As the holiday season approaches, ice rinks will be appearing all over the nation as Christmas markets set up in every town, filling the air with festive sounds and the scrape of ice skates skates on the ice. Maybe this year you want to take your ice-skating adventure a bit more seriously, so knowing the terminology could be useful, right? How can you master the moves if you can't speak the language? Or rather skate the skate if you can’t...I’m not sure what rhymes with skate. Anyway, here’s a handy glossary of terms so you can act like you know what you’re talking about and impress all your friends after your fifth mulled wine, which you’ll undoubtedly blame for your unsteady legs.
1. Basic Skating Techniques:
- Gliding:The most straightforward movement, where the skater moves forward or backward across the ice.
- Forward Crossovers: A technique in which one leg crosses over the other while skating in a circle in a forward motion.
- Backward Crossovers:Similar to forward crossovers but done while skating backward in a circular path.
- Edges:The edge of the skate blade (inside or outside) is used to carve into the ice, either on the inside (for a more curved path) or outside (for sharper turns).
2. Jumps:
- AxelA jump that begins with a forward takeoff, involving one and a half spins in the air.
- Salchow:A jump taking off from the inside edge of one skate, with a complete spin in the air.
- Loop:A jump that also takes off from the inside edge of one skate, but without assistance from the other foot.
- Flip: A jump that takes off from the back inside edge of one skate, aided by the other foot.
- Lutz: Similar to the Flip, but the takeoff is from the back outside edge, involving a more challenging entry and landing.
- Toe Loop:A jump where the skater takes off from the back inside edge of one foot, using the toe pick of the other foot for assistance.
- Half Axel: A version of the Axel jump with half a rotation.
- Triple and Quadruple Jumps:These are jumps featuring three (triple) or four (quad) spins in the air, and they can be executed with any of the jump types mentioned above.
3. Spins:
- Spin:A maneuver where a skater spins on a single spot while maintaining balance on one skate. Various styles exist:
- Upright Spin:A basic spin with the body in an upright position.
- Sit Spin:The skater lowers their body into a seated position while spinning.
- Camel Spin: The skater extends one leg horizontally while spinning.
- Layback Spin: The skater leans backward while spinning, forming an arch.
- Flying Spin:A variation of the spin that incorporates jumping into the spin from the air.
- Combination Spin: A spin that involves multiple positions (e.g., transitioning from camel spin to sit spin).
- Biellmann Spin: A variation where the skater pulls one leg over their head while spinning.
4. Footwork:
- Choreographic Step Sequence:A series of complex and artistic steps that are often integral to a program’s choreography. These steps are crafted to showcase control, speed, and creativity.
- Mohawk: A turn where the skater transitions from an inside edge on one foot to an outside edge on the other foot, typically accompanied by a change of direction.
- Three-Turn:A turn that alters the skater's direction by 180 degrees, typically shifting from forward to backward skating.
- Twizzle:A spinning motion that involves several rotations on a single foot, commonly utilized in ice dance and pairs.
5. Pairs Skating Techniques:
- Lift:A technique in pairs skating where one partner lifts the other into the air, often executed in imaginative and acrobatic styles.
- Throw Jumps: The male skater propels the female skater into the air for a jump, and she lands on the ice after completing her rotations.
- Death Spiral:A striking move where one partner (typically the female) spirals close to the ice while being supported by the other partner.
6. Ice Dance Moves:
- Twizzle:A spin with multiple rotations performed on one foot, generally used in ice dancing.
- Lifts: In ice dancing, lifts involve one partner raising the other, but they are usually less acrobatic than those in pairs figure skating.
- Serpentine Step Sequence:A series of steps executed in a winding, snake-like pattern, often featured in ice dance routines.
7. Glides and Turns:
- Chasse: A smooth movement where one skate follows the other, frequently used in ice dancing.
- Mohawk Turn: A turn where the skater transitions from an inside edge to an outside edge or the opposite while changing direction.
- Pivot: A maneuver where the skater rotates 360 degrees on one foot, keeping the other foot in place.
