A toe loop is one of the most common jumps in figure skating. It belongs to the “toe jump” family because the skater uses the toe pick of their skate to launch into the air.
How a Skater Performs It
To execute a toe loop, a skater follows these steps:
- The Approach: The skater travels backward on a steady curve, usually on the outside edge of their right skate.
- The Vault: They reach back with their left foot and dig the toe pick into the ice.
- The Jump: Using that toe pick as a pivot, they vault themselves upward and rotate in the air.
- The Landing: After spinning, the skater lands on the same right back outside edge they used for the approach.
Key Features
- Direction: The skater always jumps and lands while moving backward.
- Rotation: Like most jumps, the skater rotates counter-clockwise (for right-handed skaters).
- Combinations: Because the landing edge is the same as the takeoff edge, skaters frequently use the toe loop as the second or third jump in a combination.
How to Spot It
You can identify a toe loop by watching the skater’s feet right before they leave the ice. If they are moving backward and use one toe pick to “tap” the ice and launch themselves, you are likely seeing a toe loop.
Difficulty and Scoring
The toe loop is generally the easiest of the six major jumps. For this reason, it has a lower base value in competitions compared to jumps like the Axel or the Lutz. However, performing a quadruple toe loop (four full rotations) remains an elite skill that requires incredible power and speed.