Since Olympic-qualifying, competitive figure skaters have such a brief career, (after 20-25 years old most skaters generally retire), they move on to other professions such as coaching, TV sports analysts, actors, or totally different fields and degrees. Famous gold medal skaters will often have cameos or even larger roles in ice skating movies. In 1937, Sonja Henie appeared in the film Thin Ice. Another movie, Ice Angel (2000), had two Olympic stars in it, Tara Lipinski and Nancy Kerrigan.
Some other movies about figure skating are The Cutting Edge (1992), The Cutting Edge 2: Going for the Gold, The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream, The Cutting Edge 4: Fire and Ice, Ice Princess, Ice Castles, Ice Angel, Go Figure, and Blades of Glory. Often movies exaggerate the figure skating techniques or aren't truthful about how many years of training it takes to learn figure skating. But they can still be fun to watch.
In 2016, figure skating experienced a growth in popularity in Japan and the USA thanks to the popular anime Yuri on Ice. A second season of Yuri on Ice is still waiting to be confirmed.
Some other movies about figure skating are The Cutting Edge (1992), The Cutting Edge 2: Going for the Gold, The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream, The Cutting Edge 4: Fire and Ice, Ice Princess, Ice Castles, Ice Angel, Go Figure, and Blades of Glory. Often movies exaggerate the figure skating techniques or aren't truthful about how many years of training it takes to learn figure skating. But they can still be fun to watch.
In 2016, figure skating experienced a growth in popularity in Japan and the USA thanks to the popular anime Yuri on Ice. A second season of Yuri on Ice is still waiting to be confirmed.
The Rules of fashion on the Ice
Figure skating is known for its sparkling, gemstone-encrusted, over-the-top and sometimes crazy costumes. But there are actually some costume rules.
In general, costumes must meet the following requirements:
In general, costumes must meet the following requirements:
The clothing of the competitors must be modest, dignified and appropriate for athletic competition, not garish or theatrical in design. Clothing may, however, reflect the character of the music chosen.
Costumes must also avoid the appearance of excessive nudity. Across all disciplines, men must wear pants, no tights are permitted. In singles and pairs, women can wear skirts, tights, or pants. This wasn't always the case. In 1988, Katarina Witt wore a costume that was more feathers than skirt, so a rule was passed saying "a skirt must cover the hips and posterior". The rules are stricter in ice dancing, where a woman must wear a skirt that goes around her entire waist.
Why are the rules more strict in ice dancing? It's probably because certain people tried to get away with certain risqué costumes in ice dancing back in the 90's and early 2000s, so that caused a reaction to change the rules and make sure everyone is appropriately covered up. Costume deductions are taken if a majority of the judging panel feels the outfit is garish. But it doesn't happen often. Usually, skaters work really hard to avoid deductions, so they aren't likely to take any risks in the costume department. Costumes aren't cheap. Olympic costumes can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 per outfit and are sometimes designed by famous designers. Vera Wang has dressed Michelle Kwan, Nancy Kerrigan, and Evan Lysacek. Christian Lacroix designed an outfit for Surya Bonaly at the 1992 Olympics. Why do skaters wear tights? Tights aren't required, but many skaters wear them to stay warm and protect them from the ice during falls. Over-the-boot type tights can also hide scuffed up ice skate boots. Then the skater doesn't have to worry about polishing their boots for aesthetic reasons. Costumes for ice competitions used be very simple and were usually homemade. But in the 1970's and 1980's, the era of sequins, puffy sleeves, and oodles of rhinestones began. Sonja Henie introduced white figure skates. Before that, female figure skaters actually wore black skates! Henie introduced the idea that female skaters should wear white skates and short skating dresses. There is no difference between black skates and white skates, it is simply traditional for men to wear black and women to wear white. In USFSA competitions, women are required to wear white skates and men are required to wear black skates, but you are completely free to wear whatever you want outside of competitions. |
More info on figure skating fashion:
What Do Skaters Wear Beneath Their Outfits?
19 Fascinating Things You Didn't Know About Figure Skating Costumes
10 Things That Can Spoil the Look in Figure Skating
A Complete Guide to Figure Skating Tights
What Do Skaters Wear Beneath Their Outfits?
