“In the Loop” is a column by Valerie Fang dedicated to the sport of figure skating.
Last night, out of curiosity, I wondered what ChatGPT could say about how popular figure skating is in the United States. It answered that, in terms of participation, “according to data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, in 2020, about 1.8 million people in the U.S. participated in ice skating (which includes figure skating, speed skating, and ice hockey), which represents only about 0.6% of the U.S. population.”
It is safe to say that figure skating is a niche sport in the United States, well, at least compared to all the major league sports. But this sport has an equally passionate and devoted fan community. Figure skating always holds a special place in our hearts because something sets it apart from other sports worldwide. As part of my efforts to increase awareness of this sport among the student body, I have collected thoughts from the skaters representing USC at ice rinks. And we would love to share them with you.
What do you wish people knew about figure skating?
Nathan Dennler: “I wish people knew how freeing it feels to skate.”
Risha Surana: “[I wish people knew] how much strength it takes to jump, spin and wake up at 4 in the morning for practices in a cold rink.”
Sara: “It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are very rigid gender roles in the sport, and it can be pretty cis-heteronormative. Also, eating disorders and body image issues are pretty prevalent issues in competitive skating.”
Cassidy Idenoshita: “I wish people knew that figure skating is a sport you can start at any time of your life. I feel like it has a connotation that people can’t start it after they have become an adult, but I believe it’s never too late to learn the art of figure skating.”
Many competitive figure skaters are battling eating disorders because of body image issues and some problematic training methods designed by their coaches. If you are interested in learning more about this, here is a detailed article on how Eteri Tutberidze’s young girls rely on low body weight to complete jump rotations instead of properly building muscles. It means that her students suffer from restrictive eating (including not being allowed to drink water on competition days and for the entire duration of the Olympics), taking puberty blocks and maintaining a diet of only powdered nutrients to lose weight.
One of Tutberidze’s previous students, Yulia Lipnitskaya, who helped Russia win a gold team medal back in Sochi 2014, had to be hospitalized for three months to treat anorexia and other severe injuries.
And yes! You can pick up skating at any stage of your life! The Pasadena Ice Skating Center is the closest indoor ice skating rink to campus that I know of. If you want to venture further, I strongly recommend skating at Irvine’s gorgeous Great Park Ice. It has the most well-established facilities and training system I have seen at an ice rink. Olympians can teach you, and who knows, you might bump into the most famous figure skating coach in America, Rafael Arutyunyan, and a couple of his Olympic and World Champions.
What do you think is the No. 1 reason for people to love figure skating?
Nathan: “For me, it is the stories your programs can tell.”
Risha: “The feeling of weightlessness.”
Sara: “Everyone has different No. 1 reasons for loving figure skating. [It] could be the costumes, music, artistry, self-expression, jumps, drama, speed and more.”
Cassidy: “From the [audience’s] point of view, I think the number one reason for people to love figure skating is because the sport is a combination of elegance and strength. It’s fascinating and entertaining to watch and is entertaining throughout the whole performance. From a figure skater’s point of view, I think people love figure skating because it’s such a complex sport that once you get drawn in, it’s kind of hard to get out. I remember learning my first jumps and spins, and once I was able to do them, I wanted to keep going. And being able to perform to people and make them happy is a part of it that I love as well.”
The duality of athleticism and art is certainly one of the things that make figure skating unique. If a skater masters this quality, they can create magic on ice. I would also add that because figure skating is a niche sport in the United States, it has an almost intimate feeling. We have a tight-knit community of skaters, fans, officials and volunteers. You do not feel all that distanced from those figure skating stars!
And finally, if someone asks you what figure skating is and you can show them only one program, which one would it be?
Nathan: “I think this one (Kim Yuna’s Les Miserables free skate at 2013 Worlds) shows a lot of dynamic range in emotion and is probably one of my favorite ones.”
Sara: “Yuzuru Hanyu’s long program at the 2018 Olympics. Not a technically perfect program, but I think it slays.”
Cassidy: “I would say figure skating combines ballet and gymnastics. Here’s a link to a program (Cassidy’s performance at the 2017 Southern California Open Championships) I would show people.”
In honor of the cosmic composer Sakamoto Ryuichi who passed away on March 28, I would choose Mihara Mai’s short program choreographed by David Wilson this season — Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.
We hope you can see that, like any other sports, the athletes’ ease and graciousness on ice are achieved with diligent training, consistent attention to detail and a strong willingness for improvement. It may have moments of drama and scandals, but its special connection with artistry keeps people coming back to and loving this sport. Now, are you ready to give ice skating a try?
“In the Loop” runs every other Tuesday.