Arms over the head

[Ladskater]

When I figure skated many moons ago, the arms were brought inwards to the chest and then in the check (open) position on exiting the jump. I'm not crazy about every jump being done with hands over the head, but FS jump techniques have become so much more demanding, I see why this technique is used. I prefer a variety of jump positions and spin positions as well to make the program more interesting. I forgot to add that Kurt Browning pointed out Corey Circelli of Canada is one of the few men who jumps with hands over head.

 

[jesslv74]

Watching the Europeans coverage on network TV in the US today, I was struck by the completeness of the "two-arms-iver-the-head" coup that seems to have oevertaken ladfies jump technique. For skaters such as Valieva, Trusova, and Kurakova, essentially every jump had this feature. When Brian Boitano introduced the 'Tano Lutz (one arm over the head) tecades ago, it was a program highlight. Now it seems to be expected. This made me wonder about the following questions.

1. Has the two-arms-over-the-head become the new normal? Is it now, or is it shortly to become, THE technique that will be taught to all young skaters on all jumps?

2. As this techniques bercomes more common and less special, will the ISJ judges strop rewarding it as a special feature in GOE?

3. Commentators always point out that this position makes the jump harder because it changes the center of gravity. Is it really intrinsically harder, or is it just a question of what technique you were taught at an early age?

I totally agree. It used to be a highlight and made the program have a uniqueness to it. Now I feel like it's just something that's thrown in, and is often very sloppy.

 

[arewhyaen]

I hate it when most of the current crop of ladies do it just cause it looks less elegant and as if their arm is broken when they do the jumps. One ladies skater who does it where I don't mind is Valieva when she does her triple axel. It's so gorgeous, and really shows how much control, height, and flow her axel gets. Everyone else, though, could stop.

 

[Putina]

I do not like it because I feel like skaters are trading extra height and/or distance in jumps for a gimmicky feature.

 

[viennaskater]

When I saw Lee Sihyeong from Korea (who didn't qualify for Olympics LP) at Nebelhorn for the first time, he did every jump with arms raised. My friend commented: 'Perhaps he can't do it any other way." This amused me.

 

[elbkup]

Quite honestly, I don't think Valieva would be nearly as consistent as she is if it weren't for the rippon jumps. This is something that really bugs me about her skating. Her jump technique is so flawed that adding a rippon to her jumps is what keeps her from falling.

Also, Kamila flutters her hands and arms to distraction. I suppose her coaches prefer the fluttering movement to windmill arms (both seem to serve as balancing techniques) and I admit it captivated me at first.. now I find it positively annoying (but I am a fan of Kostornia’s artistry so what do I know? Just my gut reaction to performance..)

 

[jenaj]

It doesn't, at least directly. It can be counted as a good air position but that's a more complex thing than just rippon and also hardly a thing that should be limited.

I think that's a stretch. If it helps the air position, fine, reward that. But just having the arms by itself up should not be rewarded as air position.

 

[jenaj]

In the past there were only a few girls jumping with arms over the head, either rippon or tano, and some were doing better than others. The rest were still trying to hold their bodies as tight as possible to make their jumps fully rotated (I'm not saying this is bad. It is still considered good technique (?)).

Here comes Kamila, she steps onto the ice and starts skating. She has long limbs, a ballerina's figure, and the extension is seen everywhere: fingers and toes, ina bauer, arms over the head, leg extension while landing, ... The whole performance is really a grand show.

Of course I cannot claim that Kamila is doing this "as extra" to earn more points, she probably needs to use this technique to stabilizing her jumps.

Nowadays there are more girls doing this, and it seems to be a proof that it is another "good technique" (?) If so, and by the time most girls do "arms over the head", we'll then see programs with different combinations of techniques, and many more ways to produce the TA-DA moments. We see development!

This "technique" started long before Kamila. I first noticed it when Evgenia was a junior. I pretty sure it was introduced as a point-getting thing.

 

[Amer]

I still like the Rippon arms. Never liked Tanos.

 

[mskater93]

Both arms up has turned into a tactic for generating rotational torque in jumps. If you watch in slow motion, the act of getting the arms up is used to create the rotation in the jumps. For old school skaters who were taught to jump first, then rotate, this is very wrong...

