What was your first exposure to figure skating?

[Barbara Manatee]

When I was 5 or so I started on the neighborhood lake in skates that strapped over my boots. Each one had two blades, like training wheels, but I fell over constantly anyway. Apparently I'd just lie on the ice in my puffy red snow suit and laugh and laugh until someone would come along and prop me back up. I watched all the figure skating competitions on tv with my mom, too, but it wasn't until years later that I suddenly realized that what I did and what they did was the same sport!

I also have a vivid memory of watching Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates on Disney and being wildly jealous of their curly-toed skates - how I wanted a pair like that!

 

[RoseAugust]

Wide World of Sports!

 

[moebius]

Wide World of Sports!

Me too!

 

[briancoogaert]

I used to go regularly to the ice rink as a young child. But it was not really Figure Skating !
My very first exposure to this sport was on TV : 1992 Olympics.

 

[skateboy]

When I was little I had the "strap to your shoes" roller skates, with a skate key. Most kids had them and I just loved it. Plus, I seemed to be pretty good at it (I don't remember falling down, like most of the other kids).

At some point I watched Olympic ice skating. I begged my parents to give me skating lessons and there was a roller rink closer than an ice rink. So I started roller skating lessons and stuck with it for 15 years, eventually competing at the Senior level and qualifying for Nationals four times (although I never placed particularly well!). I also had injuries... breaking my left arm four times (falling wonky out of jumps). Also some nasty hip bruises and a bruised tailbone. Ouch. (Even now, if I sit too long in one spot it hurts.)

I went ice skating a few times (wearing rental skates). Loved it, but it felt so completely different. I always wondered what it would have been like if I had decent skates.

 

[Vash01]

I first saw people skating on a frozen pond in Kansas. A friend loaned me her skates so I could try. The skates were at least two sizes too big for me, so it didn’t work.

Next I saw some people skating at a skating rink in a shopping mall in Texas. I enjoyed watching some of the 1984 Olympics performances and particularly Bolero.

In the late 1980’s I moved to Idaho and watched live skating by world and Olympic champions/medalists in Sun Valley. What motivated me to take up skating lessons was - watching the 1988 Olympics on TV, and watching live skating in Sun Valley ( I received my first ever lesson there).

I continued to take private lessons for twenty plus years, finding instructors wherever I lived. I finally stopped skating because I got tired of driving to the rink on Saturdays and also because I developed other interests.

 

[Plusdinfo]

I believe my first exposure was skating with family outdoors. I think the first time I saw the sport on TV was 1991 Worlds.

 

[caseyedwards]

A local park had a rink and I would see people skate there.

Then in 1986 US nationals was a few blocks from my house!! Just a few blocks from my house! Funny enough I didn’t see any of it live but at my aunts house on TV

 

[jenniferlyon]

We have home movie footage of my mother, my older cousin, and myself skating on a backyard rink that Mom made. I was about two and had a pair of double bladed skates. I don't remember this, but I do remember later years when we had a rink in the backyard.

My most vivid "skating" memory is of my mom's Sonja Henie doll. My sister and I weren't really allowed to play with it because it was from the 1940s and needed to be restrung. Years later, I sneaked it off to the doll hospital and had it restrung as Mom's Christmas present. Mom is 81 now and still has her Sonja doll.

I can vaguely remember Janet Lynn's skating career because she was Mom's favorite skater when I was little. Peggy Fleming would have turned pro by then, but I can remember seeing her on TV. By the time Dorothy Hamill won the Olympics, I was in the first grade, so I remember her pretty well.

 

[kwanfan1818]

First year of Wide World of Sports and then forever searching for Dick Button to be commentating in a tuxedo.

 

[Japanfan]

I lived in a small northern Canadian town and skating was one of our winter activities. There was an outdoor rink about 10 minutes away from our house and also an indoor arena.

My parents enrolled me in pretty much all available activities, including figure skating. I was in a show once and remember being utterly appalled that the strawberry on my costume was sewed upside down. My mom was out of town, and dad couldn't help me. Guess I skated that way.

 

[Vagabond]

For Americans in the Sixties and Seventies, Wide World of Sports was the introduction to figure skating. It was and is irreplaceable.

Ditto for log rolling.

 

[gkelly]

For Americans in the Sixties and Seventies, Wide World of Sports was the introduction to figure skating. It was and is irreplaceable.

Ditto for log rolling.

So my nephew is deciding whether to attend the local state university or to go to a tech school out of state.

The out-of-state school has a better program in his field.

But the state uni has log rolling.

Tough choice.

 

[Yuri]

To clarify mt earlier comment on my first TV exposure to figure skating, there is no doubt that it was ABC's Wide World of Sports, hosted by the incomparable Jim McKay, with the two main commentators being Dick Button and Peggy Fleming. Since ABC had a lock on most of the Winter Olympics, WoRLd Championship, and US Nationsls, this trio were the main 3 for the figure skating broadcasts.