19 Fascinating Things You Didn't Know About Figure Skating Costumes
10 Things That Can Spoil the Look in Figure Skating
A Complete Guide to Figure Skating Tights
Ice Rink rules and etiquette
Public sessions:
1. No person is permitted on the ice without skates.
2. No eating or drinking is permitted on the ice or in the rest area at the boards.
3. Skaters are not allowed to walk with skates on areas not covered by rubber matting.
4. No excessive horseplay on the ice like games of tag, chain skating, throwing snowballs or other objects, racing, or intentionally sliding.
5. Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other skaters.
6. While on the ice, keep moving. Don't stop where you can obstruct other skaters, and don't skate or stand around in groups.
7. People ahead of you have the right-of-way. It is your responsibility to avoid hitting them or disrupting them.
8. Keep exits clear. Before getting on the ice, look for oncoming skaters. Do not sit on top of the boards in the resting area.
9. Don't carry children or other items on the ice. And don't litter the ice with trash.
10. Figure skaters on public ice are there to practice, not give you private lessons. Avoid pestering them with questions. If you want to learn something, go pay for private lessons for yourself. (Remember what I said in Lesson 2 about learning from random people being a really bad idea because they are not a certified coach, they don't have liability insurance, etc.)
11. Don't follow figure skaters around. You risk injury to yourself or the figure skater if you get in the way of a jump or spin by staying too close.
12. Figure skaters: Be aware and be patient on public ice. This is why freestyle sessions are recommended. Because the general public makes it difficult to practice safely.
Freestyle session Etiquette:
1. A freestyle session is for figure skaters only. Usually, you must be in at least freestyle level 1 to be able to skate. It is not for beginners!
2. No stopping or standing on the ice. If you need to rest, rest close to the rails or step off the ice.
3. Parents are not allowed to coach students on the ice or from the boards during freestyle sessions. Only coaches are allowed to teach on freestyle sessions.
4. Freestyle sessions are meant for serious figure skating training, so playing or socializing is not permitted. Only a limited amount of talking should take place among skaters in freestyle sessions.
5. Skating with headphones or music devices is not permitted.
6. Everyone on the session must watch out for the skater who is skating her program since that skater has the right of way. The skater whose music is currently playing has the right of way.
7. The corners of the rink are where figure skaters practice lutz jumps. For safety reasons, stay out of these "Lutz corners" unless you are practicing Lutz jumps. Spins should not be practiced in those corners, except when a skater is doing her program.
8. Be aware of what is going on around you at all times. Before attempting a jump or spin, make sure the area is clear. Be polite and try to stay out of other skaters' way if possible.
9. Proper figure skating clothes must be worn on freestyle sessions.
10. Freestyle sessions are usually 45-60 minutes in length. Skaters must exist the ice immediately after a session ends.
11. If you are a less experienced skater, please be extra careful to stay aware of other skaters.
12. If you are an experienced skater, please be patient with the less experienced skaters.
13. Skaters having a private lesson have the right of way over general skaters in the session.
14. Skaters on the harness also have the right of way. Please avoid the harness area when it is being used.
15. No back spirals or other elements that do not allow you to look behind you unless you are working with a coach.
16. Don't try to hog a particular spot or circle on the ice. Move on to a different element or location, don't stay in the same place the entire time.
17. Practice jumps at the ends of the ice rink and practice spins in the center of the ice rink.
18. Parents and other skaters should not interrupt coaches while lessons are in progress.
19. Do not sit or lie on the ice. Get up as quickly as possible after falling. If someone cannot get up right away, have someone stand "guard" over them to make sure other skaters avoid running over them.
20. Always look behind you when skating backwards.
Reserved Freestyle Sessions:
Many rinks have "reserved" freestyle practice sessions. It depends on the rink who these sessions are reserved for. At top-notch rinks, certain sessions will be reserved for senior-level skaters only, aka only skaters who can do double and triple jumps and have passed the official tests for it.
Smaller rinks will have reserved sessions for skaters who have passed Freestyle levels 1-2, in order to keep inexperienced people who are still in Basic Skate classes off the ice for that session.
Check the rink's website or ask someone before stepping onto a session you may not have the qualifications for.
This is done so high level skaters practicing more advanced and dangerous moves don't have to worry about an inexperienced skater getting in the way and causing an accident.
Freestyle sessions are also sometimes reserved for only Ice Dancing, Moves in the Field, or Pair Skating. If you're not practicing elements from these disciplines, then you're not allowed in the session.
