The camel spin (also called the parallel spin) is one of the three basic

figure skating spin Spins are an element in figure skating in which the skater rotates, centered on a single point on the ice, while holding one or more body positions. They are performed by all disciplines of the sport, single skating, pair skating, and ice dance, ...

positions. British figure skater

Cecilia Colledge Magdalena Cecilia Colledge (28 November 1920 – 12 April 2008) was a British figure skater. She was the 1936 Olympic silver medalist, the 1937 World Champion, the 1937–1939 European Champion, and a six-time (1935–1939, 1946) British n ...

was the first to perform it. The camel spin, for the first ten years after it was created, was performed mostly by women, although American skater

Dick Button Richard Totten Button (born July 18, 1929) is an American former figure skater and skating analyst. He is a two-time Olympic champion (1948, 1952) and five-time consecutive World champion (1948–1952). He is also the only non-European man to ha ...

performed the first forward camel spin, a variation of the camel spin, and made it a regular part of the repertoire performed by male skaters. The camel spin is executed on one foot, and is an adaptation of the

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

pose the

arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...

to the ice. When the camel spin is executed well, the stretch of the skater's body creates a slight arch or straight line. Skaters increase the difficulty of camel spins in a variety of ways.

Description

The camel spin is one of the three basic

positions. British figure skater

was the first to perform it, in the mid-1930s.Hines, p. 103Kestnbaum, p. 107 The camel spin, also called the "parallel spin",Kestnbaum, p. 280 was borrowed directly from the

pose the

, but adapted to the ice. Writer Ellyn Kestnbaum speculates that the camel and layback spins, which "heightened the visual function of the skater creating interesting shapes with her body", were, for the first ten years after their inventions, performed mostly by women because it is easier for women to achieve the interesting shapes they create than it is for men. American skater

, however, performed the first forward camel spin, a variation of the camel spin, and made it a regular part of the repertoire performed by male skaters.Kestnbaum, p. 93 The most important difference between the

sit spin The sit spin (also known as the Jackson Haines spin) is one of the oldest elements in figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be include ...

and the camel spin is that the skater enters the sit spin directly instead of first developing a slow part at the beginning of the entry. The camel spin is executed on one foot, with the torso and the free leg stretched in opposite directions, parallel to the ice at hip level in a position similar to the arabesque position. The skater's skating leg is slightly bent or straight, their body is bent forward, and their free leg is bent upward or extended on a horizontal line or higher. When executed well, the stretch of their body should create a slight arch or straight line. Camel spins tend to rotate more slowly than other spins because the circumference of the camel spin's rotation is much greater than in other spin positions, so a prolonged and fast camel spin requires a great deal of technique and skill. The preparation and entry phases of the camel spin are similar to preparation and entry phases of the

upright spin The upright spin is one of the three basic Figure skating spins, figure skating spin positions. The International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body of figure skating, defines an upright spin as a spin with "any position with the skating le ...

. At the end of the entry, the skater begins to spin by executing small circles on the backward inside edge of the skate while their shoulders and hips rotate at the same angular velocity. Their skating knee extends and their body rises in a locked position. Then the body stretches upward toward the head and neck while the skating leg, which is locked and straight, pushes forward.Cabell and Bateman, p. 25 The

International Skating Union The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Net ...

(ISU), the governing body that oversees figure skating, states that if the angle between the shin of the skating leg and the skater's thigh is less than approximately 120 degrees, the position is considered a sit spin. If the waist line is not horizontal and/or the core of the skater's body is more than 45 degrees above the horizontal line, the position is considered an

.ISU 2334, p. 5

Variations

Skaters increase the difficulty of camel spins in the following ways: they turn their upper body (the shoulder and the head) upwards and facing up so that the line of their shoulders is at least 45 degrees past the vertical point of the shape they are attempting to form; turning their bodies either horizontally or sideways, with their head and free foot nearly touching (called a doughnut or ring), with half a blade between their head and blade; turning their body almost horizontally while pulling the heel of their boot with their hand above their head; turning their body forward to their spinning leg and their free leg extended backward and upward up to almost a full split, but with the angle between their thighs at about 180 degrees.

Gallery

Image:Emily Hughes 2.jpg, Image:Yukari nakano donut.jpg, File:Camel yuna2.jpg, File:Leonova-7.jpg, File:Robert bradshaw skating.jpg,

References

Works cited

* Cabell, Lee and Erica Bateman (2018). "Biomechanics in Figure Skating". In Jason D. Vescovi and Jaci L. VanHeest (Eds.) ''The Science of Figure Skating'', pp. 13–34. New York: Routledge Publishing.
"Communication No. 2334: Single and Pair Skating"
(ISU 2334) Lausanne, Switzerland: International Skating Union. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2022. * Hines, James R. (2006) ''Figure Skating: A History''. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. . * Kestnbaum, Ellyn (2003). ''Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning''. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. .

External links

YouTube clip
of

Yuna Kim Yuna Kim (; born September 5, 1990), also credited in eastern name order as Kim Yuna or Kim Yeon-a, is a retired South Korean competitive figure skater. She is the 2010 Olympic champion and 2014 Olympic silver medalist in ladies' singles, ...

performing camel spins. Retrieved 4 August 2022. {{DEFAULTSORT:Camel Spin Figure skating elements