How to do Backward Edges on Ice - Learn To Figure Skate!

Hello Skaters! Today I am going to teach you the basics of how to do backward edges. Now these are a deceptively complex move, so this tutorial goes over the fundamentals, but if you are taking lessons, your private lesson coach will likely have more in-depth critique for you. You will also want to learn how to do your forward edges. You can find a link to that tutorial below... Happy Skating Thrive Squad!
How to do Your forward edges... • How to do Forward Edge...
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Coach Julia has been skating (first on roller and then on ice) for over 30 years. She was a competitive skater until she turned 21 when she got her first contract as a professional show skater. Julia has been a figure skating coach for 15 years, is a USFS Gold Medalist in Moves in the Field, and an ISI Gold Level certified judge. She has held positions as the Skating Director of the largest skating program in the United States, as well as Head Coach at two different skating clubs. Julia has now turned her skills towards a larger audience and is bringing her love and knowledge of skating to all of you!

[@bluemuffin2383]

Yaaaay another great tutorial! Also appreciation for the cameraman who perfectly caught every single detail

[@CoachJulia]

Glad you liked it! And you are right, I’ve got great help with the video shooting. 😄

[@nikkisaunders994]

I just love how well you explain everything, thank you. As an adult learner I feel I need explanation around the mechanics of everything!

[@CoachJulia]

I am so glad to hear that my teaching style works for you!

[@nikkisaunders994]

@@CoachJulia it really helped me to do my first Mohawk this week!

[@mellenawuor8952]

You the best C. Julia

[@alysonj7227]

Thanks, I didn't realise just how important getting comfortable with these backward edges were before trying to do 3turns. It makes all the difference. 😀

[@totoff92]

thank you sooooooooooooo much!! gosh there are almost no videos showing and explaining this!!! thanks a lot really!!!

[@CoachJulia]

You are so welcome. I hope you get some good tips from it.

[@rosaliejongejans3229]

i wish you were my coach irl. you explain everything so good and really in detail which i really need. you have teached me so many times. its so helpful ❤️

[@CoachJulia]

I am so glad I can help you, even from afar.

[@midgechickma]

My back inside edges have progressed/improved thanks to this video. Next to work on is my back outside. Super thanks Julia !

[@CoachJulia]

I am so glad to hear that!!

[@midgechickma]

I am reviewing this video and I simply shake my head how far I have come... how hard and frustrating this was in the beginning . My back inside edges have evolved I would never imagine that I could refine especially my weaker side, left back inside edge . Thank you so much coach Julia!

[@angelinaalonso6322]

I learnt this today and YES! the inside push feels so awkward! I thought there was something wrong with me for not getting it. Thank you! this was very helpful :)

[@CoachJulia]

Yay! So glad you found it helpful.

[@carolynwatts7507]

Hi Julia, Could you please also do tutorials for change of edge both forward and backwards? With thanks, Carolyn

[@samira-ek9jg]

영상이 큰 도움이 됩니다. 한국에서도 잘 보고 있어요. 이런 친절한 영상이 있어서 피겨를 포기 하지 않고 배울 수 있습니다. 감사합니다!

[@viamanzoni1699]

I’m having my skating lesson with my coach every week. But you explain way better.

[@CoachJulia]

Thank you for the positive feedback!

[@thinkingthoughts7244]

Super grateful for the detailed explanation. Thank you

[@bench130]

Just want to say a huge welcome back Julia after your unfortunate injury. I came across your channel just before that happened and remember that I was really impressed by your videos. They were wonderfully broken down and explained in a really nice engaging way. On a personal note I know how sad you were to have suffered the injury at that time when you posted the video explaining what had happened, it was such a shame. So it’s genuinely fantastic to see you back, fully recovered again and back to doing what you love. Keep up the amazing work.

[@CoachJulia]

Thank you so much for all the positive words. I am so grateful to have an uplifting and supportive group of people on my channel. I will do my set to keep delivering good content for you, anything you would like to see?

[@stefaniaponitz5738]

It's a science class LOL it's really good to understand everything what we are doing though. I keep being amazed at how much goes into figure skating, it's so interesting.

