About Us

April 2004

U.S. Adult Championships Celebrates 10 Years

Once upon a time, not too long ago, adult skaters who took lessons and wanted to jump and spin and maybe even compete were thought of as weird.

Sometimes they became notorious objects of derision and were laughed at as was the woman who, in a pink dress and pink cloth tiara, practiced for many years at the Rockefeller Center outdoor ice rink in Manhattan.

Grown-ups were welcomed into ice rinks only for recreational skating in public sessions and when organizing competitions for younger skaters. If an adult skater was good enough, he or she could join an ice show or teach.

Eventually, organizers added adult competition to sectional championships, but the entrants were often delegated to the worst scheduling time.

Then things began to change. And as a result of that change, the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships will celebrate its 10th year in Lake Placid, N.Y., April 14-17.

Story by Alexandra Stevenson. Read more about the 10th U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships in the April issue.

Also featured in this issue ...

2004 European Championships
by Sal Zanca

It was supposed to be a continuation of the previous eras, another Russian sweep at the 2004 European Figure Skating Championships held in Budapest, Hungary. Just like last year. Then things happened.


The 12/4 Plan

The vote of the 2003 U.S. Figure Skating Governing Council moved to change the qualifying competition structure to 12 regions and four sections effective for the 2006 competition season.


Finland Connection
by Merita Mullen

Synchronized skating coaches are charged with a special mission - they are responsible for the success of the teams they oversee. So the experience of having a guest choreographer or coach come into a team's atmosphere is a significant one.

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