Skating 101: Jumps
One of the biggest confusions in watching skating is trying to figure out which jump is which. To the casual viewer, every jump looks the same. This Jumps section in Skating 101 will offer quick tips on how to spot the differences in the jumps.
There are six different types of jumps that are recognized in the International Judging System (IJS), the toe loop, salchow, loop, flip, lutz, and axel. Each jump is distinguished based on its distinctive takeoff, but all jumps land in the same manner.
Toe vs. Edge
The six jumps are divided into two more specific categories – toe jumps and edge jumps. Toe jumps take off with the assistance of the tap of the toepick, often seen in a linear setup pattern that goes down the long side of the rink. Edge jumps take off utilizing the edge of a blade, often seen in a radial setup pattern that is on the short side of the rink.
Direction of Rotation
Skaters generally rotate in the counterclockwise direction, but there is minority of skaters who rotate clockwise. These “lefty” skaters are actually not always left-handed, but their natural direction of rotation is different than most. Almost all skaters jump and spin in the same direction of rotation, though a very small percentage is more comfortable jumping in one and spinning in the other.
All jump descriptions in Skating 101 are written based on the more common counterclockwise rotation. Simply substitute “right” for “left,” and vice versa, to make the conversion to clockwise jumping.
Base Value
Below is a table of the relative base value of the jumps that will be seen this season.
|
JUMP |
SINGLE |
DOUBLE |
TRIPLE |
QUADRUPLE |
|
Toe Loop |
0.4 |
1.3 |
4.0 |
9.8 |
|
Salchow |
0.4 |
1.3 |
4.5 |
10.3 |
|
Loop |
0.5 |
1.5 |
5.0 |
|
|
Flip |
0.5 |
1.7 |
5.5 |
|
|
Lutz |
0.6 |
1.9 |
6.0 |
|
|
Axel |
0.8 |
3.5 |
8.2 |
|
Jackie has over 15 years of figure skating experience. He has been involved as a United States Figure Skating judge, a coach, a choreographer, and an intercollegiate level skater representing Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania. He is a design architect in New York City. Click here for more.
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