Olympian Jason Brown Breaks Down Figure Skating's Six Jumps

Figure skater Jason Brown demonstrates and explains the differences between the six jumps in every skater’s arsenal. Photo: Adam Falk/The Wall Street Journal



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[marycarla]

This was one of the better explanations I've seen. I can always tell an axel and a toe loop but the others are harder to distinguish when they go so fast. I guess I'll leave it to Johnny and Tara to tell me what's what. :)

[orborb]

another way to recognise the jumps is by their entry. before performing a salchow (edge), skaters usually turn three times and have a knock-kneed position at take-off. for a loop (edge), the skater would commonly turn once and take off with their legs crossed. for a lutz (toe), the skater skates in a straight line backwards before driving their toe-pick in. that distinguishes it from a flip (toe), where the skater would use a three-turn immediately before picking, meaning they turn on one foot. for the toe loop (...toe), the skater rotates in the direction of the toe-pick, making them 'open' to the rotation. there's nothing more really to be said for the axel lol

[미혜-wi]

Jason: "No one has ever yet competed with a quad axel"
Yuzu in the corner: **sweats profusely**

[ben_]

this was helpful hope his cold gets better soon

[nothingjustaninchident]

0:27 Salchow

0:47 Toe Loop

1:10 Loop

1:23 Flip

1:43 Lutz

2:10 Axel

[bluedasher]

This was a really good explanation, especially seeing it in slow motion. HOWEVER, it's kinda hard to see which jump is which during a routine (except for the obvious axel).

[mandolinic]

I've never been on the ice, but my wife got me watching competitive ice skating about 10 years ago. Jason is one of our favourite skaters. He's always looks like he's having a great time, and his enthusiasm is infectious. He's a great skater and a wonderful ambassador for the sport.
However, it's taken me those ten years to recognise the jumps. I can get an axel 100% of the time, lutz and toe loop about 80% of the time, loop about 40% of the time, but flips and salchows only about 20% of the time. It's often more difficult with men skaters, because they tend to wear black trousers which makes it close to impossible to tell the left from the right leg when you're watching the action on TV.

[iomoon]

"You always land on right leg"

*Grumpy clockwise skater here*

[eleonora]

when yuzu announced he was coming for that 4A

[youdeservetobehappynow]

What I really love about him is he enjoys skating and feels like dancing to every song, and hes just having fun but very wonderful

[paolocastellano]

Jason's lutz definitely rocks to an inside edge essentially making it a flutz.... By his own description, he is missing out on tje additional torque by not staying on the outside edge through when the left foot leaves the ice.

[LennonTheBunny]

Someone please get this guy some cough drops...

[nesramirez]

I feel like all the views on this video are me lol.
*_The secret to identifying jumps is paying attention to the entrance, takeoff direction and the feet. Soon, your brain will be able to easily distinguish these jumps._*
Here everyone, free replay button:
0:00
And jump times(with tips!)
Salchow: 0:27
*What’s helped me distinguish this one is that the skater spins, gaining speed, before taking off, the left foot lifting into the spin a split second after the right initiated the takeoff. Skater takes off on left foot and lands with right.*
ToeLoop: 0:46 *PICK JUMP*
*The skater starts the takeoff gliding backwards, if you look closely enough, the left foot crosses the right and kicks the floor, launching the right off, the left lifting seemingly at the same time.*
Loop: 1:09
*Smoothest transitions EVER! The skater also starts this takeoff backwards, the right foot lifting a second after the left (like the salchow).*

*THE BEST WAY TO DISTINGUISH THE SALCHOW AND LOOP IS THAT THE SKATER IS SPINNING BEFORE TAKING OFF IN THE SALCHOW AND GLIDING BACKWARDS BEFORE TAKING OFF IN THE LOOP*

Flip: 1:24 *PICK JUMP*
*The skater spins one time before taking off. Not much to say here except watching the edge (which can be extremely difficult during a fast and active program). The skater should be on the LEFT BACK INSIDE EDGE*
Lutz: 1:44 *PICK JUMP*
*Like he said, almost exactly like the flip, except you need to watch the edge again. The skater should be on the LEFT BACK OUTSIDE EDGE*
Axel: 2:09
*The easiest to recognize! The Axel has the skater takeoff completely forward!*

*_I HOPE THIS HELPED!_*

[ArcticFalcon]

From the video, this is my conclusion *Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm a non-professional. I just summarize what I saw in the video*

Salchow - Take off on the inside edge of your non-dominant leg. Free leg helps you prepare to be in the air. Land on your dominant leg's outside edge.

Toeloop - Take off on the inside edge of your non-dominant leg. Dominant leg's toepick sends you up in the air. Land on your dominant leg's outside edge.

Loop - Take off on the outside edge of your dominant leg completely backward and land on the outside edge of your dominant leg

Flip - Take off on the inside edge of your non-dominant leg. Your dominant leg (Pick jump) send you up in the air. You stand on the inside of your non-dominant leg until you leave the ice. Land on the outside of your dominant leg

Lutz - Take off on the outside edge of your non-dominant leg. Your dominant leg sends you up in the air by the pick jump. The outside edge of your non-dominant leg goes against the way you want to rotate. Land on the outside edge of your dominant leg

Axel - Take off completely forward on the outside edge of your non-dominant leg and land backward on the outside edge of your dominant leg

[victoria]

People saying the jumps look the same scares me

[LennonTheBunny]

They all look the same except for the axel

[huajieliu]

I think maybe the lutz should be marked !. Because it sensible flat.I need more angles to verify. Thanks for the explanation, Jason.

[Jewelkitten]

Argh!! But they all look the same, to the untrained eye??!! :/

[skyforce]

0:27 Salchow - edge jump, left foot inside edge take off

0:47 Toe Loop - pick jump, right foot outside edge take off

1:10 Loop - edge jump, right foot outside edge take off

1:23 Flip - pick jump, left foot inside edge take off

1:43 Lutz - pick jump, left foot outside edge take off

2:10 Axel - edge jump, forward left foot outside edge take off

[sbloom]

Jason you little sunshine I love you please take care of yourself