What are the basic skills of figure skating that you first learn?

Question

What are the basic skills and how long does it take to learn them regularly? I'm 12 almost 13 and want to do figure skating. I haven't have any exp. yet and at my ice rink there are private and group lessons. I really want to do private, but it is $20 every 15 minutes! Thats expensive for me. Group lessons are cheaper, but will I be stuck with the little kids like 5 and 6? Please answer this question. Thanks! =)

Answer 1

The basic skills you will learn in ISI Pre-Alpha - Beta (Group levels) are as followed.
Pre-alpha:
Forward stroking - basically skating forward
Forward swizzles - Starting with your skates in a V, move feet forward until the toes meet, repeat.
Backward swizzles - Doing the same thing, but starting with toes together and ending in a V.
2 footed glides - After stroking a few times, just gliding with two feet
1 footed glides - The same as above, just picking one foot off the ground to your ankle
Teapot - In a 2 footed glide position, lower your bottom so it is kind of like you are going to sit on the ice (but don't)

Alpha:
Forward crossovers - While going in a circle, cross one foot over the other and lift other one up. Repeat.
Snowplow stop: On your outside edge, stick out one leg in front of you. Apply pressure, and eventually you will stop!
Basically the rest is all review of Pre-Alpha!

Beta:
Backward crossovers - The smae thing as forward crossovers, except you are going backwards.
Backwards stroking - Do a half backwards swizzle with one foot, then lift that foot up in front of you slightly, and point your toes.
Shoot the Duck - Go into a teapot and stick one leg out all the way. Yes, this is really hard :)
Lunge - In a 2 footed glide, put one leg behind you. Your front leg should be bent, and your back blade should be off the ice, only the boot should be on the ice.
T-Stop - Take one leg and bring it behind your other blade. The back leg should be on an outside edge. Soon you will stop.


Those are the main things you ahve to know, there is more but I can't remember. Those skills alone took me just over a year to master, and I go to the rink twice a week.

When you are just beginning, I wouldn't have private lessons. Group lessons covers it all and you will be with kids atleast 8 and up, under that is in Tots.

I reccomend buying your own skates around Alpha/Beta levels. You won't really a lot of support until you start crossovers. When you do choose to get your own skates remember these tips:
*DON'T BUY OFF EBAY!!!!!! - When you can't try the skates on, you don't know if they fit, are comfortable or if they are strong.
*Be prepared to pay. - Most nice skates can range beween 60 - 130 dollars. Be prepared to pay, but know it is a required element.
*Have someone help you - Have someone working at the rink/store where you are buying the skates to help you. They need to tie them properly so you can get a good feel of the skates.
*Don't be shy - If the skates don't fit right, tell someone before buying them. There is no point in paying tons of money for something that doesn't fit right.
*Break them in - It will take a few days to break your skates in, so don't go skating when they are really new. It will give you blisters and cuts. Instead, walk around your house in them with gaurds on.



Hope you have fun skating, and good luck!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

Icebaby had a real good answer, but if you are in the US then you will use a different system called USFSA. There's a website and it has info on the different levels. Here's the link.

http://www.usfsa.org/

But to save you the trouble.

There are 8 basic classes Basic1-8. There are Adult classes which are for older people learning but even teens can be put there, however I recommend the basic classes. Snowplow Sam is for younger kids.

When I was in classes I was with people around my age and only a few others younger.

Do you have your own skates? If you get past the first few basic levels the coaches will tell you that you need your own skates. It helps you learn anyway, and you won't be sharing skates with a bunch of other people. (Basically, if you are personal about feet.)

As for private lessons, you will most likely learn faster than the other students, or if you take group lessons you can teach yourself moves but at the risk of learning some bad habits. I would say start with group lessons then switch to private, especially when learning jumps.

Lastly, what you learn begings with the very basics of learning to fall, stand up, then move on two feet, to one foot. Then you learn how to stop. So it's like this:

- fall down
- stand up
- glide on two feet
- glide on one foot
- stop
- edges (forward inside and forward outside both feet)
- edges (same thing backwards)

And you progress to things like two foot spin, lunges, bunny hops, spirals, one foot spin, 3 turns, mohawks. You'll learn what everything is in classes.

When you sign up for the basic classes you'll eventually get a booklet and it'll show you everything you learn on each level. After the basics comes the Freeskate classes 1-6. Basically it's footwork, spins, and jumps which you'll learn.