1. No person is permitted on the ice without skates.
2. No eating or drinking is permitted on the ice or in the rest area at the boards.
3. Skaters are not allowed to walk with skates on areas not covered by rubber matting.
4. No excessive horseplay on the ice like games of tag, chain skating, throwing snowballs or other objects, racing, or intentionally sliding.
5. Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other skaters.
6. While on the ice, keep moving. Don't stop where you can obstruct other skaters, and don't skate or stand around in groups.
7. People ahead of you have the right-of-way. It is your responsibility to avoid hitting them or disrupting them.
8. Keep exits clear. Before getting on the ice, look for oncoming skaters. Do not sit on top of the boards in the resting area.
9. Don't carry children or other items on the ice. And don't litter the ice with trash.
10. Figure skaters on public ice are there to practice, not give you private lessons. Avoid pestering them with questions. If you want to learn something, go pay for private lessons for yourself. (Remember what I said in Lesson 2 about learning from random people being a really bad idea because they are not a certified coach, they don't have liability insurance, etc.)
11. Don't follow figure skaters around. You risk injury to yourself or the figure skater if you get in the way of a jump or spin by staying too close.
12. Figure skaters: Be aware and be patient on public ice. This is why freestyle sessions are recommended. Because the general public makes it difficult to practice safely.
Freestyle session Etiquette:
1. A freestyle session is for figure skaters only. Usually, you must be in at least freestyle level 1 to be able to skate. It is not for beginners!
2. No stopping or standing on the ice. If you need to rest, rest close to the rails or step off the ice.
3. Parents are not allowed to coach students on the ice or from the boards during freestyle sessions. Only coaches are allowed to teach on freestyle sessions.
4. Freestyle sessions are meant for serious figure skating training, so playing or socializing is not permitted. Only a limited amount of talking should take place among skaters in freestyle sessions.
5. Skating with headphones or music devices is not permitted.
6. Everyone on the session must watch out for the skater who is skating her program since that skater has the right of way. The skater whose music is currently playing has the right of way.
7. The corners of the rink are where figure skaters practice lutz jumps. For safety reasons, stay out of these "Lutz corners" unless you are practicing Lutz jumps. Spins should not be practiced in those corners, except when a skater is doing her program.
8. Be aware of what is going on around you at all times. Before attempting a jump or spin, make sure the area is clear. Be polite and try to stay out of other skaters' way if possible.
9. Proper figure skating clothes must be worn on freestyle sessions.
10. Freestyle sessions are usually 45-60 minutes in length. Skaters must exist the ice immediately after a session ends.
11. If you are a less experienced skater, please be extra careful to stay aware of other skaters.
12. If you are an experienced skater, please be patient with the less experienced skaters.
13. Skaters having a private lesson have the right of way over general skaters in the session.
14. Skaters on the harness also have the right of way. Please avoid the harness area when it is being used.
15. No back spirals or other elements that do not allow you to look behind you unless you are working with a coach.
16. Don't try to hog a particular spot or circle on the ice. Move on to a different element or location, don't stay in the same place the entire time.
17. Practice jumps at the ends of the ice rink and practice spins in the center of the ice rink.
18. Parents and other skaters should not interrupt coaches while lessons are in progress.
19. Do not sit or lie on the ice. Get up as quickly as possible after falling. If someone cannot get up right away, have someone stand "guard" over them to make sure other skaters avoid running over them.
20. Always look behind you when skating backwards.
Reserved Freestyle Sessions:
Many rinks have "reserved" freestyle practice sessions. It depends on the rink who these sessions are reserved for. At top-notch rinks, certain sessions will be reserved for senior-level skaters only, aka only skaters who can do double and triple jumps and have passed the official tests for it.
Smaller rinks will have reserved sessions for skaters who have passed Freestyle levels 1-2, in order to keep inexperienced people who are still in Basic Skate classes off the ice for that session.
Check the rink's website or ask someone before stepping onto a session you may not have the qualifications for.
This is done so high level skaters practicing more advanced and dangerous moves don't have to worry about an inexperienced skater getting in the way and causing an accident.
Freestyle sessions are also sometimes reserved for only Ice Dancing, Moves in the Field, or Pair Skating. If you're not practicing elements from these disciplines, then you're not allowed in the session.
