Salchow

The Salchow is a figure skating jump. It is the second most common of the six standard figure skating jumps. It is also the first of the edge jumps. The jump is named after Swedish figure skater Ulrich Salchow.

The Salchow is an edge jump. This means it takes off from an edge on the skating blade. Specifically, the Salchow takes off from the back inside edge of one foot and lands on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.

The jump involves several steps. The skater approaches the jump from the left, skating on a back outside edge. They then transfer their weight to the back inside edge of the right foot. As they begin to lift off, the left leg swings forward and around, assisting in the rotation. The skater then rotates in the air, completing the required number of revolutions. Finally, they land on the back outside edge of the left foot. The arms are typically drawn in during the rotation to facilitate speed and then extended for balance upon landing.

The Salchow can be performed with a single, double, triple, or quadruple rotation. The difficulty and point value increase with each additional rotation. It is a fundamental jump taught to skaters as they progress through the sport. Mastery of the Salchow is crucial for developing more complex jump combinations and routines.