What Makes a Real Figure Skater?

When you think “figure skater,” what comes to mind? Probably someone on TV at Nationals or the Olympics.

In figure skating, it seems like there is a stereotype of what makes a “real” figure skater. This can include:

• Consistently landing double (or triple, or quad) jumps

• Being lean while having a small body (height and size)

• Being flexible

• Being able to dance/move your body elegantly

• Having a strong off-ice routine

• Having an expensive and sparkly dress or costume

• Skating 5+ times a week

• Regularly competing

• Having several coaches

• Winning medals

That is a lot of criteria, and the list goes on!

Does anyone actually fit that?! Maybe the people on the Olympics do, but they make up 0.00007%* of people who actually skate. So, does that mean the rest of us are not “real” skaters?

No!

A way to reframe who a “real” figure skater is to make the sport more inclusive could be:

• Someone who wears figure skates on the ice

• Someone who has learned/is learning elements of figure skating (edges, spirals, spins, jumps, turns, etc.)

• Someone who loves the sport of figure skating

That’s it! If those apply to you, you’re a “real” figure skater.

Keep this in mind the next time you compare yourself to others or worry that others will doubt your ability/identity as a figure skater.

*I got this number by dividing 16 (the number of US athletes who went to the Olympics in 2022) by 222,890 (the number of US Figure Skating members in 2022)

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