The Backward Crossover of Hockey Powerskating

Eileen Peerless: I am Eileen Peerless, hockey power skating instructor and coach. I have two of my students who will demonstrate the backward crossovers, crossovers down ice and crossovers on a circle. This is Joe Ducat (ph), who will do the crossovers down ice. This is Michael Desau (ph) who will do the crossovers on a circle. I am going to ask Joe to do the backward crossovers, one each way, the body transfers to the center, you step out wide. Yes, in the backward crossover the stance is always very wide. You crossover and step out. Now, I am going to have Michael do it on the circle. You push out and over, bend, extend; bend, extend; bend, extend. Good edges, outside edges, inside edges, very good. I want to talk about the elements with this backward stride, one each way. You balance on one knee; if you push it forward and the other leg is extended, then you drag it over. The toe goes over and the weight goes to the outside. Then you push, extend that knee, drag it over. Push, extend that knee and over. Make sure that one knee is always extended, the other leg is bent and the knee should be very deeply bent. It is bent over the toe, you extend the knee, the push comes from the knee, not the toe and you extend that leg all the way out, drag the heel over and crossover.

One more time, cross the knee over and out, over and out. The push in this stride, in this backward crossover is forward. Whenever you go backward, the push is always forward; it is never behind you. If you allow your blade to travel behind you then your body is going forward and you are off balance. You want to make sure that you will always over your feet. You are always supporting your body. Those are the elements of the backward crossovers. Next, we will be going to the forward stride.