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Cindy Bower gives skating pointers to Russian NHLers Bower was all over Yashin after a drill emphasising tight turns. He was swinging his shoulder to get the turn momentum and she didn‘t like it. She demonstrated a smooth turn with squared shoulders and a shoulder dip, and then showed him his shoulder swing technique to make her point about his lack of balance. Bower agreed that she was teaching power skating techniques, but insisted there was more, calling it "efficiency skating." "You can‘t learn it in two weeks," she said, "but you can work on the techâ€" nis\cs. Some players will call me durâ€" ing the season for a reminder or arrange an hour on the ice when they‘re in town." â€" On the ice she isn‘t afraid to demonâ€" strate their flaws as a method to help correct them. She yells encouragement and admonishes them when they dog it. The Russians, Alexei Yashin and Dmitry Filimonov, of the Ottawa Senators, Alexander Karpovtsev. of the New York Rangers. and Sergei Zholtok, of the Boston Bruins, were put on to Bower on the advice of their agent Mark Gandler. The Russian players wanted to improve their skating techniques and get a good workout prior to attending th€ir various training camps. "When they saw me I think they were shocked at first," said the diminuâ€" tive Bower. "But I gained their respect. I skate right with them and they see betâ€" ter balance. They‘ve been great with me as a coach." "It‘s quiet here. There are no big city pressures," said Gandler. "The guys are looking to learn quicker acceleration, efficient energy expenditure and how to lengthen and shorten their strides." By Brad Reaume Special to the Beaver ¢ he Russians are coming! The _ Russians are coming! Actually _ they are already here. Four Russian NHLers are working with skatâ€" ing master Cindy Bower, daughter of Maple Leaf hockey great Johnny Bower, at Glen Abbey Recreational Centre on Third Line near Upper Middle Road. Bower lives in Oakville and likes to use town facilities whenever possible. Back to school for Russian hockey players Gandler said Russians have the repâ€" utation as great skaters because their training emphasis is on the legs. "They jump, they run, they work the legs while North America has an obsession with working the upper body." Bower said the Russians are very quick straight ahead, but they are not so proficient in their lateral movement. "These guys have a great desire to improve their abilities and need to learn techinques to help them withstand the more physical attributes of the NHLâ€" style game," said Gandler. "I‘m very much pleased with the program," added the Montclair, New Jerseyâ€"based agent. "I‘ve worked with NHLers for years, quietly" she said. "I‘ve worked "I‘m getting lots of sweat," Yashin said after the drills and a short scrimâ€" mage. "I‘ ve always had a problem with my skating. The NHL is a hard job. It‘s important for me to get ahead. Everyone wants to be the best. I just practice hard. It‘s not easy for anyone. It‘s a hard job, even for Gretzky and Lemieux." Russian born Gandler watched the session with a trained eye. "Many of the drills are designed to point out flaws in their technique," he said. "They look pretty out there, but they all have flaws. In a game they avoid the things they have problems with so you don‘t notice their flaws." Gandler said he will bring players back to Bower if the circumstances favour such an arrangement. "It‘ll pay off if it adds one more point or one more win." Bower is in her 13th year of teachâ€" ing, coming out of a figure skating backround. Her famous father pointed out some of the more important aspects of teaching skating to hockey players such as the movements of the game and the restrictions of equipment. Bower tried to get the players to push harder by adding Canadian Olympic women‘s team member Geraldine Heavey to the class. Heavey is a three time national champion. She figured when the guys saw the girl was such a good skater they would put more effort into the drills. Yashin nodded and tried it in the next drill. You could see the determinaâ€" tion in his face. Introducing the freshest taste to come out of California in years! Two all beef patties, with a slice of processed cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and our special California sauce. It‘s the California Double. And it‘s M The California McDonald‘s Taste of the Month for cDonald‘s s Double August. So enjoy it while you can, Dude! Now available at McDonald‘s, Dude. "The Russians have said it‘s good to learn other techiques so they can have exposure to them all," Bower said. "The great skating Russians are a fallacy. They are taught better and earlier than we are, but we are every bit as good. They have figure skaters teach children and we have hockey coaches, some of whom don t know how to teach skatâ€" » ing. Bower is most impressed with Zholtok, describing him as "wonderfulâ€" ly talented" and "quick". She had words of praise for all the players claiming they had to be mature and open minded to come on the ice with her. In the end they will learn stability, balance and quickness with their feet, all skills easily transferable to the NHL. The Russians will be at the Glen Abbey Recreational Centre for another week. They practice mornings and afternoons. The morning session is closed but the afternoon session between 3â€"4 p.m. is open to spectators. Bower realizes that Filimonov will never have the quickness of a smaller player, but she also knows that his size gives him other skills. If she can improve his quickness and give him more range of movement he will draâ€" matically improve. Lafayette, of the Vancouver Canucks, comes back every year to hone his skills. He is on hand to help Bower with the Russian players, as well as get a work out himself. According to Bower, Lafayette comes to have the opportunity to think about his skating and nothing else for two weeks. The ice is cut up with numerous hard cut circles from hundreds of tight turns on the same spot. The students are sweating, doing drill after drill of turnâ€" ing, skating backward, forward, sideâ€" ways, dropping down, getting up, workâ€" ing on directional transfers, sweating, sweating, sweating. Filimonov, huge at more than sixâ€" feet, fiveâ€"inches, and weighing 230 pounds, lumbers through the drills, his knees churning, but unable to move with much quickness after more than an hour on the ice. His ability to concenâ€" trate rapidly fading, much like the strength in his giant legs, he is a project. with about 60 players like Todd Gill, Ron Francis, Rick Toccett, and Nathan Lafayette." MmcDonald‘s C All "AAA" players should check with their respective coach‘s for "AAA" times SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 1994 PAGE 18 Skating instructor Cindy Bower and her four Russian students (left to right) Alexei Yashin, of the Ottawa Senators, Alexander Karpovtsev, of the New York Rangers, Sergei Zholtok, of the Boston Bruins, and Dmitry Filimonov, of the Ottawa Senators. * DEPENDABLE _ x WE THINK GREEN * QUALITY * FAST FUSSY Our Goal .. 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