This is a guide to ice skating which shows beginners and recreational skaters the fundamental skills of the sport. The author, seven-times Swiss National Champion, shares with readers the steps she and her students learned to become competitive skaters. The 11 steps progress from basic to intermediate skills, and illustrations show the proper form and technique of skating. The book shows how to attain the posture and control required for basic skills; the standard methods of gaining forward and backward speed; four different methods of stopping; how to fall properly and get up easily; how to change direction without loss of control; and how to control the skate edges in order to prepare for advanced manoeuvres, such as jumps, spins and footwork.