Jo Ann's Figure Skating Blog

I believe World and Olympic figure skating competitors should be all ages. What is your opinion? Cast your vote.

• Join the Discussion: Should figure skaters younger than 15 be allowed to participate in Worlds and in the Olympics?

The media has made the world aware about the controversy involving the ages of the Chinese gymnasts. National sports columnist, Tim Dalberg, has recently voiced his opinion on the age issue. I agree with his thoughts. Olympic participation should be open to all ages.

In 2008, some of the best figure skaters from the United States couldn't compete at the World Figure Skating Championships. US Pair Skating Champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker couldn't participate since McLaughlin was too young, and Ladies champion Mirai Nagasu and Ladies Silver Medalist Rachael Flatt were also too young to participate. Fortunatelly, those athletes will be old enough to participate in 2010, but why should anyone be cut off from participating in the Olympics due to his or her age? Swimmers don't have an "age rule," so why can't the same guidelines apply to figure skating and gymnastics?

• Join the Discussion: Should figure skaters younger than 15 be allowed to participate in the Olympics?

_{Rachael Flatt, the 2008 U.S. National Silver Medalist, and Mirai Nagasu, the 2008 U.S. Ladies National Champion, could not compete at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships due to figure skating's "age rule."
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images}

Gymnasts, swimmers, divers, and runners have oportunities to enter mutiple events at the Olympics, but figure skaters don't have that chance. Wouldn't it be nice if single and pair skaters could receive separate awards for the short program and the free skate? There could also be an all-around or combined figure skating champion. Ice dancers could receive medals for the compulsory dance portion, the original dance, and the free dance. Perhaps individual jump or spin events could also be added? Team events, similar to gymnastiic team events, might make things more interesting. And....why can't the Olympics include synchronized skating events?

Gymnasts perform one vault and win an Olympic gold medal. Swimmers, divers, and runners have opportunities to win multiple medals. Figure skaters just have it so much harder. Why?

• Join the Discussion - Should figure skaters be given the opportunity to win multiple medals at the Olympics?

_{Sasha Cohen's Olympic Medal - Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images}

Cammie and Alex's Adventures in Skateland is a children's figure skating book about a young and very proud ice skater named Cammie. She likes doing jumps and spins, but does not like to practice basic ice skating skills such as edges, turns, and footwork. When she, and another skater named Alex, are told by their coach that they cannot compete in a competition since their fundamental figure skating skills need work, the children decide to enter the competition anyway. As they travel to the competition location, they end up going on a magical and scary adventure.

The idea and plot of the story is very original. Figure skating fiction does not usually include magic or witches, but the fairytale nature of the story make Cammie and Alex's Adventure in Skateland quite unique.

• Guide Review - Cammie and Alex's Adventures in Skateland

• Cammie and Alex's Adventures in Skateland

_{Cammie and Alex's Adventures in Skateland by Olga Jaffae - About.com PriceGrabber Shopping Image}

I recently visited the World Figure Museum and Hall of Fame. I saw figure skating photos, memorabilia, artwork, and trophies. I learned about figure skating history. I also took a lot of photos!

• Photos From the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame
• All About the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame

_{Olympic Figure Skating Champion Peggy Fleming - World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame Exhibit - Photo by JO ANN Schneider Farris}

I admit it...I love watching gymnastics. I enjoyed seeing Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin win silver and gold. This got me thinking of the things that are similar about the two sports:

