Recognizing the Edges
Figure skating is defined in terms of “edges”. The bottom of a figure skating blade is ground into the shape of a hollow circle, and the “points” of the circle are what actually touch the ice. These “points” are called edges, and each skate blade has 2 of them — the “inside edge”, and the “outside edge”. On the skater’s left foot, the right side of the blade would be the “inside edge” (the inside of the legs).
There are 8 ways to skate, described by a combination of the foot, direction of movement, and blade edge. They are as follows:
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| LBO | Skating on the Left foot, Backwards, on the Outside edge |
| LBI | Skating on the Left foot, Backwards, on the Inside edge |
| RBO | Skating on the Right foot, Backwards, on theOutside edge |
| RBI | Skating on the Right foot, Backwards, on the Inside edge |
| LFO | Skating on the Left foot, Forwards, on the Outside edge |
| LFI | Skating on the Left foot, Forwards, on the Inside edge |
| RFO | Skating on the Right foot, Forwards, on the Outside edge |
| RFI | Skating on the Right foot, Forwards, on the Inside edge |
Most skating elements can be described as a combination of edges using the above terminology.