What are your favourite 'moves in the field'? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

What are your favourite 'moves in the field'?

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
To perform: this past year, I've learned how to cover the entire rink on a double change of edge spread eagle (outside-inside-outside) and when you catch it just right, it feels like flying. Same for Ina Bauers on both feet leading. I still struggle with right foot leading ones to get on an outside edge, but it's getting there and a lot of fun to work on. Also, to perform is the Novice MIF alternating rocker-choctaws when done to or above passing standard as they float and have a nice lilting quality to them.

To watch: Kwan's double change direction Mohawk, Bobek's spirals, any in between of Matt Savoie's programs into his elements (they were all unusual, different, and matching in musical structure to the program while keeping the interest of the viewer because you didn't know what was going to be done next).
 

pointyourtoe

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Are spirals moves in the field? I guess they can be, right? I thought moves in the field were miscellaneous moves that didn't fall into the jump or element (spins, spirals, footwork) category.

My favorites are: layback ina bauers (Shizuka is the queen), twizzles, Boitano's orgasmic spread eagles, and there's this deep edge move that Akiko Suzuki does in her Kill Bill program which is awesome.

There is a spiral (?) position I love that I've never figured out the name for. It looks vaguely balletic. Does anyone know what it's called? The skater has their back upright, and their leg in an attitude position but it's curled rather than straight. Michelle and Sasha often performed this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTO6104VEqc#t=0m28s (before she stretches it out to a straight position)

I think Michelle really is the queen of the split falling leaf. There have been many other skaters who can get the perfect split position, but at least among recent ladies skaters, Michelle is the only one I've seen who does them in succession without any steps in between and they get the same height and airiness. I know older male skaters were famous for doing 2-3 split jumps in succession but I've never seen them so I don't know if they took steps in between or not. I've seen Caroline Zhang and Sasha do gorgeous split jumps in succession, but always with extra steps or turns in between.

These are two examples where she does two continuous split falling leaves without interruption:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoWrWD8M_cU#t=4m02s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR4VtmHh0Wc#t=4m57s

look how much ground she covers!

love how airy this is. she doesn't always suspend them consistently though

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ0reeUnAmE#t=3m02s
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I just watched it and that little "shimmy" is a slalom step -- occurs in the Cha Cha ice dance, for one!

A slalom step! Thanks so much, Kitt.

I love this thread. Everyone's input on skating to watch is uplifting and gives me ideas of what to explore next on YouTube, and I'm especially impressed at those of you who skate as well as watching. Mskater93, I imagine how wonderful it must feel to be able to do an Ina Bauer, and gliding down the whole rink in a spread-eagle.

Meem, I agree about Michelle's arms during the Lori Nichol era. They worked with the music and the choreography. There was a distinct difference after Michelle's parting with Frank and Lori.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Olympia, both those elements are things that can make even the crummiest sessions better. :)
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
A slalom step! Thanks so much, Kitt.

I love this thread. Everyone's input on skating to watch is uplifting and gives me ideas of what to explore next on YouTube, and I'm especially impressed at those of you who skate as well as watching. Mskater93, I imagine how wonderful it must feel to be able to do an Ina Bauer, and gliding down the whole rink in a spread-eagle.

Meem, I agree about Michelle's arms during the Lori Nichol era. They worked with the music and the choreography. There was a distinct difference after Michelle's parting with Frank and Lori.

Yeah, my hips aren't the most open, so I really struggle to do spread eagles and envy those who can -- one of my first skating-on-TV memories was Boitano creating the Olympic rings with spread eagles and that just stuck in my mind.
 

GF2445

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
Shawn Sawyer's spirals and cantilever were also the die for! His flexibility is AMAZING.
 

uncchristine99

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 29, 2012
Yes to Michelle Kwan's double falling leaf! The only shame is that she never did that again in another program. :(

Also yes to Sasha's Russian split--it just hits you in the face like bam! She just had such good hang time on it too as opposed to jumps.

Sasha also does an amazing falling leaf for an Eco commercial and I've never seen her do it anywhere else. I looooooove the position--it reminds me of this glorious switch ring from gymnastics.

Bourne & Kraatz had several moves like the following--I heard commentators call it hydoblading and one particular instance, it was referred to as "the crusher." Not sure how technical or correct those are but they were the first couple I ever saw do moves likes this, very close to the ice. Here are a couple variations:

2003 Worlds Free Dance
2003 Worlds Gala
1998 Olympics Free Dance

I've since seen mostly men, some ladies (Michelle Kwan!) do similar moves.

Also, I love this footwork step--some skaters do this just in the field and not as part of their actual footwork sequence. I have NO IDEA what this is called. Does anybody know? Seems like it's an older move--I remember seeing it more in Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan times but hadn't seen it in years, even around the time of this Michelle clip. I definitely haven't seen it since this Michelle clip either.

Michelle Kwan
Tonya Harding
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Bourne & Kraatz had several moves like the following--I heard commentators call it hydoblading and one particular instance, it was referred to as "the crusher." Not sure how technical or correct those are but they were the first couple I ever saw do moves likes this, very close to the ice. Here are a couple variations:

2003 Worlds Free Dance
2003 Worlds Gala
1998 Olympics Free Dance

Bourne & Kraatz called these low-to-the-ice moves Hydroblading because they developed the technique, with their "stylist" Uschi Keszler in the early 1990s, by holding onto water bottles while they were learning the moves to help them balance without putting their hands right onto the ice. (They did also do some moves with hands on the ice, using special gloves).

So it's really Keszler's term. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GUZytKKQ6Q

The "Shae crusher" is the variation where Victor is on top of Shae, i.e., would crush her if he weren't actually supporting most of his own weight.

B&K did a lot of these low moves and popularized them so much that most dance teams were trying them by the late 1990s.

A low move like that, similar to a sitspin position, with the free leg straight in front next to the deeply bent skating leg is usually called a shoot-the-duck in the US or teapot in the UK. It can be done on a flat (beginners) or an edge. I don't know whether crossing the free leg under the skating knee, as in the Kwan example you show, would be considered a variation of the basic move or merits its own name.

Also, I love this footwork step--some skaters do this just in the field and not as part of their actual footwork sequence. I have NO IDEA what this is called. Does anybody know? Seems like it's an older move--I remember seeing it more in Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan times but hadn't seen it in years, even around the time of this Michelle clip. I definitely haven't seen it since this Michelle clip either.

Michelle Kwan
Tonya Harding

I don't know of an official name for this. Done mostly on left forward outside and right back outside edges like this, I'd say it's a series of alternating little waltz jumps and falling leafs.

I'd seen it done on the toepicks when I was skating in the 1970s. I called them toe chainés, after the ballet turn, but I don't know if I've ever seen that used officially.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Alissa Czisny does some lovely split jumps. She almost seems to lower herself into them rather than jumping into them, as if she's using no propulsion whatever but is just drifting into them. Look a little after 1:20 in this "Sabrina" program:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s8UlN4umNs


I just watched Kwan's double split jump in the 2002 Scheherezade. I never noticed that before. Wow!
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
One of my coaches has amazing Russian split jumps. He was competing up until he tore his achilles a couple years ago in Championship Masters Junior/Senior Men and the Russian split was right in front of the judges and he was basically eye level with them. AWESOME
 
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