[@Kwolfe2608]

thanks for this! I just started learning to skate as an adult and while im breezing past other things my backwards outside edges are such a struggle! You broke it down really helpfully. Now I have to get my hip to cooperate and lift lol XD

[@paulasfigureskating5612]

Coach Julia, thank you for sharing your wonderful backward outside and inside edges tutorial! :-)

[@CoachJulia]

You are so welcome!

[@deesterdee6650]

Thanks so much, the tip about stacking you hip over your skating leg to make it straight and long was very helpful!

[@CoachJulia]

I am so glad to hear it was helpful!

[@ariane51000]

This is good :) Thank you, Julia, so much

[@CoachJulia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rininrin]

Thank youuuu deffo need to work on my back inside edges since they’re kicking my butt for 3 turns 😭😭😭 (I’ve actually watched this video like 5 times but today for sure I’m writing down notes on what to focus on while in the ice)

[@Shdjfida]

Thank you so much for this, I have a figure skating test in an hour or so and I really needed help on those backward inside edges 🙏

[@CoachJulia]

Best of luck!

[@ioana2211]

All your videos are so helpfull 😁 Keep going please!

[@CoachJulia]

Thank you! Will do!

[@user-xc7in4zq2i]

THANK YOU backwards edges are the bane of my existence

[@irenecarter9544]

I really enjoy your videos.

[@CoachJulia]

Glad you like them!

[@reyhanebarekati]

You saved my life ❤

[@deesterdee6650]

Yay!!!!!! Such great instruction!

[@CoachJulia]

Glad you liked it!!

[@kovacssara42]

Soo wish I was living near you!!Thank you for the great tutorial

[@CoachJulia]

I am glad you found it helpful! I am going to be offering virtual one-on-one instruction soon, maybe we can connect that way. 🙂

[@rinzindorjee31]

Julia thank for couch way out watching from himalaya,Ladakh. Though I start skate last week

[@CoachJulia]

Glad to have you here, thanks for watching my videos!

[@mohamad-us8gi]

So thankyou my kind teacher🧚‍♂️🧚🧚‍♀️💞🐣🐣🐣

[@rachelmurray8694]

Really helpful video this is how my coach teaches too. Backward outside and inside edges are now included in the NISA Level 1 field moves once the rink reopens!!!

[@CoachJulia]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ihavenothadmycoffee]

In my country, we do not have ice rinks nor ice figure skating. We just have roller figure skating. I am a beginner in roller figure skating. What is funny is that I have been learning with your videos. Both, ice and roller skates, work very similar and, since I could not find tutorial videos for roller figure skating, I started to use your videos so I could learn the basics. I have improved a lot thanks to you.

[@CoachJulia]

I am so glad to know that my tutorials are helping you, even on wheels. I started with Artistic Roller when I was young and it really has a soft place in my heart.

[@rienn8559]

lol i rollerbladed before ice skating so i relate!

[@noorallawati5390]

Started outside edge yesterday! Boy the push is awkward xD i need to practice this regularly to become like you

[@vcp2595]

You tech really good! very clear and funny tanks!

[@CoachJulia]

Voilá! Creaciones Personalizadas Thank you so much!!

[@samhanley2587]

I have wanted to tsje figure skating lessons for a year but couldn't because of the pandemic. I've been watching your videos and I've been improving so much already! ❤️

[@CoachJulia]

Great to hear!

[@abdallah2892]

Thank's from Brasil....🇧🇷🙏

[@CoachJulia]

Glad to have you watching!

[@dalegardner9038]

I'm going to test adult pre-bronze MITF, and this is part of the test. I am struggling so much with backward outsides due to a weak push off! I can do them once I get going, but from standing still, it's so much harder. Thanks for this breakdown!

[@CoachJulia]

You are welcome, Good luck with your test!

[@user-ut6bn2dx5e]

Thank you very much for your lessons, Julia! What would I do without you?

[@CoachJulia]

You're very welcome!

[@rienn8559]

yaaaaay thank you :)

[@CoachJulia]

You're welcome!

