Figure Skating

Figure Skating's competition structure encompasses the following events covering all disciplines offered within this structure: Singles, pairs and dance

. The International Skating Union (ISU) regulates international figure skating judging and competitions. In languages other than English, figure skating is usually referred to by a name that translates as "artistic skating". Like ice hockey, figure skating is most popular in regions where natural ice is present.

Figure skating in popular culture.

As a sport, the Ice Skating was made popular by two great skaters like Jackson Haines of America in the decades of 60`s and 70`s of the 19th century and Norway`s Sonja Henie popularized the Figure Skating during the decades of 1920s and 1930s. 

In 1937, Sonja Henie appeared in the film Thin Ice. In the 1920s and 1930s, Sonja Henie dominated figure skating. Sonja turned competitive success into a lucrative professional career as a movie star and touring skater

Only later, after champions such as Sonja Henie had gained their reputations through these carnivals, did they turn professional and inaugurate the professional shows that have developed into the multimillion-dollar businesses they are today.  Among this year's contestants there were none who could hold a candle toSonja Henie (ten times world's champion), Karl Schäfer (seven timesworld's champion), nor even Megan Taylor (current world's champion).

. Ice skating fans can enjoy some of the excitement of the figure skating that took place at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver since the Stars on Ice show is touring through many cities in the USA. There are "queens and princesses of the ice" who have left their mark on the figure skating world.

Figure Skating History

People used skates as a way of crossing frozen lakes and rivers in the winter. The most ancient skates were made from the leg bones of big animals. Skates were found in the countries like Russia, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. There were holes bored at each end of the bone and the people at that time used the leather straps to tie the skates on.

The Dutch people at that time used the skates made of animal bones as their footwear and glided across the frozen lakes and rivers at the time of Winter.  They used to call these skates, as "Schenkel" in Dutch that means, "Leg bone" After that, the Dutch started using wooden platform skates with flat iron bottom runners around the 14th Century.

A Scotsman invented a pair of all-iron skates in the year of 1592

Jackson Haines, credited with being the father of figure skating, created many new skating moves including the sit spin and, because the strap-on skates of that day proved inadequate for his extraordinary needs, he invented a revolutionary new blade which was solidly affixed to the boot with screws and had a toe pick at the front to aid his jumping and spinning.

He met Axel Paulsen in Oslo, and encouraged him to adapt his revolution-type jump from racing skates to figure skates.; After a few falls, Axel conceived of adding a pick or rake to the front of the figure skates.; After that pick was welded to his figure skates, he could land backwards easily.

In Vienna, he premiered his adaptation of the waltz on skates, and they believed that he must be Viennese; and of course, it was helped by his small orchestra. When Axel competed in a Vienna "meeting" in 1882, an Englishman named Henry Bosworth observed the new pick, and took that invention back to England, where he manufactured several pairs of ice skates, which he quickly sold. He also screwed his figure skates directly onto his boots, which added stability and allowed him to do more athletic leaps and jumps.

 Figure skates differ from hockey skates most visibly in having a set of large, jagged teeth called toe picks (also called "toe rakes") on the front of the blade.

Soft blade covers called soakers are used to absorb condensation and protect the blades from rust when the skates are not being worn. Hard plastic skate guards are used when the skater must walk in his or her skates when not on the ice.

Figure skates have come a long way since the time Jackson Haines took to the ice.

Ice Dancing

Ice Dancing

The Olympic figure skating competition consists of four medal events: ladies singles, men's singles, pairs and ice dancing.

Ice dancing is again for couples consisting of a woman and a man skating together. Ice dancing competitions usually consist of three phases: one or more "compulsory dances"; an "original dance" to a ballroom rhythm that is designated annually; and a "free dance" to music of the skaters' own choice.

Lifts are a required element in pair skating and ice dancing. Additionally, in pairs and in ice dancing, there are pair and dance spins, during which both skaters rotate around the same axis while holding onto each other.

The results of the 2009 World Championships determined 83 total spots: 24 entries in each singles discipline, 16 in pairs, and 19 in ice dancing. In ice dancing, if a couple did not qualify to the original dance from the compulsories, they were assigned 20 points.

Jackson Haines, the Father Of Figure Skating

Jackson Haines considered the father of modern figure skating. 

