My Journey with the Quad Axel
Alright, so I decided, in my infinite wisdom, to start working on the quad Axel. Yeah, that jump. The one that sounds more like a myth than something actual humans do on ice. I saw Ilia Malinin land that thing, the first ever in competition, and part of me was in awe, and another part, the crazy part, thought, “Hmm, I wonder…”
So, where do you even begin with something like this? It’s not like you just wake up one day and decide to throw an extra half rotation on top of a quad. For me, it started way, way back, just getting comfortable with the regular Axel, then the double, then slogging through the triple for what felt like an eternity. Each step up is a whole new world of pain and tiny victories.
The Early Grind
First things first, I upped my off-ice training. Lots of plyometrics, rotation drills until I was dizzy, and core work. You need to be a coiled spring, basically. On the ice, I went back to basics with my triple Axel. Getting more height, a faster snap. The entry edge, the takeoff, making sure everything was as perfect as I could get it. Because if your triple Axel is sloppy, a quad Axel is just a dream.
I spent weeks, maybe months, just on the entry and the feeling of initiating that much rotation. My coach had me doing walk-throughs, then single Axels with a ton of power, then doubles, always pushing for more height and speed. The number of times I’ve hit the ice trying to over-rotate a triple, thinking about that extra half… let’s just say my hips have known better days.
Breaking it Down (and Myself Sometimes)
The thing about the quad Axel is that it’s four and a half rotations. That extra half, compared to other quads, is brutal because it’s a forward takeoff. You need so much more airtime, or an impossibly fast spin. Or both, ideally. I remember when Kurt Browning landed that first quad toe loop back in ’88. That was monumental. Now we’re here, chasing this beast invented by Axel Paulsen all those years ago, but with way more turns.
- Focusing on the pop: I really had to work on exploding up off the ice. It feels like you’re trying to launch yourself into orbit.
- The air position: Getting tight, super tight. Any looseness and you’re losing rotation fast. I practiced this off-ice with a harness sometimes, just to feel the position.
- The landing: Ha! Getting to the landing is a win in itself. For a long time, it was more like a controlled crash. Trying to check out the rotation and get onto a solid back outside edge felt impossible.
There were days I’d leave the rink just feeling defeated. You try and try, and you just keep falling, or under-rotating so badly it barely counts as an attempt. You see videos of skaters who make it look easy, and you just gotta remind yourself of the years they put in. It’s a mental game as much as a physical one. You start doubting if you even have what it takes.
Little Glimmers of Hope
Then, slowly, things started to click. Not all at once, mind you. One day, I’d get a really good takeoff. Another day, I’d feel the rotation click in the air, even if I bailed on the landing. I started getting the full four rotations around, landing on two feet, or stepping out but knowing I was almost there on the rotation count. Those are the moments that keep you going.
I’m not going to lie, I haven’t landed a clean, fully rotated quad Axel yet. Not like what you see the “Quad God” Ilia doing. But I’ve gotten damn close a few times in practice. Landed a few that were definitely four-and-a-bit, maybe a bit cheated on the landing, but the feeling was there. The speed, the power, it’s insane when you get even a taste of it.
Where I’m At Now
So, the journey continues. It’s a lot of two steps forward, one step back (sometimes three steps back if I’m being honest). Some days I feel like I’m on the verge of a breakthrough, other days I can barely land my triple. But I’m still out there, chasing it. It’s taught me a lot about patience, resilience, and just how much abuse my body can take!
It’s a crazy goal, for sure. Most people would say, why bother? But for me, it’s about pushing my own limits, seeing what’s possible. And hey, if I ever do nail a clean one, you can bet I’ll be shouting it from the rooftops. Until then, it’s back to the ice, back to the grind. Wish me luck, I’ll need it.
