Ice skating controversies just will ~not~ go away. =) I have no idea if this contributes anything to the discussion, but at least I put off grading papers for a couple hours. =)
Skaters are apparently referred to as 'righties' or 'lefties' based on their spin direction and not on their handedness. I wonder if people who hear that a particular skater is a 'lefty' assume the skater is left-handed. Todd Eldredge, Sarah Hughes, Rudy Galindo, Rosalynn Sumners, and Denise Biellmann are all lefty spinners. Eldredge and Hughes are both right-handed. Rudy Galindo is left-handed. Sumners and Biellmann are of undeterminate handedness, meaning, I have no idea. Michelle Kwan spins both clockwise and counter-clockwise; she is right-handed. (Determination of handedness was made by viewing images in which the skater was signing their name.) http://www.skatejournal.com/basics.html ************ Skaters tend to favor a natural rotation direction. Although, skaters may be called "righties" or "lefties", rotation is not necessarily related to the hand the skater favors for writing. Counter Clockwise Most skaters rotate counter clockwise (CCW). They perform forward spins on their left foot, backspin on the right foot and land common rotational jumps on the right foot. These skaters have been called "righties". Since CCW skating is most prevalent, the elements included in this glossary will be described for CCW skaters. If you prefer to skate clockwise (CW), simply mirror the descriptions in this glossary. Clockwise A smaller fraction of skaters rotate clockwise, meaning they perform forward spins on the right foot, back spins on the left foot and land rotational jumps on the left foot. These skaters are often called "lefties" though they are not necessarily left-handed. Ambidexterity The term "Ambidexterity" describes individuals who are equally capable of performing tasks with the right or left side of their bodies. While very few skaters perform jumps in both directions, there have been some who spin in both directions. However, footwork should include turns in both directions, which contributes to the difficulty of the sequence. The Ice Skating Institute of America (ISIA) requires participants to jump in both directions to pass advanced tests. ************ http://oror.essortment.com/figureskatingi_rfmx.htm ************ Each spin has several attributes that define which spin it is. These attributes are: foot, direction the skate is travelling in, direction of rotation, and position. Several of these attributes are interconnected. The most basic of these attributes is direction of rotation. This is either counter-clochwise (CCW) or clockwise (CW). Most skaters spin counter-clockwise. One notable exception is Todd Eldrege, who normally spins clockwise. Additionally, Michelle Kwan is famous for having learned to spin in both directions. This is a very difficult skill which very few skaters take the time to learn. The direction of spin determines which foot the forward spin is performed on. The CCW spinner performs the forward spin on the left foot; the CW spinner performs the forward spin on the right foot. Let's use the CCW direction for simplicity. ************ -- Sue Frantz Highline Community College Psychology Des Moines, WA 206.878.3710 x3404 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://flightline.highline.ctc.edu/sfrantz/ > -----Original Message----- > From: Tom Allaway [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, March 08, 2002 12:57 PM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences > Subject: Re: Vestibular sense and skaters > > > Before we work too hard coming up with explanations for Harry Avis' > suggestion that righties and lefties turn differently, > perhaps we should > ask whether it's true. The Coren stats on handedness/ > footedness don't > address it. Does anyone have any actual data? > > Corollary to "If it ain't broke...": Until you know it's real, don't > explain it. > > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
