After the Applause: What happened to our top Figure Skaters

What happens to our believed figure skaters when the applause stops, and the endorsement money does not flow like it used to?  Trouble! It seems to find many top skaters now that they have unlaced their skates.  We have all heard of the Tonya Harding scandal of the early 1990's, that shocked the skating world; barring Harding from ever being part of a USFSA skating event as a skater or a coach.  This was for her role in the Nancy Kerrigan attack.  Now, with Nicole Bobek a former top skater arrested for allegedly being part of a drug distribution ring making headlines, what drives these former Olympians to do such horrible things.  

The main reason for these former top skaters to loose control of their lives is that they were dedicated competitors and skaters from an early age.  Spending most of their time at rinks, these children really did not get the chance to be kids.  figure Skating training takes hours of lessons, and hours away from home.  many children find it hard to continue with school because of the demanding schedule.  a tutor is often hired to get  the child athlete through high school.  Skaters like Nicole Bobek have skated from the time they were young.  She rose to fame as US champion in 1995.  Since then she had almost never been in the news until July 2009 when she was arrested. 

because of this these kids never grew up.  Skating is all they know, and without a proper education they find themselves getting into trouble.    

Learning to Skate

So, you have made the decision to learn to skate but your afraid of falling. Please don't be! Skating is not as dangerous as some may think. All it takes is balance, and patience. When you first step onto the ice you can get a bit nervous but with a couple of tips you will be just fine. The first thing to remember is to tie your skates, and tie them tight. They should be around a size smaller than your shoes. Start from the toe and pull tightly all the way up making sure that you hook the laces right by the ankles. By doing this you will have the support that your whole body needs on the ice. The next step is getting on the ice. This is the part that most people get into a panic over. Take your first step on the ice and bend your knees. Bending your knees keeps you balanced and if you do fall it will not hurt as bad with bent knees.

Once you've taken a couple of small marching steps you are ready to learn to stop. You can do this by putting your feet together, then pushing them out horizontally, your goal is to make snow. Remember, bend your knees for this and you won't fall down. Skating is a great sport to learn, and with some practice you too can skate like a pro.

this weekend the synchronized skating training festival was held in Newark, Delaware.  There were approximately 175 coaches and skaters that attended the four day training festival.  While they were there they learned about some new topics such as transition and choreography, and teaching technique in elements and features.  The attendees were also treated to an exhibition performance at the end of the festival. 

In Yonkers we have our own synchronized skating team.  They represent the Yonkers Figure Skating club:  http://www.teamimagesynchro.com/

This year marks the 50Th anniversary of the ice skating institute or the ISI. in their brief existence the ISI has managed to get thousands turned onto the sport of figure skating. To celebrate their 50Th anniversary the ISI held their annual conference and trade show this year in Disney world, Orlando Florida. Guests were treated to behind the scenes tours,as well as a number of on and off ice sessions. In their history the ISI has become a key player in the sport of figure skating. Aside from the trade show the ISI is holding their annual "ISI World Recreational Team Championships". This years event will be held from July 27 through August 1, 2009 in San Jose, California. (skateisi.com)

The ISI World Recreational Team Championships allows skater from all over to compete in one place. This year's competition is no different. Held in July, the competition has a number of events ranging from beginner to advanced, and even has synchronized skating teams competing as well. In this competition skaters are asked to perform the maneuvers specified in their level. The skater are divided into "flights" by their ISI skating level and also their age. By doing this each competitor has an equal chance to shine.

Last month there was big news from the USFSA. The grand prix series line up was announced. As per www.usfigureskating.org the grand prix series will be a worldwide event, with events being held in Paris, Moscow, and Lake Placid just to name a few. There will be 6 events, with each being held in a different country. Some of the more notable skaters that will be appearing are Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen,and fellow Olympians Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. The Grand Prix series marks the first string of major competitions for the up coming skating season.

Presently, this is a great time for the sport. more and more skaters are pushing the envelope in terms of technique, and special moves. While we are all still excited to see great moves such as Scott Hamilton's signature back flip, or Brian Boitano's signature triple lutz with one arm raised, we want even more daring maneuvers from our skaters. Skaters and viewers alike want the bar to be raised. Today, quads are what we want to see and what many skaters are trying to achieve. The stakes will be high this year because as we move closer to Vancouver 2010 every competition counts.

If you would are interested in figure skating then this is the blog for you. I personally have been skating since the age of four and I've grown up in an ice skating rink. Like many skaters I consider the rink to be my second home. Over the years I've spent many hours on and off the ice, so when i turned 18 I decided that it was my turn to extend my knowledge of the sport to a new skaters.

As i began my teaching career i soon realized that it was much different than I originally anticipated. Even though i had been a skater for many years teaching the sport was much more complicated. I had to keep up with new rules and techniques. I started to heavily research the sport, and kept myself up to date on skating news.

In the skating world we have seen the rise in popularity of synchronized skating. Take for example Team Image from the Yonkers Figure Skating club in Yonkers, NY. This team originally started out with only a few members in 1988, and this year won the national title. This was their first national win. It was an impressive moment.

In the US there are 2 major figure skating companies. Ice Skating Institute or ISI, has traditionally been used in recreational rinks across the US since 1959 (skateisi.com). The ISI system is great for children and parents to learn and understand the sport. ISI is used locally for example at the EJ Murrays skating center in Yonkers. Whatmost of us watch on TV put on by United States Figure Skating Association or USFSA. The USFSA organization "is the official governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States" (www.usfigureskating.org), for example the world championships, and Skate America are both run by the USFSA.