BALANCE & EDGES ARE A MUST FOR CROSSOVERS
Barbara Aidelbaum

The fastest way to travel on a circle is to execute crossovers. Crossovers are the most prevalent turning action and also the most difficult skating skill to master. They are also essential for lateral mobility and are used is so many different scenarios. To name a few: with your chest facing into the circle or your chest facing out of the circle, in a running motion or a gliding motion, starting from a stationery position in a forward side start or a backward start, or exploding out of a turn. In all these instances you must commit to a strong edge angle using both the inside and the outside edges effectively. The upper body plays a very important role in this skill. Good posture and core strength along with proper weight distribution is mandatory.

THE SKATE BLADE:

Remember from previous articles, I like to section the balance points of the blade into 4 parts.
Part 1: toe to the ball of the foot
Part 2: ball of the foot to the middle
Part 3: the middle to the back
Part 4: the heel (your weight should very rarely be centered over part 4)

PROPER POSTURE:

• The upper body should be angled forward from the hips (standing taller during the backward crossovers).
• Eyes forward
• Shoulders as level as possible
• Back straight
• Hips must be low to the ice
• Knees pressed out ahead of the toes and a strong ankle bend

BALANCE:

To achieve good crossovers, the edges must be strong and the balance extraordinary. If you lean too far into the circle with your shoulders, it is easy to get knocked off balance and you tend to cough up the puck more frequently. You will also forfeit the ability to move laterally because you get “stuck” going in the direction that you are leaning. When your heavy (particularly in the case of male players) shoulders and chest dip to one side, it is difficult to maneuver the hips laterally to the west when the shoulders and chest are going to the east. It takes many years of practice (perhaps 10-12 years) to master balance on all eight edges of the skates.

The 4 forward edges: the weight is “typically” distributed over part 3 of the blade.

The 4 backward edges: the weight is “typically” distributed over part 2 of the blade.

This is where the level of difficulty enters the forward crossovers. When traveling forwards in a counter-clockwise direction on the left outside edge, your weight is distributed over part 3 of the blade. On the right crossing foot, which is on the inside edge, the weight is distributed on part 2 of the blade. You must have good balance to skate on edges, and you must have solid edges to execute crossovers.

EDGES:

Explaining edges to you verbally is probably one of the more difficult coaching projects. Centrifugal and centripetal forces come into play. Proper use of edges is the key ingredient to crossovers. At the elite level a player will manage to regain his balance when you think that he is about to fall down, whilst controlling the puck or delivering/receiving a big hit. Only years and years of practice enable him to do this.

Even if 1 out of the 8 edges has not been fully developed, (the weak link in the chain so to speak) then you are vulnerable and risk being knocked off of your feet. Not to mention your speed, power and maneuverability are poor.

The 8 edges of the skate blades:

• Right and left foot forward outside
• Right and left foot forward inside
• Right and left foot backward outside
• Right and left foot backward inside

Edges provide traction and grip the ice similar to that of a good winter tire. The specific blade edge and leg that you are skating on, determines the direction of travel. The edge grips the ice when you allow the skating foot to go onto the side of the blade. As the skating foot wedges into the ice on an edge, the skate will naturally lean. The more that you wedge the blade into the ice and the stronger the knee and ankle bend, the sharper or tighter the curve will become. The faster you skate, the more you can wedge into the ice with your edges. Remember only the lower body leans into the curve. These lower body parts must be aligned and pointing into the direction of travel. The shoulders must remain as level as possible.

I have taught the Canadian Men’s Downhill Ski Team some power skating prior to World Cup events or as part of their training camp. Wow, can they skate on some serious edges! After an hour on the skating rink, the surface gets so carved up that it takes the icemen almost half of their shift to fill the ruts. The difference between skier’s edges in the snow and skating edges is body alignment. Skiers achieve edges by rolling in only the knee and ankle. Skaters achieve edges by pointing the hip, thigh, knee, ankle and skate into the curve.

TECHNIQUE FOR LOWER BODY MOVEMENT (FROM THE HIPS DOWN):

The crossovers are executed by the actions of the lower body. Each crossover has two strides (or pushes)- the crossover and the crossunder while skating forwards and the crossover and the pullunder while skating backward. The crossing over motion must start at the top of the thighs. As in the basic skating strides, the extension must drive from the hips and the gliding leg should be bent close to 90 degrees with the knee aligned ahead of the toe. Each push must fully extend. There are 4 actions on each stride of the crossover.

1. loading the body weight (the wind-up)
2. the extension (the release of the driving leg)
3. the toe snap (the follow through)
4. the recovery (the return of the pushing leg)

The Forward Crossover (counterclockwise or right over left):

The feet must be under the centre line of the body. Skate on strong edges. Extend the right foot inside edge to the side of the body on part 2 of the blade. The left foot outside edge is gliding on the circle on part 3 of the blade. As you reach full extension with the right stride push, rock up to part 1 of the blade for the toe snap of that same foot. Halfway through the push, your weight is transferred from the left forward outside edge to the right forward inside edge. The right foot lifts off of the ice and crosses around and ahead of the left toe. Keep the foot as low to the ice as possible as it is moving in front of the gliding left foot. When the right foot contacts the ice in the cross, it should contact the ice on part 2 of the blade. See Rob Rishaug’s correct photo. Once the crossover has been completed with the right foot, the crossunder action commences with the left foot. You crossunder using the outside edge and follow the 4 actions as listed above. When the crossunder recovers under the centerline of the body, one crossover has been completed.

The Backward Crossover (counterclockwise or left over right):

The feet must start be under the centre line of the body. Skate on strong edges. Pivot the left heel out and extend the left foot inside edge in front and to the side of the body. This is done on part 2 of the blade using a “C” cut push. As the left foot extends, the right foot reaches into the circle on the inside edge. You are now in the basic sculling position. Halfway through the push, your weight is transferred from the left foot backward inside edge to the right foot backward inside edge. The right foot pulls under the left foot as the left foot starts to crossover. As the feet cross, the right foot undergoes a change of edge from the inside to the outside during the pullunder. The left foot remains on the ice the entire time. Once the crossover has been completed with the left foot, follow the 4 actions of the crossover (as listed above) during the pullunder motion. As the right foot lifts off of the ice to reach into the circle for the next crossover, keep it as low as possible. One crossover has now been completed.

KEY POINTS:

• There are two main differences between forward and backward crossovers. Although you are pushing with one foot at a time in both kinds of crossovers, the crossing foot remains on the ice at all times while executing the backward crossover. Also, the pullunder stride of the backward crossover changes edge while the crossunder stride of the forward crossover is done solely on the outside edge.
• Tighter curves and higher speeds require more edge angle and a deeper knee and ankle bend.
• The outside foot always crosses in front, at the tops of your thighs.
• Keep your feet parallel to each other in the actual cross and pointing in the same direction of the line of travel.

Mark Messier is the player to watch on our team. Without question, he has the best crossovers in the NHL. Mark also maintains a work ethic that athletes in any sport, professional or amateur, should study. Let’s hope that he continues to lead the Canucks again next season, so that the entire sporting world can learn from him while he’s in an Orca Bay jersey!