Spin specialist Kim Ryan works with a skater on the forward sit spin to camel spin transition. When done well, this transition remains balanced and spinning, with the free leg bending as it is brought up and back. This bending of the free leg helps keep the spin speed up while getting the free knee at or above the height of the free hip to ensure credit for the camel position.
After the skater performs one spin, Kim makes a comment about stretching the free leg rather than bending it on the sit spin entry (“on the entry itself”). Unfortunately it looks like the skater misunderstands, and thinks Kim wants a straight leg initially in the camel spin. So the free leg is incorrect on the second attempt, but Kim is more focused on the arms which need to stay in front and together on the initial transition from the sit to the camel. She also encourages the skater to embrace making this spin faster overall (a faster sit spin and maintain speed into camel).
Again the skater keeps the free leg straight on the transition so Kim switches to working on the positions and transitions while gliding forward on the hockey circle. This clears up the confusion. Kim has the skater simulate the sit spin with a “happy sit” which is just a sit spin without dropping all the way down. She then clarifies the free leg movement, including when the free leg bends and where it goes. Kim wants the skater to go from palms down in the sit spin to palms up into the camel, and especially as the arms open from the clasp position in front to the bend leg camel position. On the next attempt, the skater pulls the body up abruptly rather than keeping it down for the camel. Kim says, “When you go to open, don’t stand up.”
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