The Future of Figure Skating

@futureoffs

A podcast about making figure skating healthier, more inclusive, and more joyful. Find us on major podcast apps, Spotify and YouTube. Hosted by @choreosequence.bsky.social

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The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· 1d

New season is underway! What will inclusion in the Olympics mean for Synchro? Sabrina Snoad, co-host of the Synchro Skaters Club podcast, joined me for a discussion of the future of the sport. youtu.be/X6s7b_-zLlg?...

White blond woman in a ponytail (Sabrina snoad) smiling, purple backgroubd, text reads Sabrina Snoad the future of synchro skating

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Jun 8

New interview up with Tatsuro Matsumura, current ISU Council member running for reelection. He has interesting ideas about AI and allowing skaters to challenge their score if they think there has been a mistake. youtu.be/SB_ZPFqd4aQ?...

Quote: Everybody is saying, let's make figure skating more popular. How do you make that happen? ...I heard some of the core figure skating fans were talking about ‘well, the results are already made. The judges are already discussing the results.’ It’s not true. But the problem is objectivity...

The skaters, the coaches, even the judges, and also the fans, they want some fairness. But these days we can't secure that, because the human eye cannot measure those details....So, AI to support judging, not AI to take over the judging, but to support the judges, it is mandatory....Otherwise, we're gonna lose lots of fans, which we don't like.

Quote: What if we bring a red button right in front of the kiss and cry? And when the skaters see their scores on the monitor and don't like it, you press the button, the challenge button.

And then my idea is like this: the technical committee member stands beside the real judges...If the skater pushes that red button, the technical committee will review during the next performer. So we don't lose a minute...

They may make the same decisions, but maybe you're right [and] the skater could win... this kind of mistake could happen. The skaters are sacrificing their whole life to skating. They're serious. On the judge's side, or the organization’s side, we also need to be serious. To avoid those kind of mistakes, I think this kind of a challenge system [could work].

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Mar 9

What is a level playing field for figure skating? Why do we care about some advantages in sports but not others? Erica Rand shares ideas from her new book “Skating Away from the Binary” - more in the full episode here: youtu.be/6B1pls-eBls?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Dec 31

Show your support for healthier, more inclusive, and more joyful figure skating with a pin (or 2)! These special edition enamel pins ship worldwide, or can be picked up at Euros, Olys, Worlds, etc. ko-fi.com/futureoffigu...

Circular pin with pale purple outer ring surrounding dark purple circle, text in silver nickel reads the future of figure skating

Circular pin with dark metal outer ring surrounding concentric circles of pale blue white and pink enamel. In the center, the silhouette of a skate in the metal, with ice is for everyone written in white enamel.

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Dec 30

“Injury prevention is a lifestyle” : Dr Ami Parekh shares lessons learned as an elite skater and physical rehabilitation doctor. More in episode 60: youtu.be/MOouEgSLzfA?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Dec 11

Jimmy Morgan explains why skaters benefit from having goals beyond mastering technical skills. More in episode 59 youtu.be/QGegMlHfET8?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Nov 19

Stéphane shares his hopes for the future of figure skating! Full episode: youtu.be/kyDGxyhIcww?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Nov 16

This beautiful group of people came together at Skate America to show their solidarity with trans figure skaters harmed by the new US figure skating policy and to protest the bigoted and dehumanizing attacks on trans people in our communities.

A group of 20+ people holding trans pride flags

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Sep 8

Robin Cousins (1980 Olympic champion, president of British Ice Skating) has lots of ideas for how to make skating popular youtu.be/jHgI5n_wdDw

Cover image for episode 54 featuring Robin Cousins, a smiling white man with grey hair and a black coat, in front of a purple background

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Jun 9

Filip reflects on his mental health practices, balancing support and self-reliance. I have so much respect for the Taschlers’ approach to mental health and sharing the lessons they are each learning! Full interview: youtu.be/pW-BS2_gj7I?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Jun 4

Natálie Tascherlová is sharing her story and helping to show young skaters they can be themselves on the ice 👏👏👏 full episode: youtu.be/pW-BS2_gj7I

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· May 25

Young coaches can help change the culture of the sport, and make rinks the safe spaces they should be. Hear more from Olivia Oliver and Solène Mazingue in episode 48 youtu.be/grACfoFD0Sk

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· May 5

Solène Mazingue and Olivia Oliver are ice dancers who have become fierce advocates for their fellow survivors of sexual assault. youtu.be/grACfoFD0Sk

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Apr 3

Pairs champion-turned-coach Tarah Kayne discussed mental health and the importance of connections and validation outside of skating. Family, friends, coaches can all help ensure that self-worth doesn’t depend on what happens on the ice. Full episode: youtu.be/0hFapwdGAPU?...

What was helpful for me when I was skating, was that I lived with a host family...l would come home and they would be like, we're doing family board game night, if you want to play games with us... they knew about my skating but they weren't going to not allow me to play the board game because l fell on my throw.
If had a bad day at skating today and I fell on everything, my home life was still the same. People still cared about me.

