A trillion years ago when I could do forward camels, my then coach skipped back camels and went straight into the flying back camel. Goodness knows how I did that.

I barely have a forward camel back yet my backspin is a series of twizzles, and my change foot upright spin isn't too reliable, but last night my coach started me on the back camel, and said I should also try change camels. Which isn't a bad thing, as sometimes working on the next step actually helps the basics fall into place (or me to fall onto the ice )


So, any tips on how to get up into the position (my body doesn't want to get down there or my leg up there in them yet) and initiate the spin, get enough snap to get some speed happening?
And what about the change of foot? Haven't tried that bit yet. Good thing I have plenty of natural padding on my hips.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Now that my forward camel has reached a decent standard, my coach is getting me to work on change-foot camels now. I am really struggling though to get enough speed up into the back camel. On one or two occasions I've managed it though the back camel position wasn't great. I'd appreciate some tips too for maintaining the speed so that I can get back up into a decent back camel position before the momentum fizzles out!

Nicki

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I have a respectable back camel as a solo spin and camel change. I make sure to keep my abs tight and I use my free arm (CW skater - R, CCW skater - L) to generate speed. In a camel change, you have to leave your torso parallel to the ice on the change. Good luck.

Yay! Thanks techskater! That bit of advice was something I'd heard before but had forgotten. I tried again today and I managed three pretty good change-foot camels and a few that weren't brilliant but weren't bad either! You can go and tell Bev and Chris now...lol!!!

Nicki

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www.myspace.com/insatiableskater

Hooray! That's excellent Nicki!

Very good advice! I tried my first serious attempts at back and change camels this morning. The advice about leaving the torso parallel to the ice certainly helped heaps. I did one change camel that I was happy with because I was able to pull into an upright backspin afterwards, and also one back camel on its own like that. Yay! I might get this thing. Mind you, I was having a good spinning day all round, did my first decent change sit spin today too.

And I do have to laugh about what I said in my original post about working on the next step helping with the basics falling into place. Suddenly I can do a decent forward camel, quite out of the blue. My first one today attracted applause from a group of 4 boy recreational skaters! Always a good feeling.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Nicki - told Bev today about your success. Chris is in Paris commentating Worlds

Awww...thanks! That's great. How is Bev these days? I must email her again as it's been a while! One of these days I'll come over to see her and will come and skate at your rink too!

Nicki

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LOL! She mentioned it had been a while since she had gotten mail from you and she was expecting one soon!

She seems to be doing well. She's been running a lot here and also did a triathalon last year in her current town of residence.

Oh. I'd better email her then! Yes she used to run a lot here and she told me about the triathalon she did last year. Is she coaching yet or still awaiting the documents needed? She really is a very good coach. I really miss her!

Nicki

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She's been filling in for Chris while he's gone and been doing some choreo for some skaters, so I *guess* she has the docs she needs to coach, but not sure.