English Skating

The late nineteenth century was an exciting time for figure skaters. New turns were being discovered, and the foundations of the sport were laid out systematically. Henry C. Lowther's three little books, brought together in this volume, provide a comprehensive picture of English skating at the end of the last century. Edges and Striking is more than an introduction to skating. It discusses all the different edges and methods of getting onto them, including some that have been forgotten by the skating world. Principle of Skating Turns describes the shoulder-versus-hip method of turning and explains how all the skating turns (threes, brackets, counters, rockers, Mohawks, and Choctaws) are related. This method is still taught today. Combined Figure-Skating explains how to do the multi-person figures that were the pinnacle of English skating. Today's skaters will find them both fascinating and challenging. Originally sold both individually and as a boxed set, these three books are held in only a few libraries around the world. This new edition includes the full text of all three books and all the figures, plus a new introduction and notes. The introduction features biographical information on the author, and the notes make the text accessible to today's readers.