Split jumps

Stephane Lambiel performs a stag jump.

Split jumps are a category of figure skating jumps in which the skater achieves a split position in the air. Unlike most figure skating jumps, split jumps are positional jumps, rather than rotatational jumps; the point of them is to achieve a position in the air, not to rotate a specific number of times.^[1]

Split and stag jumps

The most common split jumps are derived from the half flip, half lutz, or falling leaf, which are half-rotation jumps with flip, lutz, or loop entries, respectively. More rarely, full-rotation flip and lutz jumps can be done with a split. These jumps are known as the split flip and split lutz. As an alternative to the standard front-to-back split position, some skaters perform a Russian split, with a straddle position in the air. The only difference between this and the regular split jump is the position in the air.^[1] The legs extend straight out, with the toes pointed. Skaters will often touch their toes as part of a Russian split. Another variation is the stag jump, in which the forward leg is bent in front while the back leg kicks out as in the regular split jump.^[1] Both the Russian split and stag jump can be done from the same jump entries as the regular split jumps. Split jumps are considered fairly basic jumps in figure skating, but they can be very dramatic when performed well. The challenge is for the skater to achieve a full horizontal split or straddle position at the apex of the jump, which requires both body flexibility and a strong spring into the air.

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