Frequently Asked Questions

 We encourage you to read the FAQ page and our Introduction to Skating Guides for basic information about skating. Thank you!

SKATING IN GENERAL

• I’m new to skating and don’t know the rules. Can you explain [x]?

First, read our Introduction to Skating guides! They explain many basic aspects of figure skating competitions, judging, and technical elements. If you have more in-depth questions or questions about subjects not covered in the guides, feel free to ask and we will try our best to reply.

• I’m interested in learning how to skate. How do I get started?

We recommend contacting people at your local ice rink.

WATCHING SKATING EVENTS ON TV OR ONLINE

• When is [competition] taking place? What’s the schedule? Who’s participating there?

This information will be provided in the weekly competition posts, but if you want to know about competitions farther in advance, please take a look at the ISU calendar of events. Basic competition info such as dates can be found easily through a Google search.

• Are there streams for [upcoming competition]?

We will either edit existing posts or make new posts once we know about streams. Our streaming info posts usually go up a few days before a competition begins, as many TV schedules aren’t updated until then. If it’s a small competition, we might not make a blog post about it, but information may be provided on our Twitter.

• What options are usually available for watching competitions?

See this guide for more details. Major international competitions such as the Grand Prix Series, European/Four Continents Championships, and World Championships are aired on TV channels or streaming services around the world. Major national championships are usually available within their respective countries. Organizers of small competitions, such as the Challenger Series and Senior Bs, sometimes provide streams on Youtube or other websites. The official Skating ISU Youtube streams most major competitions, but the streams are blocked in countries that have purchased broadcasting rights for those competitions, regardless of whether those competitions will actually be shown in those regions.

• I can’t watch a competition live. Is there any way I can catch up?

The Skating ISU Youtube channel archives all of its livestreams. Videos from skating competitions may also be uploaded to Youtube by fans. Search skaters’ names and filter by upload date for the latest videos.

• Help! This stream is blocked in my country. What do I do?

Non-geoblocked streams are available for some skating competitions. We will try to provide these links in our streaming info posts. If you would like to watch a stream that is blocked in your country, consider using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Free VPNs are available online, but the more reliable ones usually require a fee.

ATTENDING SKATING EVENTS

• I’m going to a competition/ice show for the first time; can you give me some advice?

See this guide for some helpful tips.

• How do I buy tickets for [competition]? When do they go on sale?

The timing of ticket sales varies widely depending on the competition. Tickets for major events are usually on sale at least a couple of months beforehand. Tickets can be sold from a variety of sources. It’s best to follow the event on social media, if available, or keep an eye on the event’s website in order to stay up to date.

LOGISTICS OF SKATING EVENTS AND SKATERS’ LIVES

• How do skaters make money? What are their training costs?

Skaters can earn some prize money from their placements at major competitions, but most skaters do not earn any money by competing. Some popular skaters may earn money from sponsorships. Training costs are usually well into the tens of thousands of dollars per year for elite skaters. Depending on where a skater is from, they may receive financial support from their federation or government, but many skaters still rely on their families, second jobs or crowdfunding to fund their training.

• How are skaters assigned to competitions?

Please see our Introduction to Competitions guide. For most major competitions, skaters are either assigned by their federations based on internal criteria, or invited by the host country in the case of the senior Grand Prix Series.

• What kind of music are skaters allowed to use?

Music can be instrumental or contain lyrics. Singles and pairs skaters can use almost any kind of music. Skaters can even compose their own music. Music rules in ice dance are stricter. The short dance has a set style/rhythm/beat that changes each season. The free dance does not have a set theme, but must still use music with a beat.

• Do skaters perform the same programs throughout a season? Can they change programs in the middle of a season?

Skaters usually keep the same programs throughout a season, but they are allowed to change programs mid-season. If they feel that their current program is not working for them, they can go back to a previous program or create a new one.

• Why do female skaters wear white skates, and male skaters wear black skates? Are they allowed to wear other colors?

Skating boots can be custom-made in any color, but white for female skaters and black for male skaters is traditional. Sonja Henie popularized white boots for women in the 1930s; boots were black for all skaters in the early days of the sport. Skaters are allowed to wear boots of any color, but white, black, and beige are the most common colors.

• What kind of costumes are skaters allowed to wear?

Costumes cannot give the appearance of excessive nudity, or the skater may receive a deduction from the judges. If a piece of the costume falls off, the skater will receive a deduction. Male skaters’ legs must be covered with pants/unitards (although some exceptions have been granted in the past). Female skaters may wear dresses or pants/unitards.

• Which/how many skaters are invited to gala exhibitions?

Usually around 5 skaters per discipline are invited to galas, but it’s up to the competition organizers. Medalists are automatically invited to galas; the rest depends on the organizers. Organizers often invite skaters from their own country or fan favorite skaters with fun exhibition programs.

• What do skaters do with the gifts they receive?

Skaters usually keep the gifts they are given at competitions, but if they receive a lot of gifts, they might donate some to charities.

SCORING SYSTEM & TECHNICAL ELEMENTS

• How do I tell jumps apart?

Check out our Introduction to Jumps guide. It takes some practice to identify jumps; don’t worry if it takes a while to get used to it. It’s often easier to focus on the setup and “feel” of the jump rather than exactly which edge or foot the jump takes off from. Try watching programs and quizzing yourself to see how many jumps you can identify correctly.

• Are skaters allowed to change their jump layouts in the middle of a performance?

Yes, this happens relatively often. The layouts on the Planned Program Elements sheets that skaters submit to the technical panel are not set in stone. But skaters have to be careful when changing layouts on the fly, or they could break a jump layout rule and lose points.

• How can the technical panel tell if a flutz wasn’t actually a planned flip, or if a lip wasn’t actually a planned lutz?

Lutzes and flips have different entries; it’s usually easy to tell from the setup which jump the skater intends to do. Changing to the wrong edge usually happens at the last moment before the jump takes off.

THIS SITE AND ITS ADMINS

• Who are the admins of this site? Are you skaters?

SYWTWFS is currently managed by two admins and a small team of contributors. A few of us have some skating experience, and all of us have regularly followed the sport for several years.

• Can you give recommendations for famous/must-watch programs?

We’re unlikely to reply to broad requests like these because there are simply so many possible recommendations, and it would be very time-consuming to narrow down. We might answer more specific requests for recs, though.