I landed my axel!

[vesperholly]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! 8O

Axel! (http://users.adelphia.net/~jdelmar/video/axelland.wmv) (I cut out the scream right after :lol: )

YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXCKGMwdCWU)

Many years, many tears, and I couldn't have done it without all of you guys! Thanks for all your support and awesome advice!!! <3

[doubletoe]

Wow, what an amazing week you are having!!
NICE AXEL!!!!! :D :bow:

[Isk8NYC]

I didn't turn the speakers on, but I would have screamed, too.

Congratulations - what perfect form you have!

[phoenix]

Wow, clean & confident--that does NOT look like a new jump! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

[TimDavidSkate]

Congrats!!! Isn't it a relief? :bow: You are such a hard worker on the ice

[Mercedeslove]

awesome job! way to go!

[manleywoman]

Really nice one! Well done! Great technique!

[NickiT]

That's fantastic! Such a lovely axel too - so strong and clean. You deserve to be really proud of yourself and you are an inspiration to the rest of us!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Nicki

[samba]

Corr, fantastic, doesnt look like a first one, really clean.

Many congrats :bow: :bow: :bow:

[coskater64]

Very nicely done, good height, you made it look easy!:lol:

[jazzpants]

OMG!!! CONGRATS to you!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:

(Now if only the same happens to me with my loop... :roll: :frus: )

[Sonic]

Wow! good for you Vesperholly.

You WILL get your loop Jazzpants...

S xxx

[Skate@Delaware]

That is a beautiful axel!!! I agree, it does not look like you "just" got it; your hard work really shines through! Congratulations!

[doubletoe]

BTW, was that really, actually your VERY first one?
How was it that you happened to have a video camera on you to catch it?
I wish I'd caught my very first axel--and the look of suspicious disbelief right afterwards--but of course it is emblazoned in my mind for eternity (I even remember the exact date!).

[Clare]

Wow, well done!! You look like you've been landing that for years :lol:

Clare

[Leda]

Great axel!!!8O I am really glad you shared that video! Cause now I feel really inspired!:D

[Tessa]

Way to go! It looks lovely.:bow:

[lovepairs]

WOW! A big congrats! Beautiful Axel with nicely wrapped free leg! Way to go Vesper!!! :bow:

[vesperholly]

BTW, was that really, actually your VERY first one?
How was it that you happened to have a video camera on you to catch it?
I wish I'd caught my very first axel--and the look of suspicious disbelief right afterwards--but of course it is emblazoned in my mind for eternity (I even remember the exact date!).
It's not my first "ever" axel - I first landed it in November 1997, but it was never, ever consistent. Then I went away to college in 1998 and essentially quit skating. After I graduated college in 2002, I came back and started skating more consistently.

I had to basically restart my axel big time about 2.5 years ago because I had developed bad habits and bad technique from sporadic practice. It was two-footed and cheated until April of this year, when I started landing one-foot/rotated and then falling, which didn't last long. Yesterday, I landed one on one foot and fell, which was the first time I'd done that in a few months. Today, I brought my video camera and was actually intending to tape double loop attempts. The first axel I attempted was a rotated-one-foot-fall one, so I set up the camera and taped the rest. That was the fourth attempt of the session.

Long story short, technically not the first one ever, but the first in almost 10 years. :)

[phoenix]

I kinda wanna hear the scream........ :halo: :P

[doubletoe]

Yeah, I know, I want to see/hear the scream, too! Can you post the unedited version? :lol:

[vesperholly]

Sure - I'm at work now (otherwise I'd have watched the video 200 times instead of 100, I'm trying to convince myself it was real) but I'll load it when I get home. Unfortunately, that's not until 2am-ish. :)

ETA: Hyphen for doubletoe. :P

[doubletoe]

2 "Amish"? ;)

[mikawendy]

Congratulations!!!!!!!! :bow: :bow:

[tidesong]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Way to go and heres to many many more axels (and axels in competitions!!!)

[vesperholly]

Thanks for all the congrats everyone! :D I can't wait to see Jazzpants' loop tomorrow, right?

Here's the axel with "scream" (actually, I yelled "YAY!!!" :o and turned to my skating friend who I knew was watching, and he said, "I saw!!"):

Axel with yell (http://users.adelphia.net/~jdelmar/video/axelyell.wmv)

Fun tidbit: The only thing I said to myself going into it was not bend your knee, not stand up straight, but "don't be a chickensh!t". Meaning, really kick your free leg through like you mean it! :lol:

[sk8_4fun]

congratulations, you look like you've been doing that forever! its gorgeous, well done!!!:bow:

[SkatingOnClouds]

Oh wow, congratulations, I am sooo jealous!!!
Your achievement inspires me to work harder. More power to you.:bow:

[lovepairs]

Vesper,

I'm totally blown away by your axel! Can you answer a few questions?