• Both gymnastics and figure skating involve much dedication, sacrifice, and hard work.
• Gymnastics and figure skating are two of the most favorite spectator sports that fans watch during the Olympics.
• Both sports have new scoring systems that seem to be hard for spectators to understand. (Gymnasts miss the "Perfect 10" and figure skaters miss the "Perfect 6.0.")
• Little girls everywhere have dreams of being gymnastic champions or figure skating champions.
• Elite figure skaters and gymnasts leave their homes and families to train at figure skating training centers or gyms with coaches that can make them the best at their sport.
• Winning an women's all-around gymnastic Olympic title or a women's Olympic figure skating title may make an individual a household name and legend.
• Figure skating dresses are really fancy leotards with short skirts attached, but I admit that the clothes figure skaters wear in competition are much more elaborate than gymnastic competition apparel.
• Both gymnasts and figure skaters must be slim and trim.
• Gymnasts and figure skaters must make sure their hair is pulled back and away from their faces.
• Both sports have progressively become more athletic.
• Figure skating has enthusiastic commentators like Scott Hamilton and Dick Button; gymnastics now has Bela Karolyi jumping up and down behind the scenes.
• Olympic dreams for both figure skaters and gymnasts begin at a very young age.
• Both figure skating moves and gymnastic moves have to be mastered not only with technical perfection, but also with grace and artistry. When difficult moves are performed, they need to look easy.
• Figure skaters and gymnasts perform as if they are on stage.
• On the international level, competitors must be a certain age to be eligible to compete.

_{Top Left: Gymnasts Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin Show Off Their Olympic Silver and Gold Medals - Photos by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images}

_{Bottom Right: Figure Skater Sasha Cohen Shows Off Her Olympic Silver Medal - Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images}

I recently had a wonderful conversation with two-time Olympian and three-time U.S. champion, JoJo Starbuck. She is the Artistic Director for the new Ice Capades. The all new Ice Capades will be conducting auditions for live shows and a new reality TV program. The first audition is taking place this Saturday, August 16, 2008, at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid. Single skaters, pair skaters, ice dancers, and groups or specialty acts can take part in the auditions. Skaters must be at least sixteen years old. The only requirement is that a program be prepared that is entertaining. After the day of auditions, the top finalists will get a chance to perform in Lake Placid's official weekly Saturday night ice show. That show will feature 2008 World Junior Champion Rachael Flatt, 2007 US Men's Silver Medalist Ryan Bradley, and 2002 Olympian John Zimmerman with his wife Silvia Fontana. The skaters will be judged by JoJo Starbuck, John Zimmerman, and also non-skaters from the entertainment industry. Those who audition should know that the event has been sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating, so a skater's eligibility status will not be affected. There will also be future auditions.

The goal of the new Ice Capades venture is to bring something back that was similar to the ice show entertainment that America loved in the past. Families enjoyed seeing figure skating champions, chorus girls, comedians, clowns, jugglers, and barrel jumpers on ice skates. Ice Capades made figure skating popular for over six decades and hopes to do that once again.

• The History of Ice Capades
• About JoJo Starbuck
• About the New Ice Capades

_{JoJo Starbuck - Photo Courtesy of the Harlick Skating Boots}

2008 World Junior Figure Skating Champion and 2008 US Ladies Silver Medalist, Rachael Flatt, hopes to compete at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Rachael is also an orthodontic patient who is "Banding Together" with the American Association of Orthodontists and other orthodontic patients to support Team USA by wearing patriotic-colored bands on her braces. Everyone who wears braces is encouraged to follow Rachael's lead.

I think this is so cool! I wore braces when I competed as a young figure skater. What a great way to support our Olympic athletes!

_{"Band Together" With Figure Skater Rachael Flatt
Photo Courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists}

I just returned from an exciting week at the 2008 Indy Challenge pair skating competition. It was great fun to see many excellent pair teams compete. 2008 US national pair skating champions, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, won the senior pairs events. This video shows their outstanding long program.

Ice skating rinks have boards or rails surounding the rink's surface. The boards are there for hockey since they keep pucks inside the ice. It's scary doing figure skating on a rink without boards though. When I was in high school, my ice dance partner and I were warming up "The Blues" ice dance, and skated backward right out the rink's door since the door that opened the rink's boards was open! I've seen pair skaters crash into the boards during throw jumps. The boards are also useful for beginning ice skaters to hold onto.

_{Matt Savoie Falls Into the Boards - Olympics 2006
Photo by Robert Laberge - Getty Images}