Aspiring Perfection

Many competitions ago, I skated through the brisk, morning air of the ice rink with a few other girls. They wore double layers of tights under their plain skating dresses and the thickest pair of gloves they could dig out of their skating bag. The goal was to be perfect. The goal is never altered.

To the majority of the population who does not figure skate, the idea of a girl wearing a tight-fitted, fluffy dress, going out on the ice surface and doing a bunch of twists, turns and flips seems completely superfluous. Female figure skaters are perceived as stick up, ditzy and mean. Male figure skaters are, more often than not, perceived as gay. The stereotypes are harsh and not easily fought off.

Figure skaters idealize succeeding. They want to succeed in all aspects of their lives, not just figure skating. The theory is that when one works hard for an extended period of time, that effort begins to show itself in other areas, as well. This explains why most figure skaters do so well in school. Most of my figure skating friends had a 4.0 GPA and were at the rink for hours on end every day of the week. At the time I did not understand, after all, I had never had a 4.0 in my life. The aspect of an everyday teenager’s/preteenager’s life that often does not apply to figure skaters is having a job. This does not count for all; however, many figure skaters’ parents make more than enough money to suffice. The very art of figure skating is geared toward those of a higher socioeconomic standard [SES].

This intricate and complex subculture cannot exactly be identified by an object. As many subcultures may be classified by an object, figure skaters strive to not be easily pinpointed. They glide on the edge of nonconformity and passion. They’re so multifaceted; to fully understand them is nearly impossible. The best way to comprehend their lives is to be one. Even those who were competitive figure skaters a few years ago don’t completely understand the figure skaters of today. A major reason for this is the organization who decides all the rules, the United State Figure Skating Association [USFSA]. The only way to identify a figure skater is when they are on the ice surface and skating. At this point, it would be obvious and unnecessary to say “Hey! There’s a figure skater!”

I relate quite severely to competitive figure skater, as I used to be one. Some traits have never gone away, for instance, my determination to always do well in school. I believe I can partially attribute graduating from high school a year early to the mountains of effort I put into my figure skating. My love for “pretty things” and the color pink can be related to my years as a figure skater as well. I love being able to succeed with style, flare and grace. Putting myself in a situation in which I would have my work “cut out for me,” makes the victory that much sweeter. I get my motivation and validation from my past wins, so to speak -- even the smallest ones, such as getting an A on a pop quiz or finding time to fold all the laundry. I also believe parts of my depression can be linked with my lack of figure skating. Due the not having the validation I received from skating, my self-esteem sank rapidly. Figure skating is one of the few things that makes me truly happy.

Figure skaters are usually Caucasian or Asian females and males. The top figure skaters almost always turn out being Asian, Russian or American. This is partially because of the SES, but also because of the environment some of the other countries are located in, such as Ecuador or most of Africa. In these areas, ice rinks are not commonplace, therefore, cutting down on the population of figure skaters. The only country where being a male figure skater is considered homosexual is America. Surely, the other countries may think over it for a short while, but their main focus is winning for their represented country. The best example of this would be the USSR.

A figure skater’s object of pride is usually her program. A program is a series of moves, such as jumps, spins and footwork all choreographed to flow together and set to music. A perfect program can take months to fit together. Every element has to be precisely timed to the rhythm and beat of the music. Every arm movement or added choreography has be paired with the right section in the program to evoke emotion or add emphasis.

Most competitive skating is set to instrumental music; however, if a skater takes the non-Olympic route, they may use vocal music. The Olympic route follows the rules of the USFSA and the non-Olympic route follows the rules of the Ice Skating Institute of America [ISIA]. The figure skaters one would see at five o’clock in the morning would most likely be aspiring Olympic athletes. These men and women spend the better part of their days tweaking and perfecting their programs to win the gold medal in the next competition they are preparing for.

Perfection is a trait everyone strives for – figure skater or not, but to be perfect trimmed with grace and beauty takes a great deal of talent and time. I hope to learn more about this elaborate subculture and, hopefully, discover enlightenment through my impending education on competitive figure skating.

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