Learning the waltz jump: half a rotation, take-off forward outside, landing backward on the other foot. Prerequisites, milestones, mistakes and safety.
The honest answer first: the waltz jump is an edge jump with half a rotation that takes off from the forward outside edge [1]. You land backward on the other foot. In sport science it counts as the first jump skaters learn and leads to the Axel [2].
How hard is it really? It looks small, but it is the first jump in which you change direction of travel in the air. For that you need edge security forward and backward and the willingness to lose contact with the ice with both feet. For adults and teenagers it is achievable, but not in one afternoon.
A number as anchor: in eleven youth skaters (average age 12) the body left the ground at 1.77 m/s vertical speed in the waltz jump and 2.24 m/s in the single Axel [2]. Calculated (v²/2g, not a measurement) that is roughly 16 and 26 centimetres of height, about the height of a shoe box. So it is not about height, but about rhythm and landing.
Hop small on the spot with both feet and land softly with bent knees. This landing is the basis for everything else. Research regards the landing as one of the most critical elements of a jump [3]. Milestone: ten hops in a row without the blades slipping away.
Skate straight on the forward outside edge, with deep knee and calm posture. The jump comes from the glide, not from run-up speed. Milestone: you glide on the outside edge for five counts, stable.
From the deep stance you extend the standing leg, jump low and turn half a rotation in the air. The free leg swings backward. In a jump the height comes mainly from the powerful extension of the legs [5]. Milestone: you jump with a half turn and land, even if the height is tiny.
You land on the other foot backward, with a bent knee. The knee absorbs the impact. The free leg points backward, the arms stay open. Under the ISU rules solo jumps are to be landed on the backward outside edge [6]. Milestone: you land backward and roll out three counts without stumbling.
Do not increase the height, increase the cleanliness. Whoever jumps higher too early lands worse. The study with the young skaters recommends first building take-off height and vertical velocity and only then distance and speed; that is a suggestion, not a tested learning path [2].
Plan several sessions for the waltz jump and keep the height deliberately small. Practising the landing matters more than wanting more rotation (experience, not a study). Do ten to fifteen attempts per session and pause as soon as your head or legs get tired. Tired landings are hard landings. If you have a coach, show them a side video: you can quickly see there whether your knee gives way on touchdown or whether you land stiff. These are small details, but they decide how robust the jump is.
The waltz jump is a jump: you will probably fall. Wear a helmet and gloves, practise in a quiet corner and let yourself fall sideways (see the guide "Falling and Getting Up on the Ice"). The landings load knee and hip. In a study of youth skaters the authors stress that repeated jumps with high load can lead to overuse injuries of the legs [2]. That applies all the more to adults with little jumping experience. This guide explains and motivates, it does not replace supervised training. Jumps with more rotation should only be practised under the guidance of a coach.
Practise the jump without rotation: jump out of the outside edge only upward and land softly on the other foot, without the turn. As soon as you can do that cleanly, you add the half turn. That way you separate take-off and landing and learn both separately.
An edge jump with half a rotation that takes off from the forward outside edge [1]. You land backward on the other foot. It counts as the first jump skaters learn and leads to the Axel [2].
With soft hops on the spot, then the waltz jump. Secure the forward and backward outside edges first [4] and practise the landing without rotation at first. Go in small steps and let a coach accompany you.
In youth skaters the vertical take-off speed was 1.77 m/s in the waltz jump and 2.24 m/s in the single Axel [2]. Calculated, that is only about 16 to 26 centimetres. What matters is a clean landing, not the height.
Both take off forward. The waltz jump has half a rotation, the single Axel one and a half [1][2]. The Axel therefore has an extra half turn in the air.
The Toe Loop: The Toe-Pick Jump for Beginners