[@jenniferjames346]

Kudos to your camera person, they do a great job capturing the movements

[@CoachJulia]

Yeah, I am fortunate to have a great camera person.

[@Abbyonice]

Man I have soooo much trouble with backwards inside edges! I lose momentum and end up stopping halfway through…But I’m going to try the awkward push and see how that works.

[@johntousseau9380]

These are so difficult. But I need them for pre-bronze MITF.

[@beautyaffirmations1147]

Im an adult skater and we did these with my group and i looked SO DUMB lol. Gonna spend my next session practicing just edges and stroking so that I can be so much better!!!

[@BrooklynTabla]

This is so helpful. Would it be fair to say the main way to ensure you're on the outside or inside edge is that when going on the outside edge, the foot on the ice is on the outside of the circle, and vice versa? Or is it a matter of using the same or opposite arm?

[@greenlimenay]

Thank you for the video coach Julia! It’s super detailed and really easy to follow. I recently got new boots, are there any tips you have for breaking into new boots?

[@CoachJulia]

I am actually planning to post a video about breaking in new boots very soon!

[@greenlimenay]

ThriveDiaries wow that’s awesome! I can’t wait to see it 😊

[@coldservings]

I must say I love your videos. I can't "take notes" in class of all the things my instructors tell me and you videos provide a good set of "notes" for the class, all the details of what I should be doing--put this foot here, put your arms there, have your weight on this part of the skate--very, very helpful. Even when what you do is somewhat different from what my instructor is doing it serves as enough of a reminder to help with that. In the last block of classes my instructor had me doing backward outside edges as well as the consecutive forward inside and outside edges. Just a bare introduction, though. He said not to worry about the arm and leg switch at this point, just ride the edge around as far as I can. The main problem I have is that going backward I tend to get my weight too far forward on my blade and dragging the toe picks. Is that just a matter of practice or is there something specific I can do to help with that?

[@CoachJulia]

Hey, Thank so much for the positive feedback! It helps motivate me to keep going with this channel. As to your question, I would guess that you may not be pressing down in the quads enough. Sometimes when people are a bit straight in the leg they can get up on the toe more with edges. So without looking at your skating, it may be that you need to bend your knee a bit more and think about those quads, and also pressing your heel down into the Ice. It is hard to press the heel down if your knees is to straight. So that would be my guess. Knees and heels.

[@TheLarryBrown]

Dragging the toe picks is the skate's way of telling you that you need to put your weight on the heel and skate through the heel. Skating backwards on the toe is easier because you can have some slop with the blade not pointing directly backwards and with the weight on the toe, the blade will just adjust itself. Weight on the heel is more difficult, that's why it's hard to learn how to do. Skating through the heel, in many situations, makes a world of difference.

[@jenmixon8203]

Hi Julia its Aubrey from skate town Jens daughter! ♥

[@CoachJulia]

Hello! Thanks for watching my channel!

[@Bodtaib]

Weak legs is a problem. Weak legs - you falling! Weak back - you fallin! Weak tummy - fallin and lie back!!! I need a training!! Thanks for training, Julia! 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@CoachJulia]

Exactly!! Skating is a sport, so it really helps to develop those muscles!

[@yanyuchen6393]

Thank you so much for your wonderful tutorial, Julia! I have a quick question about the free leg. I mean when you skate backward with your free leg extending behind your body, where does your toe point to?

[@lindatannock]

Point your toe/foot towards your centre (where you're going to change feet). This'll help the final part of your circle. Be sure to turn your foot out (particularly important on the BI edge, but also on your BO edge), as this will keep your hip up, and keep you on your circle. If you don't you'll find you won't curve nicely back to your centre (where you change feet). Hth!

[@user-od2qu8ds1m]

Здравствуйте! Спасибо., смотрю с удовольствием.

[@robsimmons5228]

Great tutorial Coach Julia. But where is your ‘Arena with 5 curling sheets’? All our curling clubs here are in stand alone buildings. Syd

[@CoachJulia]

Thanks. I am at Skatetown in Roseville California. We have two sheets of ice and manage to fit in quite a few different programs, including hosting the Wine Country Curling Club!

