Tinkerbell's recent post about injuring her back on a bunny hop reminded me of something I've always wondered about: exactly what IS the purpose of the bunny hop? What essential skating skill(s) is it intended to teach? Is it just to get used to leaving the surface of the ice for a nanosecond? After all, it's not as if you actually use the bunny hop in more advanced skating moves (AFAIK). I have also had a couple of nasty falls on this unassuming little jumplet, so I'm curious what you more experienced skaters see as its value.

Ellen

actually, it helps with the waltz jump and the axel. When you do the axel you have to work on getting your knee up, like a highjumper. Hence the bunny hop

Actually, I've seen it used by the elites (not often, but every so often) as a part of the "footwork" sequence in their program. You are exactly right--it is designed to teach the beginner to leave the ice for as you say "a nano-second." Having said this, it also gets one ready for the waltz jump. It is cute and when done with some height and power--it actually is a very interesting joiner in between two elements within footwork. Cute little bunny hop--I'm sorry that it hurt you.

I hated learning the bunny hop, but the concept of its take off you'll see in the waltz jump and like a pyramid.. many jumps incorporate that waltz into it, with a variation in thier take off and landings such as the the salchow and toe loop. bunny hops may also be used in footwork as well, I have even seen high level skaters (senior level) throwing in bunny hops here and there. the lift off from the take off leg on the bunny hop is the same in every single jump even the edge jumps, they all take off from a bent knee, spring into the air with the last thing coming off the ice is the toe pick. Good luck!

That is an interesting question that I have been wondering about lately. I found it easier to do the waltz jump than the freaking bunny hop. I was able to do the waltz jump far easier, and in less time than the bunny hop.. So I am frustrated that I can do the waltz and not the bunny.. haha

Off topic but, does it make you feel better that I still can't seem to figure out how to do the FREAKING snow plow stop!!

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Push with your heels. That's how I got it.

Actually, I had a very hard time with it, and then at a public session a little weensy hockey player zoomed out in front of me, and THAT'S when I figured out how to do a snowplow stop. Thinking about my heels works better for me though.

I can do backwards snowplow stops but I cannot do a regular snowplow stop on my right side. That's even stranger that just not being able to do them.

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I'm with you on this one....bunny hops are EVIL!!!

I took a nasty tumble during synchro because of them....spent the rest of the season "faking it" when it came to that part of the routine. Adults like me just have a hard time getting it....

I can do them now, but I still hate them and won't do them unless required.

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Skate@Delaware
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I recently took my preliminary freeskate test (elements) and the bunny hop is a required element. To my dismay, I couldn't do one, the coach assumed that everyone could do them so I had bunny hop boot camp in the warm up before the test. I don't like landing forwards, I think that's it.

If it's any consolation, I've always hated the bunny hop, and I have to teach it every week! The takeoff, as others said, is a prep for the waltz jump. The skating foot has to move from edge to toe for takeoff, and the free leg has to "kick through." It also teaches you to use your arms - the "toy soldier" motion of the arms is pretty simple, but most beginners have never had to use them before. It's a simple intro.

The landing's pretty important, too, since it's also the ballet and mazurka landing. (Later on the half-flip and half-lutz use the opposite foot to land) The toe landing can stop your heart along with your feet! You really have to use that right toe to PUSH onto the LFI edge and check the landing with your right arm in front.

I went to some coach's clinic where they discussed footwork and yes, it is included in many skaters' "fancy stepping." I (re)learned the "Double Bunny Hop" which sent me sprawling onto the ice. It's the same takeoff and kick through, but you come down on your takeoff toe - sort of like a skip on the ice. I don't like it any more than the original.

Hang in there - it has a purpose. BTW, this is one of the few jumps I like to teach near the wall. I've found that skaters can get over the fear of jumping if they have a balance bar nearby.

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You are so right -- the bunny hop is not easy, even for kids, but it definitely gets you to think "I'm jumping!!"

I remember these double bunny-hops -- I always thought they were easier than the regular ones!

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I don't like teaching bunny hops to kids. It's often hard for them to understand it at first. Same with half jumps.

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Those double bunny hops sound interesting, I'm going to try tomorrow.

