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How do you round those corners at the rink? You can attempt to use both feet and glide around them. Or you can learn the correct way – by learning forward crossovers. Accomplishing this will really make you feel like a better skater. And you’ll also become faster and more fluid.
To begin the crossover, it’s advised to start on a hockey circle. This will be much harder to accomplish during a busy session, but if you can do so it’s to your advantage.
Forward crossovers to the left:
Counterclockwise forward crossovers will be the most commonly used if this is your natural direction. Even if it’s not, it’s usually the way the skaters in the rink move. When doing crossovers, it’s imperative that you BEND YOUR KNEES. First, however, align your body so that your feet are almost together and your hips and shoulders squared. Lift your right arm so it’s stretched out nicely in front, a couple of inches lower than shoulder height. Your left arm will be the same height, but extended behind you. Relax your shoulders. Now, really bend those knees and push off with the inside edge of your right blade. DON’T USE THE TOEPICK TO PUSH OFF! This is a very bad habit to break, so don’t even start. The toepicks are designed primarily for jumping—they’re certainly not used to push off on any type of crossover.
As a beginner, you might be hesitant about the crossing over part of the crossover. This is natural and you’ll probably end up overcompensating by really lifting your right boot higher than necessary so you don’t trip or get it caught in your left boot. You can go slowly when doing crossovers, but not too much or you’ll lose any kind of momentum. You cross the right boot in front of the left boot.
Its important to LEAN to the left [towards the inner part of the circle] as well as to look left. Some experts argue that you shouldn’t look into the circle but up and away. If you’re more comfortable at this point looking into the circle then go ahead. Once your right foot has crossed over, you’re now on two skates again but that won’t last! Time to PUSH with your left outside edge to the side, feeling the transfer of weight. Now that you’ve picked up some speed, don’t panic! Put your left foot back down next to the right skate. There it is—your first official crossover! Now repeat the process. First you’ll work on form, then you’ll work on speed.
Forward crossovers to the right:
Remember to lean to the right and have your left arm in front and the right arm behind you. This is some people’s preferred skating direction. Learning crossovers in both directions is definitely encouraged.
Back crossovers to the right:
Like backward skating, crossovers might be more difficult to learn, but ultimately they’re easier and faster than forward ones. Back crossovers are important to learn in both directions if you’ll be doing jumps and spins. Why? Because spins require back crossovers in your opposite direction as part of the wind up process. One of the more advanced jumps also utilizes back crossovers in the opposite direction.
For counterclockwise back crossovers, begin on a hockey circle, bending your knees, looking up, and this time making sure there’s no one behind you. Again, your arms will be lower than shoulder height, left arm in front, and right arm in back. If you’re nervous about going backwards, walk through this exercise at first. Remember to lean to the right and try to look up and away but it’s okay to look into the circle’s center for now. Unlike front crossovers, your feet are approximately a foot apart. Use your right outside edge to form that first push to the side, which will cause you to move. The best part about back crossovers is there’s less to cross, since you’re crossing BEHIND your left boot and not over it. Your back foot does most of the work! Of course you still have to bend your knees and keep your upper body in a nice alignment so that the ease of this move is fully felt. Always do a new move slowly, gradually increasing the speed.
Back crossovers to the left:
Back crossovers to the left require you to have your right arm in front and your left arm behind you. Look and lean to the left. Your left foot will cross behind you.
Back outside edges:
Like the forward edges that were learned earlier, back edges will compliment the crossovers as well as allow you to do more advanced footwork. Edges are great for learning and maintaining control at all times.
The method taught here is ONLY for beginners. Please remember this if you venture further into figure skating and take lessons where you’ll be taught a more advanced way of doing these edges.
Begin your right back outside edge [RBO] on a hockey line. Keep your feet about hip distance apart, left arm in front, right arm behind you. Your arms will be lower than in the crossovers, about waist high. You will lean to the right, and then push off [no toepick!] from the left inside edge, with strongly bent knees. You’re on your RBO edge; your left foot is in front of you, near your boot. Once you reach the ¼ turn of the circle you’ll move your free leg close behind you. You’ve just done your first back outside edge. Try several of these until you’re comfortable, and then do them on your left back outside edge. When you get more proficient, you’ll be alternating edges—RBO to LBO.
Back inside edges:
Again, the inside edges are more difficult so you’ll be learning a simpler method. The good news is that you’ve already done back inside edges—in your 3-turn.
Right back inside edges [RBI] are started with a strong push to get you going. Your left arm’s in front, right arm in back, again at waist height. As in the back outside edges, your free foot will be in front during the first part of the ¼ turn and behind your boot in the second part. You might have to use more upper body strength in the takeoff initially, and you’ll really have to bend your knees. Work on RBI edges, and then try some LBI edges.
The Mohawk:
You’re skating forwards and want to go backwards. Quick, what do you do? A 3-turn? Sure, why not. But if you want to challenge yourself and learn a two-footed turn, then it’s time to go for the Mohawk. The origin of the name isn’t known, as it doesn’t describe what the turn is. But the Mohawk is a fairly easy turn that will help you in ice dancing as well as freestyle.
The best Mohawk to learn is the right forward inside Mohawk. You’re skating on your right foot and you decide it’s time to go backward. So you get onto your right inside edge, and no, you won’t need any toepick assistance! Your right arm’s in front, below shoulder height, your left arm’s extended behind you. On your right inside edge, you rotate your shoulders and look to the right. Meanwhile, your feet will change places. An easy way to look at it is that you’ll want to create the letter ‘L’ with your feet for a split second. This means that your left foot’s close to your right and is almost touching it. From the RFI edge you switch to the left back inside edge but remember to look up and square your shoulders so that your left arm’s in front and your right arm’s extended behind you. The RFI Mohawk’s easier to learn than any other because you can think right foot, left foot, and you’ve got your Mohawk mantra!
After learning crossovers, Mohawks and back edges, you’re going to take your skating to new dimensions. You’re also ready to take it to new heights as the next steps in figure skating will be jumping and spinning. If you want to continue to learn new steps, you won’t find a shortage of those either! And don’t neglect your “other” side. It’s always the sign of a fine skater who continues to hone his/her basic skills and to be able to do any connecting step or edge in both directions.
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