"Sewing for Gymnasts" is the third title in Marie Porter's "Spandex Simplified" series, and is all about designing and creating spectacular and durable leotards for gymnasts of all disciplines - Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Tumbling, Acrobatic Gymnastics, Aerobic Gymnastics, and more. This book is appropriate for beginner to advanced levels of sewing ability, and is written from both a designer, and former "performance" athlete's point of view. It will teach everything from the basics, to tricks of the trade. "Spandex Simplified: Sewing for Gymnastss" will prepare the reader to design and make almost any design of practice or competition leotard imaginable. Given the cost of decent competition leotards - or even practice leos - this manual will more than pay for itself with the savings from just one project Sewing for Gymnasts is written in laymans' terms, featuring carefully explained, step by step instructions, as well as many full colour photos and sketches. Only basic sewing knowledge and talent is required. Learn everything from measuring, to easily creating ornate applique designs, to embellishing the finished leotard in one book

Everything many of us know about figure skating, we learned from the man who's been called the "Voice of Figure Skating." Now Dick Button, the Emmy Award-winning skating commentator famous for his precise, passionate, opinionated rinkside analyses and for his historic career as a two-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time World Champion, and seven-time U.S. Champion (plus being the inadvertent inventor of the flying camel, the first to successfully land a double Axel in competition, and the first ever to do a triple jump) demystifies this art and sport beloved by millions.

In "Push Dick's Button," you'll learn about the difference between a Lutz and a Salchow . . . performance highs and lows . . . memorable entrances, exits, and falls (including his own) . . . costume delights and disasters . . . the new judging rules . . . and nuggets of skating training and history, PLUS stories about Katarina Witt, Peggy Fleming, Johnny Weir, Brian Boitano, Dorothy Hamill, and more, including today's champions, such as Evgeni Plushenko, Davis and White, and the latest sensations. Droll, dishy, dramatic, and dead-on, this book is like a one-on-one conversation with the man whose unsurpassed knowledge, experience, and love of figure skating have influenced generations.

"Sewing for Skaters" is the second title in Marie Porter's "Spandex Simplified" series, and is all about designing and creating spectacular and durable figure skating dresses. It combines techniques taught in two of Marie's early manuals ("Skaters and Gynmasts and Dancers... Oh My " & "The Skating Dress Style Book"), updated with new styles and techniques... now in beautiful full color, featuring many photos and sketches This book is appropriate for beginner to advanced levels of sewing ability, and is written from both a designer, and former figure skater's point of view. It will teach everything from the basics, to tricks of the trade. "Spandex Simplified: Sewing for Skaters" will prepare the reader to design and make almost any design of practice or competition dress imaginable. Given the cost of decent competition suits - or even practice dresses - this manual will more than pay for itself with the savings from just one project The entire book is written completely in laymans' terms and carefully explained, step by step. Only basic sewing knowledge and talent is required. Learn everything from measuring, to easily creating ornate applique designs, to embellishing the finished suit in one book

This is a reference guide for the beginner ice skater- whether taking Group Lessons, hockey, or for recreation. It is filled with much needed information on how to get started...the right way. This book will show you how to be fitted for ice skates and lace them, what to expect at Group Lessons, and the basics of an ice rink, from the Pro Shop to the Zamboni. It is a must for the beginner skater, or the parents of a beginner skater to become educated, to ensure their skating experience is safer and more enjoyable. There is wealth of information on other websites included in this book as well. Happy Skating

How does a boy from rural Pennsylvania become an all-American original style icon and celebrity TV personality, adored by millions of fans worldwide and hailed as "the Lady Gaga of figure skating" (Salon.com)?

In a memoir as candid and unconventional as Johnny Weir himself, the three-time U.S. National Champion, who electrified the 2010 Winter Olympics, shares his glamorous, gritty, heartbreaking, hopeful, and just plain fabulous life story, and reveals the emergence of his natural talents for skating and horseback riding, the physically and emotionally grinding path to becoming a champion, a family that sacrificed everything to support his passions, an ability to rise again after the most devastating defeats and never look back, an appreciation of style (from his mom) and self-discipline (that would be his dad), and a fearless confidence to be himself and say whatever's on his mind.

In the glamorous, ultra-competitive world of figure skating, Katarina Witt is a living legend. She has won more titles than anyone else before her , including two Olympic gold medals, four world championships, and eight national championships. She is also renowned for independence and self-possession in a world where many stars are in thrall to management companies, and for her ability to stay true to skating while developing new careers in business, movies and television. Witt has always done whatever she's done with all her heart , with passion, intelligence, and a love of perfection. Now, in Only with Passion, she offers advice to a new generation of women athletes making their way in the world on how to live full out, compete with edge, and navigate life with grace. When a young skater consults her for advice on whether to train abroad , and leave a boyfriend behind , Witt finds occasion to recall the major turning points of her own journey, from her East German childhood to the international spotlight. She shares her inside perspective and frank opinions on the insular world of skating and offers her views about what it takes to be a champion, and to create a fulfilling life. Whether she's talking about life on or off the ice (or on the cover of Playboy !), Witt is always candid, fresh, and down-to-earth. Written with E.M. Swift, author of My Sergei , one of the best-selling skating books of all time, Only with Passion is the perfect gift for young women, young athletes ,particularly skaters , and skating fans of all ages.

Originally published in London 1927. The illustrated contents include: Where to Go - Equipment - Ski-ing Tests and Clubs - Ski Touring - Avalanches - Racing on Skis - Curling - Figure Skating. Etc. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

This candid autobiography reveals the incredible inner strength that brought "Rudy Galindo" through his worst hours -- despair over the deaths of loved ones and his painful struggle with drugs and alcohol. Unwilling to hide his roots, his mistakes, or his sexual orientation, "Rudy Galindo" brings readers a lesson in humanity, proving that anything is possible, if you never quit.

