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Skate to Ski Training

Skiing and skating are both dynamic pursuits with endless challenges and rewards. Whether gliding smoothly over uneven terrain or making powerful carved turns, finding and maintaining balance is a big challenge no matter what the equipment. Only those with skill are able to convert the balance challenge into thrilling sensations.

In addition to the physical challenge, there’s the not-enough-time dilemma. The pursuit of mastery is time intensive. Winter goes quickly and finding time to train may take a back seat to enjoying the special opportunity of each ski day.

Fortunately, skiing skills can be cross trained using skates any time of year! This Skate to Ski course by Rollerblade uses scenarios common in skiing to improve skills while skating.

Put simply, skiing is a repeating pattern that alternates between gliding and turning. The best skier’s seamlessly transition between gliding and turning while maintaining stability. Check out the next 3 videos and sets of activities to improve your skills & fitness while having a great time!

ico-alert
Before you start - We’re about to recommend you do things like skating, yoga, jumping around your living room, etc. Please make sure you are in good enough health to do this. If you have any health concerns, please check with your doctor first.

Skate to Ski Gliding Module - Stable Gliding

1


Gliding Challenges

The following activities are intended to focus your attention on how you control your ankles and torso while gliding and if you can coordinate the two. Practice each activity as many times as you like. Each activity is described and demonstrated during the Gliding video. The key elements of each activity are also described below.


Activity 1
Alternating Toes up:

Lift the front wheel of one skate. As the front wheel is lifted, try to maintain an even fore/aft relationship between the skates. Hold the front wheel up for at least 2 seconds.

Activity 2
1000 steps:

Lift the entire skate of the ground. Keep the skates parallel with the skating surface. Step slowly and deliberately.

Activity 3
Gliding Hops:

Jump so that your skates leave the ground and maintain a parallel relationship with the skating surface. Land as softly as possible. Do this activity while hopping over painted parking strips if possible.

Activity 4
Pole Jumpers:

Repeat Activity 3 while jumping over a series of 4 - 6 ski poles spaced approximately 2 meters apart.

Activity 5
Curb Drops/Speed Bump:

Glide over a speed bump or off of a curb. Keep the skates parallel to the skating surface and your helmet at the same height.


Performance Cues:

Once you are familiar with an activity apply each of the two cues described below to achieve or enhance your gliding stability.

  • Ankles - Imagine your shin and the top of your foot make a mouth and the mouth is trying to close around the tongue of the boot.
  • Torso - Imagine you are in a room with a ceiling that is too low for you. You will hold this position while gliding, keeping your helmet at this height at all times.

Skate to Ski Turning Module - Stable Turning

2


Turning Challenges

The following activities are intended to focus your attention on how you control your legs and torso while turning and if you can coordinate the two. Practice each activity as many times as you like. Each activity is described and demonstrated during the Turning video. The key elements of each activity are also described below.


Activity 1
Half Circles:

use cones are a chalk outline to create a half circle that has a 10 - 13 meter radius. Glide toward the circle, initiate and hold a single turn. Approach the circle from the opposite direction to practice your other turn.

A. Lower Body

as you near the start of the half circle, tip the buckle of your inside skate towards it. Hold it there for the entire turn.

B. Upper Body

as you near the start of the half circle, move your helmet towards the outside skate/away from the half circle.

C. Combo

simultaneously tip the inside skate towards the half circle moving your helmet away from the half circle.

Activity 2
Knee to Cone:

Mark out a corridor using cones or chalk circles. Make the horizontal distance between each marker 6 feet and the vertical distance 3 feet. The corridor should be long enough for 4 turns. Make sure the corridor has alternating features: ie: a tall cone and a flat cone or a yellow cone and an orange cone (refer to video).

A. Lower Body - Glide toward the corridor.

Turns will be made within the corridor by tipping the inside skate towards the dominant feature: i.e. the tall/orange cone. The distance between the skates will remain constant and fore/aft lead is minimal.

B. Upper body - Glide toward the corridor.

Turns will be made within the corridor by moving the outside shoulder towards the dominant feature: i.e. the tall/orange cone. Upper body is aimed down the center of the corridor.

C. Combo -

simultaneously tip the inside skate towards one side of the corridor while moving the outside skate towards the opposite side of the corridor. The distance between the skates will remain constant and fore/aft lead is minimal. The upper body is aimed down the center of the corridor.


Performance Cues:

Once you are familiar with an activity apply each of the two cues described below to achieve or enhance your turning stability.

  • Move the boot top of the inside skate towards the inside of the upcoming turn
  • Move the helmet to the outside of the upcoming turn

Skate to Ski Combo Module - Combining Stable Gliding and Turning

3


Combo Challenges

If the previous two modules have enhanced your balance then your ability to sense and create your own stability while gliding and turning should be better. Maintaining stability while transitioning seamlessly between gliding and turning is an ideal way to see how much you have accomplished. Practice each activity as many times as you like. Each activity is described and demonstrated during the Combo video. The key elements of each activity are also described below.


Activity 1
Hop, Turn, Hop:

Set up a course like the one in the drawing (insert picture) Make the turn, then hop over the pole during transition and immediately move into the next turn after landing. The skates will stay parallel to the skating surface and the distance between the skates will remain the same throughout the challenge.

Activity 2
Turn, Glide, Turn:

Set up a course like the one in the drawing (insert picture). Start a turn, return to a glide during what would be the middle of a normal turn and hold it, then initiate another turn, change edges and start another turn, return to a glide. Stance width will remain the same throughout.

Activity 3
Turn, Hop, Turn:

Set up a course like the one in the drawing (insert picture). Start a turn, return to a glide during what would be the middle of a normal turn and hop over a ski pole, upon landing initiate another turn, change edges and start another turn, return to a glide and hop over a ski pole. Stance width will remain the same throughout and the skates will remain parallel to the skating surface during the hop.

Activity 4
Double Push Skating:

You will propel yourself forward with a skating action that challenges you to tip the skate from side to side without extending until after the tipping action is complete. The specific sequence of motion is below:

  1. The left skate is off of the ground, the right skate is tipped to the little toe-side.
  2. The left skate remains off the ground while tipping the right skate from little toe-side to the big toe-side.
  3. Once on the big toe-side, extend so that you push the big toe-side of the wheels on the right skate into the skating surface.
  4. This action propels you forward on to the left skate, landing on the little toe-side of the wheels.
  5. Repeat the cycle.

Performance Cues:

Once you are familiar with an activity apply each of the cues described below to achieve or enhance your stability.

  • Ankles - Imagine your shin and the top of your foot make a mouth and the mouth is trying to close around the tongue of the boot.
  • Torso - Imagine you are in a room with a ceiling that is too low for you. You will hold this position while gliding, keeping your helmet at this height at all times.
  • Move the boot top of the inside skate towards the inside of the upcoming turn
  • Move the helmet to the outside of the upcoming turn