Salchow jump
Encyclopedia
The Salchow is a figure skating jump
with a takeoff from a back inside edge of one foot. The rotation in the air is made in the direction of the curve of the take-off edge. The landing is made on the back outside edge of the foot opposite the one used for take-off. One or more rotations may be made in the air. It was invented by the Swedish skater Ulrich Salchow
in 1909.
, on the left foot for a counterclockwise jump. On the left back inside edge after the turn, the skater checks the rotation momentarily with the right foot extended behind, then initiates the jump by swinging the right leg forward and around with a wide scooping motion. The rotational momentum for the jump is gained by the swinging movement of the free leg and the coordination of the free leg and arms at the point of takeoff.
The Salchow can alternately be entered from an inside mohawk turn
or from back crossovers. As an edge jump, it is usually performed on a circular pattern instead of from a straight-line approach.
Occasionally, the Salchow is performed as the second or third jump in a jump combination, following a one-foot axel
or half loop
, which land on a back inside edge.
The mechanics of a single Salchow are quite similar to those of the waltz jump, the half-rotation jump from a forward outside edge. The Salchow is therefore usually the first full-rotation jump taught to beginning figure skaters. It teaches the skater to check his or her turn and how to jump off the edge rather than the toe pick.
An alternate technique used by many skaters on the takeoff for multi-rotation (especially triple and quadruple) Salchow jumps is to allow the free foot (the right foot for a counterclockwise jumper) to rest on the ice while bringing it around to the front, instead of using the scooping motion. Sometimes this is merely the result of a deep knee bend on the takeoff leg. While Salchows performed with this technique have been ratified by the International Skating Union
in recent years, some skating purists object to it because in some cases it is clear that the skater is gaining material assist into the jump from pushing off the supposed "free foot", instead of merely skimming it over the ice. For example, Sonia Bianchetti, former chair of the ISU Technical Committee, has referred to the two-footed Salchow entry as "a severe error for which a steep deduction had to be applied by the judges". The two-footed Salchow entry is also confusing to spectators because the resulting jump can more strongly resemble a loop jump
or toe loop jump
than a traditional Salchow.
or one-foot axel
. The one-foot Salchow can be used in a jump combination followed by a regular Salchow jump. For example, in the 1970s, Canadian skater Toller Cranston
sometimes performed a jump combination consisting of a one-foot axel, one-foot double Salchow, and regular double Salchow.
invented the jump that bears his name in 1909. Theresa Weld
was the first female skater to perform it, at the 1920 Summer Olympics
; she was reprimanded for attempting anything so "unladylike", but that did not stop other female skaters from performing jumps.
Double Salchows were first performed by Gillis Grafström
for men in the 1920s, and Cecilia Colledge
for women in the late 1930s.
The first triple Salchow was landed by Ronnie Robertson at the 1955 World Figure Skating Championships
.
Petra Burka has been credited as being the first woman to land a triple salchow jump (and also the first triple jump of any type by a woman), in domestic competition at the 1962 Canadian Championships and in international competition at the 1965 World Championships. However, according to a contemporary report on the 1961 European Figure Skating Championships
, both Helli Sengstschmidt and Jana Mrazkova did triple salchows at that event, predating Burka's earliest claim.
Timothy Goebel
is recognized to have landed the first quadruple
Salchow at the 1998 Junior Series Final. Goebel's jump, however, used the aforementioned controversial two-footed Salchow technique. The first (and, so far, only) female skater to have landed a quadruple Salchow in competition was Miki Ando
at the 2002 Junior Grand Prix Final.
The first throw quadruple Salchow pair element in international competition was performed on November 17, 2007 by Tiffany Vise
and Derek Trent
of the United States at the 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard
competition.
Skaters sometimes abbreviate the name of the Salchow to either sal or sow.
