Figure Skating Terms | Golden Skate

Figure Skating Terms

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I just bought a old book printed in 1964 called "The International Figure Skating Glossary" This book was put together by John Hendrickson and Gayle Klasky. It's a reference book of "figure skating" vocabulary. It seems new moves that we see skaters do now have been around awhile. I just thought it would be interesting to see what names have been given to some skating moves that we see skaters do today.

AIRPLANE (spiral) A sustained skating move in which the torso is bent well forward with the back arched and the free leg extended high behind the skating leg. Can be executed in various positions and on various edges, both forward and backward.

AIRPLANE SPIN a spinning camel position executed on the flat of the skating blade.

BACK-LOOP JUMP a jump requiring one full turn in the air performed from a backward edge of one foot landing on the same backward edge and foot upon completion fo the jump.

BACKBEND SPIN a one foot spin with the back arched so rotating parallel to the ice.

BAIER JUMP a jump from the forward-inner edge of one foot to the back outer edge of the opposite foot. Shoulders are parallel with the tracing and do not revolve. Named after its inventor Ernest Baier. He also invented the BAIER SPIN a forward-inside spin in an upright position.

BASKET STEPS a sequence of quick steps down the ice.

BIRD CARRY a pair move in which the lady is held in front of the man in a swan dive position with her legs positioned slightly higher than her head.

BOECKL JUMP a jump begun from an outside-back edge of one foot, jumping to the inside-forward edge fo the opposite foot, rotating 1/2 turn in the air.

BRILLEN TOE JUMP a jump started by and outside-three turn, jumping to the toe of the opposite foot and from there back to the jumping foot.

BUTTON SPIN flying camel spin

CANADIAN AXEL open axel jump.

CHAIN THREES a pattern of three-turns executed consecutively.

CHERRY FLIP a loop jump in which the free foot is placed behind the skating foot with the toe on the ice before the jump, landing in regular loop jump position.

CONTORTION a distortion of the body in an unneccessary manner.

CURTSY pivot, and English term where the skater on an outer-back edge places the free foot inside the tracing and behind the skating foot, with the toe placed in the ice, pivoting the skating foot around this point.

DEER LIFT a pair movement in which the lady is lifted at the waist in a stag jump position.

DRY SKATING skating moves practiced without the use of ice.

FRICK SPIN a sit spin named after Willy Frick with either the free hand or skating hand or both holding the free foot.

GRAFSTROM SPIN a back spin in which the skating shoulder and arm are pressed back with the free shoulder forward and free leg held behind.

HALF TOE SPLIT SALCHOW split jump-a half flip jump with the leg splitting in the air.

HIP PLAY the movement of the hips during a skating maneuver.

HOLD THE FOOT AIRPLANE a spiral executed with the hand holding the free foot.

JACK POSITION refers to the shoot-the-duck position with the free leg extended forward and the skating leg bent.

LAY OVER SPIN a one-foot spin in which the torso is bent sideways.

MAPES JUMP a toe Salchow taken from the inside-back edge of the skating foot and the toe point of the free foot.

PAT LOW JUMP walley-a jump executed from an inside-back edge of one foot with rotation counter-wise, with a half-turn in the air, landing on an outside-back edge of the same foot.

REVERSE WALTZ JUMP a jump from a back-outside edge of one foot to an outside-forward edge of the oppisite foot, turning one half turn in the air.

SWIZZLE fast turning movements in which the skater takes short quick edges both forward or backward.

TOELESS LUTZ a lutz jump executed without the use of the toe pick.

TWIZZLE a rotation through a complete revolution performed so rapidly that it takes place almost on one spot.

VISON SPIN a one-foot spin in which the free foot is held straight to the side by the free arm.
 

brad640

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 8, 2004
Thanks for sharing those terms dlkksk8fan. I love looking back at old programs to find moves that are rarely performed today. I think CoP should be revised to reward moves like split jumps that are being phased out of eligible competition.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
After a cursory look, I found boekel not in my definition. It is a forward inside edge jumping into one and a half air turns and landing on a back outside edge on the same foot as the take off. Sometimes called a one-foot axel.

Mapes, I believe, is a toe off loop jump better known today as a toe loop or simply toe.

Be that as it may..... I am still searching for a definition of an official flutz. :laugh:

Joe
 
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