Second lift - Notre Dame at Worlds 2013

What's her arm doing? Is that a position or is it like when a little kid is balancing on a wall for the first time and just waves her arms around to keep balance? Or when someone has to climb and there's nothing to hang onto so they sort of swing their arms and jerk them to help themselves up? Here Meryl is definitely hanging onto Charlie and he's got a sound grip on her leg above the knee for maximum leverage, and still, that left arm is rockin out there on its own, not doing anything you can call a line or anything on purpose for that matter.

I feel like she should be able to do something else with her free arm. Charlie's left arm, right arm and chest are all around her to brace against so she can push up, so how about neatening up the arm, Meryl?

 Did she just notice somebody in the audience? Is she going to tie her bootlace? Why isn't she up already? Why so many different degrees of crouch, grip and brace?

Geez.

Meryl, tuck your butt under yourself. It would help. But I think the butt is jutting because she has to crouch and be all twisted in order to keep her arm around Charlie's neck until Charlie switches the arm that's bracing her leg. This technique is so smooth and efficient, the aesthetically pleasing position is just a bonus.

We're up. It looks like Meryl is going to get into position and then let go of Charlie, Unlike Tessa who puts a mere hand on Scott's shoulder as she rotates from standing on air to placing her skate on Scott's thigh. Still, Tessa removes that hand before she arches backwards. And Scott's hand and arm don't have to lock Tessa against his chest the full length of her leg.

Okay Meryl, let go. Charlie's arm isn't just steadying your leg above the knee - he's moved next door to your ass. That's stable enough. Hands free now.

 When Tessa does this, not only is she in the opposite direction, away from Scott's core, but her oversway is much, much deeper, into her hips.

 Here, Meryl is pretty much a straight line from her foot to her waist.

Alright gonna get down. And for real her leg has been lashed to Charlie's chest. The full length of it.

Okay.

Oh, so she can't keep her own leg up on the descent? Or is that to control the leg so she doesn't splat?

And her arm is back around Charlie's neck. Come on kids, have some pride.

If this is what it takes, why jump down at all? It's not even a jump. Why not step down onto the edge? They CHOOSE this.

Just let them get their bearings and they'll stop leaning for support and do something super cool directly after this, capped in the next post.

Can't she rotate out of it somehow - turn or flip or reverse supported cartwheel.  Does the whole thing have to open up with everything splayed and Charlie hanging onto extremities and Meryl having Charlie in a headlock?