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Eileen Peerless Power Skating Method offers proven techniques from a power skating expert that will help hockey skaters of all ages, abilities, and levels to improve power, speed, and overall performance on the ice.Relying on her nearly three decades of experience teaching hundreds of hockey players, Eileen Peerless shares practical skills that can be used in real game situations. Peerless divides her guidebook into three sections-balance, stride, and agility. She provides a solid foundation of step-by-step methods, team and individual drills, and clear illustrations that will help any hockey player develop into an excellent skater. Skaters will learn how to:• improve balance by developing better edge control and skate placement;• implement a strong, powerful stride that uses the body for strength;• master agility and increase speed by turning and stopping properly.Knowing where the body belongs in every skating maneuver is critical to improving skating technique, speed, and balance. Eileen Peerless Power Skating Method provides the kind of methods that, with practice and dedication, will lead both beginning and advanced hockey athletes to achieve unlimited success on the ice. ... Read more

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In this easy-to-read story, Rosie the elephant and her friend Joe enjoy ice skating until Joe falls into the ice. ... Read more

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The kids in the After-School Sports Club are going on a field trip to the local rink. Everyone is excited to learn how to skate -- except Alyssa, who is not sure she is ready to give it a try. Can the rest of the kids show her how much fun skating can be? ... Read more

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A beautifully illustrated celebration of the best athletes from this wildly popular sport.

Figure Skating's Greatest Stars profiles 60 great skaters, including champions in men's, women's, pairs and ice dancing. Informative essays describe their careers and championship moments, as well as the definitive events that have made figure skating one of the leading spectator sports in North America.

Fans of all ages will delight in reading the stories of these stars who have jumped higher, spun tighter and skated more gracefully as they pushed skating's artistic and technical boundaries.

Some of the 60 athletes featured are:

• Dick Button (late 1940s and early 1950s), United States
• Liudmila and Oleg Protopopov (1960s), Soviet Union
• Brian Boitano (1980s), United States
• Elvis Stojko (1990s), Canada
• Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov (1990s), Russia
• Jamie Sale and David Pelletier (late 1990s and 2000s), Canada
• Brian Joubert (2000s), France
• Qing Pang and Jian Tong (2000s), China
• Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto (2000s), United States
• Michelle Kwan (2000s), United States.

Figure Skating's Greatest Stars is the perfect fanbook for the millions who love this sport.

Customer Reviews (2)

Basic but interesting
This book is broken into the four skating disciplines (Men's, Pairs, Ladies, Ice Dance) and has side sections with some history about the development of figure skating.Many known personalities are covered here (Michelle Kwan, Peggy Fleming, Brian Boitano, to name a few) but there are quite a few skaters that I had not heard of but made a significant mark on the sport.The book is easy to read and never boring and has some historical photographs of interest.It even tries to explain the new scoring system (which I don't think anyone in the ISU or even Dick Button can do adequately).If you are a fan of figure skating or just curious about the sport this book will entertain and enlighten you.

Interesting reading, some biased choices
If you're interested in figure skating, this is a nice book to put on the shelves, to pick up once in a while whenever you feel like knowing more about certain athletes in the sport. Although the author acknowledges that he provides a personal view, he also states that choices were made on the basis of the impact of skaters on the sport in general. So, he can sometimes present skaters who have won no World or Olympic championship at any time but still influenced the direction of the sports in a substantial way. And for the most part, this is correct. However, especially concerning the more recent years he does show a somewhat North American Favouritism which is a pity because the rest of the book (the early years and the intermediate ones) is highly balanced on that score. This can be illustrated with ice-dancing. Olympic and World Champions Marina Anessina and Gwendal Pezzerat do not get a chapter of their own, even though they showed remarkable innovations like the gender changes in the lifts. Others have since than followed on with this practice. That means they did execute a major influence on the direction the discipline has taken. Similar omissions are present (or to be be exact: they are not present as such in the book!) with regard to other disciplines. Having said that, this still is a wonderful book, with beautiful photo's, and interesting descriptions of the (skating) histories and lives of many skaters. Despite the small bias noted and remarked upon, I would still highly recommend it to fans all over the World. ... Read more

Product Description
The village lake is frozen and crowded with skaters. Tim longs to skate,but try as he might, he only trips and falls. One night Tim wakes fromhis dreams, walks to the lake, and pulls on his skates amid mounds offluffy snow. Suddenly, the mounds move. They become soft, shy, snowybears! Skating bears. When the smallest one holds out his paw,Tim hugshim tight and learns to skate under a magical moon.

