The thread on barrel rolls inspired me to start a thread on fancy footwork.

A similar move to the barrel roll which can be very effective is: small RBO3 to RFI, use the RFI followed by LFI for inside mohawk, repeat very fast - anybody know what this is called? Or any other favourite step sequence?

If you're talking about the ones on the senior MIF test (the sustained edge sequence I think?), I don't think they have a proper name. We always (so creatively) called them "senior field moves steps"! If that's what you're talking about though, you don't really repeat the initial 3-turn...if you do it fast enough, it's really more like a series of 1/2 rotation jumps.

Edit: never mind -- didn't see the change of foot. I do know (I think...the way I learned them, the mowhawk is followed by a cross roll) what you're talking about though, and doubt those have a correct name either.

Those are power 3s without the power. Fun.

I like back power pulls where the left foot wraps around the skating foot. So, if skating right back power pulls the left foot wraps behind and pushes out on both inside and outside edges. Then after a few of those I take left skate and toe pick/hop and turn forwards. I've done it so often I'm on auto-pilot with that footwork.

I learned that in an edge class years ago. The instructor wanted us to try it on our other/offside. She said OK, next time switch feet, ie., left back power pull with right foot wrapped behind left. None of us would and she called us a bunch of wimps!

I'll be watching (reading) with great interest! Just today started talking about footwork with my coach - need some for my Bronze Free program (hopefully by November!)

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Dianne
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OH, how I wish I could do that fast straight line footwork like the elite skaters do....if only....

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Oops...back power 3s.

You do a RBO3, exit on RFI and then step onto a LFI?? Or do you mean LBI? RFI-LBI would be a mohawk. . . If it's RBO3-mohawk, repeat, repeat, repeat, then that's actually on the Intermediate MIF test: back power crossovers down the length of the rink, followed by 4-5 BO3-mohawks around the end of the rink, then repeat down the length of the rink and around the other end. Then do same pattern CW doing LBO3-mohawks. These things are really hard to keep from over-rotating!

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Yes, very sorry, typing error. Oops! ... RBO3, RFI.LBI mohawk. Feet together and repeat. ... Done very fast on small circles, looks almost like you're spinning.

In that case, it is the step from senior MIF.

I think you mean slip steps - they were on old UK intersilver field moves tests and I think now are on level 9 field moves

It's the poor man's imitation from senior. There isn't a BO3 in the senior scotty move, they are inside mohawks only.

The BO3/FI Mohawks going round the circle (which I find very difficult indeed as I so seldom have enough flow coming out of the 3-turn) were part of the old inter-Bronze Field Moves, I think; I am not sure whether they're included in the new Skating Moves, but if they are, they are Level 4 or 5.

My favourite footwork to play with is the USFSA 5-step Mohawk sequence, as taught by Xavier Debernis at the Mountain Cup camp, or (another Xavier exercise) a form of Russian stroking where, instead of holding the inside edge to the next progressive run, you do a double 3 on it instead. I really can't do that well, but it's great fun to play with.

My coach's favourite evil exercise that he makes me do - I think he likes me to feel sick and dizzy at the end of my lesson - is RFI3, step to LFO3, RBO, step to LFO, and repeat at least 4 times, then do it the other way round, so starting LFI3.

I am so not good at turning! My favourite exercises are things like Russian stroking and forwards changes-of-edge, which I'm working on a lot at the moment to improve my edge quality and flow over the ice.

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BO3/FI mohawks in a circle are in new level 4. Mohawks and slip steps (the ones that look like you are spinning around on a circle), which is what I think dooobedooo is describing, are in level 9 now.

On a circle (figure 8 actually) in the US is on Juvenile. As an end pattern is Intermediate.

For the person that talked about the straight line footwork sequence, who's specifically? It can be broken down...

I was watching the Wizard of Oz one evening, the part where Dorothy skips down the Yellow Brick road looked a lot like Yagudin's footwork.

Anyways, I try to do that footwork every so often. First time I tried I almost went off the back of the blade so I starting using the boards. A adult skater came up to me one day with a puzzled look on her face and said "whatever you're trying to do, it looks really hard"!

I hope someday to get that footwork!

Here's a footwork video I made last December. I do a RFO choctaw, short glide on LBI, then step onto my R edge for a change-edge and some sequential brackets on the R foot and a few other things tossed in after that.

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~schneidw/...choc_brkts.avi

There's something not quite right about my choctaws though. First, they look "stubby" to me. Then I see that the entrance lobe is much larger than the exit lobe, and I don't hold the exit edge long enough before stepping onto the other foot.

I'd love to be able to do these better. I suspect that the timing of the choctaw change-foot has something to do with it. Any suggestions?

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Bill Schneider

I don't know Bill -- it looks pretty good to me - maybe from this angle...

Any chance of you needing a dance partner?

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Awesome Bill I love that kind of stuff. My only suggestion is keeping your core strong so you don't break at the waist, it helps to look up look up. This way you have better control of your edges, especially on the exit edge... by the way my problem too.

I loved that -- once I got it. It took me a couple weeks to feel really comfortable with it. I did a program as "The Tin Man" and my coach had me do that about one-third of the way down the rink (on toe picks, of course!). It was fun and really fit the music.

Yeah, I noticed that too. Looking down afflicts so many skaters, and I'm no exception. I need to PAY ATTENTION to where I'm looking. (SMACK on the forehead once again!)

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Bill Schneider

Nicely done Bill! So smooth.

I'm sure the audience enjoyed as well!

Not 3-turns at all. If you're doing 3-turns, you're doing it wrong. They're just mohawks. The trick is the LBI-RFI mohawk. I call them "quick mohawks".

Right. Scotty turns. The original poster is doing power back 3s without the power, although she described it wrong in the original post, I knew what she meant. Someone else said they were from senior moves, but I knew from studying MITF that the senior/quick mohawk move does not have a BO3, they are inside mohawks.

You guys trained me well years ago (you being yourself and Janet)!

My daughter does some really good fancy footwork. Not sure I could describe it though. She based it on Yagudin's steps in winter which she can do pretty fast and then started inventing her own. She also likes doing the circle thing where you are going round in a circle (I think she is on toepicks so like stepping from one toepick to other but turning quickly in between) while going round in a circle (she picked it up from Imperial Ice Stars show)and there area several variations on that. Will have to try and find some video. Her favourite is the one foot stop on the heel of her blade but it does mess up the ice a bit!