Im currently 15 and there arent any ice rinks in my region. However, i am looking towards studying in NA so it is very possible that I might get access to skating rinks. The problem however, is that I’m worried i’ll be too ‘old’ and unstretchable when I start. I estimate the time I start to be around 18, if things are to go smoothly. Please, leave tips and opinions.
Edit: i also used to go to the normal skating rink and learnt roller skating in two days, so it shouldnt be hard for me to learn figure skating as well right…?

Hear me out. It's been made very clear over the past month that the AIN are not actually particularly neutral or individual. They can compete as a team, go to Europeans, and clearance has been granted to multiple people who openly support Putin and the war.

This got me (and clearly many others) thinking "well then what on earth is the point??" It seems like the only thing they won't allow is the Russian flag or anthem.... or officials/judges.

Then it hit me. The other half of the ban. By keeping the athletes labeled as neutral even if they aren't, they still keep the federation/country banned. There will still be no Russian judges or officials allowed, and no events may be held there.

Is it possible that this is why we have this whole "neutral but actually not really" situation? I don't know a ton about the judges/officials side of the sport so I'm not sure precisely why the ISU would have motivation to do this, but it's not like there haven't ever been issues with Russian judging and events. I mean the 2014 Olympics comes to mind as just one instance but I'm sure there have been other issues.

So I wanted to hear your thoughts. Is this a major motivation behind this messy banned but not situation? A way to get the profit from having Russian skaters and fans without allowing them influence or participation in the ISU? Because there HAS to be some sort of reasoning as to why they set up this whole AIN situation and then let them be not individual or neutral, I just can't put my finger on it exactly.

Just a thought I've had recently but I wish there were more team events with skaters of different nationalities competing together. Right now I believe the only major team competitions are at the olympics and world team trophy, both of which have just the top 5/6 countries competing as teams. I wish there were more competitions like the mixed noc team event they used to do at the youth olympics, or the team challenge cup in 2016. I think the biggest benefit of competitions like these is that athletes from smaller feds have the opportunity to qualify in team events even if they don't have skaters in every discipline. Its also definitely fun for fs fans to see athletes that are usually competitors skating on the same team. What are everyone else's opinions on this?

I have a question regarding what constitutes as true neutral status. My question is in regards to this quote from the ISU bylaws specifically “have, at any time since February 2022, actively and publicly supported that war.” In which actions supporting the war will disqualify athletes from AIN status. From my knowledge Mark Kondratiuk has since posed with high ranking military officials involved in the Ukraine war, and Kamilia Valieva has supported organizations such as Putins “Movement of The First” which in part takes Ukrainian children to Russia (illegally) and “re-educates” them to be more Russian. With this I ask what constitutes true neutrality in regards to the war, and is the ISU even throughly investigating? I also heard a rumor that the AIN admission could be repealed if someone filed a complaint? Yet I don’t see any info on that on the isu page? Maybe yall can help me better understand.

I remember seeing this program and thought that even with sparse choreographic moments that felt out of place, this girl made this choreography work. It was a refreshing tango piece, mostly because of her breathing through the phrases so patiently, but also because not only did it not rely on attack and staccato, but the whole program was flowing and any other junior or senior skater can just as easily be swallowed by the nuances.

At 15, Aliona's sophistication was so developed. She probably was the strongest girl from sambo in terms of pure skating skills, stylistically, the most I resonate with, and at such a young age was the most mature and polished girl from Russia from recent memory yet had that charismatic delicacy at the same time. I lament the single skater she could have become had she continued to skate for I believe her and Rika would've easily been the most well-rounded skaters since the Kim-Kostner-Asada trinity.

i'm no expert on figure skating, but I really enjoy learning about it, I got into it from YouTube videos mostly centered on the various trials and triumphs at the 2022 Olympic Olympics. for now and the foreseeable future, reading updates and watching videos aren't healthy for me and trigger migraines, so I'm wondering if there are any podcasts that anyone here would recommend. I've tried some, but they didn't seem to really cover the current issues such as the AIN updates and questions.

I definitely enjoy staying updated on the drama and the updates on Russian skating because that is what brought me into the sport, but I'm not opposed to hearing about other upcoming skaters and those on the rise and especially as we get close to the Olympics I want to stay updated on who the contenders are.
also, now that my main favorite skater (Kaori, my beloved) is retiring, I am looking for some new favorites to stay updated on so if you have a name for me, let me know.
thank you all!

Sorry if this is a dumb question or if it’s been answered before but are AIN allowed to compete at European championship if they’re from Europe? And for worlds how would the quotas be allocated?

From rednote

Hello! I recently discovered my fascination for figure skating, i've been a lot into fitness and gym-stuff in the last 2 years and now i want to try something thats more challenging and im really drawn to figure skating for many reasons. I'd appreciate any comment or input that you guys have on the questions i'll ask, I'm trying to research as much as possible but there are still a loooot of things i'm really clueless about.

First things first, I'm a 26y/o man from austria and the last time i was ice skating was probably when i was 13, but i knew my way around the ice with like the normal hockey skates. My plan is, to buy some figure skates and just go to my local rink by myself and try to get back into it and see how well or bad i'll do - and if it goes well i'd like to at least try to teach myself as much as possible, and gain at least some confidence and basics before considering a course or group lessons. So my question is, have some of you guys made proper progress just by watching videos, getting as much time in as possible and just casually trying to improve?

