hi, so is the double axel as long to learn as the single?
I think it depends on your single axel technique. If your technique is perfect, doing a double axel is more a matter of being able to gain enough launching speed and pull your arms and legs closer to your body. However, if the technique was developed solely for a single axel, then there will be some relearning to do. If you're able to do a single axel without pulling your arms too close to your body, then you'd probably get the double in less time.
Of course it depends, but I would expect it to take awhile, yes. I have a student who can do single axels w/ her eyes closed (figuratively), beautiful, high, easy. She's been working on the double for a little over a year. At best, it's close, but cheated. I fully expect her to get it.
just saw this discussion on golden skate:
http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?41605-Lysacek-s-road-to-Sochi-starts-to-get-serious&p=766016&viewfull=1#post766016
post #303 says each extra revolution makes the jump approx. three times as difficult... I imagine it may be the learning time for those who actually manage to learn the harder elements relatively smoothly. if the harder element happens to be the plateau, it will be really difficult to tell.
There's girls at my rink who have been working on the double axel for three or four years. Difference between double and single axel is that most girls will eventually get a single. Few will get a fully rotated and consistent double axel.
so its going to be another long haul. O well. I was hoping it would be like the other doubles. She landed all of them within the year and is consistent on all but double toe loop.
From watching the kids, keeping all the doubles consistent can also be a battle. Growth spurts seem to have a habit of knocking things off course.
I suspect a lot of the double axel problems are down to the growth spurts (and the fact that it is rather difficult to jump high enough to provide enough time to rotate 2.5 times).
I know several teenage girls who have been working on their double axels for 3-5 years after getting all of their other doubles pretty quickly. For the last year or so, they have had what looks to the layperson like a fully rotated double axel, but to get one that is ratified by a technical specialist in competition is a different story. . .