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How long does it take to go from Pre-Preliminary to Preliminary?
TL;DR
Most skaters take 6–18 months to go from passing Pre-Preliminary to passing Preliminary. The biggest jump in difficulty is adding the Single Loop, Flip, and Lutz to the existing Waltz / Salchow / Toe Loop set, plus the first jump combination.
Pre-Preliminary requires only three jumps — Waltz Jump, Single Salchow, and Single Toe Loop. Preliminary adds:
- Single Loop (back outside edge takeoff, no toe pick)
- Single Flip (back inside edge + toe pick)
- Single Lutz (back outside edge + toe pick, with counter-rotation entry — usually the hardest single jump)
- A jump combination (typically two solo jumps performed back-to-back)
The Lutz is what slows most skaters down. The counter-rotation entry is awkward and a very common error is "Flutzing" — the takeoff edge changes from outside to inside mid-takeoff, which makes it technically a Flip, not a Lutz. Coaches often spend months on edge quality alone before the jump even gets airborne.
Practice volume matters but quality matters more. A skater training 3 sessions/week with strong coaching often moves faster than one training 5 sessions/week with weaker fundamentals.
Doubles and Axel are NOT required at Preliminary — they appear at Juvenile and Intermediate. Don't let your skater (or anyone else) push for them before they're ready.
Want to see whether your child's Lutz takeoff is on the correct outside edge or quietly Flutzing? SkateMarks visualizes the takeoff edge frame by frame so you can spot it before a coach has to.