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Glossary of Skating Terminology


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Half Biellmann: A camel spin in which the free leg is raised higher than normal, during which the blade of the free foot is held by the corresponding hand.

Half jump: Any jump having one-half rotation (180 degrees) in the air.

Half lift: Variations of pair lifts in which neither hand of the lifting partner is raised above shoulder level.

Half loop: Despite the name, a single normal rotation edge jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the back inside edge of the opposite foot.  Sometimes used as a connecting jump between two other more difficult jumps; for example double Axel - half loop - triple Salchow.

Hamill camel: A back camel to back sit combination spin in which the transition is made by first bending the knee of the skating leg and leaning downward at the waist, and then turning out the free hip and flipping the free leg over into the sit position. Named after American skater Dorothy Hamill.

Hand-in-hand skating: The position of two skaters in which one hand of one partner is held by one hand of the other partner with the arms comfortably extended.

Hand-to-hand loop lift: An overhead lift. The partners skate backwards, one behind the other, facing the same direction. They clasp hands and the lifted partner is raised over the lifting partner's head. In the air, the lifted partner is in a sitting position with legs extended forwards supported by the lifting partner's hands. (Imaging yourself supporting yourself above the seat of a chair by pushing down on the arms of the chair.)

Hand-to-hand lift: Any lift, other than the lasso lifts, which uses hand-to-hand holds between the two partners.

Hand-to-waist lift: Any lift which uses hand-to-waist holds between the two partners.

Hand-to-hip lift: Any lift which uses hand-to-hip holds between the two partners.

Hand-to-hand lasso lift: Any lift which uses lasso grip hand-to-hand holds between the two partners. In the lasso grip the palms of the lifting partner are oriented pointing upwards with one arm twisted so that both partners will be facing in the same direction when the lifted partner is in the air.

Harmonious composition: A composition with appropriately combined movements.

Helicopter: An overhead lift. The partners skate facing each other, with the lifting partner skating backwards. They clasp hands and the lifted partner is raised over the lifting partner's head as in a forward lasso lift. In the air, the lifted partner maintains a position parallel to the ice with an arched back with the legs extended back and split in a "V" position, as though the arms and legs are the blades of a helicopter as the lift is turned by the lifting partner.

Hollow: The concave space between the two edges of a skate blade that runs the length of the blade.  The hollow typically has a radius of curvature of about one-half inch.  The exact radius ground into a blade can be varied according to the preferences of the skater, with different values more or less suitable to skaters of different weight and strength.

Hop: Any maneuver in which a skater leaps vertically into the air, with both blades leaving the ice, but does not rotate while in the air.

Hydrant lift: An overhead lift in which the lifting partner tosses the lifted partner overhead, turns one-half turn, catches the lifted partner facing the opposite direction, and places the lifted partner down on the ice. Thus, in this lift the lifted partner does not rotate.

Copyright 2020 by George S. Rossano