Eddy Matzger Workshop Review Guide

For those of us that have attended an Eddy Matzger Workshop, this review should help jog the memory of all of the lessons and drills we learn over the weekend. Use this guide before you go out skating then spend a few minutes of the first part of your skate and practice some of these drills. This helps reinforce all that you are tought and will help make proper technique the rule rather than the exception.

Morning Menu
A - shorty (side a is the straight-line distance between our nose, knees and toes)
B - long and strong (the distance between our skates on the ground, increases as "a" shortens)
C - straight (the longest side of the triangle is our fully extended leg)
D - Way to Skate (looking from above, skates describe capital letter D rotated 90 degrees)
Frakenstomp (a.k.a. "A" Frame - lift one skate, fall back onto it w/ bad alignment & pronation)
NKT Triangles (find your balance on support leg with other held out, then work on a deep sit)
Primate Skate (regress: long arms slap ground, chest rests on thigh-- sound effects please!)
Air D's (trace the shape of the capital letter D while gliding NKT on one skate)
Scullathon (wheels always in contact with ground)
Makin¹ Noise (pushing hard with heels so sound of purchase against pavement is audible)
Tracking (dreaded toe flick leaves short outward-facing tracks-heel carve gives the opposite)
4-Step Recovery Program (1-push forward 2-lift toe, 3-balance check, 4-recovery)
Geologic Time Skate (slow mo¹ skating in one smooth motion, one skate or other at all times)
Sculling/ Balanced Triangle Relay/Air D Relay

Afternoon Course
Elvis Sculling (like Elvis in his prime, move those hips to the max)
Trusty Hip Dip (lead w/hip, body will follow, delay landing leg until last possible instant)
Tightrope Skating (stay on the line - one leg hides behind the other when seen from the side)
Right Leg Push (while turning left - think forward push and lean back to steer better)
Left leg glide (hold right leg extended forward in a balanced triangle position)
Left Leg Push (this is a doozy -- weight LL during push, weight RL to reset LL under body)
Right Leg Glide (in crossed-over position with LL lifted - swimming helps hold it longer)
Sculling Turns (still earthbound, put it all together in one smooth continuous motion)
Knee Highs (reach up and over 1st half, set down at apex and glide 2nd half)
Counting Therapy (keep it regular)
S H O W T I M E (filming turns and straights)

Turn Aids
Salute the crowd (twist body out of turn to encourage hip dip into turn)
Norwegian Turn (extra crossover coming out of the turn keeps you jammin)
"Pop the balloon" (pushing leg forward of glide leg)
Full leg extension (knee snap, get an extra inch out of your push)
Lean Back (and plane forward -- skates track as one instead of fishtailing)
Close the gap (minimize space btwn. legs from side view-hide one skate behind other)
E.R.A. for the legs (equal work with both legs, no strong side dominance)
Relaxation
Keep Focus Up (looking up keeps weight back)
Pretend first stroke into turn is a straighaway stroke (helps get hip into it)

Stroke Lengthening Aids
Sit Deeper (this makes side b of your triangle a little longer)
Knees Together (physically touch Œem together - don¹t cheat yourselves out of extra inches!)
Full Extension/Snap Knees (get that extra little bit out of your push)
Forward Push (increases amount of time in contact with ground)
Heel Carve (gives an extra added increment of power at the end of the push)
Push Evenly With All Wheels (more pushing surface than with a toe wheel alone)

Counter Balance (weight to opposite side- net effect: still upper body, more hips & tempo)

Granny vs. Godzilla (high tempo,low power per push vs.slow gargantuan pushes, high p.p.p.)
Allocation of Effort (3 parts, take it over the top with transition to higher gears)
Alternate X-Overs (work turn to gain elevation, rest while traversing, keep shoulders square)
Heeling the Line (gets you up the road in a beeline, keeps upper body centered - the winner!)
Suspension Assistance (pre-load with static squat, cry ³uncle², then skate w/hands on knees)

Fore/Aft Lean (on toes causes fishtailing, leaning back increases speed and stability)
Lateral Lean (lift weight off leg and reset it down evenly to get rid of speed wobbles)
Aero-Playin¹ (feathering of surfaces --head, shoulders, butt, legs spread like knife surfaces)
Slowplow/Parachute/Slalom/Frontward T-Stop (catch the wind or generate friction to stop)
Stopping Practice (ramp up to speed and then try and stop on a dime before the line)
Coast the Most Race (get aero and go)

X-Over Pursuit Races
Minnows in a Shark Cage (agility drill to avoid getting eaten alive in races)
Endless X-Overs (dedicated push to side, then couple of x-overs with happy feet)

Double Push (banana shaped arcs made on gliding leg like x-over strokes w/o crossing over)
Puzzle Piece Glide (kneecap fits into kneepit of other leg -- base position (&) for double push)
One-Legged Weaving (skate wavy chalk template while gliding in ampersand (&) position)
Decompression Jumps (from base postion jump up and straighten leg while on outside edge)
Stroke 2 & 4 Jog (focus on left and right leg carves rather than conventional pushes 1 & 3)
Single Leg Double Push (propulsion using repeating normal pushes and double pushes)
SquWiggle Fest (most WIGGLES on one leg is WORTH a win)
Bananarama (full-on double push, counting strokes 1, 2, 3, and 4, with
the little 2 - 4 jog)

Tandem Attacks (trade off attacks with teammate to defeat a stronger opponent)
Back Door (with enemy behind you, allow teammate in front to float off and establish a gap)
Paceline Practice (front skater moves over and drifts back into safety of draft)

Individual Time Trial (break it up into manageable bits)
Team Time Trial (work together because you¹re only as fast as the last one to cross the line)
PreTen K (big ol loop)

Awards Ceremony (top four, bottom four)

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