Figure skating spirals

A spiral is an element in figure skating where the skater glides on one foot while raising the free leg above hip level. It is akin to the arabesque in ballet.

This article is about spirals executed with the spiraling skater's center of gravity close to the axis of rotation. For the four types of far-off-balance spirals, see Death spiral (figure skating).
Figure skating element
Element nameSpiral Sequence
Scoring abbreviationSpSq

Spiral positions are classified according to the skating leg (left or right), edge (outside or inside), direction the skater is traveling (forward or backward), and the position of the free leg (backward, forward, sideways).

Spirals were a required element in ladies' singles and pair skating prior to the 2012–13 season. Spirals were infrequently performed by men at the Olympic level prior to the 2012–13 season because it was not a required element nor could men receive points for spiral sequences in the element score of the ISU Judging System. In spite of this, some male skaters are known for their spirals, such as Toller Cranston, Paul Wylie, and Shawn Sawyer.

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