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Surya Bonaly, Lucinda Ruh, Jason Dungjen and Yuko Sato, Rosanna Tovi and Andrei Bannikov, Oleg and Ludmilla Protopopov, Sergei Sakhnovskiy and Galit Chait, Karen Courtland, Donald Jackson
"Miracles of Gold" Lake Placid Olympic Arena

Ilia Kulick Petri Koko and Suzanna Rahkoma Akop Manoukian and Armen Sakian Rosanna Tovi and Andrei Bannikov Micheal Smirkin Linda Fratianne Scott Hamilton Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner Kitty and Peter Caruthers Paul Wylie Rosanna Tovi Elaine Zayak
"Jackson On Ice" Exhibition of World & Olympic Skaters Jackson Hole, Wyoming
World Tour of Champions, Hartford Coliseum

Review of Science of Training DVD by Dr.Marie Mitzak contributing editor Skating Magazine

While ice skating season officially ends with the Worlds, most serious competitors are not losing their edge during the summer months. This series of summer articles will give you lots of ideas for cross training so that when the season begins again in the fall, you will be quite ready.
Many ice skaters and nearly everyone else on the planet owns at least one pair of inline skates. While I have a pair of Rollerblades, I also have a pair of PIC Skates for artistic inline skating. PIC Skates were invented by Nick Perna, a high level ice skating coach and John Petell of Harmony Sports, (800-882-3348). They are very different from your athletic inline skates in that the frame is rockered, similar to an ice blade, which makes turns and spins very easy. The other feature is that they have a toe "pic" or stop in the front like an ice blade. This is how you do toe jumps and hook your spins just like on the ice.

"These highly polished skaters will leave you breathless with their intricate lifts and dazzling costumes"
"acclaimed as one of the top pair adagio teams in the world today"


The Recorder PA Dec, 2004

"These Championship caliber figure skaters performed a complex and spirited adagio dance sequence"
The Trend PA Dec, 2004"An adagio on ice that is truly electrifying!"
Press Focus PA Dec, 2004"Champions written all over their skating techniques"


Juniata News PA

Nov, 2004
"One of the top pair adagio teams in the world today, Spectacular!"

Showbiz Weekly Las Vegas

Dec, 2001
"Gravity Defying lifts and tricks" "Totally cutting edge"

Dance Spirit Magazine

Feb, 2005
"This pair team explores the creative realms of figure skating"

North Country News NY, July 2001

"An impressive skating couple!"


Connections Weekly PA Dec, 2004

"A stunning duo as they twirl and twist their way into soaring poses"

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat Dec, 2001

"A fantasy filled performance"

Jackson Hole Guide WY Aug, 2000


Top skaters such as Michael Weiss have used them for off ice practice because he likes to keep that "skating boot feel" even when off the ice. Yes, PIC skates do have that! You mount the PIC frame with your favorite pair of ice skating boots or purchase them as a set, which includes a beautiful GAM boot from Harmony Sports at http://www.picskate.com

PIC Skates are serious skating equipment but give you the freedom to practice your program and moves anywhere indoors or out on any smooth surface. Jumps, spins, 3 turns, Mohawks, rockers, they are all possible on PIC Skates. In this tight economy and with gas prices hitting an all time high this summer, PIC skates can save you a lot of money on ice time and traveling back and forth to the ice rink. A wise investment, those two factors alone could have them paying for themselves by season's end.

How does one learn how to use PIC Skates to improve ice technique or just for the fun of skating on inlines? Well US-RollerSports which is the main organization for artistic quad rollerskaters has a Moves in the Field video. They even have a special competition category for Inline Artistic Figure Skating. They recommend PIC skates but none of the skaters are using them in the video! A much better video / DVD is now available from http://www.SkatingTheater.com It is entitled Inline Figure Skating Lesson and is fantastic! It's creator, Rosanna Tovi is an International Figure Skating Champion. With her partner Andrei Bannikov, Rosanna's combination of innovative choreography and costuming has been written about in numerous publications including The Village Voice NYC, Skating Magazine and Professional Skater Magazine.

This video shows you how to gain control of your inline "edges" and make them work as an ice blade. Rosanna and Andrei go through change of edge pulls, steps, crossovers, Mohawks, 3 turns, jumps and spins. What I like is the fact that each element was repeated then slowed down. Rosanna also offers coaching tips as each move is executed so that you grasp the entire technique. The music is so upbeat and the graphics really creative. Truly excellent, Rosanna and Andrei are quite believable and encourage the viewer that they too can do these skating moves. Rosanna's website, http://www.rosiewear.com/training_tools offers a full line of off ice training equipment such as PIC Skates, spinners, slide boards and balance discs. All of these can be used off the ice to help strengthen your technique on the ice. Their Inline Figure Skating Lesson video/DVD is also available there and is this issue's MUST HAVE OF THE MONTH! For more information, click the link below to order this video / DVD visit online at http://www.rosiewear.com or call Rosiewear at 877-836-6150.

PIC Skates are indeed amazing. They made my daughter's transition from inline skates to the ice, nearly seamless. She advanced quickly and competed in her first ice skating competition in April of this year. I don't think we would have seen that kind of progress without PIC Skates. When we skate at the indoor rink, they always turn heads and get a lot of attention. This is because they really give the illusion that your are somehow ice skating on a wooden floor. You look and feel as if you are ice-skating.

So what are you going to do this off season? Get rusty or get with it? We're choosing the latter! Check back next month for more summer ideas to give you the edge in ice skating during the off-season.