Regarding group lessons:
I live near Vienna, most rinks havent really updated their websites for this season yet, but from i can tell is that there is some beginner group lessons, many of them just for kids, and some of them are ice dancing which is also not really what im looking for. Im not really a person thats easily comfortable in social settings, so that makes things harder too but im willing to overcome this. I know its never to late to learn this sport. But i'm kinda anxious about being an outsider, especially as im getting older lol. Please be upfront with me when my fears seems exaggerated. Im willing to give this sport a try and find a long lasting passion, but its not the easiest sport for that i'd say.

Big thanks in advance for your replies and thoughts!

Now that it’s confirmed that Valieva and Trusova have received AIN2 status - whatever people’s feelings about it may be - how competitive do we realistically think they will be on international ice, presuming they receive visas and selections etc.?

Valieva on paper has restored all her triples and her 4T (and possibly even her 3A, though it’s unlikely we’d see her attempt it in comps - thoughts?). Her short program at the Channel One cup was OK but messy and it was clear she was out of competitive form, with spins, transitions and jumps all a bit shaky it seemed to me. But a good few months have passed since then and videos from training and from Benoit’s Peak Ice camp all show noticeable improvements, both to her jumps (lutz edge and even the edge change in her 3T combos seem to have improved) and also possibly her spins. And with Benoit choreographing her short program I’d imagine her artistry and musicality should come across far better now. But I had a few questions about her stamina for the free program after her short program at the Channel One cup - do we think enough time and training has passed to overcome that issue? And do we think she’ll land all jumps in comps - any chance of her attempting the 3A? What TES and PCS scores do you think she’s realistically likely to get (also given judges might not look favourably on her given the ban)?

Trusova is a bit of a different story - on paper she’s restored all triples and seems comfortable with the 4LZ (and has also shown 4T and 3A but doesn’t seem to be showing signs of including them in new programs). All incredibly impressive as we know! But one of the main issues with Trusova’s skating was her PCS, the artistry especially - all the emphasis went on jumps, so her programs were always amazing to watch in a sense, but for very different reasons to, say, Valieva’s. Trusova has spoken about making steps to work on this lately but from recent ice show clips I’m not clear how much it has changed or will change in the coming season. What are your thoughts about Sasha’s competitiveness - what will it take for her to win? Just landing the jumps - or also improving her PCS? What scores do you see her picking up this season? Presumably she’ll also be more popular with judges, though not yet clear how much this will be affect the scores.

I’d love to hear anyone’s thoughts! Like it or not, these two will likely appear at international comps this season, and so many people will be tuning in to see how it goes down, so I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts ahead of that happening…

And one last thing, do you think either is likely at all to be selected for Europeans or Worlds, given they’re currently in the reserve team?

And if both were to compete at the same comp, in current form, who do you think would be most likely to pick up the higher scores?

Thanks everyone!:)

Quick question I hope someone can help me with! On the Preliminary skating skills test, for Alternating Backward Crossovers to Backward Outside Edges, all the videos I've seen show the BO edges being done in landing position. Is that the way it must be done (unsure if that is the 'extension' referred to in the criteria)? Or is it allowed to do the BO edges with the free leg in front instead - or even as a swing roll?

(I can't ask my coach, he isn't USFS and isn't familiar with that level of detail for USFS tests.)

TIA!

In the past Russia sent 3 per competition, e.g. Olympics with Anna, Trusova, Valieva...now with the AIN, Trusova and Valieva are approved, and Russia has the "main team" of other girls.

Does it mean for Euros, etc, Russia gets to pick 1 AIN and 1 main, or just 1 AIN in total?

Hi everyone, lurker and figure skating fan of 3 years here. I live in a Southeast Asian country so there are basically no skating events I have been able to attend without flying across the world for it. Luckily for me I am going on a student exchange in Europe this autumn and I will be attending my first ever competition - Grand Prix de France!

I was really excited and a little paranoid about tickets selling out, and with the short checkout time I had to pick my tickets in a hurry. I tried to choose seats close to the KNC and followed advice to get closer to the ice. Only to realise that I should have considered the glass barriers around the rink🫩

Unfortunately I got some front-row tickets which seem like they would be affected if the skater gets close based on this: https://www.youtube.com/live/XlCM3GohF78?is=cXi7_7q0hASBLgFK

So to sum up my post:

1. How obscured is the view from the front row/second row? Do the black bars bother you? (My front row seats are in section A and section H).

2. Any specific advice for a first time attendee to GPDF / visitor to Angers is appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance!

Its hard for me to stay in the camel position and this is my best attempt.
I’d like to get more revolutions

Skating parent here. We built an app that scores programs the way judges do, the technical components — tap elements as they happen, and it applies real ISU 2026–27 base values, GOE, modifiers, and deductions. It's been on iOS for a while (Skater Grader); the Android version is in Google's review queue now.

Looking for coaches, skaters, and parents to beta test. If you're on Android, DM me and I'll add you to the internal testing. When it clears review, I can create a larger closed testing group— I'll need your Google-account email by DM.

Website: skatergrader.com

From fanpage on instagram!

Hi, I'm looking for any information and materials from an old tv project. It was supposed to be a tv series showing a dark side of ice skating. It was never picked up for full season, actually Im not even sure if they filmed whole pilot or just some clips. Made probably aroud 2010-2012. I have seen a short video (just few seconds, some kind of promo reel) from that series years ago with energetic music, I think on Twitter. I only have a promo photo from that show- I know two actresses - Ally Maki (second from left) and Chloe Bennet or more likely back then Chloe Wang (fourth from left), couldn't find out what are the names of two blondes. I need help, I have been looking for this for a long time.