Do You Know Your Figure Skating Jumps?

Jumps are among the most exciting – and technically-challenging – parts of figure skating. New skaters cannot wait to learn to jump and are so proud when they master one. But for many observers, it can be difficult to differentiate the various jumps.

While there are several jumps in figure skating, only six are recognized in the competitive circuit: toe loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz, and Axel (the capitalized jumps are named for their individual creators). Each jump can be completed as single, double, triple, or quadruple. Jumps are divided into two groups. “Edge” jumps – loop, Salchow, and Axel – mean the skater is on an edge (one side of the blade) as they enter the jump. The skater generates speed and power by bending the knee prior to jumping. Alternatively, skaters performing “toe” jumps – toe loop, flip, and Lutz – launch themselves off the ice by using the toe pick on their ice skate.

Edge jumps are generally more challenging than toe jumps, so they have a higher point value in competition. However, jump combinations – two jumps performed back-to-back – can help a skater earn additional points in competition, depending on the jump difficulty and execution. The jumps, in order of difficulty from easiest to hardest, are toe loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz, and Axel. Coincidentally, the most difficult jump, the Axel, is also the oldest jump in figure skating.

In the article, “A Guide to Figure Skating Jumps at the Olympics,” author Amber Sayer (2022) describes each of the six jumps as follows:

Toe Loop: The toe loop is differentiated by the loop jump by the use of the toe pick. In the toe jump, the skater approaches the jump by skating backward on the back outside edge of one skate, then uses the free foot to plant the toe pick into the ice and launch the jump, and lands on the same back outside edge of the skate they took off from.

Flip: The flip is one of the toe jumps in figure skating because the skater uses the toe pick on their free foot to help propel their body into the air. With the flip jump, the skater takes off from the back inside edge of one of their skates and lands the jump on the back outside edge of the other skate.

Lutz: The Lutz is a toe-pick-assisted figure skating jump named after Alois Lutz, the Austrian figure skater who invented the jump and first performed it in 1913. The skater approaches the jump by skating backward forming a wide curve, then takes off from the back outside edge of one of their skates, planting the toe pick into the ice, and launching into the air, rotating in the opposite direction from the lead-up backward curve they had skated prior to take off. The skater lands the Lutz on the outside edge of the skate on the opposite foot from the launching one.

Loop: The loop is the simplest figure skating jump. It is performed by taking off from the back outside edge of either skate and landing on that same edge on the same skate. The basic loop jump in figure skating is an edge jump because the toe pick isn’t used, but there is also a toe loop in which it is.

Salchow: Named after 10-time world champion Swedish skater, Ulrich Salchow, the Salchow is an edge jump in figure skating that involves taking off from the back inside edge of one skate and landing on the back outside edge of the other skate.

Axel: The Axel is a forward-facing jump and the only figure skating jump in which skaters launch from a forward outside edge of their skate. It is named after its inventor, Norwegian figure skater Axel Paulson, who first performed it in 1882. The Axel is always a minimum of 1.5 rotations because it involves landing on the back outside edge of the skate on the foot that’s opposite from their launching foot. In other words, if the skater takes off from their right foot, they must land the Axel on their left foot. As such, a double Axel is 2.5 rotations, a triple Axel is 3.5 rotations, and a quadruple Axel is an impressive 4.5 rotations.

If that all still sounds like gibberish to you, don't worry! It can take some time to learn the differences in the various jumps. Keep watching and following along to learn what to look for in each jump. Videos, such as How To Tell Apart The Figure Skating Jumps, may also be helpful. And of course, you can always ask a FSCSM skater to demonstrate for you!