2018 World Ice Dance Silver Medalists Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue teach a class of skaters backward crossovers with a partner. The video builds on a repeating series of back inside edges in the previous video and another video discussing the foundation of power back crossovers.
Zach begins the lesson discussing another concept that helps skaters with back crossovers, although he uses the wrong term. In the video he says “protractor” but he really means a “compass.” (Editor’s Note: Zach actually discussed these terms with the class but that part was edited out.) So whenever he says protractor in the video, simply replace it with compass. The needle of the compass is the inside leg, the pencil is the outside leg, and the skater’s head is the top of the compass. This mental picture helps many skaters get the alignment correct and allows them to generate more power naturally.
Next, Zach and Madison begin to offer tips on how to safely and effectively do back crossovers with a partner. The person leading is typically the “man” who is responsible for safety and setting the direction as well as the tempo of the crossovers. Zach wants a “bend push, bend push” to create each full crossover. The bend loads the leg for power generation, but is also a timing tool that helps with partner synchronization. Zach emphasizes that when starting out, speed is the enemy. New teams must skate slowly with a slow tempo or rhythm, and focus on matching and tracking.
Some additional details discussed in the video: The man’s hand goes underneath to provide support. Zach calls it a “nice firm, comfortable, friendly grip.” Skaters should be looking in the direction they are going, not at their partner and not at their feet. Zach discusses leading arm placement, keeping the leading shoulder down but the arm and hand up. A team should create a straight line with their arms (no “v” between the skaters). There is also additional discussion about safety as well as motivation for working on this skill.
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