Why did you become a Figure Skater?

[FSWer]

Ok,I saw this question on a site,and thought I'd post it for all our Skaters here. You do not need to be a Competitor to answer this. But....Why did you become a Figure Skater? For me I guess it was because I've always been a Skating Fan,and have always wanted to skate as good as my fav. Skaters. Anybody else?

[RonC]

With my son it was kind of by accident.

He he was doing cross country sking and was starting to learn skate skiing so we thought that if learned how to ice skate it might help him with his skiing. He started skating and loved it. He says that it is relaxing to him when he skates.

[Synchkat]

I started because my friend who lived across the street was starting skating lessons. She had privates lessons from day 1 and quit after that first year. I progressed quickly and 33 years later I am still skating.

[pp55]

I was "pushed" by my parents to start figure skating. I didn't want to do it but I had no choice ( "old good days", many many years ago).

When I started to practice, I "started" to like it, got involved more and more. There were ups and downs but at the end I competed at the international level.

[overedge]

Why not?

[GarrAarghHrumph]

They built a mall on my commute to work, and the mall had an ice rink in it. I went in before they opened, to check it out, and there was a resume for the skating school director. I called her because why not, and the rest is history.

I'd watched some skating on tv before that, but not very much. I'd skated maybe three times in my childhood. So this skating as an adult really was just done on a whim for me.

[Skittl1321]

It is the only form of exercise I enjoy.

[luna_skater]

It is the only form of exercise I enjoy.

This is why I've started skating again. I quit in the spring of 2008, and didn't put my skates back on until December 2011. I've stayed involved in the sport since I quit, but I have never found any physical activity I enjoy as much as skating. I've tried yoga, running, and the gym, and while I do like those things, they don't keep me motivated.

My parents put me in skating lessons when I was 6, just so I could manage to get around the rink without having to hold on to the boards. I didn't love it, but could tolerate it enough for it to be my winter activity. I didn't get hooked until I joined a precision team a few years later.

I'm only going once a week currently, but I know it won't be long before I'm trying to scrape together couch cushion change to buy some more ice time.

[AndyWarhol]

i went on a school excursion to the ice rink and loved it! we lived too far away from the rink though, so, i couldn't have lessons, despite my begging. i wanted to learn to spin!
a rink opened up closer to our house when i was 12 (about 45 minutes away) and my parents gave in and let me sign up for aussie skate.

[Johnny_Fever]

I was "pushed" by my parents to start figure skating. I didn't want to do it but I had no choice ( "old good days", many many years ago).

When I started to practice, I "started" to like it, got involved more and more. There were ups and downs but at the end I competed at the international level.

Same here, except for the 'started to like it' part.

[AndyWarhol]

^^^^ that makes me sad on so many levels

[ioana]

My college offered skating as a PE credit and since I'd watched it on TV plenty of times, I figured it would be fun. I skated for about 10 years until I managed to destroy my right knee skiing last year, but I am slowly getting back into it. Hopefully by the end of the year I can start being on the ice on a regular basis as long as PT keeps going well. Nothing comes close to the freedom you experience on the ice when the rink is empty enough to fly around (well, 'fly' by your own standards ) and do spirals or edges...It's always been my happy place when either school or work would get to be too stressful.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

My university built an ice rink the year after I left. I've been jealous of their current students who get to take skating for gym!

[FigureSpins]

The University I work for has had a rink on the "future construction" plans since before I joined the staff. I gave up and moved away. They started a hockey team this year, so I guess they might be getting close to building the rink now.

[Johnny_Fever]

^^^^ that makes me sad on so many levels

Alright. I exaggerated. I suppose I did acquire a taste for it over the years.

[AndyWarhol]

Alright. I exaggerated. I suppose I did acquire a taste for it over the years.

no one should have to "acquire a taste" for such a full on and expensive activity. If only that money couldn't have been spent on someone who was dying to skate and couldn't afford it, or something that you were dying to do.

[Johnny_Fever]

At least it kept me off the streets.

[Frau Muller]

I was a long-time fan by the time I went to grad school at a university that has an indoor rink. Of course I took lessons and have loved doing it ever since.

[AndyWarhol]

At least it kept me off the streets.

Haha, my parents used to say that about me to their friends whose minds boggled at the money spent on skating.

[ltnskater]

2002 Salt Lake City Olympics Pairs Competition.