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Once figure skaters leave the ring their body must continue to adhere towards figure skating practices. The lifestyle and culture of figure skaters can also be seen off the ice. The ongoing pressures that figure skaters experience also occur when off the ice. To what extent do figure skaters lose control over their body, especially amongst young figure skaters? Are they allowed control over their own bodies when becoming a figure skater? This post examines how figure skaters embody the lived experience of being a skater off the ice. 

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Figure skaters typically start their professional careers from a young age. There have always been underlining issues in the figure skating world whereby children experience considerably high expectations from coaches and parents. Grenfell and Rinehart (2003) observed the life of several young figure skaters, questioning the challenges they have faced due to figure skating. One skater, who went under the alias Ginger, explained having to control her emotional outbursts and concealing her emotions whilst on and off the ice, otherwise she would have received some form of punishment. Off the ice, her life revolved around moulding her body into the ideal skater’s body, constantly stretching, educating herself on nutrition or researching for music and costumes. Her parents played on essential role in encouraging and disciplining her. Her body no longer belonged to herself but was rather being controlled and lived through vicariously through her parents. Families would often sacrifice large sums of money and move according to where the coach was placed, consequently causing many families having to uproot their lives. Tina Walden’s comic ‘Spinning’ is an autobiography of her life as a young figure skater, in it she depicts the struggles and sacrifices she made to remain in the figure skating world (Walden, 2017). Her tight and tiring figure skating routine deprived her of a carefree childhood, and as her family had financially invested so much into her training, she constantly felt restrained and under a silent obligation to honour her parent’s sacrifice. Young figure skaters could ultimately be trained to obey their parents and coaches, completely losing control of their body as a consequence.

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In figure skating the use of the body becomes the sole focus. As mentioned above, families often make sacrifices for their children to become figure skaters. Sparkes (1999) offers an interesting perspective on body narratives, explaining that the body is symbolic of the self, and even the relationships made can be seen through the use of the body. If the body can be seen in such a symbolic way, the movement of figure skaters can be seen through the guidance of the coach, the directing of the choreographer and the encouragement by the parents. Figure skating is indeed a tenacious sport where much investment is required (financially and in effort). However, the movement of figure skaters could not be established without the relationships figure skaters have. So, are figure skaters in control of their own body, or are they merely performing for the relationships they have founded? Klein and Noeth (2011) explain that dancing is extremely complex, it can be political, artistic or personal. Figure skaters ultimately skate for themselves at the end of the day. Each skater has their own purpose and reason behind skating despite the many difficulties and obstacles they face. Schwiegershausen’s article (2014) consisted of interviews by experienced figure skaters, all comments revealing a different experience they had when figure skating and what life was like for them at a young age. Some found that it gave them an identity, others struggled with the ruthless and relentless work. The body fundamentally can respond differently to figure skating and how figure skaters respond to life off the ice and on the ice can depend on the relationships they have.

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So, can figure skaters have control over their bodies? This post has established that life off the ice is extremely challenging for figure skaters. There are situations where young figure skaters may feel trapped and almost forced to skate. On the other hand, some figure skaters find that it provides them with purpose and an identity. We have established that control over the body in figure skating can become very complex when trying to understand. Yet, one of the most important aspects is that the relationships that figure skaters have off the ice is extremely important when shaping their experience on the ice

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Grenfell, C. C., Rinehart, R. E. (2003). Skating on Thin Ice: Human Rights in Youth Figure Skating. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 38(1), pp.79-97.

Klein, G., Noeth, S. (2011). Dancing Politics: Worldmaking in Dance and Choreography. Transcript Verlag, pp.17-27.

Schwiegershausen, E. (2014). Homeschool, Barfing, and Sequins: 15 Insiders on the World of Figure Skating. The Cut. https://www.thecut.com/2014/02/15-insiders-dish-on-the-world-of-figure-skating.html.

Sparkes, A. (1999). Exploring Body Narratives. Sport, Education and Society, 4(1), pp.17-30. 

Walden, T. (2017). Spinning. First Second Books. 

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