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A hydroblade is a
figure skating
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
edge move or connecting step in which a skater glides on a deep edge with the body stretched in a very low position, almost touching the ice. Several variations in position are possible, but one commonly performed by singles skaters is on a back inside edge with the knee of the skating leg deeply bent, the free leg crossed behind and extended outside the circle, and the upper body leaning into the circle with two, one, or no hands skimming the ice.
History
Although they did not invent the element, it was popularized in the early 1990s by the
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
ice dance
Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. Ac ...
team of
Shae-Lynn Bourne
Shae-Lynn Bourne (born January 24, 1976) is a Canadian ice dancer and choreographer. In 2003, she and partner Victor Kraatz became the first North American ice dancers to win a World Championship. They competed at three Winter Olympic Games, pl ...
and
Victor Kraatz
Victor Kraatz, (born April 7, 1971) is a Canadian former ice dancer. In 2003, he and his partner, Shae-Lynn Bourne, became the first North American ice dancers to win a World Championship.
Personal life
Born on April 7, 1971 in West Berlin, V ...
; their coach
Uschi Keszler
Ursula "Uschi" Keszler (born August 13, 1948) is a figure skating coach and choreographer and a former competitor for West Germany.
Career
Uschi Keszler qualified to represent the United Team of Germany at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbru ...
was responsible for coining the name "hydroblade."
Variations
* Classic - two hands, most commonly done on the right back inside edge for a right-handed person.
* One hand - picking up one hand off the ice, usually right for a right-handed person.
* No hands - neither hand is touching the ice, more difficult to get upper body low to the ice.
* Catch foot - a one-handed hydroblade where the hand not on the ice grasps the free foot.
* Pairs - seen as either a side-by-side element or one-person hydroblade with the other partner doing a different edge element.
* Open shoulder - where the upper body is facing upward, looks more like a shoot-the-duck glide.
References
Figure skating glossary
External links
Uschi Keszler's Hydroblading Academy
Figure skating elements
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