another way to get into a ina in which some folks may find it easier to do is to glide backward on one skate, and when comfortably balanced on the skate, turn out and then step out with the other skate. The skate that becomes recently turned out will be on an outside edge, while the original gliding skate will naturally go into an inside edge. I'd say that the part where doubletoe said about keep looking over the shoulder (while in the final ina bauer position) and keep pulling the shoulders back is important - these points can really help to keep everything together and go in a straight line, instead of around a curve.

Thanks, that is what I meant in my second entry option. I think you may have explained it a little more clearly.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Thanks for the tip. I'd always been a bit reserved about putting my hand onto the ice but with a puck it didn't seem so bad. I gave it try and went on to doing it without a puck.

This morning I got a friend to film my efforts so far:
http://www.beginningtoseethelight.org/temp/AVI_0007.AVI (1.4MB)
http://www.beginningtoseethelight.org/temp/AVI_0008.AVI (2.5MB)

I'm going to get some gloves soon so I can lean further over.

This has got to be the best hydroblading ever -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_BI_l0au8k

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Skate Free

black, how do you manage to get such an empty rink?? I'd kill for that! btw, your hydroblading is coming along very nicely !

it doesn't play the vids on my computer

Well the time of day might have something to do with it

Thursday morning patch is fairly quiet compared to the rest of week - there was one other skater on the ice in the corner and the person behind the camera was also skating. The "Usual Suspects" were away for a competition that morning.

This morning I managed to get back up into a backwards spiral


Sessy: AVI's should play in most since its a very common format and YouTube requires Flash.

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Skate Free

Black I know they should, but they aren't - windows media player just freezes up and I'm too lazy to start up my avi edittor to watch it with that (it has an error recovery mode)

I couldn't play the AVI on my computer, either.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

http://www.youtube.com/profile_video...blackskatefree

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Skate Free

Oh! I had hydroblades completely wrong!!

I thought the straight leg was crossed under the bent leg and you went round in a circle with the foot of the straight leg pointing into the circle.

I was getting on pretty well with doing it like that, and now find out I was doing it completely wrong hehehe!

looking quite good!

Hey, looking good! It makes my hands cold to watch you, though, LOL!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

You can do them that way too - that's the only way I can do one (albeit a very very ugly one). RBI edge with the left leg straight(ish) and crossed behind the bent right leg. Although the left leg would be pointing out of the circle (not in). It feels like a very low and exaggerated spin entrance to me.

LoL I can't do them that well with the leg crossed, I like them uncrossed better but we're never taught to touch the ice on them somehow, just get as deep an edge as we can without that.. not sure why.

I don't think there's any "right" or "wrong" way - it does, too, depend on which edge you're on. Yours sounds like a great variation - keep it! You might want to learn some of the other ways of doing them, too, though, although the IJS has yet to introduce a hydroblade sequence as a scorable feature!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!