Overview
One of the Olympic Games’ most popular winter sports, figure skating’s appeal lies in its combination of gymnastic grace, athletic accuracy, and creative expression — with a healthy dash of personal drama mixed in. A new entry in the How Sports Work series, How Figure Skating Works investigates the slippery science behind the sport. With the same grace and joy as skating itself, the book leaps into all aspects of the sport, from its history and dazzling moves to its most famous competitors. Readers learn how certain ice surfaces can improve a skater’s performance; how skates allow skaters to glide, twist, stop, and turn with breathtaking ease; skating’s most inventive (and strangest) moves; the stories behind the spectacular costumes; how skaters stave off dizzy spells during their stunning spins; and much, much more. Extras like pop-up factoids, tips for improving moves, a rules-and-regulations section, and a glossary with all the need-to-know terms make any reader a master of the sport.
Synopsis
One of the Olympic Games’ most popular winter sports, figure skating’s appeal lies in its combination of gymnastic grace, athletic accuracy, and creative expression — with a healthy dash of personal drama mixed in. A new entry in the How Sports Work series, How Figure Skating Works investigates the slippery science behind the sport. With the same grace and joy as skating itself, the book leaps into all aspects of the sport, from its history and dazzling moves to its most famous competitors. Readers learn how certain ice surfaces can improve a skater’s performance; how skates allow skaters to glide, twist, stop, and turn with breathtaking ease; skating’s most inventive (and strangest) moves; the stories behind the spectacular costumes; how skaters stave off dizzy spells during their stunning spins; and much, much more. Extras like pop-up factoids, tips for improving moves, a rules-and-regulations section, and a glossary with all the need-to-know terms make any reader a master of the sport.
Children's Literature
After reading this book, you will find yourself anxiously looking forward to the next Winter Olympics. You will never view the sport the same way again because you will have a found of wealth of information at your fingertips. Given that this book is a mini-encyclopedia of information, readers will come away appreciating the finer points of the sport. To name just a few of the topics addressed, it provides interesting details about ice, skates, costumes, jumps, coaching, choreography, and the emotional state of skaters. The text is accompanied by diagrams, photos, illustrations, and cartoons. Embedded throughout are interesting vignettes about famous male and female figure skaters along with tidbits of information that will surely impress your friends and relatives. You will learn who the "lutz jump" and "Button camel" were named for. It goes behind the scenes at the Olympics and other events, sharing the very human characteristics of well-known figure skaters. For example, how they worked with coaches to gain the much needed mental edge to win. It provides a historical context for topics such as the design of skates and the evolution of jumps. It honors those who have won metals, as well as those whose achievements are prized, even if they did not walk away with a medal. This is the kind of book that readers can return to time and again to look up indexed information, define terms, and thumb through to review highlights. Reviewer: Judith Zorfass