Figure Skating Jumps

Posted on 4:49 PM by TaimoorShaikh

Jumps are part of the routine of advanced ice skaters. These are evaluated by the take off and the number of rotations made in the air. There are two familiar types of figure skating jumps, and these are toe jumps and edge jumps. Edge jumps originate from the edge of the blade, while the toe jumps originate from the toe picks, and are actually edge jumps assisted by the toes of the opposite foot.

There are two edges for ice skate blades; the inside and the outside edge. Before you take off to do a jump, you will need to decide first whether you will use the right or the left foot, going forward or backward, and using the inside or the outside edge. Thus, one jump may be described as right forward inside, left forward outside, depending on how you plan to jump.

The correct positioning of the body prior to a jump has to be maintained, because any mistake in positioning makes a big difference with the jump, and the consequent landing. There is a greater chance for a fall or for a mistake while doing the jump when the starting position is not right.

There are various jumps that can be done in figure skating. The first is the Bunny Hop Jump, which is the easiest to do because it is performed without rotating. To do this jump on the right foot, weight is first placed on the right foot, with the right arm to the side and the left arm in front of the skater. The skater then takes off using the left foot and finally lands on the right skate toe pick and the left foot.

The next jump is called Waltz Jump, and is one of the first jumps usually learned by beginning figure skaters. It takes off with a forward outside edge. The skater then does a half revolution jump, and lands on the opposite back outside edge. It is started by doing backward crossovers for impetus, stepping on the left foot, bending then extending both legs for the jump, lifting off from the left toe pick, doing a half revolution, and landing on the right back outside edge.

There is also a jump called Loop Jump, starting with a right back outside edge, doing one revolution, and ending also with a right back outside edge, in contrast with Waltz Jump, which lands on the opposite foot and does only a half revolution. While in the air, the arms are into the chest and the legs crossed in the Loop Jump. You can do a half loop, double, triple, or quadruple loop jumps, depending on your skills as a figure skater.

There are many other figure skating jumps available, such as the Toe Loop Jump, which is essentially a loop jump but with the assistance of the left toe to leap into the air, and the Walley Jump, which takes off from the right back inside edge, features one revolution in a counterclockwise manner, and lands on a right back outside edge of the same foot. Other jumps in figure skating include Toe Walley, Lutz, Salchow, Flip, and Axel Jump. Each of these jumps has the potential to injure, because jumps are intrinsically dangerous to perform. It is a figure skating technique that needs to be perfected and be taught by a professional figure skater. The skater is also required to wear protective gear when in training so as to avoid injury as much as possible.

Drew Mers is an advertising consultant to City Ice Pavilion, a rooftop ice skating rink in Long Island City, Queens, New York.