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 included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
. It was invented by American figure skater
Jackson Haines
Jackson Haines (1840–1875) was an American ballet dancer and figure skater who is regarded as the father of modern figure skating.Petkevich, p. 144 According to figure skater John MIsha Petkevich, despite its difficulty to learn and the amount of energy it requires to execute it, "yields immense rewards" for the skater. There is a wide variety of sitting positions skaters have invented, and also according to Petkevich, the choice of a sitting position are not determined by aesthetic design or technical objections, but is often determined by convenience. The skater can make refinements to the sit spin, which will do the following: increase the speed of the spin's rotation; make the spin more exciting as it ends; and introduce positions that will increase the skater's strength and style.
The spin is executed in a sitting position with the knee of the skating leg bent and the free leg held in front.Kestnbaum, Ellyn (2003). ''Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning'', p. 280. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 0819566411. It is difficult to learn and requires a great deal of energy, but it has variations that make it more creative and pleasurable to watch. When executing the sit spin, a skater's back should be straight and not curved, their hips should be lower than the skating knee, and their free leg should be straight. The best sit spin position minimizes the moment of inertia and keeps the heaviest parts of the body as close to the vertical center of gravity as possible. This position is difficult to maintain, however, so skaters will often collapse into a low sit spin position.Cabell, Lee and Erica Bateman (2018). "Biomechanics in Figure Skating". In Jason D. Vescovi and Jaci L. VanHeest (Eds.) ''The Science of Figure Skating'', p. 26. New York: Routledge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-138-22986-0
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