Charmingly illustrated and sumptuously embossed, this big, beautiful giftbook provides the perfect story for snuggly fireside sharing on a snowywinter’s eve. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent holiday gift.
Skating with the Bears is a wintertime treat. The illustrations are embossed and some are fuzzy and others sparkle so they literally leap from the page. The story of a young boy learning to skate is classic and filled with imagination and whimsy. Great for lap read with a toddler where they can touch the pages as you read. Excellent holiday gift. ... Read more

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Product Description
Turns and spirals, jumps and spins -- no other sport can match Figure Skating's combination of strength and elegance, power and grace. Whether it is your first time at the ice rink or you have graduated to the axel, salshow, and lutz, you will enjoy this fascinating look at one of the world's favourite Olympic events. Special features include: Profiles and action photographs of the top American skaters; Proficiency test requirements; Guide to competitive Figure Skating; Comprehensive list of US Figure Skating champions; Fitness, health and nutrition tips. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (28)

Good Look at an Important Subject
Frozen in Time: The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team by Nikki Nicholas -- Sports non-fiction
This book tells the story of the members of the U.S. Figure Skating World Team, friends and family who died in a plane crash en route to the Worlds in 1961. Nichols relates the struggles of the top athletes to get to the top spots that would earn them the right to be at the World Championships in Prague. A skater never skates alone and this book is also about the coaches who helped the skaters on their paths to glory and their family members who supported them. Nichols imagines what the skaters were thinking and feeling at crucial moments in their lives. She also interrupts the narrative to discuss other competitors, past, current and future. Nicholas attempts to explain how the legacy of the 1961 team affected all the skaters to come after them, from Peggy Fleming's glorious gold medal in 1968 to skaters in 2001 receiving scholarships from money left in memory of the 1961 team. This book is written from extensive research by a dedicated skater and skating fan and it shows. The stories of the 1961 team members are compelling but the writing isn't stellar. Nicholas interrupts her story to discuss skaters from the past (pre-1961) and present day (post-1961), which was a little jarring in the middle of the story of the 1961 U.S. Team. The imagined scenarios are also a little odd. I also feel that Nicholas rushed the legacy part though her book is subtitled The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team. I enjoyed learning about the lesser known people involved in the crash and learning more about what happened during the flight. The 1961 U.S. World Team is a subject that is infrequently discussed but should be known to all those who are interested in the sport. I would give this book 3 1/2 stars.

A story that needed to be told, history that needed to be remembered.
The U.S. Figure Skating team was at the pinnacle of the sport in 1961 as 18 skaters, their family members and coaches boarded the plane for Prague and the World Championships. They never reached their destination. The plane crashed, and all on board were killed.

This book is a reverential look back by competitive figure skater and journalist Nikki Nichols. The focus is on the top two women skaters, Laurence Owen and her rival, Stephanie Westerfeld. Both faced a tremendous amount of pressure. Owen's mother, Olympic skater Maribel Owen was the most famous woman skater of her day. Maribel worked both her daughters (Laurence's sister Mara was a pairs skater) endlessly in order for them to achieve glory. Far from the Owens' turf in New England, Myra Westerfeld was doing the same thing with her daughters, Sherri and Stephanie, at the Broadmoor in Colorado. Laurence and Stephanie finished first and second in the U.S. Championships and were expected to do great things in the World Championships. Laurence graced the cover of Sports Illustrated on the day she died.

Nichols also goes into the history of the sport. Maribel's nemesis was Sonja Henie, the most famous figure skater in the world, who won many championships and starred in Hollywood movies. My mother fell in love with figure skating watching those movies, and she passed her love of the sport on to me. Nichols' overview of the sport's history was an important part of the book, and I needed the refresher course, not only on the history, but on those dreaded school figures and the partisan judging that seems to have always been a part of who wins and who loses.

Anyone who reads this book looking for juicy scandals will find none. What they will find is history, rivalry, and a national sport that was brought to its knees by a terrible tragedy. That the USFSA was back on top in 1968 when Peggy Fleming won the Olympic gold is an amazing feat.

Any fan who loves the sport of figure skating should enjoy this book.

A must-have for figure skating fans!
This is one of the most poignant books written about figure skating history.I knew the story of the 1961 tragedy, but this book focuses on each skater in ways I've never seen done before.MUCH more here than just a focus on the famous Owen family.Good reading, well worth the price.ORDER IT!

Highly recommend
If you are a fan of figure skating, this book is a definate must read. It opened my eyes to things about skating and competition that I did not know as a former figure skater. It is a wonderful tribute to the skaters of the 1961 U.S. Team.

Still enduring....
In 1961, the greatest tragedy in U.S. figure skating history - and possibly world figure skating history - took place when a Sabena-Belgian Airlines Boeing 707 developed problems trying to land at Brussels airport. The plane nosedived into a farmer's field, killing everyone aboard. Among those on board were 18 members of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating team, who were heading to the World Championships in Prague. This is the story of those skaters.
This book focuses largely on Laurence & Maribel Vinson Owen, as well as Stephanie Westerfield, who were the most well-known members, but also mentions skaters such as Laurie Jean Hickox and Doug Ramsay. It talks in-depth about the training & competitions they went through to become U.S. Figure Skating team members, as well as the terrible accident itself & how it affected U.S. Figure Skating at large - especially the rush to produce new skaters to replace those so tragically lost.
Journalist (and adult competitive figure skater) Nikki Nichols has done an excellent job in telling the very real stories of these people who were the Americans' best hopes for 1964, and never got to perform. Most of today's figure skaters have never heard the sad story of the 1961 US team, and this book is an excellent telling of their story. Highly recommended.

