A friend of mine has this fear and doesn't seem to be able to shake it for quite some time now. She tries salchows without doubt, but a bunny hop scares her to the point she won't even try it anymore. This is gonna grow into a problem considering their class will start on falling leafs soon.

If any of you had this fear, how did you conquer it?

Try searching this forum for the Evil Bunny Hop Die thread.

Your friend is not alone in hating bunny hops. I, for one, am with her 100%. This does not necessarily translate into a problem with other forward landing jumps though.

I have no problems with any other jumps that land forwards. Falling leaf, 1/2 flip, 1/2 lutz, no worries. But I very rarely do a bunny hope voluntarily, even after years of knowing how to do them.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Bwahaha oh that's right, THAT thread.
I just laughed my head off again.

Has your friend worked on other jumps that land forward? Has she fallen more on these jumps than backward landings? Most jumps in skating land backward(the rotational ones). I think a fear of landing forward would come from catching the toe pick and falling face down. If your friend has done this or has witness this type of miserable fall, no wonder she is afraid. She should walk through the bunny hop at the wall then walk through it away from the wall and feel comfortable w all the steps before doing it at speed w a strong jump.

Here's the Evil Bunny Hop thread:
http://www.skatingforums.com/showthr...+Bunny+Hop+Die

Kay

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I do think you meant backward.

The trick in overcoming that "fear of forward" is to learn how to safely LAND all the forward-landing jumps before you learn how to do the jumps.
That's how I teach bunny hops: landings first, takeoffs/in-air later. Start on the wall, then start using the lines for this drill.

You have to practice jumping up (a two foot hop will do) and land properly, over and over until it's controlled and comfortable.

The proper technique is:

1. Jump up (duh)
2. Land on the toepick of one foot with your arms open in front or cross-checked to the landing side.
3. BEND THE SKATING KNEE TO CATCH YOUR WEIGHT WHEN YOU LAND!
4. Immediately push off that toepick onto the INSIDE EDGE of the opposite foot, and cross-check the arms to hold the edge.
5. BEND THE SKATING KNEE TO CARRY YOUR WEIGHT !

In case someone doesn't know, "Cross-Checking" is holding your arms/shoulders across your body so that the upper body is OPPOSITE the lower body. For example, as a CCW skater, I land the bunny hop on my right toepick and push onto the LFI edge. I would cross-check by keeping my right arm/shoulder to the front of my body.

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You could also try just getting her used to having her weight forward on the landing toe using some sort of progression like this:

For right toe forward landings:
1. Starting at a standstill, use the right toepick to push yourself so that you glide on a left forward edge (sort of like you're on a scooter).
2. Do the same thing, but when you stick the right toepick into the ice, lift the left foot off the ice and do a tiny hop on the right toepick so that the right toepick is the last thing to leave the ice and the first thing to come back down onto the ice. Push onto a left forward edge.
3. Try a small same toe half flip, picking with the right toe and doing a tiny hop on the toe, turning just 1/2 turn to the left to landing forward on the same toe, then push forward onto the left forward edge.
4. Now try a bunny hop, taking off forward from the left foot like a small waltz jump, but landing forward on the right toepick and pushing off forward onto a left forward edge.

For left toe forward landings, reverse the right and left in exercises 1, 2 & 4 and do a ballet jump for exercise 3 (a ballet jump is a little hop on the left toe, taking off backwards like a toeloop and landing forward on the same toe then pushing off forward onto the other foot).

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Yes. I will edit my post. Thanks.

Kay

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Hmmm I've never done ballet jumps myself and I don't know anybody who does. They're not really taught here I think (well maybe to the higher-grade skaters for footwork, but not for learning). Funky. Didn't know it existed. We do have something like it, but it takes off sideward instead of backward like the toeloop... That's a much-hated jump too.

Hey thanks for all the information! This is great I've translated and forwarded it to her.

I understand the fear of jumping forwards - the falls are so much worse!! I was doing a split falling leaf the other day, and I guess I was tired and sloppy, because I came down on both toepicks and did a complete belly-flop on the ice. I slammed my knee so hard that it is all black and blue and I can't touch it. Fortunately, there are only a few things that land forwards!

I DESPISE evil Bunny Hops....but I do them (only when I am MADE, tho) but we do them in our off-ice class...something to do with "they are similar to..." whatever she was talking about axel or something (I wasn't listening)

Off-ice.....practice, then on-ice start slowly and build up speed/tempo. We do it in our power class. Evil, utterly evil

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

the ballet jump is a required element for ISI FS2. It's not just a hop, you ned to jump because you are supposed to strike an air position with left arm up and right arm out, right leg kicks back and foot at least as high as your knee. Kinda ballet like. I like these and still do them. Emily had one in one of her programs last year - I was so excited - Hey! I can do that jump!

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It's all about the dress!

It's also on the USFSA Basic 6 test. Interesting - I just noticed that the Adult Basic Skills curriculum doesn't include ANY jumps. Could that be true?
*Goes to check instructor's manual*

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I have a low FS student who learned to do ballet jumps in group. I am presently teaching her a falling leaf. She has a great lift to the trailing leg but no kick to the leading leg. I credit this to her experience and mastery of the ballet jump. Now if I could just get her to lift her leading leg she would have a split. in my exp, many skaters have trouble getting the trailing leg up in a split. Maybe working on ballet jumps would help.

Kay

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I am not sure about that but in my basic skills classes, we learned the waltz jump, toe-loop, salchow, flip, 1/2 lutz, 1/2 flip, EVIL BUNNY HOP, and had fun doing it.

my first day in adult classes---everyone did toe-loops!!! Of course they were in the class for some time....i could barely swizzle....scared the beejeesus out of me! (not as much as EVIL BUNNY HOPS tho)

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

does any of you have a good video of a ballet jump?

I can't seem to find a *skating* ballet jump on youtube.

Go to Don Korte's website (sk8stuff) and do a site search for ballet jump. I'm pretty sure there is one video of the ballet jump.

Good luck1

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11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
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(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I found the vid, but she's not taking off backwards on it, she's taking off sideways... And there's nothing particular about the arms, except the left one swings up?

No jumps in the Adult Basic Skills. I learned my first jump after I started working with a private coach. Lots of stuff in the kids Basic Skills doesn't transfer to Adult. One of the first things in Free Style is Advanced Back 3turns. Where are they in the Adult Basic Skills????

Doesn't matter--I'm eventually exposed to all of it.

The USFSA Adult Basic Skills curriculum is exceedingly lame and seems to assume all adults want to be ice dancers.

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Gordon Zaft
http://sk8rboi.blogspot.com
School figures are skating's equivalent of the Latin Mass.

The "Basic 8's," as the original Basic 1-8 tests were called, don't have any jumps except a two-foot hop until you reach Basic 4. Adult 4 seems to put the skater (skills-wise) in between Basic 4 and Basic 5. (With a few extra "footwork" skills.) I guess adults are expected to "crossover" to the Basic or Dance track once they finish the Adult tests.

Too bad no one designed an Adult 5-8 to incorporate jumps and one-foot spins.

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The arms and free leg are supposed to be in an "attitude" position (left arm up, right arm out and rounded, right leg opened out and bent like on layback spin). Most half revolution jumps will look like they take off and land sideways, since trying to turn the body a full 180 degrees would make the jump overrotate.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics