Beginning Ice Skating

Meet Heather Luscomb, a seasoned skater and coach with 13 years of skating and 3 years coaching, guiding beginning skaters through basic skills with safety and fun in the Valley.

Master proper skate lacing for a form-fitting, stable fit from toe to top with wax laces, tie a tight bow, and learn blade care and drying to protect skates.

Learn to fall safely and stand up by landing on your legs, avoiding hands, kneeling, lifting one leg behind, and pushing up with your glutes and abs.

Learn the fundamentals of marching on ice by extending arms for balance, lifting the feet, and stomping in small parallel steps, then turning around and returning.

Learn stroking technique on ice with upright, parallel feet, arms out for balance, and bent knees, pushing and stroking behind you to use the whole blade, followed by two-foot glides.

Learn to glide on two feet, then progress to one-foot glides, using four steps to gain speed while keeping the feet parallel and balanced on two feet.

Progress from two-foot glides to one-foot glides by using three steps to gain speed, lifting one foot slowly into balance. Practice on both feet to build equal balance.

Learn to perform swizzles by starting in a V with heels touching, extending arms for balance, keeping knees bent and centered, pushing forward to touch toes together heel to toe.

Master snowplow stops by placing your dominant foot on one side of a star, bending the knees, and pushing to erase the star, keeping legs hip-distance apart.

Learn to perform dips from standstill with balance and an upright back, bending knees like a chair, chin up, then dip after 2–3 slow marching steps.

Learn two-foot hops by starting with parallel feet at hip distance, bending the knees, extending arms for balance, and jumping to land quickly on the toes in a fluid motion.

Master two-foot turns by placing one arm forward and one back, bending knees, twisting hips, and keeping weight centered on the blade to avoid rocking onto the toe or heel.

Practice backwards swizzles by starting with your toes touching, bending the knees, and pushing back. Keep your head up, stay low, and move knees in and out, like funky chicken.

Perform swizzle pumps on a circle with one foot, keeping the foot stationary, bending the knee, and using a C cut motion to push out and bring the toe together.

Perform backwards swizzle pumps by stopping or turning backwards with one hand in front and another in back, keep the inside foot still as outside foot traces a C movement.

Learn forward crossovers with skateboard pushing, bend inside knee, cross outside foot over, then step out while staying off toes, keeping back straight, red line cues and two fit turns.

Practice backward stroking with one-at-a-time swizzle pushes, alternating feet, and arms out for balance. Go toe to heel, move slowly, avoid leaning forward or back, bend and push.

Learn backward two-foot glides and one-foot glides through controlled backward stroking, staying centered with arms out, a slight knee bend, and a straight back to avoid common errors.

Master backward one-foot glides by keeping a deep knee bend with parallel feet, lifting one foot slowly after a two-foot glide, and practicing on both feet to stay balanced.

Begin with two-foot spins, then progress to one-foot spins using a swizzle pump. Wind up your arms for speed and pull in tight, staying low with knees and abdomen engaged.

Practice the one-foot spin using the same setup as the two-foot spin, pull your arms and feet in, lift one foot slowly, and stay within a small area.

Learn inside and outside edges for one-foot glides and three-turns in a T position, pushing onto the edge, twisting your hips, and staying mid-blade.

Demonstrates backward crossovers with a swizzle push, emphasizing sliding the inside foot back before crossing, while keeping the back straight and knees bent for balance in both directions.

Master side toe hops and bunny hops with balance and lines on the ice, then practice spirals, attitudes, and arabesques while stretching hip flexors and quads.

Learn how to perform a spiral from a two-foot glide, lifting one foot while keeping your back upright, forming a V shape with straight legs and head and chest up.

Learn the arabesque through a two-foot glide, lifting one leg behind you. Maintain an upright posture and finish with a slow descent, keeping the toe pointed outward.

Learn the ice skating attitude: start with arms out, glide, push back like an arabesque, bend in, balance your weight on the blades, and finish in an attitude.

Learn to perform ice lunges with upright posture, bending the front knee, keeping the entire skate on the ice to avoid scraping, and practicing alternating legs.

Master the t stop by lunging, pushing down into the ice, and scraping the rear foot behind you, using the t position concept from three turns.

Learn the mohawk skating move, using precise edge work (inside and outside edges) and fluid steps from a ballet position, with arm extension, speed on the circle, and swizzle pumps.

Practice ballet jumps by starting with one toe on the ice, extending arms for balance, bending the knee, hopping to lift the other leg, and landing upright without leaning.

Learn moving three turns on an outside edge to build balance for more advanced skating, starting with a left foot forward, toe in, and a slight turn.

Master inside forward pivots by placing a toe, arms out for balance, and circling with a swizzle push or C cut; perform on both feet and stay upright.

Practice the Dutch waltz, a beginner ice skating dance, using stroking crossovers and progressives with swing rolls, following beat counts from the corner.

We review progress from the basics to jumping and spinning. Seek a professional coach to improve faster.