any tips? I can sorta do an Ina Pivot, which doesn't look bad, but I'd luv to be able to do the traditional one.

Unless I'm "just mucking around", I can't seem to apply myself to learning this move properly.
After several useless attempts at a spread eagle, I thought this would be a bit easier. Not so!
I have hips that don't turn out (not to the range required for a Spread), but my problem with the Ina Bauer, is once I'm IN the position, how do you keep it there?

Does anyone have a step by step guide?

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MEL
Absolute Skating

I do my bauers with my right foot leading, left lagging.

First, I make sure I can glide securely on the flat on my right foot. I bend my right knee slightly, and swing my left leg past my right with my toe pointing out (helps open my hips for some reason, and the swing is not severe). Then I place the left leg directly behind me. My feet are now 180 degrees to each other, my right knee is deeply bent, and my left leg is straight. I figure my feet are at about half my height apart if you were to view me directly from the side. Also remember that the deeply bent leg's foot will do the steering. Lean it in a little more and you curve into your circle. Lean it out a little and you curve outside your circle (harder).

Keeping the position requires a strong check with the leading shoulder; in my case, I keep the right shoulder pressed back. My right arm, the leading arm, is extended directly to the side. My lagging arm, the left arm, is positioned in front ot me, in a straight line with my sternum. Sometimes I lift my lagging arm over my head if I'm feeling particularly artsy.

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I learned it by starting with an "inside Ina Bauer" - just going in a circle. Then we gradually straightened it out by practicing down the blue line, trying to keep my front (right) foot going straight down the line and swinging my back (left) leg out and behind and trying to hold a straight glide as long as possible. In the beginning I could go about 2 feet and then as I gradually developed the right check and leg position, it improved.

A fellow adult skater I know learned this move (and a beautiful one it is!) by working on it for 15 minutes every time she skated. I do not know the exact process she used, but she said the secret was dedication. I have worked on outside eagles for about 5 minutes/ session last season and started to get decent results. Nothing great, but progress. This season, I have not skated much, but I haven't lost too much ground. It seems whatever you want to learn that does not come naturally requires a regular daily commitment.

Kay

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I started it on the blue line. Having the line there provides an easy guide and helped me keep the bauer straight. Then I moved to outside bauers. The key for me was to look over my leading shoulder to where I wanted to go, and the body follows.

I learned Bauers by practicing the positon up against the boards. Keep your bent leg up against the boards and just stay there until it hurts. And if it hurts, you're probably doing it right (obviously, don't try and pull something but it def. feels very awkward at first) Same with spread eagles. I found that holding this position against the baords was teh best way to learn it and luckily for me, one day my spread eagle just sort of "appeared"

Keep at it, you'll get it!

I think I'm kind of flexible. My hips are very open (naturally). When I sit on the floor crossing my legs, both my knees can almost touch the floor. Inside spread eagle and Ina Bauer come natural to me. I didn't have to learn it and it just happened.

As for tips...

I guess you'll just have to stretch, stretch and stretch more off the ice. So you can open your hip without pain.

I'm leading with my right foot, so make sure you turn your upper body 90 degree to your skating foot first (and check, now your right hip should be open), then put down your free foot (slightly to the left, not directly behind you). While doing all these, right knee should be bent at all time. You can actually try this on the floor.

Oh, if you have some speed going into your Ina Bauer, it'll be easier too.

I am getting pretty good at doing these, but I keep going onto my inside edge and end up going in a big circle. Its not bad looking, but I wish I could do one straight without toppling over!