In this article i’m going to talk about the famous double axel in figure skating. I’m going to explain what components are involved, how the skaters train, what it looks like when well performed. Let’s get straight into it!
What is a Double Axel?
This is a jump when a skater completes 2.5 full rotations in the air. The jump is begun with the forward outside edge of the skate and the skater lands backwards. This jump is sometimes referred to as the ‘gateway’ jump. It can act as a crucial stepping stone to the triple jumps as it requires the build up of significant rotation speed and height.
These types of jumps can often form part of a competition ‘program’ where this jump will be key component, and the skater will be assessed on their ability to perform the jump in a technically correct way, but with grace and flare too.
What does the jump look like?
You can see a skater on YouTube here, performing the double axel:
Who was the first ever skater to perform the jump?
Dick Button, the American figure skater, was the first person to land a double axel at the Winter Olympics in 1948. This took place in St Moritz. He became a two time Olympic champion. You can see him performing this trick in the video link below:
Dick Button 1948 Olympics Free Program
How can you train to do the double axel?
The double axel needs a powerful takeoff to gain momentum to reach the full 2.5 rotations. The arms and body needs to be pulled tight to increase or maintain the rotation speed when in the air.
In order to take off you should use a strong forward facing outside edge and pull shoulders behind your hips to allow your body to gain momentum. Then lift the free leg and arms, while pulling them into a close position with the leg crossed. Once you have gone through these, you need to ‘spin’. The body position to be maintained is tight and strong, tucking arms and legs in a secure position.
Here is a video on YouTube explaining how to perform the double axel:
Double Axel Tips and Tricks 2 | Lessons With Eye Katie
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