New Skating Skills

On Saturday, P had her first taste of trying an Axel on figure skates. She has been practicing the Axel's entrance, exit and rotation for months now in sneakers. In the video you will see P hooked up to a jump harness which is a simple pulley system. Her coach is holding a handle and pulls down ever so much to keep P up off the ice so that she can complete her rotation. P still needs to use her own strength to get herself into the jump, the coach just aides in the landing.

Here is a little information on the Axel - Axel Paulsen, a Norwegian, was the first skater to perform the jump named after him, in 1882. Curiously, he performed this feat wearing speed skates rather than figure skates. The Axel is the easiest jump to identify because it is the only major jump that is entered from a forward edge. It is also among the hardest to perform.

D has also been learning a new jump - a Salchow. Here is a little info on the Salchow - it was invented by the Swedish skater Ulrich Salchow in 1909. The Salchow is a figure skating jump with a takeoff from a back inside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot after one or more rotations in the air.

Both of the girls came off the ice excited about learning new skills. They just can't get enough figure skating!!!