My coach does this stop, I think it is a backward snowplough(plow - depending on where you come from I think).

She is gliding backwards on one foot, then puts the other foot down at a right angle to the skating foot and comes to a stop. It's like a backward t-stop, but looks like it is done on the outside edge.

Can anyone give me tips on how to learn this stop? Any pitfalls to watch out for that might save me a fall or two?

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

i think one thing that will really help is to do one-foot snowplows where you start forwards and end backwards/sideways. kinda like a hockey stop, but on one foot and not as abruptly.

also, for these stops, you step to the side more than you think you would. even though it looks like a t-stop sort of thing, you actually put your blade down more to the side but the flow of the stop carries you so it looks like a back t-stop

be careful about trying to put too much weight on your back leg as you try the stop--it can make the blade kind of bounce on the ice and make you lose your balance.

*****i apologize if this post made no sense. i just had surgery and am on pain meds. reading it right now it makes sense to me, but it is definitely possible that you will read this and just wonder what the heck i was trying to say******

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Youtube Videos

Stopping backwards sucks! During warm-up before group lessons, we all have to stop after backwards cross-overs. Anyways, enough about me.

Maybe you could try doing a two-foot snowplow and gradually turn it into a one-foot. Just go backwards and slide both feet out with pressure on the heels. I think the toes turn out slightly. Eventually, you will favor one side and you can do a one-foot stop.

Start with a two-foot backward snowplow stop.

Glide backwards
Feet together and parallel
Bend your knees
Keep your hands in front

Shift your weight to the skating foot
Cross-check your arms over to the skating foot
Let the stopping foot move to the rear as if you were going to do a lunge.
Turn the stopping foot "out" and use the inside edge to scrape snow and stop.
(The toe of the stopping foot will face away from your body.)

What your coach is doing is skipping the two foot glide and transferring her weight to the stopping edge almost immediately.
It feels like you're "riding behind" the stopping edge, only going upright on it after the stop is effected.

I can do that with a forward one-foot snowplow, but not a backward - I'll have to practice that - thanks!

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