Ice Rink culture, Club culture, and Name-brand Products
Ice Rink Culture:
1. Most ice rink guards during public sessions do a very poor job of enforcing the rules. This is irritating, but very typical and you get used to it.
2. Most employees manning the cash register or rental skate area have very little knowledge about ice skating in general, it's just a summer job for them. Direct your figure skating questions and concerns to coaches.
3. Hockey players will try to run over EVERYONE during public sessions. Watch your back at all times. Never trust a hockey player to look behind them when skating backwards or avoid you during a jump or spin or anything. They really don't care at all. They are taught to tackle people to the ground at all costs.
4. You'll quickly find out the most dangerous skaters on the ice are usually young children (figure skaters, hockey, and normal skaters). Young children in general will fail to look behind themselves when skating backwards, will fail to notice their surroundings, and will fail to notice you are in the middle of a jump or spin. They will run into you and it's likely you who will be hurt, not them. There are also always a few extremely rude and reckless teenagers (usually hockey players or normal skaters), but it's mostly oblivious young children you have to watch out for. Young children are so short it can be difficult to see them, especially if they are directly behind you.
Figure skating club culture:
1. Hopefully your local rink has an ISI or USFSA club. Even if you don't want to join the club, you can still take lessons from certified coaches.
2. Join the club if you want to take the official tests or compete or wear the club jacket around and feel cool! haha!
3. In general, the kids and parents should be easy to get along with if you're polite. But these are usually wealthy parents spending a lot of money on their young children. They take training and tests seriously.
4. Because of wealthy parents, young kids will have all kinds of name-brand products to show off, regardless if they skate well or not.
5. Older skaters will respect you for your skating skills, not whether or not you have a bunch of name-brand products.
6. Most of all, make sure you are always skating for your own pleasure and not because of what someone else thinks. If you skate because you enjoy it, then it doesn't matter what skill level you are, what tests you've passed, how much money you have, etc.
7. If you're not a little kid or a teenager, you probably shouldn't buy the name-brand products anyway. It looks silly on adult skaters.
1. Most ice rink guards during public sessions do a very poor job of enforcing the rules. This is irritating, but very typical and you get used to it.
2. Most employees manning the cash register or rental skate area have very little knowledge about ice skating in general, it's just a summer job for them. Direct your figure skating questions and concerns to coaches.
3. Hockey players will try to run over EVERYONE during public sessions. Watch your back at all times. Never trust a hockey player to look behind them when skating backwards or avoid you during a jump or spin or anything. They really don't care at all. They are taught to tackle people to the ground at all costs.
4. You'll quickly find out the most dangerous skaters on the ice are usually young children (figure skaters, hockey, and normal skaters). Young children in general will fail to look behind themselves when skating backwards, will fail to notice their surroundings, and will fail to notice you are in the middle of a jump or spin. They will run into you and it's likely you who will be hurt, not them. There are also always a few extremely rude and reckless teenagers (usually hockey players or normal skaters), but it's mostly oblivious young children you have to watch out for. Young children are so short it can be difficult to see them, especially if they are directly behind you.
Figure skating club culture:
1. Hopefully your local rink has an ISI or USFSA club. Even if you don't want to join the club, you can still take lessons from certified coaches.
2. Join the club if you want to take the official tests or compete or wear the club jacket around and feel cool! haha!
3. In general, the kids and parents should be easy to get along with if you're polite. But these are usually wealthy parents spending a lot of money on their young children. They take training and tests seriously.
4. Because of wealthy parents, young kids will have all kinds of name-brand products to show off, regardless if they skate well or not.
5. Older skaters will respect you for your skating skills, not whether or not you have a bunch of name-brand products.
6. Most of all, make sure you are always skating for your own pleasure and not because of what someone else thinks. If you skate because you enjoy it, then it doesn't matter what skill level you are, what tests you've passed, how much money you have, etc.
7. If you're not a little kid or a teenager, you probably shouldn't buy the name-brand products anyway. It looks silly on adult skaters.
What makes a good figure skater?
1. Perseverance and patience. Training and getting better takes time and commitment. That means going to practice sessions as often as possible and striving to improve each week before your next lesson. It takes years of hard work and training to become really good.
2. Being a good "visual" learner. Studying youtube videos and studying my coach's movements is what helps me figure out how to learn a new move.