... Read more

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Let Little Critter® take your child on a reading adventure!

Customer Reviews (1)

Winter Skating Fun with Little Critter
"Skating Day" is a Level-1 Little Critter "First Reader" book in which Little Critter and his friends enjoy a skating trip. The story is simple --- a sentence or two a page, but the illustrations go well with the text and are the same sweet Little Critter illustrations you know and love.

"Skating Day" brings readers the joy of skating and playing out in the snow. It comes with bonus activities at the back of the book, such as "Logical Reasoning" and a matching game. ... Read more

Product Description
Hockey is played faster every year. Players are bigger, stronger, faster, and more skilled than ever. Those who can’t maintain the pace have little chance of making it at the higher levels.

Laura Stamm’s Power Skating, Third Edition will help you develop explosive speed with Stamm’s proven techniques that have helped thousands of skaters at all levels of the game become great skaters. It also provides you with practice drills that will help you hone and transfer that speed to game situations.

Laura Stamm has taught the Los Angeles Kings, the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders, the New Jersey Devils, and other teams around the world have employed her Power Skating System as well. Thousands of amateur and pro players—including many NHL stars—learned directly from Stamm how to increase their speed, ability, and efficiency on the ice.

In this updated edition of her popular power skating book, Stamm introduces additional coverage of the topics most important to today’s hockey coaches and players. She explains everything from how to select proper skates and equipment for superior skating to all the critical components of explosive skating:

• Balance for stability and speed
• Explosiveness through greater force application
• Starts for a step advantage on the opposition
• Forward stride for a more aggressive attack
• Backward stride for mobility on defense
• Crossovers for split-second change of direction
• Stops for being able to halt on a dime
• Turns and transitions for multi-directional moves
• Agility for maximum coverage of the ice
• Training for faster and more powerful skating

Nearly 300 drawings and photographs illustrate skating skills from the basic to the complex. And for each maneuver you’ll also find a detailed explanation of how to perform the skill, plus proven drills and exercises to help you practice that maneuver. The exercises progress from the simplest to the most difficult and include special pointers for coaches.

Every great hockey player skates powerfully and is able to get in position to make the key play. Laura Stamm’s Power Skating will give you that explosive edge on the competition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

This book taught me how to skate.
When I first started playing competitive hockey 10 years ago, I didn't know how to skate.I bought this book and learned the physics of skating.After 6 weeks of training on inline skates and at the ice rink my skating was good.During the last game of hockey that year, I remember I chased the other team's best player from his end of the rink to mine and knocked the puck off his stick.I skated to the bench for a line change and one of the guys who hadn't seen me since I started the training said, "Holy! How come you are so fast?". I recommend this to all the guys I play with.I bought the video a few years later, but I think if I had choice of the two, I'd take the book because the book is well written enough that I can visualize what to do.

It's all here, the rest is up to you
I have been using this book and the companion DVD for about 18 months. I bought them together after I made the decision to start playing rec league ice hockey at the tender age of 48!What you get out of them is going to depend a lot on what type of learner you are and your motivation. The DVD will appeal to those inclined to the visual, copycat approach.If you prefer to work through the process analytically with descriptive detail, then the book is better than the DVD.I've found them to be excellent complementary learning tools.

There are many paths to success.I have also attended power skating classes and adult hockey camp.A private lesson with a figure skating instructor identified and corrected a posture problem in my backward crossovers.That could have taken months to work out on my own.

The bottom line is that ice skating is an extremely difficult, non-intuitive activity.To get good at it, you simply have to make the commitment of time, energy, and yes money that's required to get out there and practice, practice, practice.This book and other resources can help, but there are no shortcuts or substitutes for lots of hard work on the ice.If you are willing to do this, you will be richly rewarded with superb skating skills that will make a huge difference in games.I am already playing at the intermediate rec league level and enjoying it a bunch.

My coach recommended it to me
Laura Stamm's Power Skating was recommended to me by my team and personal skating coach.It covers basics ... in detail!Speed, balance, explosiveness, responsiveness - all depend on the basics underlying your forward and backward stride, including weight distribution, leg extension, edge position, angle, and control, hip position and movement, control of shoulder and torso position, and more.

This book covers the basics you would have drilled into you at any good hockey school or clinic.So if you're wondering why you slip edges, are a fast runner but slow skater, can't quite stop yourself from spinning out of position at times, lose your balance, feel like your upper and lower body aren't working together on the ice, etc. - buy this book and start drilling!

