Figure skating can be beautiful, exciting and fun to watch. But sometimes it can be confusing to understand the lingo. Do you know a triple axel from a double toe-loop? Here are some common figure skating terms and what they mean.
Jumps
Toe Jump. The skater uses the toe pick to help propel him or her into the jump.
Edge Jump. The skater jumps from the edge of the skate, not using the toe pick of the other skate to help with the jump.
Axel Jump. An axel jump is the most difficult jump because it begins with the skater starting forward and ends with the skater landing backward. Because of this it adds half a rotation to the jump.
Butterfly Jump. This is a pretty jump where the skater leaps into the air at the beginning of the spin. The skater’s legs make a scissoring motion.
Flip Jump. A flip jump is when a skater takes off from the back inside of edge of his or her skate. The skater begins the jump backwards and uses the toe pick on the skate to push off into the jump. The skater then lands on the outside back edge of the other foot.
Loop Jump. The skater takes off from the edge of one foot with the other foot crossed in front.
Lutz Jump. The skater starts the jump using the toe pick to leap from the back outside edge of one foot and lands on the back outside edge of the other foot.
Salchow Jump. In a Salchow jump the skater takes off from the back inside edge of one leg and uses the other leg to gain momentum for the jump. Then the skater lands on the back outside edge of the other foot.
Toe Loop Jump. A toe jump where the skater jumps from the outside edge of one foot while pushing off with the toe pick of the other foot. This is considered the easiest jump.
Spins
Beillmann Spin. In this spin the skater is spinning on one leg with the other leg pulled up over the skater’s head from behind.
Camel Spin. This is when the skater spins with one leg on the ice and the other leg up in the air behind him or her.
Death Spiral. In this pairs move the woman skates in a circle around the man with her back toward the ice. Her body is parallel to the ice, and her head is back. The man holds the woman by one arm.
Layback Spin. This is a spin where the back is arched and the head falls back. One leg is on the ice and the other leg is bent behind the skater.
Pancake Spin. In this spin, the skater is in a sitting position, meaning that the leg on the ice is bent. The free leg is tucked over the stable leg, and the upper body is bent down over the legs.
Sit Spin. This is a spin where the skater is on one bent leg and the other leg is extended forward.
Mistakes
Popping a jump. If a skater pops a jump, he or she has opened up in the air before completed the required number of rotations.
Step-out. This is a mistake that is made when the skater lands a jump and puts the second leg down when it should be in the air.
Knowing the terms can help you enjoy and appreciate figure skating even more.
