HannahPeck

Why Figure Skating Can Be Hard to Follow

It’s like starting a movie halfway through desperately trying to grasp the plot, but you don’t even know the characters names. That’s the feeling of trying to get into any sport. It’s exciting, entertaining, and enjoyable, but understandable? Definitely not. 

When the 2026 Winter Olympics rolled around, I found myself consumed by figure skating, yet the following along felt like it was written in a different language. The sport is fast and quick, with a deep history you can’t grasp in one sitting. Commentators and fans speak in technical terms. And lets be real, the jumps do all kind of look the same. 

To better understand the sport (and to better enjoy it), I’ve challenged myself to learn and easily breakdown the elements of figure skating. 

The Six Types of Jumps in Figure Skating

Let’s start off with the most exciting, but definitely the most confusing, element in skating – the jumps. In figure skating there are 6 types of jumps. 3 Toe Jumps (uses the toe pick to launch) and 3 Edge Jumps (the jump takes off from the edge of the skate). Most skaters use a traditional arm placement in jumps – called crossed. However, to increase the difficulty they can put both arms up (Called Rippon) or one arm up (referred to as Helicopter). 

Toe Jumps

Toe Loop

The Toe Loop is one of the most common figure skating jumps. This particular jump uses the back outside edge of the skate and the toe pick of the skate to propel the skater into the air! The toe loop is considered a relatively easy jump and the base value reflects that. A quad toe loop racks in a BV of 9.50. Because of this, the toe loop is often used as the second jump in a combo. 

Flip

The next toe jump is a flip. Flips take off from the back inside edge of a skate with a toe assist. This jump is slightly harder than a loop and the BV reflects that. A quad flip comes in with a base value of 11 points. 

Lutz

Next we have the Lutz jump. This jump can look similar to a flip, but it takes off from the back outside edge. The lutz is known for its dramatic, long entries. The lutz is considered the second hardest jump, ranking just below the axel. While the base value of the Lutz has been changed frequently throughout skating history, right now a quad will earn you a BV of 11.5 points. 

Edge Jumps

Salchow

The first edge jump is a Salchow jump. This particular element takes off from the back inside edge and can often be identified by a sweeping curve entry. The BV of a quad salchow can earn you 9.7 points. 

Loop

Next is the loop jump. Loops take off from the back outside edge, and unlike the lutz, there is no toe pick to assist the jumper. Executing a quad loop can earn you a base value of 10.4 points. 

Axel

Last, but certainly not least, is the axel jump. Axels are the easiest jump to recognize since it is the only jump of the six that takes off going forward. Due to it’s take off, the jump adds an extra half rotation to it. The axel is considered the hardest jump in skating, and the base value reflects it. A quad axel earns you a BV of 12.5 – which only one skater in history has earned in a competition. 

What Jump Combinations Are

Jumps are a key component in a skaters score, so naturally skaters want to pack their jumps for the most points possible. One way a skater can increase a jumping passes score is to use a combination. Combination happen when a skater throws two jumps and they have no steps in between them. This is often where the toe loop comes into play, skaters will add a combination like triple Lutz, triple toe loop to increase their jumping pass scores. 

Skaters can also include one jump sequence in a free skate. A sequence differs from a combination in two ways: one, there’s no step in between and two, it includes an axel jump. If a skater has two sequences in one program, only the first will count towards their points. 

Spins: More Than Just Spinning

One of the other key components to skating, is the spins. While they look down right terrifying to spin that fast and not get dizzy, there is actually a lot of effort and precision to them! In figure skating, there are three main types of skates. 

Sit Spin

The first may be the most self explanatory. In the sit spin, the skater sits low to the ground almost in a sitting position on the ice. A basic sit spin is worth a base value of 1.1 points but it can add up to 5 points with variation and added elements! 

Camel Spin

The next spin is the Camel Spin, where the skater has the free leg extended behind, body parallel to the ice. This spin is also worth a BV of 1.1 but can get up to a level 4 difficulty, adding to the GOE. 

Upright Spin

In the Upright Spin, the skater spins standing upright. In this spin you may see a change in position or even a change in the spinning foot. All of these variants can increase the BV of 1.1 to up to 2.4.

Step Sequences and Footwork

Arguably one of the most fun sections of a program is the step sequence. This is the section where skaters move across the ice with turns and steps. Skaters have to use continuous movement of their entire body – including their arms. In this, the judges will look for complexity of footwork, the quality of their edges (how far or deep they get on their skates), and their musical interpretation of the music. This specific section is often the most artistic, and often where you see the skaters personality come out the most! Like all other elements in skating, the points awarded are dependent on the level of difficulty and how well the execute them. Typically a step sequence will score between 1.5-5.0 points! 

How Figure Skating Is Judged

When the skaters wait in the Kiss and Cry for their score, the judges are calculating two components: the Technical Element Score and the Program Component Score. 

Technical Element Score (TES)

The technical score includes everything we’ve talked about so far: jumps, spins, combinations, etc. This is the score you’ll see in the box while the skaters are competing. While the jumps and spins do have a Base Value, skaters are also awarded a Grade of Execution (GOE). A skater can earn or lose up to 5 points either way depending on how well the skater executes the element. 

Program Component Score (PCS)

The technical score gets added to the program component score which consists of things like skating skill, transitions, performance, interpretation of music, etc. 

Once You Know the Basics, Skating Gets Even Better

Like most sports, understanding the foundations makes watching way more fun. Thanks for learning with me the elements and basics that really make you appreciate how incredible figure skating is!