One piece of advice on skates, though.If you've never been fitted by a competent hockey pro shop or at a clinic, go and get it done.Hockey skates aren't shoes or boots and shouldn't fit like them.Wear the wrong skate and you will not only waste your time and money trying to learn to skate properly, you will develop habits you will have to rid yourself of later.Trust me - you are NOT going to be fitted properly at the local sporting goods or department store.Get fitted properly and buy the best skates you can afford.Fitting also addresses more than the skate boot fit.You need someone knowledgeable to help with things like blade type, rocker, and other fitting issues too.

The book and techniques are excellent and the price is cheap.Laura Stamm has been used and endorsed by many pros.You can't go wrong!

Crucial resource for developing proper skating technique
At the time of this review, I am 31 years old and preparing for my first season of adult hockey.I had almost zero skating experience (aside from maybe three public skating sessions when I was 12 or so years old) when I decided I wanted to play hockey.Before I started taking skating seriously, I would just go out an mess around on the ice for a half hour at a time.All that did was breed bad habits and frustration.Then, I purchased this book: I can't stress to you just how much the descriptions in this book helped form good skating habits while avoiding/undoing the bad ones.Remember, I am a self-taught skater and by no means perfect, but this book solidifed the fundamentals and spelled out the execution necessary to maximize my power.In just three months of practice patterned after the excercises in this book, I feel like a totally different individual than the unbalanced, directionless clown I was when I started out.Consider this book a must-read if you're looking to get into hockey.

The best book
You must buy it if you found Laura's DVD is the best skating instructional DVD. ... Read more

Product Description
Gain the inside edge on winning competitive events! In Artistry on Ice: Figure Skating Skills and Style, former Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan shares the knowledge she has gained from years of performing at the highest levels of the sport.

Artistry on Ice: Figure Skating Skills and Style gives you an in-depth look at advanced techniques for jumps, spins, and freestyle moves in addition to body alignment and refining footwork, music, and expression. It shows you what it takes to excel from the perspective of one of figure skating’s champions.

Four chapters are devoted solely to competition, covering the music, choreography, costumes, and other elements to create the ultimate performance. Also included are renowned trainer Igor Burdenko’s insights on physical preparation for powerful and fluid skating.

From triumphs over personal tragedy to her superb performance under pressure in the 2000 Goodwill Games, Kerrigan prevailed against many challenges during her 20-year career. Now she teams with former competitive figure skater and professional instructor Mary Spencer to share the insight that will take your skating to the top. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Resource for Skaters!
Nancy Kerrigan, two-time Olympic medalist, has written a book for skaters full of tips and advice that she has learned and used during her years as a Senior skater. Nancy states in the introduction, "Artistry on Ice is not focused on the early fundamentals...[it] is intended for intermediate to advanced skaters...and includes tips for sharpening their competitive skills". However, even beginners will benefit from the many tips and land and water excercises featured in the book to develop strength for skating. This book features clear instructions and full-color photographs covering nearly every aspect of intermediate and advanced skating, including all kinds of jumps, spins, essential skills like spread eagles and spirals, competition, partner skating, off-ice training, and more. Also, you will find thousands of hints and tips for performing various skating movements that have worked for Kerrigan herself. Plus, a whole section of the book is devoted to competition, covering cosutmes, music, choreography, and bringing it all together. This book is full of practical advice and will help all skaters reach for that shining star!

Insightful Guide for Figure Skaters
This book is full of useful tips for beginner and intermediate skaters. I found it to be clear and concise. The photographs illustrated specific moves well. I have been figure skating since I was a tot and am now an adult -- this book helped to clarify specific techniques which had previously been elusive. I found the chapters on other forms of skating very interesting as well. ... Read more

Product Description
In the spotlight: the all-new figure skating mystery series.From the author of Sarah Hughes: Skating to the Stars.

Figure skating is a cutthroat world. Just ask Rebecca "Bex" Levy, figure skating researcher for the 24/7 skating network-and Prime Crime's newest sleuth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great start to the series
This is the first in the series of figure skating mysteries about TV researcher and sleuth Bex Levy. I'd already read the 3rd and 4th books.

It's the World Figure Skating Championship, and surprisingly, the Russian skater wins over the American favorite, with the Italian judge casting the deciding vote. Amid a huge controversy over bloc voting and accusations of bribery or coercion, the Italian judge is found dead. The police seem inclined to view it as an accident, but it seems too coincidental to ignore.

Bex has just gotten her job as figure skating researcher. Not only does she have to keep the on-air talent from screwing up (they're a former pairs skating team, who delight in goading each other), she's under the constant threat of losing her job (her boss's idea of motivation). So in desperation, Bex promises to deliver the real story in two days.

The Good:
The very realistic-feeling look inside the world of figure skating competitions, and our introduction to the slightly larger-than-life ongoing characters of Bex's boss Gil and the on-air commentators, the Howarths.

