Walley jump

File:Walley jump - Lysacek.jpg

Evan Lysacek performs a clockwise Walley jump as an entrance to a triple Lutz.

A Walley jump is a full rotation jump in figure skating where the skater jumps off the backward inside edge, makes one full rotation in the air, and then lands on the backward outside edge of the same foot. For a counterclockwise jump, the takeoff and landing are on the right foot. The air position and landing of the Walley are similar to those for other figure skating jumps.

Walley jumps are related to edge pulls, a technique for gaining power by means of changing edge while skating on one foot. For example, edge pulls are a normal entry to a Walley jump, and a skater can do a series of Walleys by executing an edge pull from outside to inside between the jumps. Skaters sometimes perform Walleys in both directions as linking elements in their programs, or a reverse-direction Walley as an entrance to a Lutz jump in their "normal" rotational direction.

Walleys are almost always seen as single jumps. Double Walleys have been attempted in competition, but are very rare, and no one does triple or quadruple Walleys. Under the International Skating Union's new judging system, Walleys (of any number of rotations) are not counted as jump elements, only as transitional movements.

The Walley jump is named after American skater Nate Walley, who some claim invented this jump. Others believe the jump was invented by a Scot, Pat Low; in Britain, the Walley was formerly sometimes called the Pat Low jump instead.

See also

• Figure skating jumps

References

• John Misha Petkevich, Figure Skating: Championship Techniques. ISBN 0-452-26209-7.