Figure Skating for Dummies [Anglais] [Broché]

After watching a figure-skating performance, do you ever wonder what just happened on the ice? The skater supposedly executed a flawless double Salchow and triple Lutz, among other things, and then the judges posted a bunch of numbers. Maybe you need help from the Dummies. Written by 1992 Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi (with a foreword by Scott Hamilton), Figure Skating for Dummies is a primer for spectators and would-be skaters alike. Learn the lingo, understand the judging practice, and--if you're really committed--embark on a practical training schedule in hopes of performing your own double-toe loops and triple axels.

Twirl and spin your way into the artistic and high-precision world of figure skating with none other than Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist and former amateur winner of thirteen titles, including two consecutive World Championships. Whether you love skating around the rink or you're a fan of the sport and never miss a live or televised skating event, Kristi Yamaguchi's Figure Skating For Dummies covers all the important topics, including Finding the right equipment (from boots to skates) that fits your budget Selecting a practice rink and choosing a choreographer to compose movements to enhance your performances Picking a great coach and getting the most from your lessons Discovering the lowdown on the secret world of figure skating judges; what they look for in a performance and how they themselves qualify to be judges Deciphering what those scores mean and how a 5.5 score can beat a 5.8 score Finding out the requirements for passing each test offered by the U.S. Figure Skating Association Best of all, Figure Skating For Dummies gives you the inside scoop about ways to improve and enhance your performance, and even lets you in on Kristi's personal conditioning program -- the one she used to win the Gold Medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics!

A complete introduction to figure skating, this fun and friendly book gives figure skating enthusiasts an inside peek at the colorful and competitive world of figure skating. Easy-to-understand explanations of the technical merits, judging, and scoring are given. Photos & line drawings.

Christy Kjarsgaard Ness began figure skating at age 4. In her skating career, she advanced as far as the U.S. National Championships. During her time as a student at the University of California, Berkeley, Christy began coaching figure skating part-time.

After graduating in 1974, Christy began coaching skating full-time. Since 1976, she has had at least one skater at the U.S. or Canadian National Championships every year but one. She and Dr. Andrew Ness met at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, where Christy was coaching Taiwanese skater Pauline Lee, her first Olympian. The Nesses married in 1989 and Christy moved to Edmonton, Alberta, where Dr. Ness was practicing medicine. Since then she has also coached two other Olympians: Kristi Yamaguchi, the 1992 gold medalist; and Susan Humphreys, silver medalist at the 1994 Canadian Championships and a member of the Canadian figure skating team at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics.

In 1995, Christy and Andrew moved to the Bay Area, where they live in Lafeyette. Christy is figure skating director at the Oakland Ice Center.; Kristi Yamaguchi won the gold medal in women's figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, and at the 1991 and 1992 World Figure Skating Championships. She was born in Fremont, California, and as a young child had to wear braces and special shoes to correct her turned-in feet. By the age of 4 she was taking ballet lessons, and she took up figure skating as a 6-year-old. Her role model as a skater -- then and now -- is 1976 Olympic champion Dorothy Hamill.

Kristi was a persistent and dedicated athlete, rising at 4 a.m. so that her mother could take her to the rink for training before school and returning to the rink after school for more skating including -- for six years -- pair skating with partner Rudy Galindo of nearby San Jose.

In 1985, Kristi and Rudy skated in their first Junior Nationals, finishing fifth, and they won the following year. That year she also skated in her first Novice Nationals as a singles skater, taking fourth place. In 1988, she and Rudy won the Junior World Championship in pairs and she won the Junior World singles title. The Women's Sports Foundation named her "Up and Coming Artistic Athlete of the Year."

Kristi arrived on the Senior skating scene in 1989, when she and Rudy were fifth in pairs and she finished sixth in singles at the World Championships in Paris. Those performances came a month after winning their National Pairs Championship and Kristi's runner-up finish to Jill Trenary at the U.S. National Championships. Following the 1989 Worlds, Kristi's coach, Christy Kjarsgaard, married Dr. Andrew Ness and moved to Edmonton, Alberta. At age 18, Kristi moved to Canada to continue training with Christy. After another fifth-place pairs finish at the 1990 Worlds and a fourth-place finish on her own, she decided to drop pairs to concentrate on singles. She won the World Championship the following winter, and in 1992 she won her only National singles title.

Since forgoing her Olympic eligibility, Kristi has toured with Discover Stars on Ice and has won numerous professional titles including the U.S. and World Professional Figure Skating Championships. She lives in Reno, Nevada.; Jody Meacham's first Olympic memory is of missing third grade in Hamlet, North Carolina, with a case of the mumps and watching Walter Cronkite anchor CBS's coverage of the 1960 Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California. Carol Heiss won the gold medal in women's figure skating and the U.S. hockey team beat the Soviet Union en route to its first Olympic Championship.

Since becoming a sports writer, first at The Charlotte (N.C.) News and now at the San Jose Mercury News, Jody has covered a wide variety of sports including college basketball, NASCAR auto racing, Japanese sumo wrestling, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup playoffs, and soccer's World Cup. As the Mercury News' Olympic writer, he has covered the Winter and Summer Games since 1988, and he covered Kristi Yamaguchi during her Olympic season in 1991-92. He lives in San Jose with his wife Emily and son Gordon.