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The technical world of skating is intricate and difficult

. It takes years for a skater to acquire all the necessary skills to perform an element such as a triple jump. As audience members, we marvel at the simplicity and ease that a top athlete showcases when in competition. However, there are many trials and challenges that occur in order to achieve this flawless level of achievement.

Skating 101 will be looking at this technical side of the sport, bringing you on to the ice and identifying the various elements that go into the performances that we all enjoy. Whether you are a fan who tunes in to watch the BMO Canadian Championships or a seasoned veteran interested in learning more about these intricate details of the sport, this series will help explore the many facets of figure skating.

Lets get started with the most identifiable elements in skating: the jumps. There are six different jumps in total, three edge jumps and three toe jumps. The difference between the jumps lies in the take off. Once the skater is in the air, they assume the rotation position with legs crossed and arms tucked in, which is common to all jumps.

The Axel jump was created by the Norwegian figure and speed skater Axel Paulsen and first performed in Vienna in 1882. It has grown into one of the most recognizable jumps because of its difficulty and unique forward take off.

Americans Dick Button and Carol Heiss are credited with the first double Axels in single skating. Canadian Vern Taylor became the first skater to land a triple Axel in competition at the 1978 World Championships in Ottawa. Figure skating star Brian Orser popularized the jump in the 1980s, wowing audiences with the immensity and sureness of his technique. Midori Ito from Japan was the first woman to perform the triple Axel in competition in 1988 and currently, fellow Japanese skater Mao Asada has made the jump her own. The triple Axel is a standard in the Senior Men event and second in difficulty only to quadruple jumps.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves! When a young skater is starting out, the first jump they learn is a waltz jump, the starting point for the Axel. The waltz jump is a half turn taking off forward and landing backwards on the other foot. The single Axel is one rotation and a half, a challenging jump and foray into the more difficult double jumps. The skater takes off from the forward outside edge of the blade and once in the air, transfers their weight from one side to the other, pulling into the rotation position. Once the rotation is completed, the skater lands on the backward outside edge using the opposite foot.

Double and triple axels require more rotation, height, power and strength. Try tacking on a triple toe loop on the landing of a triple Axel; the amount of focus and concentration is truly astounding. In order to achieve the consistency it takes to land this risky element at the World Championships, a skater needs to be prepared not only physically but also mentally. It takes guts and a lot of bruises!

Look for more articles on the technical side of skating and let Four Time World Champion Kurt Browning show you his perspective on jumps in the Skating 101 video series.

by: SimMiles

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