#figure skating elements

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FIGURE SKATING ELEMENTS ON YURI!!! ON ICE: JUMPS

AXEL

The Axel jump is the only jump in figure skating with a forward takeoff, making it the easiest to recognize. Compared to other common figure skating jumps, an Axel has an extra half rotation in the air because of its forward take off, so a triple Axel has actually 3.5 rotations. The skater takes off from the outside edge of the left foot and lands on the outside edge of the right foot, and there is no toepick assistance.

The Axel jump is considered the most technically difficult jump among six types of jumps in single figure skating.

To perform an Axel, the skater typically approaches the jump on a right back outside edge before stepping on the left forward outside edge. Then the skater vaults over the toe pick of the left skate and "steps up" into the jump with the right leg, crossing their left foot in front of their right to feet to bring the center of rotation around the right side of the body.

The first female skater to land a triple Axel in a competition was Midori Ito, from Japan, at the 1988 NHK Trophy. A female skater who has landed triple Axel and regularly attempts it is Mao Asada. The first male skater to land a triple Axel in a competition was the Canadian Vern Taylor, in 1978, and since then triple Axels have become a standard jump for male competitors.

Here’s a slowed down version of Yuuri’s Triple Axel so you can better see the jump progression in each frame:

Only the quad Axel remains to be landed in a competition, which carries a higher level of difficulty because it would require four and a half rotations.

TOE LOOP | SALCHOW | LOOP | FLIP | LUTZ | AXEL

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FIGURE SKATING ELEMENTS ON YURI!!! ON ICE: JUMPS

FLIP

The Flip jump is another toe-pick-assisted jump in figure skating. To perform a Flip, the skater digs their right toe pick into the ice while their left foot skates on the back inside edge, and lands on the toe-pick-assisting foot.

The Flip is very similar to the Lutz. Because of that, it’s common for skaters to make mistakes such as performing flutz (turning an intended Lutz jump into a Flip by changing to the wrong edge on the takeoff) and lip (when a Flip change to an outside edge and turns into a Lutz).

Here’s a slowed down version of Viktor’s Triple Flip so you can better see the jump progression in each frame:

Shoma Uno was the first skater to ever perform a quadruple flip (0:42) in an international competition, in 2016.

TOE LOOP | SALCHOW | LOOP | FLIP | LUTZ | AXEL

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FIGURE SKATING ELEMENTS ON YURI!!! ON ICE: JUMPS

LUTZ

The Lutz jump is a toepick-assisted jump with an entrance from a back outside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. It is done just like the Flip, but the takeoff is from a back outside edge instead of a back inside edge.

Considering the similarities between the Lutz and the Flip, the easiest way to recognize a Lutz is by the long preparation before the takeoff. The skater typically performs a long glide on a left backward outside edge in a wide arc. Just prior to jumping, the skater reaches back with the right arm and the right foot and uses the right toepick to vault into the air, before performing the revolutions and landing on the right back outside edge.

The Lutz is considered one of the most difficult jumps because its entry is counterrotated (the rotation of the jump being opposite to that of the entry edge).

Here’s a slowed down version of Leo’s Triple Lutz so you can better see the jump progression in each frame:

Brandon Mroz of the United States is credited to have landed the first quadruple lutz (1:10) in an international competition, in 2011.

TOE LOOP | SALCHOW | LOOP | FLIP | LUTZ | AXEL

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FIGURE SKATING ELEMENTS ON YURI!!! ON ICE: JUMPS

LOOP

The Loop jump, also known as Rittberger, is an edge jump in which the skater takes off from the same foot they land on. It is similar to the toe loop, except that it has no toe-pick assist prior to the jump. The skater will take off from a back outside edge and land on the same back outside edge they took off.

Before takeoff, the skater's knees are so bent it almost appears that the skater is in a sitting position. Then the left foot is lifted with the knee bent and the left foot crossing over the right ankle with a simultaneous push, making an easily recognizable “x” shape with their legs. The leap occurs without benefit of any toe push (usually the arms sort of “swoop up” then cross in front of the chest). The rotational force for the jump comes from releasing the check of the shoulders and pressure on the edge, rather than by swinging the arms or free leg.

Here’s a slowed down version of Yuri’s Triple Loop so you can better see the jump progression in each frame:

Yuzuru Hanyu was the first figure skater to land a clean quad loop (1:04) in competition, in 2016.

TOE LOOP | SALCHOW | LOOP | FLIP | LUTZ | AXEL

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FIGURE SKATING ELEMENTS ON YURI!!! ON ICE: JUMPS

TOE LOOP

The Toe Loop (often referred simply as “toe” and also known as Mapes) is seen as one of the simplest jumps in figure skating. Just like the majority of jumps, the athlete performs it while skating backward. It is a toe-pick-assisted jump that usually takes off from the left toe pick, while the right foot glides on the back outside edge, and lands on the same back outside edge of the right foot.

Toe Loops can be done as singles (one revolution is completed in the air), doubles, triples, and even quadruples. 

Here’s a slowed down version of Yuri’s Quadruple Toe Loop so you can better see the jump progression in each frame:

The first skater to officially land a quad toe loop (and also the first quad in a competition) was Kurt Browning from Canada, in 1988. As of today, many elite-level male skaters perform quadruple toe loops as a regular part of their repertoire, but so far no female skater has been credited with landing one successfully in competition.

TOE LOOP | SALCHOW | LOOP | FLIP | LUTZ | AXEL

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FIGURE SKATING ELEMENTS ON YURI!!! ON ICE: JUMPS

SALCHOW

The Salchow jump is an edge jump with a takeoff from a back inside edge of one foot and it’s seen as the second easiest jump in Figure Skating. The rotation in the air is made in the direction of the curve of the take-off edge. The landing is made on the back outside edge of the foot opposite the one used for take-off.

Salchows are characterized by a sweeping motion upon takeoff, making it look as if the skater took off by closing their legs fast together, giving them a momentarily “knock-kneed” position with the lower legs splayed apart.

Here’s a slowed down version of Mickey’s Quadruple Salchow so you can better see the jump progression in each frame:

There is a controversy regarding the first quadruple Salchow landed in an international competition. Timothy Goebel landed a quad Salchow in the 1998 Junior Grand Prix Final, however, used the two-footed Salchow technique, which is confusing to spectators because the resulting jump can look more like a Loop or Toe Loop rather than a Salchow.

The first (and, so far, only) female skater to have landed a quadruple Salchow in a competition was the Miki Ando at the 2002 Junior Grand Prix Final (I couldn’t find the program in specific but here’s her landing a clean quad Salchow in practice in 2009).

TOE LOOP | SALCHOW | LOOP | FLIP | LUTZ | AXEL