Rachael Flatt makes it seem so easy. She glides. She spins. She jumps. And she does it all with precision, elegance and flair. But what is she actually doing out there on the ice? What do you call it when she sits and spins or when she twirls with her back arched and her head pointing toward the ice?

Read on to discover how to tell a Death Spiral from a Falling Leaf:

Arabian Cartwheel: An Arabian Cartwheel is when a skater kicks his or her legs back and up while pushing off with the toe. For a brief moment, the skater is in the air upside down. The move gives the illusion of a real cartwheel. Many skaters do this move before going into a flying camel.

Attitude Spin: An attitude spin is a figure skating spin. It is an upright ice skating spin where the ice skater spins with the free leg in the attitude position.

Axel Jump: One of the most difficult jumps which takes off from the forward outside edge and is landed on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. A single Axel consists of 1 1/2 revolutions, a double is 2 1/2 revolutions, and a triple is 3-1/2 revolutions. The jump is named for its inventor, Axel Paulsen. It is easily recognizable as it is the only jump that takes off from a forward position.

Back Outside Pivot: Pivots resemble spins since they involve rotation of the body around a stationary axis. The skater places a toe pick in the ice and the other skate's blade scribes a circle around the toe pick that is placed in the ice.

In a back outside pivot, the skater begins by first skating and extending on a controlled back outside edge. This edge will make a complete circle as the skater continues to reach back with the free leg. Finally, when the skater reaches an angle of about eighty-five degrees, the free toe is placed into the ice. Next, the skating knee bends a bit more. The skater continues to keep most of the weight on the moving skate and makes a complete back outside circle around the planted toe.

Camel Spin: A spin which is done on one leg with the non-skating leg, or free leg, extended in the air in a position parallel to the ice. The body remains in this "spiral" position while spinning.

Choctaw: A turn from forward to backward (or backward to forward) from one foot to the other in which the curve of the exit edge is in the opposite direction to the curve of the entry edge. The change of foot is from outside edge to inside edge or from inside edge to outside edge.

Crossovers: A method of gaining speed and turning corners in which skaters cross one foot over the other. There are both forward and backward crossovers.

Death Drop: A death drop is a figure skating move that is a cross between a jump and a spin, but is really considered a flying spin. The skater first jumps up like an Axel and then kicks the take off leg backwards. Then, the skater lands in a back sit spin position and does a back sit spin.

Death Spiral: A pairs move in which the man spins in a pivot position while holding one hand of his partner, who is spinning in a horizontal position with her body low and parallel to the ice.

Edge Jump: A jump where the skater takes off from the entry edge of the skating foot without bringing the free foot in contact with the ice to assist the take off. The Axel, loop and Salchow are common edge jumps.

Falling Leaf: A jump taking off from a backward outside edge as in a loop jump takeoff, and projecting the free leg forward turning 1/2 revolution. The landing is forward on the toe of this lifting leg and either steps into a forward glide position on the opposite leg (original take-off leg) or steps into a forward inside three-turn.

Flip Jump: A toe-pick assisted jump taken off from the back inside edge of one foot and landed on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.

Hamill-Camel:  Dorothy Hammill, the 1976 Olympic Figure Skating Champion, did a trademark move that was known as the "Hamill-Camel." It is a flying camel spin that turned into a back sit spin.

Hand-To-Hand Loop Lift: A lift in which the man raises his partner, who is in front of him and facing the same direction, above his head. She remains facing the same direction, in the sitting position with her hands behind her, while her partner supports her by the hands.

Hydrant Lift: A lift in which the man throws his partner over his head while skating backwards, rotates one-half turn and catches his partner facing him.

Kilian Position: Kilian position is one of the basic skating positions that figure skating partners use in both ice dancing and pair skating. The man holds the lady's left hand with his left hand while standing slightly behind and left to the lady. He puts his right hand on the right side of the lady's waist. She places and holds her right hand on and around the man's right hand while bending her arm in a triangle.

Layback Spin: Generally performed by women, the layback spin involves an upright spin position where the head and shoulders are dropped backwards and the back arches.

Loop Jump: An edge jump, taken off from a back outside edge and landed on the same back outside edge.

Lutz Jump: A toe-pick assisted jump taken off from a back outside edge and landed on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. The skater glides backward on a wide curve, taps his toe pick into the ice, and rotates in the opposite direction of the curve. The jump is named for its inventor, Alois Lutz.

Mazurka Jump: The mazurka jump is a half revolution figure skating jump. First, the skater picks with the free toe. The other leg makes a scissor type motion forward and the skater turns in the direction of the toe that picked and jumps forward in a leaping motion. There is a cross-legged pose in the air. Both legs are straight and the toes are pointed in the air.

The skater then taps the toe of the foot that leaped forward into the ice. Then, the skater lands and glides forward on the foot that was originally tapped into the ice.

Mohawk: A turn from forward to backward (or backward to forward), from one foot to the other, each edge forming parts of the same curve.

Pancake Spin: A pancake spin is a figure skating spin that is a variation of the sit spin. From the sit spin position, the skater bends the free leg and upper body together so the position while spinning resembles a pancake.

Platter Lift: A lift in which the man raises his partner overhead with his hands resting on her hips. She is horizontal to the ice, facing the back of the man, in a platter position.

Rocker: A turn made on one foot from a forward to backward (or backward to forward) edge maintaining the same character, i.e., outside to outside or inside to inside.

Salchow: Another edge jump taken off from the back inside edge of one foot and landed on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. Created by Ulrich Salchow.

Scratch Spin: Also known as an upright spin. After entering from a controlled forward outside edge, the spin begins on a back inside edge. Gradual acceleration begins by moving and placing the free foot toward the top of the skating knee and drawing the arms close to the body. The spin exits into a backward outside edge.

Sit Spin: A spin which is done in a "sitting" position. The body is low to the ice with the skating (spinning) knee bent and the non-skating, or "free" leg, extended beside it.

Spiral:  A move in which a skater demonstrates flexibility and a fluid line by extending his or her non-skating leg behind them into the air during a long glide.

Star Lift: A lift in which the man raises his partner by her hip, from his side into the air. She is in the scissor position, with either one hand touching his shoulder, or in a hands-free position.

Swizzle: A method of two-foot progression, either forward or backward, by an in-and-out movement of the feet on inside edges.

The "Taryn": The "Taryn" is a figure skating move invented by a southern California figure skater named Taryn Horchek. Taryn has had years of ballet training, and took some of what she knew from ballet to the ice.

Toe Loop: A toe-pick assisted jump that takes off and lands on the same back outside edge.

Twizzle: A traveling turn on one foot with one or more rotations, which is quickly rotated with a continuous (uninterrupted) action. The weight remains on the skating foot with the free foot in any position during the turn, and then placed beside the skating foot to skate the next steps.

Walley Jump: A walley looks a bit like a loop jump. If a skater lands his or her jumps on the right foot, he or she would take off on a back inside edge and jump in the counterclockwise direction for a full revolution and land on a right back outside edge. It is said that the walley jump is named after an American figure skater named Nate Walley. 

Waltz Jump: A jump involving a half-turn in the air in which the skater takes off from a forward outside edge on one foot and lands on the backward outside edge of the other.

So there you have it. You now know the difference between a Sizzle and a Twizzle. Impress your friends with your new vocabulary as you take in the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Sources: http://www.usfigureskating.org/About.asp?id=60 and http://figureskating.about.com/od/glossaryofskatingterms/Glossary_of_Skating_Terms.htm

---

---