The Bad:
The slow accumulation of clues and following false leads was mildly frustrating, but it was also refreshingly realistic. I'd much rather read about a sleuth, particularly an amateur one, who makes mistakes than one who gets it all right from the beginning. And the reader's frustration evokes Bex's, which is good, too.

The Verdict:
Murder on Ice had been in my TBR pile for about a year. I'm hoping to unearth the 2nd book in the series before the 5th comes out.

Isn't a good skating book or a good mystery
I have a question for Alina Adams - why in the world would you set a series of books in a world for which you so clearly have zero respect?Alina Adams doesn't know figure skating any better than her heroine does.Which would be not at all.She may have worked as a researcher, but she clearly didn't learn much.The book is a string of cliche's about the world of skating, looking for a reality check.Certainly the cliche's exist, but according to Ms. Adams, the world of figure skating is no more complex than every cliche you have ever heard - every male figure skater is gay, every skating marriage is a lie and every skater is shallow and self-absorbed and every skating parent is a nightmare.How about some depth?

The book is not well written, nor does it seem to know who it's audience actually is.It is trite to the point that only a 12 year old could find it enjoyable, yet uses several vocabularly words that most adults wouldn't know.Bex isn't charming, she's annoying - and slow-witted, at best.And Ms. Adams for all her supposed knowledge about the world of skating -a world filled to the brim with Russians, makes a big point of explaining patronymics and then proceeds to get it wrong.The patronymic for Peter (or Pyotr) is Petrovich or Petrovna, NOT Petrov or Petrova (which happen to be surnames of two well known pairs skaters - Denis Petrov and Maria Petrova).If you are going to make a point of showing off how much you know, at least get it right.

As for the story - it's rather obvious, but I've read worse and more obvious plots, which is why it gets two stars, not one.Unless you are the kind of skating fan who thinks the entire sport is the cliche (and I have yet to meet a skating fan who does), don't bother.And unless you are a mystery fan who finds Nancy Drew much too complex and challenging, don't bother from that angle, either.

It's too bad, because skating fans are eager for well written books about their sport.Kudos to the publisher for taking a chance on a "skating novel" - it's too bad this one was so poorly executed.

The author may know skating, but not much else
I am a former figure skater and mystery lover, so when I discovered this series I was elated to bring my two interests together.I am very disappointed.To begin with this book is not well written.Books like this should be a fast, entertaining, easy read.I had to literally plow through the author's text.Then, the heroine - a TV researcher - found what she thought was a clue: a shorter than normal fax.Her conclusion was that it was European paper...when any good researcher, traveler or businessperson knows that A4 paper is longer than US paper, but slightly narrower.It is definitely not shorter.This was not a mention, which I could excuse, but for much of a book it was the only clue the character had.I lost faith.It is too bad the idea of the series is a great one with all the politics and drama that goes into skating, but this entry is definitely not a gold medal winner.

A great read
This book should please every fan of figure skating. Bex Levy, skating reasercher for TV broadcaster 24/7 uncovers a tricky murder mystery using her powers of conversational crime fighting and meeting everyone from skating mothers to perky teenagers to eccentric coaches and skating-struck middle aged men along the way. I definitely recommend this hilarious book.

Murder mystery with a figure skating twist
Murder on Ice by Alina Adams is a fabnlous book!It offers an accurate and humorous account of the figure skating world, with a storyline being a twist of the 2002 Olympics.
Bex Levy is a figure skating researcher.She works 20 hour days, and knows all the ins and outs of the figure skating world.When the Russian beats the American at the world championships, the blame is pinned on the Italian judge for not voting with the western block.When the Italian judge is found dead the next day, Bex is ordered by her boss the find the killer.
Murder on ice is a humerous, unique book that is recommended for figure skating fans of all ages, or for someone who just wants to read a great mystery. ... Read more

Product Description
Coach Perry is taking on a new skating student and now Lauren will be sharing ice time with Courtney Reeves. Courtney is the same age as Lauren, but the two skaters could not be more different. At first, Lauren feels sorry for Courtney because she is so far from home and has to live with her aunt while she trains with Coach Perry. But Courtney is so unfriendly - a true Ice Princess! As Courtney and Lauren prepare for their first skating exhibition, Lauren starts to feel anxious. Now that Lauren has won a championship, can she live up to having a winning edge? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A review written by a figure sk8ter
I am a figure sk8ter and this book really wants to make you become a figure sk8ter but if you dont want to become a figure sk8ter, read it anyway! It makes you love figure sk8ting like i do. I am having a competition soon so i am trying to read alot of figure sk8ting books so i am more confident. This is my first ice competition so i am really nervous.

