Figure skating spins: Difference between revisions

Types of spins in figure skating include the following. Skaters perform them solo or in combinations and sequences. In pair skating and ice dancing, there are additionally pair spins and dance spins in which the two skaters rotate together around the same axis.

• Upright spin (or corkscrew spin), in which a skater maintains a vertical position, often with the free leg crossed in front of the skating leg. A fast spin in this position is known as a scratch spin.
• The upright spin is a standing forward or backward spin on one leg with the free foot next to the skating foot, the side of the toe touching the calf of the skating leg. This is the basic skating spin. The layback spin is an upright spin, usually performed by women, in which the arms are put in a circle in front of the body and the back arched so that the skater may look to the ceiling; the spin is accelerated by drawing in the arms. The other variaty of an upright spin is a Y spin (catch foot spin).

• Camel spin (also known as a parallel spin), in which the skater assumes an "airplane" position (or spiral position) with the free leg extended behind at hip level, parallel to the ice surface. It is a spin on one leg with the free leg and upper body extended and parallel to the ice, arm extended upward. The other type of camel spin is a donut spin.

• A sit spin is what it sounds like, low to the ice with the skating leg bent and the free leg extended. It includes the descending spin to reach this position, as well as the ascending spin to bring the skater out of this position. Skaters may land a jump in a sit spin; this is the flying sit spin. When a skater has her/his leg bend, it is called broken leg spin.

• Crossfoot spins, an upright spin in which the free leg is crossed behind the skating foot.

• Layback spins, in which the skater bends backward gracefully and positions arms artistically.

• Catch-the-foot spins

• Biellmann spins, where the skater pulls free leg from behind her (or very rarely him), over the head. She (or he) usually holds onto the blade of the skate. (Obviously, this requires extreme flexibility.) Named after Denise Biellmann, 1981 ladies' world champion from Switzerland.

• Doughnut spins, a variation of a back camel spin where the skater pulls the blade of the skate of the free leg backward with one or both arms while arching the back to create a horizontal circular shape with the body.

• Death drop spins

• Butterfly spins

• Forward change-edge spins, where the skater goes on the outside edge when in a forward spin.

• Backward change-edge spins, where the skater goes on the inside edge when in a backward spin.

• Other spins where the skater extends the free leg in front or to the side in a split or near-split position.

• A scratch spin is a basic but difficult standing spin on an inside edge (usually the left foot), with the free leg extended in front, the thigh raised high, and the arms up and out to the side; the leg and arms are brought in to accelerate the spin.