Hitting the Ice Rink with SkateHut – Ice Skating Jargon Simplified

With the festive season upon us, ice rinks will be popping up across the country as the Christmas markets hit every town, filling the air with the sound of seasonal cheer and the scraping of ice skates across the rink. Perhaps this year you want to take your ice-skating jaunt a bit more seriously, so it’s worth to know the lingo, right? How can you walk the walk unless you can talk to the talk? Or rather skate the skate if you can’t…I don’t know what rhymes with skate. Anyway, here’s the jargon in one helpful glossary so you can pretend to know what you’re chatting about and impress all your friends after the fifth mulled wine, which you will undoubtedly blame your wobbly legs on.

1. Basic Skating Movements:

  • Gliding: The simplest form of movement, where the skater glides forward or backward on the ice.
  • Forward Crossovers: A technique where one leg crosses over the other while skating in a circle in a forward direction.
  • Backward Crossovers: Like forward crossovers but performed while skating backward in a circle.
  • Edges: The edge of the skate blade (inside or outside) is used to carve the ice, either on the inside (for a more curved line) or outside (for sharper turns).

2. Jumps:

  • Axel: A jump that starts with a forward take off, involving one and a half rotations in the air.
  • Salchow: A jump that takes off from the inside edge of one skate, with a full rotation in the air.
  • Loop: A jump that also takes off from the inside edge of one skate, but it involves no assist from the other foot.
  • Flip: A jump that takes off from the back inside edge of one skate, with assistance from the other foot.
  • Lutz: Similar to the Flip, but the take off is from the back outside edge, involving a more difficult entry and landing.
  • Toe Loop: A jump where the skater takes off from the back inside edge of one foot, assisted by the toe pick of the other foot.
  • Half Axel: A half rotation version of the Axel jump.
  • Triple and Quadruple Jumps: These are jumps with three (triple) or four (quad) rotations in the air, and they can be performed with any of the jump types mentioned above.

3. Spins:

  • Spin: A move where a skater rotates on one spot while maintaining balance on one skate. There are several types:
  • Upright Spin: A basic spin with the body upright.
  • Sit Spin: The skater lowers their body into a sitting position while spinning.
  • Camel Spin: The skater extends one leg horizontally while spinning.
  • Layback Spin: The skater leans back while spinning, creating an arch.
  • Flying Spin: A variation of the spin that involves jumping into the spin from the air.
  • Combination Spin: A spin that includes multiple positions (e.g., from camel to sit spin).
  • Biellmann Spin: A variation where the skater pulls one leg over their head while spinning.

4. Footwork:

  • Choreographic Step Sequence: A series of intricate and artistic steps that are often part of a program’s choreography. These steps are designed to demonstrate control, speed, and creativity.
  • Mohawk: A turn in which the skater shifts from an inside edge on one foot to an outside edge on the other foot, usually performed with a change of direction.
  • Three-Turn: A turn that changes the direction of the skater by 180 degrees, usually from forward to backward skating.
  • Twizzle: A rotating movement involving multiple rotations on one foot, often used in ice dance and pairs.

5. Pairs Skating Moves:

  • Lift: A move in pairs skating where one partner lifts the other into the air, often performed in creative and acrobatic ways.
  • Throw Jumps: The male skater throws the female skater into the air for a jump, and she lands on the ice after completing the rotation.
  • Death Spiral: A dramatic move in which one partner (usually the female) spirals low to the ice while being supported by the other partner.

6. Ice Dance Moves:

  • Twizzle: A multi-rotational spin performed on one foot, typically used in ice dancing.
  • Lifts: In ice dancing, lifts involve one partner lifting the other, though they tend to be less acrobatic compared to pairs figure skating.
  • Serpentine Step Sequence: A sequence of steps performed in a winding, serpentine pattern, often seen in ice dance programs.

7. Strokes and Turns:

  • Chasse: A gliding move in which one skate follows the other, often used in ice dance.
  • Mohawk Turn: A turn where the skater moves from an inside edge to an outside edge or vice versa while changing direction.
  • Pivot: A turn where the skater rotates 360 degrees on one foot while keeping the other foot stationary.