Figure Skating Competitions; The Source of Skater’s Greatest Triumphs, and Most Devastating Disappoi

It is early in the day during the middle of winter as the next skater dashes onto the ice with delightful yet nervous feelings. They feel confident, knowing they have prepared well in advance. It’s the moment they have been working towards for months; the experience of a figure skating competition.

Figure skaters prepare months in advance for each figure skating competition to ensure that they receive a favorable result. They train vigorously at the rink and gym in order to prepare themselves physically for the upcoming competition. This guarantees that they will be at their best physical state at the competition, allowing them to perform effectively. Proper nutrition is key for performance preparation as it enables the skater to feel their finest when they step onto the ice. An integral aspect of training is mental preparation and visualization as it can dramatically impact the outcome of a competition. The correct mindset empowers skaters to believe in their abilities, and visualize their potential success. Proper preparation is just one significant aspect of participating in figure skating competition.

Every skater prefers to experience their performance differently, some use extroverted techniques through connecting with the audience and judges to help them perform optimally. By doing this, the presentation becomes more enjoyable for the spectators to watch because the skater demonstrates a deeply profound connection with them. Judges sometimes feel extroverted skaters create a better overall performance compared to introverted skaters and award higher points to the outgoing performer because of the profound emotional connection they show with others. Most of all, extroverted skaters feel comfortable when they are able to relate to the audience through their performance. It allows them to feel confident during their presentation and is a technique that many skaters use, such as twenty-seven-year-old Scott Moir who won an Olympic gold medal with his ice dance partner, Tessa Virtue. He makes full use of this strategy in order to connect with the viewer and increase their score from the judges.

When some skaters arrive on the ice, they become introverted through relying on their inner energy to power them through their performance; three-time World champion, Patrick Chan, is an accurate example of the introverted performer. This strategy allows him to really connect with the emotions of the music, as well as perform the footwork, spins and jumps expertly. Introverted skaters feel more relaxed when they are able to use their own energy to perform, while still inspiring the audience through their precise movements. In order to create a beautiful program, they must be calm and ready, making their comfortability essential to their performance. The judges can sense their unflustered manner and will boost their presentation marks because of their calmness. Introversion as a program presentation technique works well for many skaters in allowing them to connect with the music and their edges created by their skate blades.

Waiting for the results after a skater’s program has been completed is a time of anticipation after the adrenaline from their performance has dissipated. During this time, skaters are typically joined by family, friends, and coaches. They can be bombarded with happiness as they receive their results, sometimes achieving new personal bests or landing a spot on the podium. This is the result all skaters desire as the favorable adjudication affirms of their abilities on the ice. There are also the disappointing results that can squash aspirations, even making a select few rethink their skating career. The negative results either inspire them to improve or crush all they have worked for in their skating career. Waiting for results after an excellently or poorly skated program can sometimes be more nerve-racking than the skate itself.

When a skater achieves their aspired results, it gives them an incredible feeling of accomplishment for all of their hard work that season. They are ecstatic knowing that all the work they put into their performance was worth it in the end. It’s one of the best feelings of reassurance a skater can have. It also creates a joyous skating memory for them, inspiring them to keep up with training in order to be able to do it all again. It’s those impactful figure skating memories that make many skaters want to continue their competitive career. Support is offered from coaches, family, friends and fans; creating such an immensely positive impact on the skater. Receiving the desired results at a competition can be the high point of many skating careers, motivating them to continue their career.

Negative results can cause some skaters to feel defeated while others urge forward to improve upon their mistakes. The ones who use the failure as a lesson are the skaters who see failure as the start of the path to success. They view the unwanted result as a small setback, yet are still able to continue training in an effort to redeem themselves at the next competition. Other skaters see their terrible results as an utter disaster and question why they even enjoy figure skating. A select few fall into depression because they did not reach the result that they hoped and trained many hours for. Family, friends, fans, and coaches offer sympathy and support for these skaters, which is crucial during a make or break point during their career. Skaters either learn from failure or let it destroy them despite the support of those around them.

Overall, competitions cause a surge in adrenaline and excitement for all skaters, leading to either success or failure as a result of preparation done beforehand. Patrick Chan uses the competition atmosphere to his advantage, similar to other skaters. When asked about his skate at a recent competition, Chan responded, “It wasn’t even nervousness to excitement, turning that nervousness into excitement. And being calm. And the breaking 100 (points) with one quad, that’s huge for me.”(1)

(1) CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.