Jumps are a very important part of a skater’s program.  Jumps are what most audiences love to see.  They are exciting to watch and require many hours of practice.

• A familiar jump is a Waltz Jump.  It is one of the easiest jumps and is usually the first jump a skater learns.  A Waltz Jump is half of a whole jump.  A skater starts backwards and end up forward by pushing on his or her right foot and land on the right. 
• Another jump is a Salchow.  A Salchow is named after Ulrich Salchow.  He invented the Salchow and won ten World Championships from 1901 to 1911.  It is skated by starting with a three turn and pushing off with the left leg.  The skater makes one revolution in the air, and lands on the right foot with the left leg extended back. 
• The next most difficult jump is called a Toe Loop.  In a toe loop, a skater does a right backward three turn, plants his or her left toe in the ice, and pushes off the right leg into the air. 
• Another jump is a Loop.  A loop is when a skater does right over left crossovers, puts the left foot in front of the right foot, pushes off with the right foot, does one revolution in the air, and lands back on the right leg. 
• The next jump most skaters learn is called a Flip.  A skater starts forwards, then skates a three turn, puts the right toe in the ice, pushes off with the left leg, does one revolution in the air and lands on the right foot. 
• Another jump is a Lutz.  The skater does right over left crossovers. Quickly the skater puts the right toe in the ice and pushes off with the left foot, then does a whole turn in the air and lands on the right foot.  The Lutz is named after Alois Lutz.  He was from Vienna and created the jump in 1918. 
• One of the most difficult jumps is called an Axel.  An Axel is named after Axel Paulsen.  He was a great figure skater and was also a great speed skater.  Today the Axel is called “King of the jumps.”  In an Axel, you spin one and a half revolutions in the air.    The Axel is the only jump that takes off forward and lands backward. 
• Combination jumps are when there is a jump one right after the other.  For example a waltz jump followed immediately by a loop jump.  Top skaters do lots of combination jumps.  Combination jumps are much harder than single jumps. 
• There are much more difficult jumps such as double and triple revolutions in the air.  So far, only men are doing quadruple jumps.  Top women skaters are only doing triple jumps in competitions.