How do you brake when ice skating? Heels out, inside edges into the ice, knees bent until you stop. Step by step, from the boards to moving on the ice.
The honest answer first: in the snowplow stop you push both heels outward and go onto the inside edges of the blades. The blades shave the ice, snow builds up, and you come to a stop [1]. It is the first brake every skater learns in the curricula, already at the lowest level, in the two-foot or the one-foot version [2].
The effort pays off, because without a brake the boards are your brake. One note up front: the snowplow is not the fastest stop. It brakes more gently than the hockey stop, but you can learn it very safely at low speed. Whoever masters it has the basis for all other stops.
Hold the boards. Bend knees and ankles and push the heels outward so the blades shave ice on the inside [1]. You hear a scratching and snow builds up. Milestone: you visibly shave ice on both sides.
Let go of the boards and repeat the shaving while standing. The curricula practise in this order: first at the boards, then standing, finally moving [1]. That saves you most falls.
Glide with some speed on both feet, bend knees and ankles, press the inside edges, heels pointing outward [1]. A cue helps: "glide, bend, slide" [1]. Keep your upper body upright and arms out to the side, not pulled into the chest. Milestone: after a run-up of one length you stop within a few metres, three times in a row.
This is the real learning step. Whoever presses too hard cannot shave ice, the blades lock up. Whoever presses too lightly does not slow down and may slide into a split [1]. You notice both at once. Feel your way in small steps to the middle value until you leave an even strip of snow behind you.
The curriculum knows two versions: on both feet or on one foot [2]. Once the two-foot stop sits securely, brake with one blade while the other glides along loosely. This is a precursor for later, faster stops. Milestone: you stop equally reliably with right and with left.
Be honest: most skaters need several ice sessions before the snowplow brakes reliably from motion (experience, not a study). That is normal, because you coordinate two things at once: heel pressure outward and bent knees. Do ten to fifteen stops per session and count how many of them end within three body lengths. If the number grows over several sessions, you are on the right track. If not, go one step back to the boards and check whether your blades are sharp enough.
Only brake when nobody is skating behind you, and look briefly over your shoulder first. Do not brake abruptly in the middle of the flow. Wear a helmet and, when in doubt, let yourself fall to the side. This guide explains and motivates, it does not replace supervised training. Especially at the beginning many skaters stand too close together after braking. After the stop keep your distance for a moment and see who is coming up behind you before you set off again. If you notice that you do not dare, simply practise the first stage at the boards for longer. That is not lost time, but exactly the order the curriculum gives [1].
Practise the snowplow also with a slight curve: whoever can only do it straight has to brake in the middle of the rink. With a small curve you divert your speed sideways, and that is exactly the feeling that counts later in the hockey stop. Also check the sharpness of your blades every few sessions: even slightly dull blades noticeably change the braking feel.
As a beginner with the snowplow: bend the knees, push the heels outward, shave ice on the inside edges until you stop [1]. Practise first at the boards, then standing, finally in slow motion.
Usually you press too lightly or too hard. With too little pressure you shave no ice, with too much the blades lock [1]. Bend the knees clearly and feel your way to the middle pressure. Dull blades make the problem worse.
Yes. The curriculum lists the snowplow stop on both feet or on one foot [2]. Learn the two-foot stop securely first, then take one foot off lightly. The one-foot stop demands more balance.
The hockey stop, in which both blades stand across the direction of travel. It is harder to learn than the snowplow and appears in the curricula only at adult level 4 [2]. The snowplow is the right first step.
Learning to Skate Backward on Ice