Ice Skating & Figure Skating

Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters

A Skating Life: My Story

The dazzling smile, the signature haircut, the staple spin."America's Sweetheart" Dorothy Hamill grew up on the ice, working toward the dream she was to accomplish by age nineteen: winning Olympic gold in figure skating.But life was not the picture of perfection it appeared to be. Dorothy faced a painful inner struggle from the time she was a young girl that followed her into adulthood--though she would not know about the depression that ran in her family until much later in life.Weeks and months away from home to train and compete took a difficult toll, yet little reprieve could be found in the tumultuous and fragile relationship she had with her parents.Dorothy went on to marry the man of her dreams, only to have the partnership end in heartache and a tragedy that almost pushed her to her breaking point.Then, just when a light at the end of the tunnel finally began to appear, a second failed marriage tried and tested Dorothy's trust and strength yet again--a travesty that could have led her to give up.But, she found a remarkable strength in what she did have--her greatest love, her daughter Alexandra."Thank goodness, I had my skating.There was certainly a pattern to my life.When times were tough, I went skating.It was only while I was out on the ice, enjoying the freedom of movement and my love of music, that I was able to escape from my bottomless heartache."In her deeply moving and honest memoir, Dorothy opens up for the first time about love, family, courage, and what it means to truly win both on and off the ice.

Conditioning for Skating : Off-Ice Techniques for On-Ice Performance

To be the best on the rink, skaters must spend endless hours strengthening and conditioning their bodies off the ice to build strength for the rigors of their performances. Illustrative and technical, yet user-friendly, Conditioning for Figure Skating provides detailed coverage of the physical preparation necessary for Preliminary through Senior-Elite skaters while concentrating on all disciplines of figure skating, including singles, pairs, and ice dance. More than 300 photos illustrate proper warm-up drills, flexibility stretches, cooldown routines, strength training exercises, jump and plyometric training programs, and endurance conditioning exercises for on-ice injury prevention. A periodization plan also helps skaters maximize their training potential.

The Complete Book of Figure Skating

Many instructional books have been written about figure skating. Some are very good. Others are outdated. None, however, has been complete. The Complete Book of Figure Skating finally fills that void. Author Carole Shulman is a former elite competitive skater, a Master PSA instructor, a professional figure skating judge, and the current executive director of the Professional Skaters Association. She provides most comprehensive, up-to-date book available on skating covering proven techniques and training methods for skills performed at all levels and in all disciplines including singles, pairs, ice dancing, and synchronized team skating. The Complete Book of Figure Skating starts at the beginning--sitting on the ice and then learning to move across the frozen surface with increasing speed, style, and grace. The chapters build in difficulty, covering steps, spins, jumps, and lifts. From stopping to spinning to quad jumps, each skill builds on the previous skills as this complete manual guides you through the skill levels of figure skating.

Ice Skating: Steps to Success (Steps to Success Activity Series)

In Ice Skating: Steps to Success, Karin Künzle-Watson—nine-time Swiss National Champion, former Professional World Champion, and one of skating's best instructors—shares the learning sequence that she and many of her students used to become elite skaters. Karin's unique insights along with over 300 detailed illustrations make this guide your best source for learning proper form and technique.

The 50 drills in the book come with performance goals and a list of key points to remember when performing each of them, and many of them include instructions for increasing or decreasing their level of difficulty.

Part of the highly popular Steps to Success Activity Series, this book will help improve your skating knowledge and performance on your way to becoming a confident and capable skater.

Home Ice

In this collection of lyrical essays, writer Jack Falla`s backyard hockey rink unexpectedly becomes a vital bridge to family and friends, a lens through which he looks at his life in a game he loves, a road leading back to the frozen ponds of a New England childhood and a mirror in which he stares down middle age. Or tries to. Essays in Home Ice range from a thoughtful, sometimes humorous account of Falla`s original attempts to build a rink - `The first law of Hydrodynamics as applied to rink owners: water seeking its own level fits in in your neighbor`s yard`- to a meeting with the world`s most famous backyard rink builder, Walter Gretzky, Wayne`s father. In other essays Falla skates with the ultimate pond skaters -hockey legends Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey, travels to Duluth, Minnesota and Thunder Bay Ontario to visit backyard rink builders, reflects on the death of a parent, the meaning of an early-morning skate with a grandchild, the connection between his 60-by-35 foot backyard rink and the magical Boston Garden, and the life lessons learned shoveling, resurfacing and skating with his wife, son, and daughter. A bonus chapter explains how to build your own backyard rink. Home Ice goes beyond being a sports book. It is a book for readers more interested in family, friends, and relationships than in last night`s hockey scores.

The Tonya Tapes

Based on the candid and sometimes startling conversations that YOU were never meant to hear, THE TONYA TAPES, written by award-winning author Lynda D. Prouse, chronicles the life of the world's most infamous female athlete -- TONYA HARDING -- revealing for the first time the whole truth of her difficult and amazing life on and off the ice. Based on actual, extensive interviews with Tonya Harding, and written with her collaboration, this is her story!

Ballet Secrets for Skaters: How to Hone Your Artistic Competitive Edge

Do you command an audience's attention using graceful arm and head positions?

Learn how...in the first ballet book designed for skaters!

Ballet Secrets for Skaters unlocks the secrets of ballet technique in a fun and friendly style. Discover many tools and tips for proper placement of the upper body--the first place an audience looks.

. Phtos of real figure skaters show common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
. Ballet Secrets and Quick Checks help you remember these points on the ice.
. Emphasis on making a winning impression--even when you stand still.

Bonus! Olympic Gold Medalist Viktor Petrenko and Ladies World Champion Yuka Sato--famous for their artistic expression--offer advice and inspiration for today's competitive skaters.

Figure Skating for Dummies

After watching a figure-skating performance, do you ever wonder what just happened on the ice? The skater supposedly executed a flawless double Salchow and triple Lutz, among other things, and then the judges posted a bunch of numbers. Maybe you need help from the Dummies. Written by 1992 Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi (with a foreword by Scott Hamilton), Figure Skating for Dummies is a primer for spectators and would-be skaters alike. Learn the lingo, understand the judging practice, and--if you're really committed--embark on a practical training schedule in hopes of performing your own double-toe loops and triple axels.

Twirl and spin your way into the artistic and high-precision world of figure skating with none other than Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist and former amateur winner of thirteen titles, including two consecutive World Championships. Whether you love skating around the rink or you're a fan of the sport and never miss a live or televised skating event, Kristi Yamaguchi's Figure Skating For Dummies covers all the important topics, including Finding the right equipment (from boots to skates) that fits your budget Selecting a practice rink and choosing a choreographer to compose movements to enhance your performances Picking a great coach and getting the most from your lessons Discovering the lowdown on the secret world of figure skating judges; what they look for in a performance and how they themselves qualify to be judges Deciphering what those scores mean and how a 5.5 score can beat a 5.8 score Finding out the requirements for passing each test offered by the U.S. Figure Skating Association Best of all, Figure Skating For Dummies gives you the inside scoop about ways to improve and enhance your performance, and even lets you in on Kristi's personal conditioning program -- the one she used to win the Gold Medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics!

Figure Skating: Championship Techniques (Sports Illustrated Winners Circle Books)

As a sport, an art, and a fitness activity, nothing quite beats figure skating for excitement, grace, beauty, or fun. Now former U.S. Champion figure skater John Misha Petkevich shows how you can find your full potential as a figure skater.