ONE ACADEMY · CAMEL + FLYING SPINS

Learn figure skating
camel + flying spins.

Build from the Camel Spin into flying entries and advanced combinations, with each lesson developing the position, timing and control needed for the next.

Start with the Camel Spin
01 CAMEL + FLYING SPINS

Camel Spin

Find the position. Then hold it.

KEY IDEA Position before rotations.

WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING

Build a controlled Camel Spin by learning to enter the spin, reach the camel position and hold it before trying to increase the number of rotations.

The Camel Spin is difficult on inline figure skates because it can be difficult to carry enough momentum into the rotation. Start by finding the position consistently rather than chasing a long spin.

COACH'S POINTS

Five things to remember.

05
01 Push on the left outside edge

Build the entry from the left outside edge. Trying to create the Camel Spin from standstill makes it much harder to generate the movement needed to reach the position.

02 Start on the center two wheels

Stay on the center two wheels through the entry as you come around and begin rising into the camel position.

03 Find the position before the rotations

Your first target is simply to reach the camel position. Do not worry about completing a large number of rotations until you can arrive in the position consistently.

04 Keep the right arm and right leg together

The right arm and right leg travel around together into the camel position. Keep that relationship connected rather than allowing one to move independently of the other.

05 Come through a quick upright and push out

When you are ready to leave the Camel Spin, come briefly through an upright position, then push from the left foot onto the right foot and finish in a controlled landing position.

BUILD THE SPIN

Position before rotations.

01
Outside edge

Push onto the left outside edge.

02
Center

Find the center two wheels.

03
Connect

Bring the right arm and right leg around together.

04
Rise

Come up into the camel position.

05
Hold

Stabilize the position before chasing rotations.

06
Exit

Come through a quick upright, push onto the right foot and hold the landing position.

PRACTICE

Get there first.

Take a small amount of speed and repeatedly practice entering the Camel Spin. Do not count rotations yet. Concentrate on reaching the position consistently.

TARGET Reach and hold the camel position under control.
02 CAMEL + FLYING SPINS

Flying Camel

Jump back. Find the back camel.

KEY IDEA Jump back, not forwards.

WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING

Build the Flying Camel by first understanding the back camel position, then learning to jump back into that position rather than traveling forwards.

Before attempting the full element, use simpler exercises to teach your body where it is going. The goal is to make the landing position familiar before adding the flying entry.

COACH'S POINTS

Five things to remember.

05
01 Jump back on yourself

Do not think about jumping forwards. The Flying Camel travels back toward where you came from. Think about coming around and jumping back on yourself into the landing position.

02 Learn the back camel feeling first

Before adding the jump, get familiar with the position you are trying to reach. If you already understand the Camel Spin, the Flying Camel takes that idea further by landing into the back camel.

03 Take the free leg around from the backspin

Enter the backspin as you normally would, then take the free leg around into the back camel position. This gives you a much closer feeling to the Flying Camel landing than staying in a regular backspin position.

04 Find the outside edge

The back camel rotates on the outside edge. Do not try to spin it on the center two wheels. If you stay on the center two wheels, the back camel position will not work.

05 Remove the jump before adding it

Step over into a back camel first. You can also practice going directly into the back camel. These exercises let you understand the landing position without having to deal with the flight at the same time.

BUILD THE FLYING CAMEL

Learn the landing first.

01
Camel

Be comfortable with your regular Camel Spin.

02
Backspin

Use the backspin variation to find the back camel feeling.

03
Outside edge

Find the outside edge in the back camel position.

04
Step over

Step into the back camel without jumping.

05
Jump back

Add the flying action and think about traveling back on yourself.

06
Find the position

Land and establish the back camel before chasing rotations.

07
Come up + out

Come up from the back camel on the same foot and finish in a controlled landing position.

PRACTICE

Remove the flight.

Start by practicing the back camel position from a backspin. Then step over into the position without jumping. When that feels familiar, add the flying action and concentrate on jumping back into the same position.

TARGET Jump back, land into a controlled back camel, then come up and out on the same foot into the landing position.
03 CAMEL + FLYING SPINS

Flying Camel into Back Sit + Death Drop

Build the landing first.

KEY IDEA Your Back Sit Spin is the target.

WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING

Learn two connected flying-spin elements: a Flying Camel that lands directly into a Back Sit Spin, and the Death Drop.

Both elements depend on the same foundation. Your Back Sit Spin needs to feel familiar enough that when you land, you already know exactly where you are trying to go.

COACH'S POINTS

Five things to remember.

05
01 Get your Back Sit Spin first

The Back Sit Spin is the most important requirement for both elements. If that position already feels comfortable, you have somewhere familiar to aim for after the flying entry.

02 Think Flying Camel first

For the first element, go for a normal Flying Camel. Do not try to think about both parts at once. Complete the flying action first.

03 As soon as you land, go to the Back Sit

Land the Flying Camel, then immediately change the intention. The moment the landing happens, bend and go directly into the Back Sit Spin.

04 Bend the skating leg in the Back Sit

The lesson uses the same Back Sit Spin technique taught earlier. More bend in the skating leg can make the position easier to maintain on inline figure skates.

05 Think up, over, down

The Death Drop is similar to the Flying Camel entry, but instead of aiming for the camel position, think about jumping up, going over and coming straight down toward the Back Sit. Let the free leg come up and then down through the action.

BUILD THE ELEMENTS

One progression leads to the next.

01
Back Sit

Make the Back Sit Spin a position you already trust.

02
Flying Camel

Establish the Flying Camel by itself.

03
Land

Complete the Flying Camel landing.

04
Drop

As soon as you land, bend directly into the Back Sit.

05
Rehearse

Practice the Death Drop off-skates: jump up, go over and come straight down.

06
Death Drop

Add the full flying action and aim directly for the Back Sit.

07
Come up + out

Come up from the Back Sit on the same foot and finish in the landing position.

PRACTICE

Give yourself somewhere to land.

Build the Back Sit Spin until it feels familiar. Then connect the Flying Camel directly into it. For the Death Drop, practice the jumping action off-skates first: up, over and straight down.

TARGET Land the flying action, reach the Back Sit without searching for the position, then come up and out on the same foot.

CONTINUE LEARNING

Keep spinning.