Totally Cool
This book is a skating book about Lauren and her friends.
It's deffinatly a must have for skating fans!!! ... Read more

Product Description
It’s Sticker Stories on ice! From practicing on an icy lake to performing in competition, readers will love watching a figure skater’s rise to the top! More than 75 stickers make decorating the pages great fun! ... Read more

Product Description
Figure skating, unique in its sublimely beautiful combination of technical precision, musicality, and interpretive elements, has undergone many dramatic developments since the only previous history of the sport was published in 1959. This exciting and information-packed new history by James R. Hines explains skating's many technical and artistic advances, its important figures, its intrigues and scandals, and the historical high points during its long evolution. Hines divides his history into three periods separated by the World Wars. In the first section, he follows functional and recreational ice skating through its evolution into national schools, culminating in the establishment of the International Skating Union and the ascendancy of an international style of skating.The second section explains the changes that occurred as the sport expanded into the form we recognize and enjoy today, and the final section shows how skating became increasingly athletic, imaginative, and intense following World War II, as the main focus turns to skaters themselves.The profiles include some 148 World and Olympic Champions as well as others who, in Dick Button's words, "left the sport better because they were in it." Beginning with mythological tales from twelfth- and thirteenth-century Scandinavians, Hines describes hundreds who have contributed to the sport. They include figure skating's patron saint Lydwina of Schiedam, whose late-fourteenth-century skating tumble has been documented in a woodcut; Ulrich Salchow and Axel Paulsen, who gave their names to distinctive jumps; Madge Syers, who entered and medaled at the previously all-male World Championships in 1902; and Sonja Henie, who took skating to the silver screen.The history ends with the 2002 skating season, when Maria Butyrskaya and Michelle Kwan commanded the most attention and an unfortunate judging decision rocked the pairs' competition, resulting in the adoption of a new judging system. Beyond the contributions of individual skaters, "Figure Skating" also traces the growth of competitions and show skating (professional and amateur), and discussions of relevant social, political, and ethical concerns that have affected the sport.Along with over seventy magnificent historical pictures spread throughout the book, a very special gallery features the picture of every world and Olympic champion. "Figure Skating" is an informative and inspiring resource, sure to be enjoyed by anyone who has ever skated recreationally or in competition as well as by the many fans who have this beautiful sport as spectators. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Nice book in good condition.
This book has all the information you could ever want about the history of figure skating.
Very nice book.

Less interesting than it could have been
This was ... pretty good ... but kinda like the little girl with the little curl. Where it's good it's really interesting. Where it's bad it just ... dull.Some sections the author goes into a lot of detail about skaters and events.Other sections read rather like a biblical geneology. "Jane Jones won in 1936 and Sue Smith won in 1937 and Mary Martin won in 1938 and 1939." Tell us MORE about Jane and Sue and Mary. What were their performances like? Who was the competition?

Skaters who were neither world nor olympic champions, even if their stories are interesting and they've made a major impact (i.e., Paul Wylie) barely rate a mention.

Many of the photos are posed shots rather than action photos, making it hard to picture what the events might have been like.

I did find it very interesting to read about synchronized skating and adult skating. (Having a friend who is involved in both, but knowing little about it, it was very enlightening.)

Well-written history without being sappy
This book will go over the heads of most skating fans and the author admits it.He even says that most books about figure skating fall into the category of "juvenile literature" because that's who's interested in them.

That said, it's a wonderful history of the sport - back to caveman days! - and goes into the story of things many people don't know about now, like school figures, or bat an eye at, like non-white skaters.The photos at the back are fascinating to look at because of the changes in clothing styles and the sport's transition from winter-only to year-round in the 1960s.There is also a chapter on skating teams, including foursomes, a phenomenon almost unique to Canadian skaters, with a bizarre picture of two men and two women doing a simultaneous death spiral.It looked, um, kinda kinky.The section on adult skating - competitive or not - was fun to read as well.Its participants range from late teens to seniors.

Little is said about scandals other than the infamous Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan thing, but the AIDS epidemic's impact on male skaters, a huge percentage of whom are gay, is hinted at simply because of the large number of men who died too young in the 1980s and 1990s.There is also a section on the plane crash that killed the entire 1961 U.S. skating team, their coaches, and some of their relatives, and led to the cancellation of that year's world championships and destroyed America's lead in this sport for many years afterwards.

I found it was not a book that I could just sit down and read, other than the chapters in the front, but rather looked things up in the index and went from there.

Enjoy!

Long overdue...a perfect 6.0
This is a brilliant book -- and sorely needed one for afficionados of the sport.At last -- a serious, scholarly, up-to-date history of figure skating!The book traces the history of sport (the development of skates, positions, moves, etc.) from its earliest days in the Middle Ages when skating was a practical way of getting around in Nordic countries, through the first skating clubs in Elizabethan England and its rise in popularity in the 19th century, and, especially, 19th century America.The book is well documented, with footnotes and photos of all the important figures (there's even a picture of St. Lydwina -- the Roman Catholic patroness of skaters!)It gives a descriptive accounts of figure skating moves (jumps, spins, spirals, school figures, etc.) and how they developed along with their inventors; it also focuses on innovators of the sport who may not have won any championships and the development of the scoring system.It is all-embracing in its approach describing the sport as found in Europe, the Americas and the sport's recent surge in Asia.It also includes an appendix with tables of all winners (up to the year 2005) for World, European, Olympic and various oher championships.There are photographs of every world and Olympic champion -- a nice added extra, as it helps reveal how much the sport has changed through the past century.This book is for those who are serious about the sport, follow it closely and are interested in detailed accounts of figure skating as a competitive sport with a noble history, and as entertainment -- qualities unique to skating.It's a terrific book -- and it's about time! ... Read more

