Waltz jumps and Axels

Learning the Axel is the first real big hurdle all figure skaters (freestylers) face. The transition from half jumps to one-revolution jumps usually comes rather easily. Multiple revolution jumps are infinitely harder. It is like, on the ground, just about anyone can jump and turn around... but to jump and turn 2 rounds is a totally different story!

The Axel is also intimidating because of its forward take-off. It is sometimes said that the Axel is merely a Waltz jump with one more rotation. However, over the years of learning the Axel and teaching it, I find that it is not just an upgraded Waltz.

A good (beautiful) Waltz jump will have extension in the air. This extension causes a delayed shift of weight on the landing foot. Being just a half-revolution jump, this is not too difficult to achieve. Such extension in an Axel will give a delayed Axel. While a well executed delayed Axel is beautiful, it is (trust me) so much harder to do, and is not what skaters beginning on the Axel should focus on!

So, what does the Axel, need? A quick knee action on the jump, and a quick snap onto the landing side while straightening the landing foot. One of my former coaches said, think of stepping up a stair. Though this is not the only thing I think of in an Axel, I dare say it is one of the most important!

Treading a fine line

Singapore has such a small skating community, and only one rink, but the politics and tension that exist within this community is remarkable. Every so often, some issue would arise between parents, skaters, coaches, and even the management.

Management? The rink is a commercially-managed business, and it is perfectly understandable that profit-margin drives their policies. However, the Association is currently an entirely volunteer organisation, and is driven by other goals - to promote the sport of figure skating and to cultivate elite skaters who can eventually compete for the country. While these goals are not necessarily conflicting, the interaction invariably encounters periods of tension.

With everyone insecure and looking out for their backs, a little innocent comment can lead to exaggarated outcome. Inappropriate use of words can be blown into a full-scale "war". To say anything at all about skating in Singapore is treading a fine line. I will have to be diplomatic!

How fast does a skater progress?

When starting their children on skating lessons, many parents would ask, "how fast will he/she learn to skate?" Indeed, skating is one of the few sports with a steep learning curve. Just being able to control yourself on the ice requires effort and time to master, not to mention the fanciful acrobatics freeskaters perform!

Basically, how fast a child progresses is entirely dependent on the child. Some kids pick up fast and progress fast. Others start slow, but progress fast. Yet others start slow, and progress slow. It all depends on how quickly the child picks up basic skills, how much effective practise time the child puts in, and how strong the child is.

I read somewhere that children should be able to do single jumps after 8 months of learning. Such a sweeping statement seems hardly reliable, as the other factors are not quantified. Initially, I ignored such statements about how quickly skaters "should" learn certain things. Indeed this has always sown discord between parents who try to compare their childrens' progress. Also, my view is that the skater's ability is the most important deciding factor, that moving on depended on whether the skater was ready to learn more.

Nevertheless, I have been trying to target the 8-month criteria with my students, and gradually I'm beginning to see that, on average, 8 months' of lessons, once a week with at least one other practise time in between, is sufficient for the skater to master the basics and start on jumps (modulo interruptions like competitions and tests). I would say, 14 months would be sufficient for an average young learner to learn all single jumps decently.

I have learnt that knowing how much time a skater should take to achieve a certain level is important for me to know when to move on. The time spent on the ice does contribute to the comfort level of the skater with the ice, and perhaps, while I didn't think the skater was ready, there is no harm in pushing the skater to do a little bit more. I might just be surprised!!