If you decide to go through every basic class, you'll need private lessons for further instruction. That's where you get more advanced.

To save money, go to public skating on the less busy days (never on friday night...never).

Good luck with skating! (If you want to take it seriously, know that this skater Johnny Weir started skating at 12 and has won 3 National titles. ^_~)

Answer 3

It's hard to say since I have no idea how your rink works, ie who runs the classes and if your boss runs the skating programs but at my rink, we have an assistant coach program that all of the club's skaters can sign up for when they turn 11 and get to a certain level. And if I'm 16, then I can take a coaching course and become an official coach. You may or may not need training to become a coach at your rink, so if I were you, I would either ask your boss or directly ask the coaches at the rink how you can get to their job. Also, many rinks that my friends and I skate at require their coaches to be 16 or 18, and you must have completed a certain number of figure skating tests and levels. You should take the job for now incase you don't fulfill the requirements of becoming a coach yet.

Answer 4

Im the same age as you, though I already know how to figure skate well. Start in Pre-Alpha 1. [group lessons]. [You should start taking privates lessons when you start getting better.]There shouldn't be all babies there.

Pre-Alpha 1 Moves-
-Gliding Forward [not hard]
-Forward Crossovers [may take a month or so]
-One Foot Glide [all it is it picking up your foot while gliding.] Practice standing on one foot off the ice to help your balance.
-Swizzles and Pumps [these are harder, you need to use your edges, may take longer]

I recommend buying your own skates at Sports Authority or somewhere else. [the rentals aren't very good] You can buy decent skates for $50. GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 5

I'm 12 turning 13 in a couple of days, and I was stuck with 6 and 7 year olds. However, I mastered the skills faster than they did, so I got to help them and the teacher. I want to do private lessons too, but out in cali they're 30dollars for 30 minutes. If you really want to skate, you can do it. As you move up in level, you'll meet older kids, and you'll have friends!

Answer 6

there are 6 basic skill levels. during those you basically learn like pushes and crossovers. basically, how to skate. then there are the freestyle levels. during those, you learn to do single jumps. if you go through the whole program, it will take a few years, depending on how fast you learn. you might skip some levels. you can also find a private coach. and you can find ice sessions to skate on and have a lesson. private coaches usually cost from 60-120 dollars for 1 hour. my coach charges 80 dollars for 1 hour. if you choose the group program, you will most likely be stuck with little kids. its important to get your basics straight so your jumps will be easier to learn.

Answer 7

Yeah just like everyone else said about the levels. You should start skating, it's way fun even if you start later. I started at 11 and now I can do double jumps at 15 years old. It depends on where you live, but usually there are quite a few older kids and even adults sometimes in the classes

Answer 8

well i'm almost turning 12 and i'm in figureskating. there r many things u learn in basic skills. i passed all of those and i took group lessons and i remember being stuck with the 5 and 6 year olds. it stunk. but luckily i skipped many of those levels so now i'm in freeskate where u do like sitspins and camels and scratch and flip jumps and many other things. basic skills aren't that hard unless u suck at icesk8ing. u should take lessons. icesk8ing is the best. i go 3 times a week and i take lessons once a week. i practice the other days. well, practice a lot and keep trying...

: D good luck. don't know ya but luv ya anyways

Answer 9

Well, I started skating at age 5 and my coach was tough as nails! She refused to let me learn anything new until my stroking was perfect, and I mean perfect! Perfect as in straight, stable arms, perfect leg extensions, and laps and lap and laps of fluid movement. And you know what? That paid off big time, because I could always see how perfect stroking afftected every skill I learned beyond this simple movement across the ice.
Stroking leads to crossovers, and then transitions, turns, footwork, jumps, spins, and it all comes together after that.
Any great coach will want you to perfect stroking, because even though it seems mundane, perfect form is crucial to fluid movement across the ice with grace and style.
I could go on and on about crossovers, another simple skill that my coach grinded me on! I swear I have done millions of crossovers in my lifetime!!

I still warm up on the ice with perfect stroking along the ice for 5 laps, and then some fast crossovers. If my first coach could see me now, she would be so proud.

Answer 10

it depends were you live
but at my club
if your older
your in a group with older kids.
its awesome you wanna skate!!!
id say the first thing you gotta learn is forward glide.
so pick your feet up like your walking
gain speed then put both feet on the ice and you'll see wat i mean
good luck
hope you enjoy skating
as much as me =)