What Do Professional Ice Skaters Have In Common?

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 at 9:13 am

Professional ice-skaters are lithe and seem to glide effortless across the ice. For someone who has never figure skated before this can be deceiving. Ice skating takes technique, strength, energy and grace, some of which can be taught and learned. However to become a professional ice-skater these qualities have to be mastered and this takes unwavering dedication from the skaters and their support group. There are however other subtle qualities that professional skaters have in common.

Start Young

Ice skaters start young, very young. Female skaters start while in the toddler years and male skaters on average start at little later. The demands on the body of an ice skater are extraordinarily high, both physically and mentally. Starting young enables an individual to grow into the sport, train the right muscles and gain a lifetime of understanding of the principles involved.

Dedicated Support Group

To become a professional ice skating an individual needs support physically, emotionally and financially. If a professional ice-skater starts young, with only family backing, the tab may be at least 40,000 USD per year. Behind most successful professional ice skaters is a dedicated family who made sacrifices to see their child or sibling achieve their goals.

Dedication

Ice skating requires a lot of dedication. It requires constant practice to master new skills and techniques. A professional ice skater has to understand that training can be grueling and requires at least 7 hours a day on the ice practicing. Most ice skaters know that if they stick to the program it will pay off some day.

Professional Coaches

Behind every successful professional ice skater is a successful professional coach. Most of the coaches have trained Olympic ice skaters and have a history of success. Ice skaters usually hook up with these coaches while they are still young and stay with them into successful careers as professional ice skaters.

Successful Competitive Ice Skating Career

Professional ice skaters were able to achieve success with consistent high marks at all levels of competition. These successes were what made them get noticed and invited to the competitions and shows. This is what leads to sponsorship and ultimtely to lucrative professional contracts.

It seems that starting young with the support of parents or a dedicated coach can start a young child onto the road to being a successful professional ice skater. Michael Weiss a professional ice skater started skating when he was 9 years old. His immediate family was very supportive, making many sacrifices as he rose in the ranks in the ice skater’s world. Among his amateur accomplishments include some World Championship Medals, US Figure skating titles and being a member of the US Olympic team. Kimmie Miessner is another example of a professional ice skater. She was only 6 years old when she first started skating. Kimmie’s resume includes impressive accomplishments and wins. She has won medals in international competitions that include the Olympic Games and the World Championships. She also acknowledges her parents role in her success. Her parents took her to all her practices and meets while she was growing up.

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Professional Skating on Ice

Sunday, February 8th, 2009 at 2:20 pm

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Figure skaters are able to dazzle the audience with their elegance, athleticism and grace when they perform their routines on ice. When people go to see the professional skating shows it is easy to forget how hard these elite skaters have had to work in order to earn a spot with a touring company.

There are many young ice skating students practicing at this very moment. They train and work hard so that they will one day be chosen to compete in a national competition. Winning a major skating event is just one of the goals for any serious skater. The top prize that they all dream about is to be selected to compete in the Olympics. The talented few who make it to the world championships are asked to join the touring skating shows and perform as a professional ice skater.

The Ice Skating Tours are events that let these athletes shine and they can perform the routines of their choice. This means that the audiences are treated to some remarkable performances by the top ice skaters in the world. The atmosphere is always bristling with excitement and the energy level is so high that it seems to take on a life all its own. There are always plenty of top figure skaters on the program and the costumes, lighting, music and routines are spectacular. Individuals will have their spotlight moments but the skaters perform as teams as well. Because the skaters are now professional performers there are no rules that restrict how the dances and on ice exhibitions need to be handled. These champions can now dazzle the crowds with some truly amazing gymnastics and acrobatics that are not allowed in amateur events, not even the Olympics.

Skaters have many different paths that they take to become a champion. They have to be committed and passionate about training and practice. In many instances, families have to juggle huge costs in order to give a talented child the coaching and equipment necessary to become a top skater.

Ice skaters give up much of their free time and personal life in order to achieve their dream of becoming one of the elite performers on ice. It is common for a middle school or high school student to train before school, after school and on weekends. The intensity of the training is so high that even when skaters have sniffles, colds or muscle strains they will still head out for as long a practice session as possible. They are aware of the high stakes that are involved and they know how fierce the competition is. The desire to become a champion and a professional skater keeps these individuals eager to get out every day and practice on ice.

