How to Figure Skate
... among the hardest jumps to perform. Since most skaters do not like to skate forward, the axel is usually preceded by back Gibson 2 crossovers. This is done by crossing the left foot in front of the right foot. At the same time, the skater must push back and out with the right leg. This helps the skater gain speed. Next, the skater must execute a step-forward to get on the left forward outside edge. For the step-forward, the skater will glide on the right back outside edge, with the right arm extended at 3:00 and 11:00 relative to the skater’s body. The skater must look over her shoulder, turning her body in the direction of the left arm, placing her left foot onto the ice, in a left forward outside edge. This completes the step-forward. Next, the skater must leap into the air to execute the jump. The skater must bend slightly at the left knee while bringing the free leg (right leg) up and around. The right leg should be bent as if the skater was climbing the stairs, close to a 90 degree angle. At this point, the skater’s arms should be located close to the body, near the left shoulder in a “X” position. The body should be upright in the air and the legs should be pulled close together, destroying any gap between the legs. The skater performs one and a half revolutions in the air and lands going backwards on the right backward outside edge. The landing leg, in this case, the right leg, must be slightly bent at the knee while the free leg is extended at least twelve inches above the ice. The arms must again be in the 3:00 and 11:00 positions. The axel is described as “fo 1-1/2 Tbo” which means it launches from a forward outside edge, turns 1-1/2 times in the natural direction, and lands on a backwards outside edge. Another element of figure skating, the spread eagle, is more graceful than difficult. It is a gliding move in which the skater spreads her legs in an upside-down “V” shape, with the toes pointing out and the heels pointing at each other while gliding sideways. The skater faces Gibson 3 perpendicular to the direction of travel while the two feet are in a single line. The spread eagle can be done on an outside edge, meaning the skater will lean backwards, or on an inside edge where the skater will lean forwards. For this to be executed well, the skater’s body must be in a straight line. Many skaters who have not mastered the...