Charlotte (figure skating)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The charlotte, pronounced 'shar-LOT', also known as the candle stick, is a figure skating spiral move. The skater bends forward and glides on one leg with the other one lifted into the air. The difference between a charlotte and a regular spiral is the position of the upper body; during a typical spiral, the skater's torso is upright, but during the charlotte, the skater's torso is as close to the grounded foot as possible. When performed well, the skater's legs are almost in a straight split position. The charlotte requires great flexibility and balance.
A charlotte can be performed either forward or backward. The rarely-performed forward Charlotte is more difficult--the skater risks tripping over the toe pick and falling on her head.
The charlotte is named for German skater Charlotte Oelschlagel, who first performed the move in the early 1900s.
The position is almost never been performed by men, notable exceptions being Rohene Ward and a few others.
