IJS Figure Skating Spins: Change Of Edge Upright Spin (Bobbe Shire)

Bobbe Shire discusses general principles of change of edge spins.  Bobbe makes a point that skaters should have very solid basic spins with at least 6-8 revolutions before they start working on features and changes of edge.  Bobbe thinks most skaters try to learn features before they’re really ready.

For change of edge spins, Bobbe insists that all of her skaters learn the upright spin, both forward and backward on the opposite edge.  It’s the way that she gets her skaters used to the feeling of spinning forwards.  The easiest change of edge spin is the backspin with a change to the forward inside edge.

One of Bobbe’s main concepts for change of edge spins is revolutionary, but it is now growing in popularity.  Whereas most coaches teach the change of edge spins with the skater spinning further back on their blade, Bobbe wants her skaters to use the same “sweet spot” at the ball of the foot for the change of edge spin as the original spin.  (Bobbe does not explain why this is so important in this video but the reason is:  at the sweet spot the skater can make smaller circles and spin faster!)  If you think this might be impossible, just watch Bobbe’s demonstrators spin forward on the front of their blades (cool!).

Bobbe offers a tip to help skaters spin the opposite edge on the sweet spot.  She says, “After you change you edge, you want to feel that you’re pulling up from your hips.  You want to make yourself as tall and as light as you can.”  When first teaching the change edge to a skater, Bobbe wants 3 rotations before the change.  Then Bobbe tells her skaters to first go the flat of the blade, skating on both edges.  Then she says “Then I tell them to take their weight back on their skate a little bit and turn their foot ahead of them [rotationally].”  Then she wants them to finish by rocking back to the ball of the foot.

Eventually, a skater will not go through that process.  Instead they’ll automatically start to roll it over.  It’s actually a three-turn but notice that Bobbe does not explain it as a three-turn to her skaters because she’s concerned about moving the spin center.

Having the skater focus on pulling up and being tall and light has the added benefit of minimizing common alignment problems, especially with the hips.  Bobbe likes the skater to spin on the change of edge with the hips closed and the free knee forward.  She says the skater gets a “better feeling of George” and can keep the hips more square if they “just make a chair with their free leg.”

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