Can someone please think up better names for the various skating techniques?
The ones I’ve heard are ALL DUMB! (OK, all but one — the main names certainly are DUMB.)
But before we look at the ski-skating terms, let’s see the sensible names for Classic moves…
Classic XC:
*Herringbone
*Flying Herringbone
… *Tour Striding
*Race Striding
*Stride Doublepoling
*Kick Doublepoling
*Doublepoling
*Tuck
*Step Turn, Skate Turn, Stride Turn.
Compare those to Ski Skating:
*Diagonal Skating
*V1 / Offset / Paddle-dance
*V2, One Skate
*Marathon Skate (fits sometimes, works in and out of tracks)
*V2Alternate, Open Field, Two Skate
*No-poles Skate
Of all the skate names only “diagonal skate” seems decent, or even makes any sense. “No poles” is accurate but, sheesh, to describe something by what it’s not using is just way too lame. “One Skate” *almost* makes sense but actually doesn’t at all. You need to add “per doublepole” or it’s nonsense.
I’ve been teaching some skating to newbies lately. Try to tell a student any of the skating names! Especially try telling them “Now we’ll try a move that’s called, uh, Open Field sometimes, also V2-Alternate.” –It’s just babble. ZERO light of understanding turns on for students when they hear skate names!
We need to change this! Obviously, we shouldn’t ask skiers for help. They had their chance! We need to ASK SOME KIDS!