[@yixin6165]

Hey Julia, your videos are so helpful! Quick question: should I learn to do backward staking in your other video first or practice using the edges first?

[@CoachJulia]

You should start with learning backward skating, it will make learning your back edges much easier.

[@yixin6165]

@@CoachJulia Thank you, Julia! It would be really helpful if you could make a video about the learning sequence for beginners. There’re so many useful videos in your channel but I sometimes find it difficult to navigate:(

[@1chienandalou]

@@yixin6165 yes that would be very useful! I have some differences from the usual order of things sometimes (like back crossovers easier for me than forward; ccw back crossovers easier than cw (most right handers prefer I can barely do two or three) but ccw (right handed way) forward 🤷🏻‍♀️). But if I knew recommended order for the skills I’d know what was expected to build on each other vs where was being weird again.

[@BusyMan1981]

I keep trying it all week, and my toes scratch the ice for some reason. I guess the center of mass is somewhat forward which makes me lean forward too much. What can I do in order to make my body well balanced? (i'm 6'). what's the best off ice exercise for fixing that problem?

[@user-qg5pt1hn2z]

Супер!!! Спасибо за такой подробный и понятный урок! Буду пробовать)) только жаль, что нет субтитров и я не понимаю о чем вы говорите ((

[@annaguettabi3974]

I have hard time getting on the outside edge. The ankle falls in all the time. Any recommendations? 😩

[@slipperyhardandcold7740]

I was trying to do school figures back when they were still in competitions (ancient history). I never did get that back inside push right (I was subcurving out on the skating foot). I never did pass 2nd Figure (I tried it once).

[@CoachJulia]

Oh my gosh, School Figures were so tough. They force you to be so proficient with your edges, which is a positive thing, but they were so demanding that it cut out a lot of potential skaters who would have enjoyed learning and competing for fun.

[@slipperyhardandcold7740]

@@CoachJulia School figures still exist (I guess they even still have the tests). They do help with perfecting technique, but yes, they are very time consuming. A few coaches still use them for training purposes.

[@bubbleteaaddict7275]

I really struggle with backwards outside edges. I can maintain them for like 2 seconds but it always drifts into an inside edge or straight

[@behigh9165]

I want to cry. Whatever I do, I cant go to the outer edge, I'm really tired, whatever I do, it goes to the inner edge😭😭😭

[@CoachJulia]

I wonder if your ankles pronate? This causes people to lean heavily onto their inside edge. If so, you can put orthotics into your skates to lift your ankles up, or adjust the positioning of your blade to compensate.

[@williamyao444]

Timestamps 1:12 Back Outside Edges Explanation 5:00 Full Demonstration, Back Outside Edges 5:16 Closeup Demonstration, Back Outside Edges 5:43 Back Inside Edges Explanation 10:32 Full Demonstration, Back Inside Edges

[@majarubesa5850]

🤓🤓🤓💖💗💓🙌

[@rienn8559]

i still cant do this after months lol help

[@corinejosephineheartwell]

5:01 10:33

[@jonathantrauner3742]

SURMOUNTING (A poem inspired by Olympian and Pro Hockey Player Mrs Chelsey Goldberg). // My message to the universe is this: Never give up. Adversity never lasts. // My message to quitters is this: Do not quit get better improve and be stronger. // Challenges can no longer destroy our will to be champions. Keep on skating. // When you fall on the ice, keep on skating. Be who you are, warriors. // During our battles, remember, we are indestructible. We can make miracles. // We are miracles for our breaths. No amount of setbacks can set us back. // It is our time to rise and emerge into heroes. Comebacks can be achieved. // No deficits and challenges can knock us out. We are the greatest champions ever. // We can never get knocked out by fear. We can triumph over doubt with hope. // Hope and love always outlasts fear and doubt. Overcomers overcome with love.

[@AvadaKedavra943]

It’s official. I suck 😂.

[@metalheadlass9868]

Doing edges are my favorite because they make you feel like you’re flying across the ice

[@mayaihrussell]

Who’s here before there mif test😳

[@CoachJulia]

Good Luck with your test!