Toe Loop Jump - Toe Loop History

Toe Loop History

The toe loop was invented in the 1920s by Bruce Mapes, an American professional show skater.

Toe loops can be done as singles (one revolution is completed in the air), doubles, triples, and even quadruples. Thomas Litz was the first skater to land a triple toe loop, which he accomplished at the 1964 World Figure Skating Championships; Grzegorz Filipowski of Poland was the first skater to perform a triple-triple toe loop combination in competition - 1980. Jozef Sabovcik of Czechoslovakia landed a quadruple toe loop at the 1986 European Championships which was recognized at the event but then ruled invalid three weeks later due to a touchdown with his free foot. At the 1988 World Championships, Kurt Browning of Canada landed the first quad toe loop which has remained ratified.

Today, many elite-level male skaters perform quadruple toe loops as a regular part of their repertoire, but as of yet, no female skater has been credited with landing one successfully in competition. French skater Surya Bonaly made numerous attempts to land a quadruple toe loop in her career, but the judges deemed her attempts as over-rotated triple jumps instead.