In this video, a skater demonstrates the biellmann spin, which is categorized as an “upright biellmann” variation — one of the three difficult variations of upright spins.
Difficult Entrance (0:00 – 0:03)
This skater begins with a difficult entrance, incorporating a twizzle (0:00 – 0:01 in the recording), a backward power pull with her arms above her head (0:01 – 0:02), and a backward outside counter turn (0:02 – 0:03) before initiating her spin. To begin her spin, she performs a windmill, also known as an illusion, reaching downward with her right arm while kicking her right leg upward so her legs are close to the split position of at least 135 degrees.
Upright Layback Spin and Haircutter Spin (0:05 – 0:10)
Next, she transitions into the upright layback spin with her back arched as her head and shoulders lean backward. Her skating knee is straight and her hips are pressed forward. She holds the position for about eight rotations, from 0:05 to 0:08 in the recording. The skater then grasps the back end of her free foot blade with her right hand, and pulls her wrist beside her head for three rotations in the haircutter position.
Biellmann Position (0:11 – 0:14)
Lastly, she performs the biellmann position by pulling her free leg above her head and reaching up with her left arm to grasp the blade with both hands. She maintains her straight skating knee and her hips pressed forward throughout the spin. To increase her speed, the skater pulls her foot close to her head during the haircutter, before adding her left arm and pulling it up into the biellmann position.
An important aspect of this spin is how the skater brings her free side around counterclockwise during her entry, so that she is balanced over her skating side. If the skater’s free side droops loosely to the right, their center of mass will not be as balanced over the outer edge of the spinning foot, resulting in a spin that sinks to the inside edge of the skating blade and travels away from its starting location.
Finally, when she has completed the biellmann spin, the skater releases her free leg and pushes into an exit position.