Jackson Haines (1840–1875) was an American ballet dancer and figure skater who is regarded as the father of modern figure skating.  Haines, a New Yorker who had studied ballet, was the first skater to put form into figure skating After studying dance in Europe as a young teen-ager, he returned to the United States when he was seventeen and he began to incorporate dance movements into skating with musical accompaniment. 

Figure skating was a stiff, even awkward exercise in its early years.  At this time, figure skating was performed in the "English style", which was rigid and formal.  His ideas met with little enthusiasm until he founded a skating school in Vienna in 1863.  Although his skating style (called International) was rejected in the United States and England, he became a great popular success in Sweden, Austria, and elsewhere on the Continent. 

His style of skating included athletic jumps, leaps, turns, and spins.  Brought Ballet and Athletics to the Ice: Haines was the first skater to incorporate ballet and dance movements into ice-skating.  He traveled to Europe to show off and teach his figure skating ideas.  He lived in Vienna for a time, where his skating style became very popular. 

Figure skating on ice was still in its infancy and had not yet developed as a competitive sport.  For about 20 years, figure skating was tangled in a controversy between purists, mostly from England, and adherents of "fancy skating" as pioneered by Jackson Haines. 

The purists advocated the sheer technique of tracing figures properly, as opposed to the flamboyant free skating that Haines had developed.  Haines' style was a complete contrast to the English style; he used his ballet background to create graceful programs, and introduced accompanying music (a new concept at the time). 

In 1898, the world figure skating championships were held in England, and many English skaters decided that they liked the "International Style" after all.  The result was a compromise: Figure skating competition combined compulsory figures with free skating.

Haines created many new skating moves including the sit spin and, because the strap-on skates of that day proved inadequate for his extraordinary needs, he invented a revolutionary new blade, which was solidly affixed to the boot with screws and had a toe pick at the front to aid his jumping and spinning. 

He arranged many dance steps suitable for the ice rink, like the "Jackson Haines Valse.  Every good figure skater can do a Jackson Haines spin, the showy sit-spin that has helped make ice shows a popular U.

Haines was the inventor of the sit spin, one of the three basic spin types. 

Haines died in Finland and was buried there.

Figure Skating Costumes

Competition costumes for skaters of both genders can be theatrical and heavily beaded or trimmed, and can cost thousands of dollars if designed by a top-level costume maker. Although the use of flesh-colored fabric means the costumes are often less revealing than they may appear, there have been repeated attempts to ban clothing that gives the impression of "excessive nudity" or that is otherwise inappropriate for athletic competition.Women generally wear opaque flesh-coloured leggings or tights under dresses and skirts, which may extend to cover their skates.

Figure Skating Infomation

Figure Skating

In languages other than English, figure skating is usually referred to by a name that translates as "artistic skating". Many skaters, both during and after their competitive careers, also skate in ice skating exhibitions or shows, which run during the competitive season and the off-season.

Figure Skaters

Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level (senior), and at local, national, and international competitions. Skaters must be older than fifteen as of July 1, 2009 and must be a citizen of the country they represent to be eligible for the Olympic Games. Major competitions generally include exhibitions at the end in which the top-placing skaters perform for the crowd by showing off their various skills. Many skaters, both during and after their competitive careers, also skate in ice skating exhibitions or shows, which run during the competitive season and the off-season

Figure Skating Championship Information

Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice. Figure skating was an Olympic sport before there was an Olympic Winter Games. And is now an official event in the Winter Olympic Games. It is a very popular part of the Winter Olympic Games, in which the elegance of both the competitors and their movements attract many spectators.
Figure Skating qualifying competitions takes place two years in advance. Figure Skating competition structure encompasses the following events covering all disciplines offered within this structure:
Singles, pairs and dance
Nine (9) regional championships (juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior and senior singles skaters)

New England Regional Championships

North Atlantic Regional Championships

South Atlantic Regional Championships

Upper Great Lakes Regional Championships

Eastern Great Lakes Regional Championships

South-western Regional Championships

Northwest Pacific Regional Championships

Central Pacific Regional Championships

Southwest Pacific Regional Championships

Three (3) sectional championships (novice, junior and senior singles skaters and juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior and senior pairs and dance)
Eastern Sectional Championships

Midwestern Sectional Championships

Pacific Coast Sectional Championships.

