Skating Backwards
After learning to skate forwards and do forwards crossovers, the next new ice skater skill is to skate backwards - interestingly not the same as skating forwards.
When beginning to skate backwards, it is easier to keep balance by keeping both skates on the ice. This can be performed by moving each blade in shallow S shapes, alternating pressure on each side. Once practiced, this movement can be made quite smooth.
Once used to the backward motion, and having to occasionally look over your shoulders, backwards crossovers can be combined with skating backwards. This can then gradually be phased out, so that all backwards movement is performed using crossovers, alternating quickly from side to side.