Figure skating jump
Figure skating jumps are a major element of competitive figure skating. Different jumps are identified by the take-off edge and the number of revolutions completed. There are six kinds of jumps currently counted as jump elements in ISU regulations.-Technique:...
with a takeoff from a back inside edge of one foot. The rotation in the air is made in the direction of the curve of the take-off edge. The landing is made on the back outside edge of the foot opposite the one used for take-off. One or more rotations may be made in the air. It was invented by the Swedish skater Ulrich Salchow
Ulrich Salchow
Karl Emil Julius Ulrich Salchow was a Swedish figure skater, who dominated the sport in the first decade of the 20th century....
in 1909.
Technique
The Salchow is normally approached from a forward outside 3 turn3 turn
A 3 turn is a figure skating element which involves both a change in direction and a change in edge. For example, when a skater executes a forward outside 3 turn, the skater begins on a forward outside edge and finishes on a backwards inside edge...
, on the left foot for a counterclockwise jump. On the left back inside edge after the turn, the skater checks the rotation momentarily with the right foot extended behind, then initiates the jump by swinging the right leg forward and around with a wide scooping motion. The rotational momentum for the jump is gained by the swinging movement of the free leg and the coordination of the free leg and arms at the point of takeoff.
The Salchow can alternately be entered from an inside mohawk turn
Mohawk turn
A mohawk is a turn in figure skating that involves a change of foot but not a change of edge. It can be done on either inside or outside edges.The most common mohawk turn is the forward inside open mohawk...
or from back crossovers. As an edge jump, it is usually performed on a circular pattern instead of from a straight-line approach.
Occasionally, the Salchow is performed as the second or third jump in a jump combination, following a one-foot axel
Axel jump
The Axel is a figure skating jump with a forward take-off. It is named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed the jump in 1882. An Axel jump has an extra ½ rotation in the air due to its forward take-off...
or half loop
Loop jump
The Loop jump is a figure skating jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the same backwards outside edge. For a jump with counterclockwise rotation, this is the right back outside edge. It is named from its similarity to the loop compulsory figure. The invention is widely...
, which land on a back inside edge.
The mechanics of a single Salchow are quite similar to those of the waltz jump, the half-rotation jump from a forward outside edge. The Salchow is therefore usually the first full-rotation jump taught to beginning figure skaters. It teaches the skater to check his or her turn and how to jump off the edge rather than the toe pick.
An alternate technique used by many skaters on the takeoff for multi-rotation (especially triple and quadruple) Salchow jumps is to allow the free foot (the right foot for a counterclockwise jumper) to rest on the ice while bringing it around to the front, instead of using the scooping motion. Sometimes this is merely the result of a deep knee bend on the takeoff leg. While Salchows performed with this technique have been ratified by the International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
in recent years, some skating purists object to it because in some cases it is clear that the skater is gaining material assist into the jump from pushing off the supposed "free foot", instead of merely skimming it over the ice. For example, Sonia Bianchetti, former chair of the ISU Technical Committee, has referred to the two-footed Salchow entry as "a severe error for which a steep deduction had to be applied by the judges". The two-footed Salchow entry is also confusing to spectators because the resulting jump can more strongly resemble a loop jump
Loop jump
The Loop jump is a figure skating jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the same backwards outside edge. For a jump with counterclockwise rotation, this is the right back outside edge. It is named from its similarity to the loop compulsory figure. The invention is widely...
or toe loop jump
Toe loop jump
The toe loop is one of the simplest jumps in figure skating. It is usually the second jump learned after the salchow. It is a toe pick-assisted jump that takes off and lands on the same backward outside edge. - Toe loop technique :...
than a traditional Salchow.
Variants
A variant of the Salchow that is rarely performed today is the one-foot Salchow, which lands on the same back inside edge used for the jump takeoff, much like a half loopLoop jump
The Loop jump is a figure skating jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the same backwards outside edge. For a jump with counterclockwise rotation, this is the right back outside edge. It is named from its similarity to the loop compulsory figure. The invention is widely...
or one-foot axel
Axel jump
The Axel is a figure skating jump with a forward take-off. It is named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed the jump in 1882. An Axel jump has an extra ½ rotation in the air due to its forward take-off...