Figure Skating Jumps

Waltz Jump

A waltz jump is one of the few figure skating jumps that takes off in a forward direction. A waltz is a half rotation jump, taking off on the outside edge of one foot and landing on the outside edge of the other foot.

Ballet Jump

This is an early figure skating jump the we will talk about soon.

Split Jump

The entry for a split jump is exactly the same as for the half flip. When the skater springs into a spit position in the air.

Stag Jump

A stag jump is a variation of a split jump with the front leg bent.

Walley Jump

A walley jump is counter-rotated, and so is somewhat more difficult than the conventionally rotated jumps.

Salchow Jump

The salchow is a figure skating jump with a takeoff from a back inside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot after one or more rotations in the air

Toe Loop Jump A toe loop jump takes off and lands on the same back outside edge of the ice skate.

Loop Jump

Although some define a loop jump as taking off from a back outside edge the skater is actually facing forward when the skate leaves the ice. The skater lands on the same back outside edge.

Flip Jump

A flip jump is similar to a salchow but includes a toe pick launch off a back inside edge and lands on the back outside edge. It is usually entered from a forward glide on the left foot. The free foot will be held up in the air in front of the skater. Just prior to the jump, the free leg will drop back, tap the ice and push the skater around in a LFO 3-turn, so that he is on a shallow LBI edge. The right foot goes directly behind the skater, picks the ice and “pulls” the skater up into the air.



Lutz Jump

The Lutz figure skating jump is similar to the flip jump, but it takes off from a back outside edge instead of a back inside. Because the jump turns in the counter direction to the entry edge it is the the hardest jump for most skaters.


Axel Jump

The Axel is a difficult figure skating jump. The Axel jump is a Waltz Jump with an extra rotation. Like a waltz, an axel jump entered from a forward outside edge. The skater rotates 1-1/2 times in the air for a single axel, and then lands on a back outside edge of the other foot. demo

Variations

Doubles T ripples.

When performing figure skating jumps, if the skater makes two, three, or four rotations the jump is considered a double, triple or quad jump. More rotations receive significantly more points.

Combination's

Two or three figure skating jumps in succession with no steps in between are considered a combination jump.


Quality and Grade of Execution


1. Unexpected / creative / difficult entry
2. Clear recognizable steps/free skating movements immediately preceding element
3. Varied position in the air / delay in rotation
4. Great height and/or distance
5. Superior extension on landing / creative exit
6. Superior flow in and out (and in-between in jump combinations / sequences)

Coaching Figure Skating Jumping

Although figure skating is an Olympic Sport, it is not taught as well as it should be. The rules of the mechanics are confusing and at best, vague on many aspects in particular, figure skating jumping. If you look at the history of figure skating, the elite athletes are leaps and bounds away from what the Olympians of 50 years ago were doing.


One of the most difficult of the skating routines are the jumps. There is a lot of off ice and on ice preparation to complete a perfect jump. Unfortunatly, it is often difficult to get a coach who really knows how to coach jumping properly. As a matter of fact, many coaches totally disagree on the fundamental mechanics of skating jumps.

A lot of figure skating coaching is passed on from older coach to younger coach and the to the skater. There is not very much written about jumping, and the books that are out there often disagree with each other! There is a problem getting the written word into a physical form also.
So we know that most coaches teach very much the same methods and techniques that thier coach has taught them. Unfortunatly, in today's uber-elite athletic world, figure skating seems to be caught up in the past and does not seem to be going forward in North America. New knowledge and techniques are out there, but still, old outdated teachings are still the norm at the regular skating arena.

The problem is not only the coaches fault though, it is the rules themselves that are confusing. They are out dated and vague, and more a hindrance than a help in most cases. Most coaches agree with this, but often it is too felt too hard to break the past history of figure skating instruction if one has been coaching the same way for 20 years.

When you go to the arena and watch a coach, most often they will not be using the newly developed jump mechanics developed by elite coaches for their skaters. The sad thing is, that some of these techniques are really not even that new, some of these mechanics have actually been used for decades. The elite coaches only now are allowing these techniques to become public, and so they are now becoming available for all figure skating coaches to learn from, if they so choose. Often they do not choose.
Instead, the same old routines that they used as a child will be brought out and used again and again. It is really a shame that this continues to happen. The worst thing is, that it will continue to happen again and again until something is done about it.