Now we did suffer through others in the Kiss & Cry area, like David Santee...

 

[Vagabond]

Now we did suffer through others in the Kiss & Cry area, like David Santee...

But at least ABC did have interviewers in the Kiss and Cry! It was one of the things that made its figure skating coverage so special.

 

[Triple loop]

I first was introduced to skating when watching the beginning of the pairs competition at the 1980 Olympics. I remember Tai and Randy’s withdrawal. So sad. Robin Cousins and Denise Biellman were amazing. From then on, I was hooked with the 1981-1984 team which included Scott Hamilton and Elaine Zayak. I’m also a big fan of Midori Ito, Paul Wylie, Michelle Kwan, and Mao Asada. I miss those days.

 

[mjb52]

Wide World of Sports was my first exposure too, I would have loved to take lessons but in my area they were generally at times that wouldn't work with the rest of my schedule. I took lessons as an adult for a summer and learned to do single toe loops through flips (not lutz I don't think) and even though I didn't keep up with it at all it's still a fond memory that I learned to do that much.

 

[tony]

But at least ABC did have interviewers in the Kiss and Cry! It was one of the things that made its figure skating coverage so special.

Even though it’s before my time, watching some of these 80s videos where someone is there to interview the skater as their marks are being displayed is oftentimes cringeworthy to the max. If the skater didn’t have a good performance and is still winded, do you think they ever wanted to sit there and answer ‘What went wrong??’ ‘Do you think you’ll win?’

 

[skatingguy]

Even though it’s before my time, watching some of these 80s videos where someone is there to interview the skater as their marks are being displayed is oftentimes cringeworthy to the max. If the skater didn’t have a good performance and is still winded, do you think they ever wanted to sit there and answer ‘What went wrong??’ ‘Do you think you’ll win?’

Yes, but it humanized the skaters, and people connect to those interviews whereas the press conferences are more formal, stilted, and rehearsed.

 

[Yuri]

It was quite different when a David Santee would shove his microphone in the face of a skater in K&C, especially since in those days the standings weren't immediately obvious in the ordinals system like we know where everyone stands these days. In the Battle of the Brians in 1988, Santee's first question to Orser was something like "Congratulations! You won the Silver Medal, how do you feel?" and you could see the split second of false hope in Orser's face crushed when Santee said "silver" after "won". A truly cringeworthy moment and I don't remember how much longer reporters were allowed in K&C. I don't think CBS had anyone there in Albertville 1992 or Lillehamer 1994.

 

[VGThuy]

Yeah those interviews right after a performance when the skater was still sweaty and winded were cringey. At least give them a moment to catch their breath and deal with their standing before interviewing them. They could wait for at least five or so minutes after they get their marks to interview them. You still get humanized moments interviewing them backstage even if you have to wait a while.

 

[MacMadame]

Plus the skaters have so much more exposure these days due to social media. It's not like we don't know things about them to make us like them and follow them because there aren't Kiss 'n Cry interview.

 

[Habs]

I remember watching the 1988 Olympics with my mom (specifically, Battle of the Brians). I was 10.
I didn't really become interested or a fan until 1993. I watched Canadian nationals, again with my mom, and then the 1993 Worlds. I was hooked. Kurt Browning for life.

 

[bardtoob]

My favorite interview in the kiss and cry along with the audible crowd reaction:

Tonya Harding 1988-1989 Long Program

From the 1989 US National Championship She Placed 3rd in event Part of a Ice Skating Routine Documentation Project visit www.skatepedia.net to check out the ...

youtu.be

Note: In those days you would assume Harding would have been placed ahead of Yamaguchi because she beat Yamaguchi in figures by a large margin, 4th place to 8th place, and strength in both figures and freeskating was required to make a World podium. To that extent, Holly Cook beat Yamaguchi at 1990 Worlds based on the strength of her figures and claimed the World bronze.

 

[Flip Jump]

First exposure to figure skating was Wide World of Sports Peggy Fleming & Tim Wood (home town boy)
my Dad took me to Champions on Ice ISU version 1972
had an article published in the Detroit News about the lack of figure skating coverage in 1979
went to Worlds in 1987 and vowed to go to as many competitions as possible
before technology I would buy a USA Today paper to get the results of nationals and world competions before I was able to watch the top 2 or 3 on tv during the weekend.
Started getting Skating Magazine in 1985.
had children in the 1990’s and my daughter started skating.
got involved in skating club, became president and worked on many club fundraisers. So I would say I’m a lifelong fan and know the inter workings of club politics and USFS structure. Fans in the 2000 don’t know how lucky you are to have forums like this and google skating articles so easily.

 

[canadianskater]

My parents put me in Canskate at an early age so that I could keep up when my school would go on field trips to our local rink. I took a liking to it and that year at our carnival, Josee Chouinard was invited to skate. I was a very impressed 5 year old and told my parents I wanted to be just like her!