I remember l would text some of my friends that I knew outside of skating. And I was like, 'would you still be my friend if I did bad at competition?' And they were like, 'we literally don't care about your competition. Yes.'
I think a lot of it's just knowing that nothing changes for you in your life if ice skating doesn't go well.

I don't think it's like that for some kids. I think if they don't do well at skating, their parents are mad at them or their home life changes and they're not given the same love and support.
I think that's what where things get really tough, if you feel like your worth off the ice is directly related to your worth on the ice.

That's something I try to tell my skaters as well, that it's okay [to make mistakes].
'You fell, it's fine. You're going to go to school tomorrow. You're still going to have to take the same test. Nothing changes. I still like you. I'll still teach you.'
So l try to just make sure they understand that.

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Feb 14

Madison Hubbell calls for the ISU to allow teams of any gender, notes that Skate Canada has made a great first step but without the ability to aspire for world and Olympic competition, it won’t be enough. Full interview: youtu.be/Qxa0ERLdR4o?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Feb 13

Madison Hubbell and Gabriella Papadakis debuted their new professional partnership at Art on Ice 2025. I spoke to them backstage in Zurich about their advocacy for change in the sport, and providing an example of what open-gender ice dance could look like. youtu.be/Qxa0ERLdR4o?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Feb 12

A little clip of Madison Hubbell and Gabriella Papadakis talking about lifts - the full interview from Art on Ice will be out this week!

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Dec 27

Khoudia Touré talks about the value of collaboration between figure skating and hip hop 🤝 Check out the full episode: youtu.be/rKs22nDngaw?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Dec 23

Khoudia is the choreographer behind Stéphane & Guillaume’s amazing duet, as well as Stéphane’s “This Bitter Earth” and Satoko Miyahara’s “Minor Blue” exhibition. She has a beautiful perspective on dance and skating. youtu.be/rKs22nDngaw?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Dec 23

New episode! Hip hop dancer Khoudia Touré discusses her work with Stéphane Lambiel and Guillaume Cizeron, and the creative exchange between dance and skating youtu.be/rKs22nDngaw?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Nov 26

New episode out now, discussing artistry and healthy pairs partnerships with coach and choreographer @drew-meekins.bsky.social youtu.be/5r17SFFtuRU?...

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Nov 18

On the Runthrough, Adam and @ashwagner.bsky.social had an interesting conversation about leveled spins and steps. What do you think? Are the requirements of level 4 spins and steps making skating cluttered and ugly? Are levels necessary for objective judging? podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Text post reading: “Do we need leveled elements: a debate from The Runthrough November 6, 2024. Adam Rippon: ‘And I think a lot of what we see now is like a lot of sophisticated kind of bullshit.

It doesn't make any sense, doesn't have any sort of musicality to it. It's just being thrown in to be like, look at me, I'm doing all of this flashy stuff before things….

I hate these programs where there's nonstop fucking junk bullshit, turn, turn, turn, no crossovers, whatever. I understand the complexity of the transitions and all of that stuff.

But like, there's something to be said about beautiful classic skating.’

Text post reading: “Adam Rippon, cont: ‘Just throwing in all this stuff doesn't lead to a nice program. I think what the skaters are being asked to do now is really difficult. And also really ugly. I think to get a level four spin, you need to do a lot of things that are not aesthetically pleasing…I believe that we should not “have leveled footwork. We should not have leveled spins. I do not like it at all. I think it leads. I think if you're a figure skating judge, you know what clean turns look like. You know what beautiful spins look like. You know what the elements are supposed to look like.’

Text post reading: “Ashley Wagner: ‘I think that there are systems in place so that there's less up to the judge's discretion. And I think that we unfortunately have a culture within this sport - not gonna name names, but they're not allowed to compete right now. - where judging will be all over the place if you allow a system where you take out major levels there. Because then someone who's doing some bullshit ugly spin, a judge can just award it the same. Like imagine, I'm trying to think, okay, how about this? My spins aren't leveled and Karen Chen's spins aren't leveled. There is no universe where my spins should be scored the same way as Karen Chen's…But using politics, they could be. And that's where I'm like, that's not safe, because I should never get Karen Chen's spin points ever.’

Text post reading: ‘Adam: But okay, but then let's look at it. You were able to do a level four layback, and so was Karen. But at the time, when the scores were only a minus three to a plus three, Karen would walk away from the event with plus threes across the board on the same element that you did that you would get plus ones and twos. So you were judging the same element. And I think that if they weren't leveled, you'd get the same sort of thing. Like, it's only a matter of time until every skater is going to do a level four spin again.’

From The Runthrough: Episode 48: French Skating and Italian Robots, Nov 6, 2024”

The Future of Figure Skating@futureoffs· Nov 14

Episode 42 features Matteo Rizzo on his recovery from injury, and his love of the emotional side of skating. youtu.be/iNWSWL4Bw6k