Many coaches are thinking that without a common fundamental starting point, the confusion and lack of
focus within figure skating will continue. What is needed is to get the coaches to agree what the basics are, or at least that would be a good start. In most other sports, there is a consistent improvement in teaching methods, but not so in figure skating. There is no consistent teaching of techniques in our sport. Coupled with the fact that the actual rules of Ice skating are so confusing, it is no wonder that coaches continue to do the same thing that they have done for years.
What is needed is a starting point for all coaches to agree to and go forward from there.

Do You Need Off-Ice Training for Elite Figure Skating Jumping?

Yes, You Do Need Off-Ice Training for Figure Skating Jumps!

The one thing about elite athletes is that they never stop trying. Trying to get that extra inch, that extra spin. Years ago people only trained on ice, but today the thinking is much different. Now we know that if a skater wants to improve and develop competitive skating skills and get to the next level, off-ice training is a given. The days are long gone when medals are on by people who just train on ice. The actual physical aspect of figure skating jumping lends itself well with off ice training. Just as the act of glide skating looks effortless, but the skating stride is very complicated with many small actions blending together to make a skater look like he or she is sailing effortlessly on water.

Strength, coordination, flexibility must be fully developed so that a skater can develop and realize their full potential on the ice. Things have really changed in the past 15 years in the history of figure skating. Things that are expected now by junior skaters were never seen until skaters started to train off ice. These jumps are more dangerous than anything that people even 20 years ago would have attempted. Indeed, one of the harder figure skating jumps 15 years ago, and axle, is considered quite simple by today’s standards.

In the 1987 World Figure Skating Championships Brian Orser of Canada was the first skater to put two triple Axle jumps in the same program. At that event he also landed one in the short program so he is also credited with being the first figure skater to land three triple Axel jumps in the same competition. In the 2010 Winter Olympics, Mao Asada became the first female to duplicate this extraordinary feat.

Obviously, one of the best reasons for off ice training, is that while one practices on the ice, losing balance and falling, thereby risking injury. The newer, higher jumps, need the stability that off-ice training gives. On ice training is effective for some things, but for building strength and agility, training needs to be done on a stable floor. Why would this be? Well if you think about it, it is because while the skater is on the ice, there are many factors that decrease the efficiency of the training. Just being on the ice, on top of essentially knives attached to skates, balancing on top of a sheet of glassy, smooth ice, is hard enough. Can you imagine doing the exercises on the ice that you can do on the floor?
Imagine that the skater wants to develop leg strength. To do this would be much more hazardous and difficult on ice than if the skater went to an off ice area such as a gym or weight room and did their squats and other exercises in running shoes and on solid footing.

Imagine if the Skating Coach told the skater to do squats and leg lifts with their skates on!

Therefore, it is obvious that off ice training is more effective and certainly less hazardous because you have a solid footing and are not likely to fall.
Many ice skating arenas have rooms that they rent out for just this off ice training. Many will be just ordinary rooms but the trend is to have rooms that are like ballet style exercise rooms with full mirrors and railings to hold onto and stretch against.
Some rooms have carpeting, but a hard wood or linoleum floor with a yoga type mat works very well also. This gives the skater better traction which in turn makes the exercise count for more.
Look for an instructor with some type of coaching certificate, like a National Coaching Certificate. Ask around at the arena for information and advice on what programs are offered and what others do off ice. These instructors are trained in the correct style and also, more important maybe, is they know HOW to coach. It is not everyone who can look at a skater do a failed Axle and say, "Your right foot is not coming down quickly enough, adjust it this way". Don't forget to check out the different types of dance, yoga, and the various other off ice training activities.
Off ice training is much more than strength and fitness. Other types of instruction, such as yoga, can be considered an additional off ice training. Although not specialized for figure skating, yoga builds great stamina, flexibility and strength in a relaxed atmosphere.
ANy skater that is trying to reach for the gold, will want to reach their full potential. To do this they must include off ice training with on ice training.