Product Description
At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Joannie Rochette was thrust into the international spotlight when her beloved mother died two days before the ladies short program. The world held their breath for the bereaved figure skater when she opted to compete in her mom's memory. Joannie then captured hearts everywhere when she courageously skated two moving programs to win the Olympic bronze medal. Joannie Rochette: Canadian Ice Princess reveals answers to ice skating enthusiasts' most asked questions. Why did Joannie move away from home at a young age? How did her split and subsequent reunion with her beloved coach Manon Perron ultimately ignite her career? How did Joannie cope in the hours following her mother's death? Read the moving story of how Joannie Rochette overcame physical injuries, self-confidence issues and family tragedy to become the inspirational darling of the Vancouver Olympics. ... Read more

Product Description
For little girls and boys with a dream and a new pair of skates, for millions who can't be pried away from the television when Brian Boitano performs, for anyone who wonders just how it's done, the United States Figure Skating Association presents the first full-color, official guide to figure skating -- the second most popular sport in America after pro football. Prepared with the full cooperation of the sport's national governing body -- the USFSA -- along with its experts, coaches, and archives, The Official Book of Figure Skating is the one publication every skating fan must have.

This authoritative volume celebrates all aspects of figure skating -- the speed and power, the grace and glamour, how it's done as well as who does it -- so that everyone from casual fan to beginner to budding champion can appreciate its range and beauty. Sections on history, personalities, and costumes tell the fascinating story of how skating, originating with the simple need to cross frozen water, has been transformed into a unique blend of sport, art, and entertainment. The book also reveals the experts' secrets behind choreography and conditioning, and presents dozens of skating moves described by USFSA coaches and illustrated in revealing detail. Chapters on judging and competition explain the intricacies of skating success, and some of the sport's finest athletes share memories of their greatest moments on ice. Finally, a glossary and full lists of skating champions and USFSA affiliated clubs make this book an invaluable reference for both skaters and fans.

With its authoritative and comprehensive treatment, The Official Book of Figure Skating is the final word for followers of this dazzling sport. But it is also an exceptionally beautiful volume, one with an unsurpassed visual archive. Nearly 250 photographs and images, many never before seen, have been drawn from the collection of the World Figure Skating Museum and ABC Sports. Including the most recent stars in full-color action, rare photos of the men and women who built the sport, and original commissioned drawings of figure skating's most important moves -- from the Salchow to the double Lutz -- this beautiful and definitive book is as full of artistry and excitement as figure skating itself.Amazon.com Review
The cover photo of a swanlike Michelle Kwan sets the tone forthe sweeping, beautifully illustrated volume behind it. It is asattractive as it is skillful, as balanced as it is smart, as seeminglyeffortless as it is hard-working. There's a helluva lot happeningbeneath its cool, glittery surface.

The Official Book doesduty on several fronts. It offers an authoritative illustrated historyof the sport; short biographies of the most influential and importantskaters; lists of U.S., Olympic, and world champions in allcategories; and an extensive directory of figure-skating clubs aroundthe country. Chapters glide easily from the evolution of the skateitself to a primer--with helpful line drawings--on how to use thoseskates, from simple forward "stoking" to the complex jumps and spinsthat enthrall audiences everywhere. There's a hilarious tour ofskating's changing and fickle fashions and sections that explain howskaters create routines and exactly what they are required to put intothem, the rigors of actual competition (and how best to watch it), andeven one on how the often mysterious judges arrive at their oftenmysterious scores.