. The one-foot Salchow can be used in a jump combination followed by a regular Salchow jump. For example, in the 1970s, Canadian skater Toller Cranston
Toller Cranston
Toller Shalitoe Montague Cranston, CM is a Canadian figure skater and painter. He is the 1971-1976 Canadian national champion, the 1974 World bronze medalist, and the 1976 Olympic bronze medalist....
sometimes performed a jump combination consisting of a one-foot axel, one-foot double Salchow, and regular double Salchow.
History
Ulrich SalchowUlrich Salchow
Karl Emil Julius Ulrich Salchow was a Swedish figure skater, who dominated the sport in the first decade of the 20th century....
invented the jump that bears his name in 1909. Theresa Weld
Theresa Weld
Theresa Weld Blanchard was an American figure skater who competed in the disciplines of single skating and pair skating. Her pairs partner was Nathaniel Niles....
was the first female skater to perform it, at the 1920 Summer Olympics
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
; she was reprimanded for attempting anything so "unladylike", but that did not stop other female skaters from performing jumps.
Double Salchows were first performed by Gillis Grafström
Gillis Grafström
Gillis Emanuel Grafström was a Swedish figure skater. He was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He won three successive Olympic gold medals in Men's Figure Skating as well as Olympic silver medal in same event in 1932, and three World Championships...
for men in the 1920s, and Cecilia Colledge
Cecilia Colledge
Magdelena Cecilia Colledge was a British figure skater. She was the 1936 Olympic silver medalist, the 1937 World Champion, the 1938-1939 European Champion, and a six-time British national champion....
for women in the late 1930s.
The first triple Salchow was landed by Ronnie Robertson at the 1955 World Figure Skating Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
.
Petra Burka has been credited as being the first woman to land a triple salchow jump (and also the first triple jump of any type by a woman), in domestic competition at the 1962 Canadian Championships and in international competition at the 1965 World Championships. However, according to a contemporary report on the 1961 European Figure Skating Championships
1961 European Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion....
, both Helli Sengstschmidt and Jana Mrazkova did triple salchows at that event, predating Burka's earliest claim.
Timothy Goebel
Timothy Goebel
Timothy Richard Goebel is an American retired figure skater. He is the 2002 Olympic bronze medalist. He was the first person to land a quadruple salchow in competition and the first person to land three quadruple jumps in one program...
is recognized to have landed the first quadruple
Quad (figure skating)
A quad, or "quadruple", is a figure skating jump with four or more, but fewer than five, revolutions. Most quadruple jumps have exactly four revolutions; the quadruple Axel has 4½ revolutions, although no figure skater to date has completed this jump, either in practice, or, more importantly, in...
Salchow at the 1998 Junior Series Final. Goebel's jump, however, used the aforementioned controversial two-footed Salchow technique. The first (and, so far, only) female skater to have landed a quadruple Salchow in competition was Miki Ando
Miki Ando
is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2007 and 2011 World Champion, 2011 Four Continents Champion, 2004 World Junior Champion, and a three-time Japanese National Champion....
at the 2002 Junior Grand Prix Final.
The first throw quadruple Salchow pair element in international competition was performed on November 17, 2007 by Tiffany Vise
Tiffany Vise
Tiffany Vise is an American pair skater. Between 2003 and 2009, she competed with partner Derek Trent. On November 17, 2007, Vise & Trent landed the first clean throw quadruple salchow jump in international competition...
and Derek Trent
Derek Trent
Derek Trent is an American retired competitive skater pair skater. He competed for most of his career with Tiffany Vise. On November 17, 2007, Vise and Trent landed the first clean throw quadruple salchow jump in international competition...
of the United States at the 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard
2007 Trophée Eric Bompard
Trophée Eric Bompard is an annual elite figure skating competition which takes place annually in Paris, France. It is the fourth of six events in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The competition is named after the Eric Bompard company, which has been its chief sponsor since 2004...
competition.
Usage note
Ulrich Salchow's surname was reportedly pronounced ˈsalkɔv (anglicized to ˈsælkɒv), but the name of the jump is invariably pronounced as ˈsælkaʊ in North America and ˈsælkoʊ in Europe.Skaters sometimes abbreviate the name of the Salchow to either sal or sow.
External links
- http://www.sk8stuff.com/f_recog/recog_j_salchow.htm