Olympic-fatigued skaters bumble through worlds

Olympic-fatigued skaters bumble through worlds

By COLLEEN BARRY (AP) – Mar 28, 2010

TURIN, Italy — Olympic champion Kim Yu-na couldn't wait for it to be over.
The fatigue from the long Olympic season showed in her unusually error-ridden performances at the World Figure Skating Championships. She ceded the world title to longtime rival Mao Asada of Japan on Saturday, settling for the silver just a month after dazzling the world with what many will remember as one of the best Olympic performances of all time.

But the end of the world championships did bring Kim one thing she coveted: relief from the unending pressure.

"I have been waiting for this moment, to finish this season. I am so happy right now I just finished," Kim said after completing the long program that she won, despite falling on a triple salchow and scratching an axel.

And she wasn't alone.

Skater after skater coming off the ice talked about how exhausted they were after giving their all at the Olympics, the pinnacle of the sport and an event they train their entire lives for, only to turn around a month later for the world championships. The men's and women's competitions were particularly sloppy, with few of the top skaters coming close to their performances in Vancouver.

Which raises the question: Is another major international competition so soon after the Olympics too demanding for skaters?

"If indeed the time between the Olympics and the world championships is not enough to recover and prepare adequately for the event, it is our duty ... to pay attention to this fact," International Skating Union President Ottavio Cinquanta said Saturday.

"We have a duty to administer this sport. But the skaters have the right to be treated properly," said Cinquanta, a former speed skater.
Cinquanta stopped short of saying the issue would be raised at the ISU Congress in Barcelona in June, but he pointedly signaled the question to ISU council members sitting in the press conference.

World championships in an Olympic year have traditionally been a letdown. Many top athletes opt out — with good reason. There's physical and mental exhaustion. And, more materially, the post-Olympic period provides a very short window during which medal winners can cash in on their achievement, long years of training and financial investment.

One needs to go back to 1992 for the last worlds where all of the Olympic medalists attended. And that year, all added a world gold to their Olympic gold: Kristi Yamaguchi, Victor Petrenko, Natalia Mishkutienok and Artur Dmitriev in pairs and Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko in ice dance.

This year's worlds was more typical of recent trends.

Vancouver men's champion Evan Lysacek skipped worlds, as did silver medalist and three-time world champion Evgeni Plushenko — who won the 2006 Olympic gold medal at the very Palavela where worlds were held. Pairs gold medalists Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo and Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin, bronze medalists in ice dance in Vancouver and the 2009 world champs, also took a pass. Women's bronze medalist Joannie Rochette, whose mother died suddenly during the games, took a much needed break.

Veteran coach Frank Carroll said the back-to-back Olympics-worlds was "business as usual," but added "maybe they should separate a little. I don't know, it's an ISU decision."

He said most skaters should know they will have only four or five days of rest after the Olympics before hitting the training hard again. But Kim said she had a very hard time doing that, and told South Korean media she thought she would do well "just because of what I have."

While most skaters should be able to rebound, the exceptions are the champions, Carroll said. Lysacek, coached by Carroll, has been living the whirlwind, mingling with Hollywood celebrities and competing on "Dancing With the Stars."

Kim's shocking performance in the short, where she flubbed basic elements like a spin and a spiral, is an argument in favor of Lysacek's decision, Carroll said.

"That was a disaster. But she was the Olympic champion," Carroll said. "Evan, coming here and doing all those talk shows and `Dancing with the Stars,' what would he have done? It's — for an Olympic champion — a risk to come here.

"They'd be fools not to take advantage of it, too," Carroll added of the spoils that come with Olympic gold. "There is only a certain time of their lives when they can enjoy this level of popularity and fame — and money."

While many champions stay away, that is not to say the world title is not coveted. Vancouver ice dance gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir came to Turin to click off the world title box, which they did with usual elegant, emotional and technically superior skating.

And for some, the worlds are a chance for redemption after a rough Olympics.
Daisuke Takahashi didn't need any after winning Olympic bronze, and he delivered even bigger in Turin by winning Japan's first men's world title. But Patrick Chan, an Olympic medal hopeful who left Vancouver empty-handed, can be pleased with his second straight silver at worlds, and France's Brian Joubert vanquished a disastrous Olympic performance with the bronze, his fifth world medal.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.