There are six different types of jumps in figure skating. Depending on their level, skaters perform them as singles, doubles, triples or quadruples. The Axel is the most difficult jump and has the highest base value, while the toe loop has the lowest.

What makes each Figure Skating jump different?

The entry and take-off distinguish one jump from another. There are two categories: edge jumps, which take off directly from the edge of the blade, and toe pick-assisted jumps, in which skaters use the toe pick of the opposite skate to vault into the air.

The Axel

• Named after Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, the Axel is the only jump with a forward take-off.
• The skater takes off from a forward outside edge and lands on a backward outside edge on the opposite foot.
• As a result, the Axel has an extra half-revolution, making it the most difficult jump. For example, a triple Axel involves three and a half revolutions in the air.
• Axel Paulsen performed the first Axel in 1882.
• Three-time ISU World Champion Ilia Malinin is the first and, so far, only skater to have landed a quadruple Axel in competition. He achieved the feat in 2022.

The Lutz

• The Lutz is a toe pick-assisted jump.
• The skater takes off from a backward outside edge, using the toe pick of the opposite foot for assistance, and lands on a backward outside edge.
• What makes it particularly difficult is its counter-rotational nature: the take-off edge curves in the opposite direction to the skater’s rotation.
• The jump is typically entered from a long backward glide or a counter.
• Taking off from the wrong edge is an error and results in a deduction in the jump’s value.
• The jump is named after Austrian figure skater Alois Lutz, who first performed it in 1913.

The Flip

• The flip is a toe pick-assisted jump.
• The skater takes off from a backward inside edge, using the toe pick of the opposite foot for assistance, and lands on a backward outside edge.
• Skaters usually enter the jump from a backward three-turn or a mohawk.
• Maintaining the correct inside take-off edge can be challenging.
• Taking off from the wrong edge is an error and results in a deduction in the jump’s value.
• It is unclear who invented the flip.

The Loop

• The loop is an edge jump.
• The skater takes off from a backward outside edge and lands on a backward outside edge on the same foot.
• The jump is usually entered from a backward glide or a three-turn.
• Its difficulty lies in the edge and body control required.
• German skater Werner Rittberger is credited with inventing the jump in 1910. In German and Russian, it is known as the “Rittberger”.

The Salchow

• The Salchow is an edge jump.
• The skater takes off from the backward inside edge of one foot and lands on the backward outside edge of the opposite foot.
• The jump is usually entered from a three-turn or mohawk onto the inside edge.
• It requires strong edge control and precise timing.
• Ten-time ISU World Champion Ulrich Salchow of Sweden created the jump in 1909.

The Toe Loop

• The toe loop is a toe pick-assisted jump.
• The skater takes off from a backward outside edge, using the toe pick of the opposite foot for assistance, and lands on a backward outside edge on the same foot used for the take-off edge.
• The toe loop is often used as the second jump in a combination because the toe pick assist makes it easier to perform directly after another jump.
• It was invented by Bruce Mapes of the United States in the 1920s.

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