Chico

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So I'm not the only one who teaches the bunny hop next to the wall. It makes it easier for the kids to see what they need to be doing, when they can slow down each part of an element. During our CanSkate today, I took one girl a side to teach her the bunny hop. She got it right away, not that great, after I taught it to her by the wall. Before that, she was clueless.

singerskates

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The bunny hop is fun, but I have really long legs. So when I do it the move looks so ugly to me.

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I think the main point of the bunny hop is to get you used to the motion of taking off by going through the ball of the foot and off the toe pick, and to learn to land by rolling off the pick.

If you don't have that weight transfer down correctly, the other jumps -- even just a waltz jump -- are a lot more dangerous. Jumping on the ground doesn't involve a toe-point, but jumping on ice without a toe-point can make you fly off the back edge.

I always wondered much the same thing about the point of bunny hops and also hated them and was scared of them.

Some of our coaches regularly use them as part of a footwork sequence for their skaters (usually two together)

I actually quite like them now and what got me over the fear of them was going to a skate camp where during a footwork/edges class we were all in lines and had to follow the instructor down the ice doing the same moves he did.

He set off doing bunny hop, drag (lunge),bunny hop, drag, repeatedly down the ice. I love drags so somehow being able to go straight into a drag made the bunny hop less scary. I was a little tentative the first time but found that (like with most jumps) actually 'going for it' with as much 'ooomph' as I could, made it easier.

I'm still not sure why they make beginners learn them - I know very few people (adults) who like them but crayon skaters answer makes sense that they do teach the take off and kick through, motion and they do make a forward landing possible. Also being able to land safely forward is useful for some jumps and linking moves and also when learning multi-rotation jumps and under-rotating them - not that I am at that stage!

Well I also posted under Tinkerbell's original posting, but just wanted to add my voice to the others who found bunny hops harder than the jumps that came after. I still hate them.

Sometimes I force myself to do them on each foot, but I can still feel the fear when I do them.

I can see the point, about the springing off the ice, and especially about getting the feel of taking off from and landing on a toe pick. But I think it is the taking off and landing forward that I don't like. Never had this trouble with waltzes.

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wow,,, it's funny how many have issues with this!
the only 'value' i can think of is that you can take off quickly from a dead start,,,, do two in a row and you're cruising. it's also fun to do a bunny hop and drop right into a lunge..
have you tried to do these across a room,, just to get a 'memory' of it?

I teach the Bunny Hop in stages for fearful or reluctant beginners. I draw a "puddle" on the ice and have the skater step over the puddle. (There's a story I tell about the "Old Days" when ladies wore crummy slippers and had to jump over the puddles when there were no men around to lay down their jackets. The little princesses love it.) This starts the left-to-right shift. The Fearless Wonders that aren't afraid of jumping or falling usually jump over the puddle at this point, which makes my life much simpler. Then I teach the landing with a drill. This usually involves education: the fearful ones feel that the toe pick is just there to kill them. ("No, it can be your friend and we DO use them for jumping!") Next, I teach the toy soldier arms. I usually reteach them once we start the real jump. Then, I teach the jump using the wall as a barre on the left side. The left hand just glides from front to back along the wall as they walk through the jump.

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Off-ice practice is a great idea, since this is the first "memory" jump. You can do a waltz jump without the arms, but the bunny hop really needs it to check the jump safely. Once you start doing toe loop, flip, loop, you have to get used to using the arms to check the takeoffs and landings.

I agree the forward landing is scary, but you do use it for blown jumps and I even use it for spin endings now in my students' programs.

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They're good to get footwork going, as are other various leaps or skips from a stop.
I was in a group lesson (all women) way back and the woman teaching the hops has been at our rink forever and is such a sweetie. She demonstrated one, and her well endowed chest took up a motion of it's own with the hop. We all decided bunny hops were not for adults. This is what I always think of with bunny hops.

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A lot of dancers use bunny hops or something similar as part of the intro for Killian and Quickstep. I told my coach that bunny hops were absolutely positively verboten for my Killian intro. Luckily so far he has decided to let me have my way. (I also came up with an alternative approach...)

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I think it might have helped if we had learned the bunny hop BEFORE we worked on other jumps....she threw it out there as a filler....


no matter, still hate them

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!