How to Recognize Figure Skating Jumps
Daisuke Takahashi landing a jump at the 2010 Olympics. (Photo by Liz Chastney)
If you enjoy watching figure skating on television, you’ll enjoy it even more if you learn to identify the different jumps.
Remember, a single jump is 1 rotation in the air, a double 2 rotations, a triple 3 rotations, and a quad 4 rotations. An axel is 1½ rotations in the air, a double axel is 2½ rotations, and a triple axel is 3½ rotations.
You might like the helpful article by Jo Ann Schneider Farris at About.com: Figure Skating on “How to Recognize Olympic Figure Skating Jumps.” Here are some videos that will help you learn to recognize skating jumps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3g-1GOQsHU&feature=related
Figure Skating Jumps
Uploaded by oxygala. – Check out more sports and extreme sports videos.
What Is the Grand Prix of Figure Skating?
Last week, the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating began with the NHK Trophy in Nagoya, Japan. The way the series works is that senior-level skaters are assigned to represent their countries based on their previous competitive placements and international ranking.
Skaters in the Grand Prix earn points based on their placements. The six skaters in each singles category (men and ladies) and six teams in each category of pairs and dance who earn the most points out of the six Grand Prix competitions move on to the Grand Prix Final.
Many of the top skaters in the world skate in the Grand Prix series, so it’s good to follow to increase your skating knowledge.
The International Skating Union (ISU) websitehas information on each Grand Prix event as well as all the major international skating competitions each year.
Here’s a recap of the NHK Trophy by PJ Kwong at CBCSports.ca: NHK Trophy event offered dramatic twists.
For inspiration, here are videos of the gold- and silver-medalists in singles from the NHK Trophy. This is the beginning of the international season, so the skaters’ programs will become even stronger as the season progresses!
Here’s the short program of the NHK ladies champion, Carolina Kostner from Italy:
Here’s the long program of the NHK ladies silver medalist, Rachael Flatt from the USA:
Here’s the short program of the NHK men’s champion, Daisuke Takahashi from Japan:
Here’s the short program of the NHK men’s silver medalist, Jeremy Abbott from the USA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYucIfyuPY4How Ice Rinks Work
This month I’m talking about how ice rinks work. I found an article that answers common questions like how the ice stays cold, how thick the ice is, and how the Zamboni works. The article begins:
While the strength and skill of great ice skaters is immediately obvious, it’s easy to overlook the remarkable surface that makes it all possible. But as it turns out, varying the characteristics of indoor ice just a little bit can make the difference between a gold-medal performance and an embarrassing spill.
Find out “How Ice Rinks Work.”
Photo Credit: Photo by Mark Kobayashi-Hillary at Flickr Creative Commons.
How to Find Competitive Skating Attire
Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty performing the Golden Waltz at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose - Getty Images)
This week I’m going to talk about competitive skating attire. While competition is judged on skating skills, it’s still important to leave a positive impression on the judges through a classy appearance.
Costume
For technical events, the outfit or dress often helps the judges remember the skater (the girl in the red dress, etc.), so having an outfit that works well with a skater’s music is important.
For artistic and spotlight events, much more emphasis is placed on costumes and outfits that help the skater interpret his or her music or character. Often for spotlight events, the most original costume and prop combinations help produce a high competition placement.
Tights
Another important part of appearance for girls is their tights. I often recommend skin-tone, over-the-boot tights because they help complete the skater’s lines. Also, I recommend having a separate competition pair of tights. The practice pair usually will develop holes fairly quickly. Guys, remember to polish your skates if scuffed.
Hair and Makeup
It’s important to have the skater’s hair looking neat and tidy. There are many different ways to fix hair, depending on the type of music the skater chooses. In addition, I recommend using makeup for girls because the white ice tends to wash out the skater’s face, especially when viewed from a distance. Most competitions have vendors who can do the skater’s hair and makeup.
Where to Buy Skating Costumes and Accessories
MySkatingMall.com is the eBay of the skating community with a wide variety of new and gently used skating dresses and outfits, equipment, and accessories for low prices. Plus one of my friends started the site – it’s worth checking out!
eBay.com is another good place to find inexpensive skating dresses and outfits. Numerous students of mine have had good luck there. Just be prepared that skating outfits may not always fit properly because they may have been listed incorrectly. I would avoid buying skates online. Unless you have already been fitted by a professional, it’s hard to know what size boot you need.
A good local pro shop is going to carry skates and accessories. They may also have a limited selection of skating dresses and outfits.
If you need a more elaborate costume for a program, you could check out various online costume stores or plan ahead at Halloween. The other option is to have a seamstress make you a custom costume or dress. Until skaters reach the the highest levels, skating costumes can be purchased inexpensively.
Skate Blades and Sharpening
I’m often asked about skate blades and sharpening, so this week’s article is focused on the skate blade. The main fact you need to know is that a blade has two edges – an outside edge and an inside edge. Between those two edges is the part of the blade that’s called the hollow.
The hollow is an arc shape that you see in the picture on right. The deeper the hollow the more grip and control you will have. But, too deep of a hollow may cause you to be unable to control your skates very well. Also, you will lose speed with a deeper hollow because there is less of your blade on the ice.
The toe pick is on the front of the blade. The toe pick is just for jumping. As you get to higher level skates, the toe picks will get slightly larger.
Next, look at the picture on the right and see how the blade curves in toward the toe pick. The curve in the base of the blade is called the rocker. This is the part of the blade that spins and most turns are performed on. Technically, you are on either an outside rocker edge or inside rocker edge, depending on the spin or turn.
Another interesting fact that you may not be aware of is how blades glide on the ice. The weight of your body on the ice melts a thin layer of ice underneath your blade. This thin layer of water creates a lubrication that causes your blade to glide across the ice.
Hopefully, these facts will give you a little better understanding of how the blade works. As for skate sharpening: Try to sharpen your skates once every 3 months if you skate 1 to 2 times per week. If you skate 3 times per week, once every 2 months. If you skate more, once or more every month.
Here’s a helpful video from Rainbo Sports on “Figure Skate Blade Sharpening.”
New or Used Skates?
This month I’m going to talk about skating equipment again. Below is an interesting article by Mr. Edge that I read in Skating Magazine about whether to buy new or used skates. I think the article covers the subject well.
I always recommend new unless you can find a good used pair that has decent support left in the boots and enough edge left on the blades. eBay is often the best place to look for used equipment, but it’s hard to know if you found a good fit because you can’t try the skates on before you purchase them online.
New or used? This is the question many people often ask.
Depending on the condition of the skate, even used skates can cost several hundred dollars. When looking for a used pair of skates be cautious in your assessment of them and do not jump at the opportunity to buy just anything.
Consider the following: Read more at Ask Mr. Edge.
New Skates Photo Credit: Photo by Fiona Bradley
Used Skates Photo Credit: Photo by Fiona Bradley
