Figure+Skating+2

​__Figure Skating__ Figure skating is an incredibly graceful and beautiful sport. Although skating began in Europe, the actual figure skating originated here in the United States of America. Jackson Haines, born in New York City in 1840, was extremely popular for his graceful skating. However, he encountered a few difficulties. His new ideas for figure skating performances were not necessarily accepted by many Americans. Before Haines, figure skating had not been a flowing, creative sport. Therefore, when Haines decided to express his talent and personality in his skating, he was not met with support. His new skating styles were, in fact, seen as wrong and inappropriate. After much discouragement in the United States, Jackson Haines decided to move to Vienna. Vienna, unlike America, graciously welcomed the enthusiastic skater; they saw his ideas as signs of true talent. Although Haines was originally from America, the figure skating that we love today truly //began// in Vienna. However, it was just a little while later that the United States finally decided to welcome the new ideas for figure skating. Because of figure skating's popularity, many people started entering competitions and joining figure skating clubs around the time of the 1850's. However, nobody had actually declared it an official sport. In 1921, the now extremely popular sport was declared an official sport. The USA formed the United States Figure Skating Association, sometimes called U.S. Figure Skating, and figure skating finally became an official sport. Although figure skating as we know it today technically originated here in the United States, the USA is not necessarily the most competitive country in this sport during the Olympics. Although America, as well as other countries, are competitive, the Russian Federation is the //most// competitive country. Although figure skating appears to be a free, flowing sport, there are a few rules that each competitor must follow. First, the judges and participants hold what they call a draw. This is how they decide who skates when in the competition. A closed draw is when the process takes place with only the judges around, and the referee draws the number. An open draw occurs when the actual competitors pick the numbers. There are typically two different programs in which the contestants are judged. In pair skating, the two programs are called the "Pairs Short Program" and the "Pairs Free Skating". Although the two programs are separately scored, the two scores are combined after the second performance to decide the pair's final score. Even though many skaters have choreographers to help them show off their strengths in both performances, there are a few required elements in both programs. In pair skating, both skaters' skills must be very finely tuned. In addition to being strong skaters with the ability to smoothly land each jump, the skaters must also remain in perfect synch the entire time. Points are taken of the pair's score for each time the skaters are not in synch. Although both the short program and the free skate program are extremely difficult, the short program is seen as slightly easier. While the short program is only required to be two minutes and fifty seconds, the the free skate program is required to be four minutes and thiry seconds. Although figure skating is indeed a beautiful sport, there are few terms with which you may want to be familiar to fully enjoy watching the sport. An axel jump is an extremely difficult jump. It is the one jump in which you begin the jump while facing forward. A single jump consists of one and a half spins, a double jump consists of two and a half spins, and a triple jump consists of three and a half spins. A lutz jump is a jump in which you use the toe picks on your skate to help you take off into a spin. You begin this jump in a backward position. Some of the most common moves that you will see in pair skating are the hydrant lift, the death spiral, and the hand-to-hand loop lift. The hydrant lift is when the man tosses the woman in the air into a spin. He then catches her as she comes back down. The death spiral is when the man holds his partner's hand as she spins in an almost lying down position as he spins in a "pivot position"([|http://www.usfigureskating.org]). Finally, the hand-to-hand loop lift is when the man lifts the woman above his head as she faces forward. This requires incredible skill; the man holds his partner by her hands alone. As you can now see, figure skating is indeed an incredibly difficult yet graceful sport.


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