Ice skaters and their fans have taken over Everett, and those of us who don’t know anything about ice skating are starting to feel a little uneasy. Hopefully, this little glossary of terms put together by The Herald will help you navigate the mysterious world of ice skating this weekend.
If you want to learn more about the sport, go to a guide we used by Jo Ann Schneider Farris.
Attitude – A move adopted from ballet. As the skater is gliding on one foot, he or she stretches the free leg behind and bends it slightly.
Axel – A jump with forward take off named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen. There are single, double, and triple versions of the jump. Click here to watch a triple axel performed by a Japanese figure skater Midori Ito. She became the first woman in the world to land one of those back in 1988.
Bauer – A figure skating move named after the German skater Ina Bauer. During this move, one of the skater’s legs is behind the other and her blades are parallel. The skater’s toes are pointing in opposite directions. Her leading leg is bent, while her trailing leg is straight. Some skaters bend backward when doing this move, like in this YouTube video.
Bielman – A position invented by the champion Swiss skater Denise Biellmann. Holding her blade behind her back, the skater pulls her leg up and over her head. Skaters usually perform spins or spirals in the Bielman position.
Crossover – The way skaters move around corners. When the skater is moving on a curve, he or she crosses the outside skate over the inside one.
Death spiral – A move done in pair skating. The man is circling in a move called back outside pivot and holding the woman’s hand. She circles her partner with her body almost parallel to the ice. Her head is dropped back.
Killian position – One of the several basic positions in pair skating and ice dancing. The man is standing behind and to the left of his female partner, holding her left hand with his left hand. His right arm is on her waist. Her right arm is bent in a triangle and her right hand is on his right hand.
Kiss and cry area – Where skaters go to wait for their scores after a performance. If you want your Skate America experience to be even more emotional, keep an eye on the kiss and cry.
Long program – Also known as free skate, it’s one of the programs performed by both single and pair skaters at competitions. The long program, four and a half minutes for senior male competitors and four minutes even for female competitors, is designed to showcase the skater’s talent. Judges look at the difficulty of the skater’s jumps and spins, his or her grace, and technical skill. Choice and interpretation of music are also important factors.
Short program – Also known as the original or the technical program, it’s the first one performed at competitions. It’s shorter than the free skate program and has required elements.
Shoot the duck – A move when the ice skater is gliding on one foot in sitting position, “shooting” the free foot forward
Spiral – Also called the arabesque, it’s an ice skating move done when the skater is on one foot. The skater’s free leg is stretched back and horizontal to the ice. Watch a young skater in this video to see what a spiral looks like.
U.S. Figure Skating – The official governing organization for the sport in the United States. On the national level, athletes can compete in regional, junior and adult championships. Go to the group’s Web site for figure skating news, updates on events and an explanation of judging systems.
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