Skating figure is a term used to describe a figure skater, who is an athlete that performs on ice with the use of ice skates. The term can also refer to a type of figure skating move, such as the EIGHT and the axel. The EIGHT is a figure skating move where the skater moves in a figure EIGHT pattern on the ice, while the axel is a jump where the skater takes off from the back outside edge of one foot and lands on the back outside edge of the other foot.