| The Axel is a jump in figure skating, named after the | | | | three axial revolutions. It has to do with the radius of |
| Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen (1855-1938) who was | | | | one's widest part; the stomach area. The governing |
| the first to perform this feat in 1882. A single Axel | | | | equation here is the angular acceleration, which is |
| consists of 1 and a half rotations in the air. For a jump | | | | proportional to the inverse of the radius of revolution. |
| with counterclockwise rotation, it has a takeoff from | | | | Set the stage. Make sure that your pre-stage is |
| the left forward outside edge and a landing on the right | | | | correct. The pre-stage is where you do an angular |
| back outside edge; this can be reversed for a | | | | slide, and then do the preparation spins just before you |
| clockwise jump. The Axel can also be done as a | | | | do that Axel jump. |
| double jump with two and a half rotations, or as a triple | | | | Make sure you feel that edge as you prepare for the |
| with three and a half rotations. While quad jumps are | | | | jump. If you don't feel your edge, you won't feel as |
| popular among some of the male skaters, Miki Ando is | | | | confident on landing on the correct edge and the |
| the only female skater who has landed a quad jump | | | | whole jump will suffer. You may even fall. It is after all |
| during practice. | | | | an edge jump. You need to control the speed of the |
| In order to perform an Axel, the skater typically | | | | spin, accelerate on the preparation spins moderately, |
| approaches the jump on a right back outside edge in a | | | | and accelerate the spins very fully as soon as you |
| strongly held check position before stepping onto a left | | | | takeoff to do the three revolutions, and then, with |
| forward outside edge. The skater vaults over the toe | | | | strong control, decelerate the spin speed on your |
| pick of the left skate and springs up into the jump with | | | | landing so you don't "overrotate" , or make a |
| the right leg. Then the skater brings the left leg through | | | | two-footed landing. |
| to cross in front of the right in what is known as a | | | | Canadian skater Vern Taylor was the first to land a |
| back spin position, to bring the center of rotation | | | | triple Axel in competition at the 1978 World Figure |
| around the right side of the body; this is often | | | | Skating Championships. It has since become a |
| described as a weight shift in the air. When the skater | | | | standard jump for male competitors as well. The first |
| makes a mistake in the timing of the jump such that | | | | women to land the jump in competition were Midori Ito |
| the blade does not grip or slips completely off the | | | | (1989 World Figure Skating Championship) and Tonya |
| edge, this often result in a fall. | | | | Harding (1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships). |
| The Axel is considered one of the hardest jumps | | | | Yukari Nakano landed a triple Axel at Skate America |
| because it requires tremendous strength and the ability | | | | in October 2002. Kimmie Meissner landed a triple Axel |
| to rotate quickly. Computerized studies of skaters | | | | at the 2005 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and |
| performing double and triple Axels have shown that | | | | Mao Asada became the first female skater to land |
| skaters typically do not achieve quite as much height | | | | two triple Axels in the same program at the 2005 |
| on the triple Axel as they do on the double. This may | | | | Japanese Championships. |
| seem counterintuitive, since a higher jump ought to give | | | | American pair skaters Rena Inoue and John Baldwin, |
| a skater more time to complete the rotation in the air. | | | | Jr. became the first pair to perform a throw triple Axel |
| Often, while executing the triple Axel, the skater does | | | | in competition at the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating |
| not take such a big "step up" in order to pull in to the | | | | Championships, and then they executed the jump at |
| rotation position as quickly | | | | the 2006 Winter Olympics. Keep in mind the most |
| People are built differently. Different sized skaters | | | | important part of the jump is having exactly the right |
| would need different approach velocities to complete | | | | entry. The right entry has a slight hook and no skid. |