To qualify as a top skating star an individual must prove themselves by winning one or more medals in the top major championships. Among the professionals that have earned the right to perform with one of the figure skating shows are some of the most famous faces of past Winter Olympics.

Oksana Baiul is only one of the Olympians that can be seen on tour. She became a top champion although she had to overcome many problems including being orphaned at an early age. Oksana has been the 93 World Champion and won an Olympic gold medal in 94. One of her most endearing performances is an interpretation of “Swan Lake”.

Elena Bechke is another top Olympian who tours professionally. She and her partner Denis Petrov won a silver medal in the 92 Olympics and then won the World Pro Championship in 96.

Elena Berezhnaya is another professional skater who can be seen performing with Anton Sikharulidze. These two won the 02 gold at the Winter Olympics and have captured 2 World Championships and 4 Russian Championships. Elena’s head was gashed when she was hit be a skate blade years earlier, but she fought back and regained her championship form. The routines by Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze are known for beauty, artistry and intense emotion.

Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur are ice dancers who have won the US National championships twice and claimed the World title in 97. Shortly before one competition, they were disqualified from the 94 Olympics due to a misunderstanding. Some athletes may have let this disappointment turn them against skating but not this amazing duo. They continued to skate and perform and their ice dancing is always a delight to audiences around the world.

Elvis Stojko is a Canadian who has been called the King of Quads. Stojko has the ability to perform the difficult quad multiple times in one single competition. He has always been one of the most exciting of all skaters to watch on the ice and his incredible feats of athleticism have astonished both audiences and judges. This figure skater won the Canadian Championship 7 times, the World Championship 3 times and has 2 Olympic silver medals.

Sarah Hughes won gold in the 02 Olympics with a come from behind victory that surprised the world. This great skating star also owns a US silver and a bronze medal that she claimed in the World Championships.

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What Does It Take To Become A Champion Ice Skater?

Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

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There is something magical about watching figure skating. On ice skaters are truly beautiful and graceful beings capable of achieving amazing feats of physical strength and skill. So how do you become a professional skater?

Well, it will take quite a bit of hard work to excel in figure skating. You need to prepare yourself for strenuous and long practices as well as the personal drive to push through the obstacles that are certain to pop up.

The first thing to do is to start taking lessons as early as you possibly can. Many figure skaters who pursue Olympic careers have been taking lessons since they were quite young. Group skating lessons are an excellent place to start. This will be a good environment to learn the basic skills that you need on ice.

Once you have really started to excel in your skating prowess you will want to look into obtaining a “Basic Skills Membership in U.S. Figure Skating.” This membership actually opens up the opportunity for you to participate in skating shows. Participation in shows like this are great learning experience for you to test your skating skills both mentally and physically.

After you have progressed past the basic skills on ice you will need to pursue individual coaching. This is where you will really get the attention and instruction that you need to boost up your figure skating skills so that you will be competitive in the field.

From there you will want to join a club that has been sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. By joining a club like this you will eventually be able to achieve a full membership to the U.S. Figure Skating association. This opens the door for you to take on the basic skills tests that you need to pass to be able to participate in the truly competitive skating competitions.

You will also want to work on a cross training program with your coach to ensure that you are as physically fit and healthy as possible. This will make you more resilient and pliable as an athlete. With heightened health and strength you will be able to skate better for longer periods of time which will make you a more fearsome competitor.

Once you have passed the necessary skill tests you are ready to begin competing in qualifying and non-qualifying events. For these you will be competing at a senior level, and your goal is to place within the top four in your region. From there you will passed on to Sectionals, and your goal there is to place in the top four as well. If you manage that impressive feat you will be able to participate in the U.S. Nationals so that you can pursue the position of U.S. National Champion. From there, if you place adequately you will possibly have the opportunity to pursue your Olympic dreams.

The road to becoming a figure skater on a national level is not an easy road, but with dedication and drive you can make a go of it. Who knows what you will be able to achieve?