Who taught you this jump?
Did you have it off ice first, and how long did that take?
How long did it take you to get it on the ice?
Did you use the harness at all in the process?

The reason why I'm asking is that it took me a solid year to get an axel off ice, then they put me in the harness and I crashed and burned for an entire year not landing even one. Then I decided to not use the harness anylonger and I changed coaches--one with a new technique and who is teaching me out of the harness. I'm just starting to land baby ones with a cheat. Can you help me? :bow:

[Mrs Redboots]

:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

And how many did you land after that first one?

[doubletoe]

Here's the axel with "scream" (actually, I yelled "YAY!!!" :o and turned to my skating friend who I knew was watching, and he said, "I saw!!"):


Oh, I like this version so much better! I really enjoyed that! ;)

[Ellyn]

Nice speed and ice coverage.

[vesperholly]

Who taught you this jump?
My coach :)

Did you have it off ice first, and how long did that take?
I don't practice any jumps off ice.

How long did it take you to get it on the ice?
I started seriously working on it about 2.5 years ago. I had to completely rework my technique because I wasn't kicking through at all.

Did you use the harness at all in the process?
Not once.

And how many did you land after that first one?
None - I didn't want to ruin it!! :P

[vesperholly]

Oh, I like this version so much better! I really enjoyed that! ;)
LOL, thanks! :) There was jumping up and down involved, but I didn't get that on tape. I still cannot believe how EASY it felt.

[doubletoe]

LOL, thanks! :) There was jumping up and down involved, but I didn't get that on tape. I still cannot believe how EASY it felt.

Yeah, I know what you mean. When I finally landed my very first axel, it felt so easy that I had to stop and run through it in my mind several times to make sure that I had actually just taken off forward and landed backward, and that it hadn't been a waltz jump, LOL! Same with the double toeloop. Whenever I land it, I tell myself I need to remember how easy it was. . . but unfortunately, I always forget by the next time I practice it. :roll:

[doubletoe]

Vesper,

The reason why I'm asking is that it took me a solid year to get an axel off ice, then they put me in the harness and I crashed and burned for an entire year not landing even one. Then I decided to not use the harness anylonger and I changed coaches--one with a new technique and who is teaching me out of the harness. I'm just starting to land baby ones with a cheat. Can you help me? :bow:

I'm curious. . . What was it about the harness that messed you up? Was your coach lifting you too much so that you couldn't feel the timing and gauge how much strength you needed to complete it on your own?
How is your axel on the floor? If it is consistent and fully rotated, then landing it on the ice is just a matter of putting slightly more oomph into it, i.e., snapping the hip in more decisively once you're up in the air and checking the free leg out harder on landing (because of the weight and bulk of the skate on your free foot). The major change I had to make to translate my floor axel to an ice axel--well, other than the FEAR--was to start holding my free leg a little higher in rotational position. In other words, as you turn the landing hip in and get backwards, don't just straighten the landing leg, also lift the knee of the free leg a little so your weight stays over the landing side and it's also easier to check out the free leg on landing.

[vesperholly]

The reason why I'm asking is that it took me a solid year to get an axel off ice, then they put me in the harness and I crashed and burned for an entire year not landing even one. Then I decided to not use the harness anylonger and I changed coaches--one with a new technique and who is teaching me out of the harness. I'm just starting to land baby ones with a cheat. Can you help me? :bow:
Whoops, I missed this part. :oops:

I never liked the harness. The whole point is to land the jump out of the harness, you know? I recently saw a video on YouTube of a girl in a harness lesson, where she did everything from axel to double lutz in the harness. It was clear that she did not have the strength for any these jumps on her own. Her coach was just pulling her up and giving her extra air time to rotate, which to her credit she could do fairly well. But that kind of delayed air time is simply not realistic, so I think your body gets tricked into thinking you have that time to jump. I think it's better to learn to control your body properly on its own, since that is ultimately the goal.

The most important part of the axel is kicking your leg through properly. I have been so wussy on this, hence the "don't be chickensh!t" mantra. Even watching the video I think it could've been better, it wasn't a literal "step up." Similar to the double salchow, I thought about keeping my left shoulder leading on the LFO, and bringing my right knee through and up to meet my left hand. If you pull the left shoulder around too early, it will break the check and pull the jump off axis.

Biggest help? Can you see on the video how my free leg is bent as I'm landing? I was practicing backspins like the Lussi tape said on the other thread - with the free leg bent. I think that may have helped me to keep my legs together until the very last second, and kept my weight more centered over my right side.

