Spin specialist Kim Ryan continues a class on off-ice spin training. In Part 1 she explained and demonstrated in detail how to get started spinning off the ice in a repeatable and safe way. In Part 2 the class continued working on upright spins, advancing to forward and backward scratch spins with arm variations. In Part 3, the focus remained the same as Part 2 with additional insights and a clear process for developing skill. In Part 4, Kim taught the class how to do an eggbeater off the ice and in Part 5 she introduced the off ice sit spin with the “happy sit” position. In Part 6 she taught the full forward sit spin and she introduced the class to combination spins. In this video, she introduces the forward camel spin.
Kim wants all skaters in the class to use a 2-hands-in-front entrance. Kim uses this method on the ice as well as it really helps skaters keep moving the free side arm and shoulder through the entrance and into the spin properly. She teaches hands clasped with palms up and thumb on top of other thumb. She demonstrates the starting wind-up position, with the arms extended and up even with the chin. The skaters should do a full turn down in the skating knee with the hands clasped in front, then come up to a straight skating knee before opening the arms (or just leave the arms in front).
As the class tries the camel spins, a common problem emerges. The skaters tend to pull the free side arm and shoulder away from the direction of rotation, thus killing some of the rotation and creating a poor balance position. Kim has the skaters hold a beach ball with the thumbs pointing upward to keep the hands together and the shoulders open. Skaters are more likely to keep the arms together because they don’t want to drop the ball. Kim prefers using a beach ball, a balloon, or an extra spinner because it allows for thumbs up (a skate guard does not) and engages the core muscles.
Kim also makes a point of encouraging the skaters to have a more level camel spin position rather than pulling the free shoulder back and up. Skaters tend to do this as part of the effort to stack the hips, but good base-position camel spins have stacked hips but relatively level shoulders. For bent free legs on camels, Kim suggests flexing the free foot (rather than pointing it).
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