Glossary of Figure Skating Terms - P

P

Pair lift

Type of lift where the lifter raises his arms above his shoulders.

Pair spin

A spin in which two skaters rotate around a single axis while holding on to each other.

Pair skating

A skating discipline in which a partnership, typically composed of a male and female skater, performs overhead lifts, twist lifts, throw jumps, side-by-side spins and jumps. A partnership composed of two men or two women skating together is called a similar pair.

Pancake spin

A sit spin that has the leg tucked over the other and the upper body is bent over the leg.

Pattern dance

Since 2010, the official name of the compulsory dance.

Personal best (PB)

The highest score a skater has earned in ISU competition. Scores from national championships do not count as personal bests.

Pivot

A two-footed movement in which one foot is flexed and the toe picks are inserted into the ice as a pivot point, and the other foot travels around the pivot point, such as the movement of a drafting compass.

Popping (a jump)

During a jump, when a skater prematurely abandons their tight rotational position ("opens up") in mid-air, resulting in fewer than the desired rotations.

Positional jump

A jump for the purpose of displaying a position, such as stag jumps and split jumps.

Presentation

The second set of scores in the old 6.0 judging system, also known as "Artistic Impression".

Press lift

A type of hand-to-hand pair lift.

Professional

Skaters who are not eligible to compete in ISU events. See: Ineligible.

Program

Skating elements set to music performed by a skater in a defined length of time. All senior-level disciplines currently skate two programs in most ISU events. Before the 2010/11 season, ice dancers performed three or four programs.