As a reference book, it's useful andconclusive. As a history, it's enjoyably informative. And--mostalluringly--as a celebration, it is every bit as exquisite as thesport it celebrates. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A Comprehensive, Solid Guide To One Of The Most Popular Sports In The World Today
Some people complain that a certain book they purchased on figure skating is not "official." Well, this is about as official as you can get. Written by the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA), this book is jam-packed with everything any die-hard skating fan or any amateur skating fan could ever want to know. The Official Book Of Figure Skating scores major points with a cooler-than-ice intro by Peggy Fleming herself, then escalades into covering every topic including the very evoulution/history of figure skating into the costumes that the top figure skaters wear today. This book is for three specific people: 1. A die-hard skating fan who loves looking at glossy pictures of her favorite stars and also loves to gush and dream about meeting them 2. The serious athlete who buys the book for help and instruction with his/her's jumps and spins, physical fitness/training advice, and help with what moves he/she needs to perform in their short and long programs 3.The average person on the block who just buys the book partly because he/she is bored and partly because he/she views it as another book on the shelf to brag about and feels that he/she could benefit with SOME knowledge of figure skating. Chapter 1 is basically a comprehensive and thorough description of the history of figure skating and how it began, while Chapter 2 describes the individual personalities that made figure skating so popular and who were so instrumental in building the foundation of what it is today.
Also, weaven throughout the book are one-page profiles of some of the most prolific skaters old and new, such as Tara Lipinski and Scott Hamilton. Chapter 3 gives an outline of the skate boot itself and differentiates between "good" skates and "bad" skates. Chapter 4 tells the reader how to skate and gives slow motion sketches and instructions on every figure skating move from jumps to spins and tells you how to perfrom them. Chapter 5 is dedicated to the proper fitness and training regimen for skaters, while Chapter 6 is probably the tween skating fan's most studied chapter: Fashion in Skating. It describes in chronological order the changes in fashion from the 1900's, World War-eras, 50's,60's, 70's, and so on.
It shows the progression and the different style and changes in costumes in the decade-eras by description and pictures. Chapters 7 and 8 are basically a guide to creating the perfect routine and what moves you are required to perform in that routine while also detailing what forms of competition you can expect to see in each field. It describes the programs that are commonly seen in each category, such as ice dancing, mens, womens, and pairs, while flashing back to some legendary programs in the past, such as Kristi Yamaguchi's and Brian Orser's. Chapter 9 gives a decription of every skater's personal enemy and the system that can either make them or break them: judging.However, since this book was published in 1998, before the 2002 judging scandal, the 6.0 system has been abolished and I would recommend not reading through this chapter if you are a real skater but only reading it through for reminiscing's sake.
The last items to note are the record book and the list of USFSA figure skating clubs in the U.S. The record book is just the final statement to the reader that this book covers everything figure skating from A to Z and leaves absolutely NOTHING out by giving records of all the U.S., World, and Olympic Champions in all four categories of skating from the very beginning of each category while the list of skating clubs can be helpful if you or someone you know wants to find a USFSA club in your area to join. In conclusion, if you want to know anything about figure skating, look no further than right here. Sure, the other books with glossy photos of all the major skaters are nice and easy-on-the-eyes, but this book has the cold, hard facts on figure skating. Just as schools teach ancient to modern history in class, this book teaches the same ancient to modern history about figure skating; and I can assure you, if there was ever a "school" of figure skating, this would be the textbook.
Yup, this is truly the "Official" Book Of Figure Skating!

Great Book...but i little disapointing
I love this book...but even the important skaters only got a one page biography written about them. I think that is quite a shame, all else is great though...

Amazing Book
This is quite an amazing book! Anybody can read it! I found it in the adult section at a library but it also is a great book for young figure skaters. The best part about it is that it shows you how to do all the jumps and unique stretches. I guarantee you'll love this book within a week of reading it!

Amazing Book
This is quite an amazing book! Anybody can read it! I found it in the adult section at a library but it also is a great book for young figure skaters. The best part about it is that it shows you how to do all the jumps and unique stretches. I guarantee you'll love this book within a week of reading it!

Best Book About Figure Skating Available Today!
I'm a figure skating fan and I thoroughly love this book. Written by the U.S. Figure Skating Association, this book includes a history of figure skating, biographical sketches of famous figure skaters, how to skate, fitness, information about competition and judging, and much, much more. This book also has many beautiful, full-color photographs of figure skaters and also has instructions and clear pictures on how to perform various skating moves. This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to all figure skaters, fans, coaches, and anyone who just wants to learn more about this wonderful sport. ... Read more

Product Description
Being coached by Eve Perry is the best thing that has ever happened to Lauren, even if the schedule makes her life hectic. And a few low grades at school aren't a big deal - right? WRONG! And to make matters worse, her best friend, Rebecca, is mad at her. Lauren realizes that she had better get her life in balance - and fast! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

It's about more than skating
My nine year old daughter loves this series of books. The stories address some of the issues and pressures as well as the joys of skating, including not always having enough funding for lessons or the most expensive dress, trying to keep up with schoolwork and even coping with sometimes fierce competition and petty jealousies. Its about the wonderful bonds of friendship that are made between coach and student as well as between the young skaters themselves. The stories also stress that hard work and commitment will lead to success - very encouraging and positive!

A fun book for the young skating fan and Michelle Kwan fan.
This the second in a series of books about young skater Lauren Wing [Michelle Kwan's middle name is Wing], a fictional character that seemspartially inspired by Ms. Kwan's story. The story is quite good. It isquite insightful into the life of a young skater. The cover's descriptionthat it is for ages 8-10 seems right [although I bet fans of all ages wouldenjoy the story]. It features in the middle of the book a wonderful picturepostcard of Michelle Kwan skating to her A Day In The Life program from the'99-'00 season. The book also features Ms. Kwan's answers to questionsabout her and her skating. Overall, highly recommended! ... Read more