Skating skills and moves in the field specialist Karen Olson discusses the ‘alternating backward crossovers to backward outside edges’ pattern of the US Figure Skating Preliminary Moves in the Field test. When teaching this pattern, Karen often refers to it as ‘back crossovers to landing position’ and landing position development is one of her major goals in teaching the pattern. The back outside edge does not have to be a landing position, but it can be, including proper landing position head control. Karen teaches the move with the head turned inside the circle, and switches the head to the new circle when changing lobes.
The transition between lobes is very important as it sets the layout of the overall pattern as well as ensuring skaters can properly generate power during the pattern. Notice how Karen collects her feet while finishing one lobe, then pushes strongly onto the next lobe. The push and step direction for the new lobe are critical and should be perpendicular to the pattern axis (“skate out”). Skating full lobes is important for the skater to create power from edges, and flat lobes don’t have the necessary depth of edge to create power. Because power is often confused with speed, Karen takes a moment to explain the difference and why it’s important in skating.
Karen says, “The preliminary moves test is a lot about the lobes.” She explains how learning proper lobes at this level is important for upcoming higher-level moves tests. As a way to ensure the first lobe of the pattern is correct, Karen recommends forward entry pushes (“slightly diagonal”) into a mohawk where the direction of the push into the mohawk is at an angle into the corner. This allows the skater to exit the mohawk perpendicular to the axis in order to create a correct first lobe.
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