3. Being a good listener and note-taker. After every lesson with my coach and practice session, I write down what I learned. This way I don't forget anything my coach told me since I can just reread my notes. Or if I discover a small position change helped me skate better, I write down what I changed so I can remember to continue doing it in the next practice session!
4. Improving your flexibility. Stretch every day. This will slowly increase your flexibility.
5. Improving your strength and fat-to-muscle ratio. Figure skating is a sport, which means the better shape your body is in, the easier it is to perform. In particular, figure skating strongly favors skinny people and short people. However, being tall won't stop you. I myself am 5'9 and one of my more advanced friends is 5'10. So it's totally possible to do it as a tall person, even if it favors short peoples' lower center of gravity. However, being skinny and having excellent fat-to-muscle ratio is essential in the higher levels. Look at Olympic skaters. They are skinny, but strong as hell. Underneath those dainty dresses are rippling muscles. The higher you climb in the levels, the more essential an athletic body will become. The more body weight you have to lug up into the air, the harder single or double jumps will be. So get on that diet and exercise plan and start losing the extra weight before you reach those advanced levels. It's totally possible. I went vegan 5 years ago, dropped all of my excess weight in just a year thru diet alone, and have kept it off since then. I don't care how slow your metabolism supposedly is, eating healthy works. It's the only thing that works.
6. Have self-confidence and (maybe suicidal tendencies? JOKE!) You will fall a lot, or you will fall rarely but when you do, it really shakes your self-confidence. You have to have the self-confidence to shake off the falls and the potential injuries. While you don't want to be utterly reckless, being afraid won't help you. You must BELIEVE you can land the jump before it can actually happen.
2. Being a good "visual" learner. Studying youtube videos and studying my coach's movements is what helps me figure out how to learn a new move.
3. Being a good listener and note-taker. After every lesson with my coach and practice session, I write down what I learned. This way I don't forget anything my coach told me since I can just reread my notes. Or if I discover a small position change helped me skate better, I write down what I changed so I can remember to continue doing it in the next practice session!
4. Improving your flexibility. Stretch every day. This will slowly increase your flexibility.
5. Improving your strength and fat-to-muscle ratio. Figure skating is a sport, which means the better shape your body is in, the easier it is to perform. In particular, figure skating strongly favors skinny people and short people. However, being tall won't stop you. I myself am 5'9 and one of my more advanced friends is 5'10. So it's totally possible to do it as a tall person, even if it favors short peoples' lower center of gravity. However, being skinny and having excellent fat-to-muscle ratio is essential in the higher levels. Look at Olympic skaters. They are skinny, but strong as hell. Underneath those dainty dresses are rippling muscles. The higher you climb in the levels, the more essential an athletic body will become. The more body weight you have to lug up into the air, the harder single or double jumps will be. So get on that diet and exercise plan and start losing the extra weight before you reach those advanced levels. It's totally possible. I went vegan 5 years ago, dropped all of my excess weight in just a year thru diet alone, and have kept it off since then. I don't care how slow your metabolism supposedly is, eating healthy works. It's the only thing that works.
6. Have self-confidence and (maybe suicidal tendencies? JOKE!) You will fall a lot, or you will fall rarely but when you do, it really shakes your self-confidence. You have to have the self-confidence to shake off the falls and the potential injuries. While you don't want to be utterly reckless, being afraid won't help you. You must BELIEVE you can land the jump before it can actually happen.
How to lose weight the healthy way:
https://hclfvegan.neocities.org/ -- My HCLF Vegan Eating Guide based on 80lbs weight loss in one year without exercise, and 5 years of maintaining my weight since then.
HCLF Vegan Evidence -- See the massive list of evidence for why HCLF whole foods vegan is the healthiest diet on the planet and it works for EVERYONE.
My HCLF Vegan Meal Plan -- This is my simplified list of what you should eat to lose weight as quickly as possible.
https://hclfvegan.neocities.org/ -- My HCLF Vegan Eating Guide based on 80lbs weight loss in one year without exercise, and 5 years of maintaining my weight since then.
HCLF Vegan Evidence -- See the massive list of evidence for why HCLF whole foods vegan is the healthiest diet on the planet and it works for EVERYONE.
My HCLF Vegan Meal Plan -- This is my simplified list of what you should eat to lose weight as quickly as possible.