Bloggable Moment! Power Pulls

I skated up to Gold Skater and said, "Hey, am I doing real power pulls?"

Because, normally I'm a Level II power pull skater. I do snakebelly wriggles and an occasional 'real' pull with edge change and speed gain (or at least no loss of speed). Or I think I'm doing a power pull but they're really just wiggles. I call these "deception pulls". My coach calls them "not a pull".

Snakebelly wiggles
There's no real change in edge

I start at the middle and skate to the boards. No loss of speed. Edge changes. Always just a little sense of danger.

Gold Skater nods. "Yes that's a real power pull with assist." (The 'assist' is that I hold my free leg out from my body to increase the impetus.) "Try it with your free leg close to the skating leg."

I admit the 'leg away from the body' is a beginner's power pull, so I give the 'grown up' version a try.

"You did it!" Gold Skater says. We high five.

"Now," she says, "Do the other leg."

The 'other' leg is not quite as graceful, but it's a real power pull that doesn't fade out,  and has clear edge changes. And also, that sense of danger.

"That's good too!" Gold skater says.

We high five again.

Two years I've been working on these! Two years! Finally!

And when my coach sees them she'll say, "Okay, it's time to work on your back ones."