Figure skating jumps: Axel, Lutz, flip & co.

Toe jumps and edge jumps

All six basic jumps in figure skating can be divided into two groups:

• Toe jumps: the skater also pushes off by striking the ice with the toe pick (the serrated front) of the free skate: toe loop, flip, Lutz.
• Edge jumps: the take-off is only from the edge of the skating leg: Salchow, loop, Axel.

The landing is almost always backwards on the outside edge of the landing leg. The descriptions apply to skaters who rotate anticlockwise, which is the majority.

The six jumps in detail

The order roughly corresponds to difficulty:

Toe loop

The easiest jump and often the second part of combinations. Many skaters learn their first quad as a toe loop.

Salchow

Named after Swede Ulrich Salchow, ten-time world champion and the first Olympic champion in men's singles in 1908. Typical is the swing of the free leg from back to front.

Loop

Called the Rittberger in German, after Berliner Werner Rittberger. Internationally the jump is called the loop. Because take-off and landing are on the same foot, it works well as the second jump of a combination.

Flip and Lutz

The two hardest toe jumps are often confused. On the Lutz, the skater travels a wide arc backwards on the outside edge and takes off against the curve, which requires a lot of body tension. If the take-off foot is on the wrong edge, it's called a "flutz" or "lip". The judging panel then notes an "e" (wrong edge) and deducts points. The Lutz is named after Austrian Alois Lutz.

Axel

Named after Norwegian Axel Paulsen, who first performed it in 1882. Because it takes off forwards and lands backwards, it always has half a rotation more: a double Axel has 2½ rotations, a triple Axel 3½. The first quad Axel (4½ rotations) in competition was performed by Ilia Malinin (USA) in September 2022.

Combinations and sequences

In a jump combination, the second jump follows directly out of the landing of the first, without an intermediate step – for example triple Lutz plus triple toe loop (3Lz+3T). Because the landing is always on the right back outside edge, the toe loop and loop are the main options for the second jump. In a jump sequence, intermediate steps are allowed.

How the points are earned

Each jump has a fixed base value, which increases with rotation and difficulty. The judging panel also awards an execution score, the GOE (Grade of Execution). Under-rotated jumps are downgraded. In singles, jumps in the second half of the program receive a bonus, because they are harder with tired legs. More in judging system.

Recognising jumps on TV: the quick check

1. Does the skater take off forwards? → Axel.
2. Does she use the toe pick? → toe loop, flip or Lutz. Long backward arc beforehand → usually Lutz.
3. No toe pick, legs barely cross at take-off, free leg swings round → Salchow.
4. No toe pick, take-off from the right foot with crossed legs → loop.