How high should a Pre-Preliminary skater jump?

Great question—and it's one where parents often overthink it! At Pre-Preliminary level, the focus really isn't on height at all. What matters is that your skater is getting airborne with decent control and landing cleanly.

Most Pre-Preliminary skaters clear maybe 6–12 inches off the ice, which sounds modest but is actually plenty at this stage. The real goal is building solid technique: a strong takeoff, stable rotation in the air, and a secure landing on the back outside edge. Height naturally increases as they develop stronger edges, better core stability, and more confidence—usually around Preliminary and beyond.

What I see with younger skaters is that parents sometimes encourage them to "jump higher," but that can actually lead to sloppy technique. A lower, technically clean jump is worth infinitely more than a high, wobbly one. Your skater's coach is watching for the quality of their takeoff and landing, not the centimeters.

The sweet spot right now is consistency. Can they repeat the same jump multiple times in a row with the same approach and landing? That's the real benchmark.

Want to see this in your child's skating? SkateMarks analyzes every jump with per-second AI coaching notes.