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

There is only one good thing to ever come out of Rippon jumps/"holding the arms aloft"...

Me getting the word ALOFT in my wordle a couple days ago.

 

[RobinA]

Oh Lord, make it STOP! I used to love the few Tanos I saw. Now it just looks like a bad habit.

 

[Noxchild]

Keep them arms tucked firmly against the chest imo

 

[gliese]

Both arms up has turned into a tactic for generating rotational torque in jumps. If you watch in slow motion, the act of getting the arms up is used to create the rotation in the jumps. For old school skaters who were taught to jump first, then rotate, this is very wrong...

Literally no one uses the jump first then rotate technique anymore though. We have quads in mind when we jump nowadays and they're very hard to do that way. Why not just do it in the most efficient manner?

Anyway, jumping rippon doesn't make it easier for anyone I know to rotate properly (but I'm sure it does for some people). You can get a similar movement of the arms by just changing where on your chest you put your arms. Moving them more to the left shoulder with the right arm underneath increases the amount of rotation you can get. Personally, I use the Nathan Chen arms. It helps me control my axis.

Overall, I think people should do whatever they want with their arms that enables them to land the jump the best.

Here is a list of other things that can make elements easier but is still rewarded with extra points by the judges:
- sit side out of a flying sit instead of a normal sit position (pulls the leg in faster, gets a feature)
- stars into a camel (makes the spin faster, gets a feature)
- rolling threes into a loop (keeps the edge from slipping, increases GOE)
- any edge element into an axel (controls the body on the edge, increases GOE)
- rippon lutz (the only jump where arms up is easier for a majority of people in my experience, increases GOE)
- dancing in step sequences (gives a second to breathe, increases GOE and PCS)
- illusion into sit spin/layback (makes the spin faster for most people and aids in centering, increases level)
- difficult entries into jumps (can prevent overthinking and over rotation, increases GOE)

This doesn't change the fact that these things are still more difficult. They just aid a problem that a skater has or they make the finished product better. They are still very hard.

 

[Weathergal]

There is only one good thing to ever come out of Rippon jumps/"holding the arms aloft"...

Me getting the word ALOFT in my wordle a couple days ago.

Yes, I think it helped me as well with the Wordle that day. LOL

 

[Mafke]

I've only seen excerpts of programs recently and I'm already sick of the hands over the head.... it's the new bad Biellmann position...
make it stop!

 

[dorispulaski]

No kidding. Especially when done on both (or all 3) jumps in combinations, it looks like kindergarteners singing In a Cottage in The Wood, the part where they throw up their arms three times, while singing, "Help me, help me, help me!"

RSNO Junior Chorus: In A Cottage In A Wood

Learn the actions to In A Cottage In A Wood with members of the RSNO Junior Chorus! This audio track is from the RSNO Junior Chorus' album A Christmas Festiv...

youtu.be

 

[Mathman]

I do not really have an opinion about the aesthetics of this jump position. My points was thast we shouldn't give extra credit for doing something the hard way if the "hard way" is in fact no harder than the "easy way." We should not continue to give extra credit for innovation long after the "innovation "has become routine.

Thanks to poster Gilese for the run down of skating elements.

 

[lesnar001]

I do not really have an opinion about the aesthetics of this jump position. My points was thast we shouldn't give extra credit for doing something the hard way if the "hard way" is in fact no harder than the "easy way." We should not continue to give extra credit for innovation long after the "innovation "has become routine.

Thanks to poster Gilese for the run down of skating elements.

I really like it when someone who actually skates (like the poster you referenced) explains things. Because even though I might tire of seeing a feature like Rippons when they become "routine" (or done haphazardly without care as to how it looks), what really tires me out are all the experts armed with 0.25 speed youtube videos which "prove" whatever their gripe happens to be.

I've watched a lot of skating in my lifetime, and I don't even pretend to understand much of the mechanics, other than recognizing the jumps and noticing things like obvious (as you can clearly see it as it happens) issues with UR's and such.

 

[Piett]

I find the arms over the head as annoying and irritating as the slow paced stutter step penalty kick in order to wrongfoot the goalkeeper. There are people who think it looks cool, I effin' hate it.