Sit spin

The sit spin is one of the three basic figure skating spin positions. It is defined by a squatting position in which the skater's buttocks are below the knee of the skating leg.^[1] This forms an angle of less than 90 degrees between the thigh and the calf of the skating leg. When the spin is entered through a jump, it is called a flying sit spin.

History

The sit spin was first performed by Jackson Haines and it is sometimes known as the Jackson Haines spin.^[2]

The flying sit spin was first performed by skaters coached by Gustav Lussi, possibly Buddy Vaughn and Bill Grimditch.^[2]

Variations

There are many variations on the basic sit spin.

• A back-sit spin is where the skater spins on the leg opposite to the one in which they would normally (usually the right seeing as most skaters prefer to spin on the left). The specifics of the spin do not change but it is considered a higher level spin. Also, when the back-sit is entered through a jump it is known as a death drop.
• A broken leg sit spin is a sit spin position with the free leg bent inwards at the knee.^[2]
• A pancake spin is a difficulty variation on a sit spin^[3] in which the free leg is canted towards the body and upper body is bent over it, forming the illusion of the skater's body as a pancake.
• A cannonball spin is a difficulty variation similar to the pancake in which the free skate touches the thigh of the skating leg and arms are held down and touching the skating leg, giving the illusion of a cannonball.^[4]

Gallery

In single skating

• 
  A basic sit spin
  (Kimmie Meissner)
• 
  A basic sit spin in a shoot-the-duck position
  (Yun Yea-ji)
• 
  Flying sit spin in midair
  (Jennifer Don)
• 
  Flying sit spin in midair (death drop)
  (Brian Joubert)
• 
  Broken leg sit spin
  (Kimmie Meissner)
• 
  Cannonball position
  (Kevin Van Der Perren)
• 
  Sit spin with twist variation
  (Alban Preaubert)
• 
  Sit spin with arm variation
  (Jamal Othman)

In pairs and ice dancing

• 
  Pair sit spin
  (Dan Zhang & Hao Zhang)
• 
  Pair sit spin
  (Sabina Imaikina & Andrei Novoselov)
• 
  Pair side by side sit spins
  (Johanna Purdy & Kevin Maguire)
• 
  Pair sit and catch-foot layback
  (Lubov Iliushechkina & Nodari Maisuradze)
• 
  Dance spin (sit and camel)
  (Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sit spins.