Contents
Profile
Flip (figure skating jump)
- Sport
- Figure skating
- Type
- Toe jump
- Take-off
- left back inside edge, right toe pick
- Typical entry
- Forward three turn
- Often confused with
- Lutz
How the flip works
The flip usually starts with forward skating on the left foot, followed by a small turn called a three turn, after which the skater glides backwards on the inside edge of the left foot. Then they pick into the ice with the toe pick of the right skate and take off. The rotation in the air goes in the same direction as the curve of the approach. The landing is backwards on the right foot, as with almost all jumps.
Flip and Lutz
For spectators, the flip is the hardest jump to tell apart from the Lutz. Both are toe jumps taking off from the left foot. On the flip, the weight is on the inside edge; on the Lutz, on the outside edge. The flip therefore feels more natural, because the approach curve and rotation direction match. One mistake on the flip is tipping onto the outside edge. The technical panel marks this as a wrong edge, and it costs points.
Value and significance
In the ISU system, the flip's base value lies between the loop and the Lutz. The triple flip is part of every top skater's repertoire; the quad flip is jumped by a few men and individual women. In combinations, the flip is often followed by a toe loop or a loop.
Origin of the name
Unlike the Axel, Lutz or Salchow, the flip is not named after a person. The English word flip describes the quick, flicking movement. The English name has also become established in German. Older names such as "toe Salchow" point to the fact that the take-off is from the same edge as the Salchow, just with the help of the toe pick.
Recognising it
Watch the entry: many skaters skate forwards, turn with a three turn and take off almost immediately. This distinguishes the flip from the Lutz, where the backward approach runs long and straight into a corner. Often the difference can only be seen reliably in slow motion.
Scoring the execution
As with all jumps, the judges award a GOE. Plus points are given for height, distance, a difficult or unexpected entry, a clear body position in the air and a landing with flow. Deductions are made for falls, hand touches, two-footed landings and under-rotation.
Learning it
In training, the flip is usually learned after the Salchow and toe loop, because it uses the toe pick and the edge is natural. Anyone who has mastered the single flip has a good foundation for the more difficult Lutz.
Frequently asked questions
+What is the difference between a flip and a Lutz?
The flip takes off from the inside edge, the Lutz from the outside edge.
+Is the flip named after a person?
No, the name describes the quick, flicking movement.
Sources & further links
Editorially researched and checked against association and rulebook information. Found a mistake? Write to us via the Contact page.
Read more in the encyclopedia
Term
Figure skating jumps: Axel, Lutz, flip & co.
Figure skating has six basic jumps: toe loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz and Axel. They differ in the take-off – whether with the help of the toe pick (toe jump) or from the edge (edge jump). The landing is almost always backwards on the right foot (for anticlockwise rotators).
Term
Figure skating judging system (IJS, GOE, PCS)
Since 2004, figure skating has been scored under the ISU Judging System (IJS). The total score is made up of the technical score (base value of the elements plus the GOE execution score) and the program components, minus any deductions, for example for falls.
Sport
Figure skating
Figure skating combines athleticism and expression: skaters perform jumps, spins and step sequences to music, which a judging panel scores under the ISU judging system. Olympic disciplines are singles, pair skating, ice dance and the team event.
Term
GOE (Grade of Execution)
GOE stands for Grade of Execution, the execution score in figure skating. Judges use it to score every element on a scale from −5 to +5. The GOE changes an element's base value up or down by a percentage.
Term
Axel (figure skating jump)
The Axel is the only figure skating jump with a forward take-off. That is why it always has half a rotation more than its name suggests: a triple Axel has three and a half rotations. It is considered the hardest of the six standard jumps.
Term
Lutz (figure skating jump)
The Lutz is a toe jump in figure skating that takes off from the back outside edge. Because the approach curves one way and the rotation goes the other, it is considered the hardest standard jump after the Axel. It is named after Alois Lutz from Vienna.