Skating Fridays

Pairs Waltz Lift

Guys. Pairs skating is HARD. Especially when both of us are not spring chickens and I don’t weigh less than 100 pounds. We are still coachless, so we are learning these elements on our own (and via YouTube videos).

An element that we’ve had trouble with previously is the waltz lift. We usually come to a screeching halt (and YES, you will hear our toe picks – haha!), and then we try to jump up into the lift.

After breaking down this element, we’ve learned a few things:

1. I have very small hands. This causes a problem because they can shift around before we have an optimal position for my body to press up into the lift. We found a way to shape my hand so the heels of my hands press directly into my partner’s hands correctly.
2. Speed is the enemy. We’ve tried this at a faster tempo and can’t seem to link up correctly.
3. The guy’s skates will often get “stuck” on the ice. Because he is lifting me up, his center of gravity changes, and it’s harder to skate. When he’s trying to turn us, the skate will refuse to turn properly.

Even though this isn’t a great lift, it’s made some improvements. We hope to continue strengthening this element this year.

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