Congratulations! We're so happy that you've grown to enjoy skating! 

We created this guide, “I love skating! Your Next Few Months”, to do just that! We're here to help you take the next steps in your skating journey. 

Now that you're ready to learn more, let's move onto the next set of skills that are recommended by US figure skating.  All of the skills that we teach at Edge up Ice are based on the curriculum set by US Figure Skating, the National Governing body for figure skating.  The skills we teach are built on creating a strong foundation of basic skills that build upon each other to help you learn new skills in the safest most efficient manner.  

At Edge Up Ice, we recommend using the skills you've learned over the past month as a warm up and review each time you skate, before beginning to practice your new, more advanced skills

Your daily warm up should include 10-15 minutes on:

• Forward Swizzles

• Dips

• Two foot hops

• Backward Wiggles

• Snowplow Stop

• Helicopter spin

Please keep in mind good posture that allows:

• Balance: Maintain a slight bend in your knees and keep your weight centered over your skates. Engaging your core muscles will help stabilize your movements.

• Speed Control: Start slow and focus on controlled movements. As you gain confidence, gradually increase your speed.

• Knee and Ankle Bend: Keeping your knees and ankles slightly bent enhances stability and allows for smoother gliding.

• Body Lean: Lean slightly forward from your ankles, not your waist, to maintain proper posture and balance.

Your new skills!  

• T- push and glide

  Purpose: To develop strong push-offs and clean glides.
  How-To:

  • Begin with your arms in “10 and 2” position, standing in a strong “T” position: with the left foot facing forward, the right foot placed perpendicular behind the heel and the right hip turned out.

  • Bend both knees. Push firmly from the back foot (inside edge), extending it fully as the front foot glides forward.

  • Keep arms extended in “10 and 2” position for balance. Glide on one foot as long as possible, then step down to two feet. A proficient glide holds for at least the height of the skater.

  • Reverse feet and repeat the exercise.
    

  • ✅ Coach Tip: Make sure the pushing leg fully extends and the glide is held straight with hips and shoulders aligned.

• Scooter Pushes 

  Purpose: To build power, balance, and edge control.
  How-To:

  • Begin with your arms in “10 and 2” position, standing in a strong “T” position: with the left foot facing forward, the right foot placed perpendicular behind the heel and the right hip turned out.

  • Push the free foot against the ice (like scooting) and extend the leg back in quick strokes while the skating foot glides in a straight line with a bent knee.

  • Repeat multiple pushes before switching feet.
    

  • ✅ Coach Tip: Pushes should be quick and controlled. Focus on bending the skating knee deeply for better balance.Moving One foot Snowplow Stop R & L

• Backward two foot glide

  Purpose: Builds confidence and control moving backward.
  How-To:

  • Gain Backward momentum by your choice of pushing off the wall, backward wiggles or backward swizzles or momentum from Rocking Horse.

  • Once gliding, bring feet parallel with knees slightly bent, and arms in “10 and 2” position” keeping body upright. Glide backwards for at least the height of the skater.
    

  • ✅ Coach Tip: Keep eyes up and arms out to help stabilize the glide.

• Backward  Swizzles

  Purpose: Builds backward propulsion and edge awareness.
  How-To:

  • Start in a V-position with toes together and knees bent. Hold arms in “10 and 2”position

  • Create the swizzle (football or lemon shape) by bending the knees and ankles to push your blades out to just outside the hips, then by rising out of the knees and turning the toes in, bring toes back together to form the second half of the Swizzle.

  • Repeat to continue gliding backward for 5-6 Backward Swizzles.
    

  • ✅ Coach Tip: Keep arms extended and chest up. Avoid standing up too soon in the cycle.

  Forward One foot glide R & L

Purpose: Improves balance, edge quality, and glide length.
How-To:

• Begin with forward momentum into a two foot glide with arms held in “10 and 2 “ position.

• After gaining some speed, transfer your weight from being centered on two feet to over the left leg and pick up the right foot and place it next to the skating foot. The free foot and hip should be slightly lifted, arms extended in “10 and 2 “ position and torso steady.

• Hold glide as long as possible before stepping down.
  

• ✅ Coach Tip: Eyes should look forward, not down. Hold your core tight to maintain balance.

  Stand still two foot turns  forward to Backward both directions

  Purpose: Teaches safe transitions between directions.
  How-To:

  • Stand on two feet, knees bent. Start by turning counter clockwise. Look in the direction you want to turn with your head level and not looking down. Keep your hips still while twist of the upper body and shoulders gently to guide the turn.

  • press onto the front of the blades and Pivot (behind the toe pick) to switch from forward to backward by twisting the hips to come back to meet the shoulders. (or reverse).

  • Repeat both clockwise and counterclockwise.
    

  • ✅ Coach Tip: These are not jumps—keep blades on the ice, and use knee bend to control the turn.

    Two Foot Spin

    Purpose: Introductory spin developing rotation control.
    How-To:

    • To Initiate the spin, start with your arms in “2 and 6” position with the upper body in a gentle twist to the right, standing in a strong “T” position. We call this “winding up”.

    • With the left foot facing forward, the right foot placed perpendicular behind the heel and the right hip turned out. Bend your knees and push hard do a 1/2 swizzle with the right leg to create a pivot on the left leg. “Unwind” by bringing your shoulders and arms around to meet your hips while pulling your feet close together into the rotation. Bend the knees slightly whils spinning.

    • Spin on both feet in place using the “Rocker” the curve under the ball of the foot. Lift your heels slightly to feel the curve.
      

    • ✅ Coach Tip: Focus on a strong core and keep eyes up. Pull arms in slightly to increase spin speed.

Whats up next?

Buying your first pair of skates (coming soon)

Finding the right rink Starting group lessons at your local rink 

Questions to ask yourself, location, convenience of schedule, budget, perks to skating academy membership, quality of coaching, level of community, etc 

Getting some lessons (Edge up, zoom, or video analysis)

Starting private or semi private lessons: (article) how we can help…

• Is my child too old to start skating?

• What can I do to help my child at home?

• When should my child start taking lessons?