A waltz jump is one of the few jumps that takes off in a forward direction. A waltz is a half rotation jump, taking off on the outside edge of one foot and landing on the outside edge of the other foot.
Entrance
There are two preffered entrances to the waltz jump. A common entrance a simple forward outside edge entry along a curve that simply jumps into the turn.
Some skaters prefer to glide backwards on a back outside edge and then switch direction and change you foot to a forward outside edge to then begin the jump.
Take Off
A waltz jump is an edge jump which means there is no tap of the toe pick.
Counter-Clockwise Skater:
The skater takes off in their left-foot on an outside edge.
Clockwise Skater:
The skater takes off in their right-foot
Landing
Counter-Clockwise Skater:
The skater lands on their right-foot,
Clockwise Skater:
The skater lands on their left-foot,
In either case for the waltz jump the skater should land with a stretched free leg, level sholders, and straight back.
Common Errors
Not jumping high enough. The skater should swing the knee of the free leg way up and use that momentum to gain height above the ice.
Not checking the landing - If the arms are not checked, the skater will continue to rotate and be unable to continue a smooth glide.
