History UsefulNotes / FigureSkating

* ''Literature/GinbanKaleidoscope'': A light novel turned anime about an aspiring figure skater and the pilot haunting her.

* ''Manga/TwoOnIce'': A romance/sports manga that began in 2023, about a male figure skater who meets his female idol after she seemingly vanished from the sport.

* ''LightNovel/GinbanKaleidoscope'': A light novel turned anime about an aspiring figure skater and the pilot haunting her.

* ''Series/DancingOnIce'': A 2006 reality show starring celebrities and professional skaters in an ice dance competition. Notable primarily for being ''Series/StrictlyComeDancing'' On Ice and for reuniting the legendary ice dancing duo of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, perfect-scoring 1984 Olympic champions and unofficial international treasures of the skating world, who had retired from skating eight years earlier.

* ''Series/DancingOnIce'': A 2006 reality show starring celebrities and professional skaters in an ice dance competition.

** '''Free skate (FS):''' The second segment for mens', ladies', and pairs'. At around four minutes long, this program still has requirements, but allows the skater to select and choose their choreography to focus on their strengths.

** '''Gala:''' Not an official competition segment, and more of a 'just for fun' thing after competitions; competitors are introduced one by one and perform whatever routine they choose.

* Creator/LynnHollyJohnson
* Creator/RikaKihira
* Creator/YunaKim
* Creator/AlenaKostornaia
* Creator/StephaneLambiel
* Creator/ElizavetaTuktamysheva

* Creator/AnnaPogorilaya

* Creator/YuzuruHanyu

* Creator/YuliaLipnitskaya
* Creator/EvgeniaMedvedeva
* Creator/ElenaRadionova
* Creator/AnnaShcherbakova
* Creator/ElizavetaTuktamysheva
* Creator/EteriTutberidze
* Creator/AlexandraTrusova
* Creator/KamilaValieva
* Creator/AlinaZagitova

* ''Franchise/PrettySeries'': A multimedia franchise spinning out of {{Rhythm Game}}s that involve incorporating figure skating into IdolSinger routines.

* '''Grand Prix series''': An series of six international figure-skating competitions organized by the ISU, comprising six different competitions across six different countries. Skaters are assigned a couple of competitions, and the top-ranked skaters by the end get to compete in the Grand Prix Final.

* ''Anime/YuriOnIce'': A 2016 anime about a depressed world-class skater from Japan who is inspired to continue the sport after his idol, a Russian top skater, becomes his coach.

* ''Manga/TheCherryProject'': A 1990-1991 shoujo manga about a young skater who partners up with her crush.

Scoring in figure skating has a subjective element. Under the current system, each figure skating element above has a ''base value'' (points you get for attempting it in the first place) and an additional ''grade of execution'' (GOE) depending on how well it was performed, which is decided by a panel of judges. The GOE ranges from -5 to +5. For example, a quadruple toe jump has a base value of 10.30, which a skater will get if it is performed serviceably. If it is performed exceptionally ''well'' (clean, good posture throughout, lots of ice coverage, sticks the landing), judges can add additional points on top of it. If it is performed incorrectly, such as by underrotating or landing on the wrong skate edge or foot, the skater might get a negative GOE and get less than 10.30.

In fiction, figure skating is stereotyped as AlwaysCamp. Attention will often be drawn to the [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles sparkly costumes]], often to TutuFancy levels. [[DaintyLittleBalletDancers Similar to ballet]], its athletes are often stereotyped as dainty or feminine, although like real ballet, there is an incredible amount of athleticism that goes into being a figure skater. It may be contrasted with UsefulNotes/IceHockey.

Not to be confused with [[OnIce ice shows]], which are theatrical productions.

Scoring in figure skating has a subjective element. Under the current system, each figure skating element above has a ''base value'' (points you get for attempting it in the first place) and an additional ''grade of execution'' (GOE) depending on how well it was performed, which is decided by a panel of judges. The GOE ranges from -5 to +5. For example, a quadruple toe jump has a base value of 10.30, which a skater will get if it is performed serviceably. If it is performed exceptionally ''well'' (clean, good posture throughout, lots of ice coverage, sticks the landing), judges can add additional points on top of it. If it is performed imperfectly, such as by underrotating, the skater might get a negative GOE and get less than 10.30.

Scoring in figure skating has a subjective element. Under the current system, each figure skating element above has a ''base value'' (points you get for attempting it in the first place) and an additional ''grade of execution'' (GOE) depending on how well it was performed, which is decided by a panel of judges. The GOE ranges from -5 to +5. For example, a quadruple toe jump has a base value of 10.30, which a skater will get if it is performed serviceably. If it is performed exceptionally ''well'' (clean, good ice coverage, sticks the landing), judges can add additional points on top of it. If it is performed imperfectly, such as by underrotating, the skater might get a negative GOE and get less than 10.30.

Modern figure skating is a highly competitive, eye-catching sport known for its grace, complicated jumps and spins, and sparkly costumes, so it's no wonder that it's found its way into fiction.

** '''Pairs:''' A man and a woman perform together. Compared to singles skating, this incorporates pair elements such as throw jumps.

* '''Jump:''' A skater leaps into the air and rotates rapidly a certain number of times. There are six major types of jumps, differentiated by how the skater takes off and lands: axel, flip, lutz, salchow, toe loop, and loop. For example, a "triple lutz" has the skater jump from the skate's back outside edge and land on the back outside edge of the other foot. The number of rotations in a jump is directly proportional to how technically difficult -- and thus how high-scoring -- the jump is. Most high-level singles skaters can do triples; quad jumps have so far dominated in males' singles and are starting to make their way into ladies' singles.

The major divisions in figure skating are the junior and senior fields. To compete in the junior division, a skater must be 13 years old by July 1 of the preceding year. To compete in the senior division, they must be 15 by that time. All the major competitions (save the Olympics) have a junior counterpart. Skaters in the senior division range from in their late teens to their early thirties, at which point many retire and go pro. Unlike many other sports, "professional" in the context of figure skating does not mean that they are being paid, but rather that they have stopped competing.

* '''Nationals:''' For determining each country's top-ranked skaters, and usually determines who gets to compete internationally.

* ''Manga/TheCherryProject''
* ''LightNovel/GinbanKaleidoscope''
* ''Manga/IceRevolution''
* ''Anime/YuriOnIce''

* ''Film/BladesOfGlory''
* ''Film/IcePrincess''
* ''Film/ITonya''

* ''Series/SpinningOut''

Humans have been skating for a very long time -- primitive bone skates have been found dating back to 3000 BC. Modern steel skates with edges are thought to have originated with the Dutch, who used them to traverse their frozen waterways in winter, and skating associations later sprung up in England and Scotland.

Jackson Haines is credited as the father of modern figure skating, as he was the first to incorporate ballet moves and spins in his skating in the 1860s. Although stiffer forms of skating dominated in his lifetime, his students would go on to found the International Skating Union, which codified figure skating as a sport and is currently the governing body for all skating sports. The first European Figure Skating Competition was held in 1891, the first World in 1896, and the sport made its Olympic debut in 1908 as the Games' first winter sport. The sport has evolved considerably since then.