If I have time this weekend, I want to mess around with my videos and maybe put together an axel compilation. I have TONS of axel attempt videos from the past 2 years. It'll be interesting to see the progression. I learned the layback "brand new" CCW a few years ago (I used to do it CW) and it is fascinating watching the old video and seeing the development from hideous to one of my best spins. :)

OK, I found some older clips on my FTP space:
Rotated, one-foot and fall breakthrough (http://users.adelphia.net/~jdelmar/video/newaxel1.wmv) (April 06)
Fall on underrotated but one-foot (http://users.adelphia.net/~jdelmar/video/axel3.wmv) (February 06)
Stood up but two-footed and underrotated (http://users.adelphia.net/~jdelmar/video/axel4.wmv) (February 06)
Stood up but two-footed and underrotated again (http://users.adelphia.net/~jdelmar/video/1115axel2.wmv) (November 05)
Stood up but two-footed and underrotated (such was my lot in life!) (http://users.adelphia.net/~jdelmar/video/axel2.wmv) (August 05)

[jazzpants]

Thanks for all the congrats everyone! :D I can't wait to see Jazzpants' loop tomorrow, right?Me neither!!! :evil: :frus: :x (Close, no cigar...)

[lovepairs]

Vesper,

I watched the entire progression (very helpful, and thank you for positing all of these clips!) The reason why you are landing it now is, because you are no longer breaking (forward) at the waist. Again, you have a BEAUTIFUL axel.

I don't know why it wasn't working in the harness???_)&%^$&%^(&($%^

Vesper, I know your coach taught you, but who is your coach? I think he/she did a fantastic job with you! If you wouldn't mind sharing, I'd very much like to know who you are studying with.

[doubletoe]

It's so true; breaking at the waist is our innate reaction to being up in the air in an unnatural position, and yet, that reaction is exactly what will keep us from completing the rotation and staying upright on the landing! I know that for me, breaking at the waist is a physical manifestation of low confidence. When I am not confident that I will land a jump, I bend forward just before landing because I am subconsciously anticipating a fall backwards. When I feel totally confident, I stand up tall and land the jump as a result. Lately, I've been breaking at the waist on my double toe and that's been creating an awful self-fulfilling prophecy, but this morning we got on the harness for the first time in months and landed some with good timing and technique. Now I feel more confident, so I know I'll stand up straighter next time I try them on my own.

Speaking of the harness, it can be an extremely helpful tool in giving a skater the feeling of landing a new jump on the ice (as opposed to landing it on the floor) without risking a bad fall. The key is to make sure your coach does NOT HELP YOU unless you start to fall. I actually snapped at my coach this morning for pulling the harness on my first double toe attempt. It completely messed up my timing because I had too much air time and wasn't able to land when it was time to land. So he completely stopped pulling and then I started landing them. He would just pull me up if I looked off-balance once I touched down on my landing foot, which was perfect. For me, having a very capable harness coach has been the key to landing my axel, double sal and double toe!

[NoVa Sk8r]

Speaking of the harness, it can be an extremely helpful tool in giving a skater the feeling of landing a new jump on the ice (as opposed to landing it on the floor) without risking a bad fall. The key is to make sure your coach does NOT HELP YOU unless you start to fall. ... For me, having a very capable harness coach has been the key to landing my axel, double sal and double toe!True true true! As I tell my coach: "Let me fall. Just don't let me fall badly."
Since I am A LOT bigger than all the kiddies she mostly works with, she tends to yank the harness too quickly, and then I feel like I am in a play acting as Peter Pan flying about. Not a useful approach.

[vesperholly]

I watched the entire progression (very helpful, and thank you for positing all of these clips!) The reason why you are landing it now is, because you are no longer breaking (forward) at the waist. Again, you have a BEAUTIFUL axel.
Thanks! :)

It's official then: I must give credit to the sit ups. For about a month, I have been doing ab exercises every other day. (I tried every day a while ago, but quickly got sick of it). I do 50 regular crunches, 25 side crunches on each side, and 10 lower ab extensions (lay flat on your back, put your legs together straight up, lower them to the floor slowly and then back up again). I also do a yogilates tape about once a week, which has ab work in it. I have also lost several pounds on Weight Watchers in the past few weeks, surely a big part as well.

I landed it cleanly again today, not on tape b/c my camera was giving me 'tude. Only one and not quite as good as the first, but I'm still happy. :D

Vesper, I know your coach taught you, but who is your coach? I think he/she did a fantastic job with you! If you wouldn't mind sharing, I'd very much like to know who you are studying with.
I'd rather not. Suffice it to say she's very good and very qualified.

[Stormy]

My main problem with the axel too is it's two footed because I break forward every time. The jump can be going absolutely perfect and on the way down I drop my free leg down for no reason! It's totally a mental thing at this point, the jump is fine otherwise. I hope ab exercises will help me like it did Vesperholly.

:bow: times 1000 to Vesper! AWESOME job!

[lovepairs]

I have also lost several pounds on Weight Watchers in the past few weeks, surely a big part as well.

Vesper,

Good luck on the Weight Watchers. I lost 95 lbs with Weight Watchers 18 years ago, and have kept it off ever since.