Develop explosive acceleration, speed, and agility and dominate the ice "Laura Stamm's Power Skating" presents the skating system used by thousands of the sport's top players and teams to move with maximum efficiency on the ice.

From starts and stops to turns and transitions, "Laura Stamm's Power Skating" covers all of the critical components of explosive skating. Through top-level instruction, practice drills, and coaching tips, you'll learn these skills:

-Increase on-ice acceleration.

-Improve balance while changing directions on the ice.

-Increase speed and agility to disrupt aggressive defensemen.

-Explode from a stationary position and stop more rapidly.

-Increase puck protection without sacrificing speed.

-Use speed and agility to create more scoring chances for yourself and teammates.
The great hockey players skate powerfully and are able to get in position to make the key plays. "Laura Stamm's Power Skating" will give you that explosive edge on the competition.

Once a winter pastime for socializing and courtship, skating evolved into the wildly popular competitive sport of figure skating, one of the few athletic arenas where female athletes hold a public profile--and earning power--equal to that of men. Renowned sports historian James R. Hines chronicles figure skating's rise from its earliest days through its head-turning debut at the 1908 Olympics and its breakthrough as entertainment in the 1930s. Hines credits figure skating's explosive expansion to an ever-increasing number of women who had become proficient skaters and wanted to compete, not just in singles but with partners as well. Matters reached a turning point when British skater Madge Syers entered the otherwise-male 1902 World Championship held in London and finished second. Called skating's first feminist, Syers led a wave of women who made significant contributions to figure skating and helped turn it into today's star-making showcase at every Winter Olympics. Packed with stories and hard-to-find details, Figure Skating in the Formative Years tells the early history of a sport loved and followed by fans around the world.

In her forties, Erica Rand bought a pair of figure skates to vary her workout routine. Within a few years, the college professor was immersed in adult figure skating. Here, in short, incisive essays, she describes the pleasures to be found in the rink, as well as the exclusionary practices that make those pleasures less accessible to some than to others. Throughout the book, Rand situates herself as a queer femme, describing her mixed feelings about participating in a sport with heterosexual story lines and rigid standards for gender-appropriate costumes and moves. She chronicles her experiences competing in the Gay Games and at the annual U.S. Adult National Figure Skating Championship, or "Adult Nationals"; Aided by her comparative study of roller derby and women's hockey, including a brief attempt to play hockey herself, she addresses matters such as skate color conventions, judging systems, racial and sexual norms, transgender issues in sports, and the economics of athletic participation and risk taking. Mixing sharp critique with genuine appreciation and delight, Rand suggests ways to make figure skating more inclusive, while portraying the unlikely friendships facilitated by sports and the sheer elation of gliding on ice.

Of all winter sports, none is so widely watched and commented upon by the media as figure skating, which is often considered the Winter Olympics' centerpiece. This critical text examines the ways in which media attention has gradually altered and affected the sport, from the early appearances of Sonja Henie, to skating's gradual audience growth via television, and to the ramifications of the scandals in the 1994 and 2002 Olympics. The topic is illuminated by more than 30 interviews with commentators, skaters, producers, directors and others. In addition to numerous photos, illustrations show the compulsory figures for which "figure skating" got its name, as well as a sample of the charted-out "camera blocking" for TV directors. Appendices include collected anecdotes from early broadcasting experiences; a profile of broadcaster Jim McKay; and commentary from Carol Heiss on her 1961 musical Snow White and the Three Stooges.

The dazzling smile, the signature haircut, the staple spin. "America's Sweetheart" Dorothy Hamill grew up on the ice, working toward the dream she was to accomplish by age nineteen: winning Olympic gold in figure skating. But life was not the picture of perfection it appeared to be. Dorothy faced a painful inner struggle from the time she was a young girl that followed her into adulthood--though she would not know about the depression that ran in her family until much later in life. Weeks and months away from home to train and compete took a difficult toll, yet little reprieve could be found in the tumultuous and fragile relationship she had with her parents.
Dorothy went on to marry the man of her dreams, only to have the partnership end in heartache and a tragedy that almost pushed her to her breaking point. Then, just when a light at the end of the tunnel finally began to appear, a second failed marriage tried and tested Dorothy's trust and strength yet again--a travesty that could have led her to give up. But, she found a remarkable strength in what she did have--her greatest love, her daughter Alexandra.
"Thank goodness, I had my skating. There was certainly a pattern to my life. When times were tough, I went skating. It was only while I was out on the ice, enjoying the freedom of movement and my love of music, that I was able to escape from my bottomless heartache."
In her deeply moving and honest memoir, Dorothy opens up for the first time about love, family, courage, and what it means to truly win both on and off the ice.

Develop explosive acceleration, speed, and agility and dominate the ice! Laura Stamm's Power Skating, Fourth Edition book and DVD package presents the skating system used by thousands of the sport's top players and teams to move with maximum efficiency on the ice. Plus, you'll learn proven drills to help practice and master each maneuver. The DVD released in 2005 brings Stamm's new book alive by demonstrating the skills and drills in each chapter. From starts and stops to turns and transitions, Laura Stamm's Power Skating covers all of the critical components of explosive skating. Through top-level instruction, practice drills, and coaching tips, you'll learn these skills: * Increase on-ice acceleration. * Improve balance while changing directions on the ice. * Increase speed and agility to disrupt aggressive defensemen. * Explode from a stationary position and stop more rapidly. * Increase puck protection without sacrificing speed. * Use speed and agility to create more scoring chances for yourself and teammates. The great hockey players skate powerfully and are able to get in position to make the key plays. Laura Stamm's Power Skating/DVD package will give you an explosive edge on the competition with every technique you need to skate your best and elevate your game.