Figure Skating Competition Etiquette: Down in Front!

This post topic comes from Advisory Board member Mommia, who writes:

Is there such a thing as proper etiquette for spectators at a competition? When my dd skates, I do not get up until her group is done and the next group is on the ice warming up. I don’t want to walk in front of the parents who are watching their skater, nor do I want to get caught in someone’s video camera. And I would imagine it could be distracting to the skater on the ice.

The last competition we were at, the seating area was very close to the ice (barely enough room to walk single file between people sitting on the bottom bleacher, and the hockey glass). The seating was also raised, so there was an open area between the path and the walls/sides next to the ice. They covered it with metal flanges so no on would fall in. The flanges worked, but they also made a loud racket when someone stepped on them. Imagine being on the ice in the middle of a routine when that happens. BTW, this was a brand new rink, but poorly designed for competitions IMO.

Is it too much to put up signs at a competition informing people? Yes, I know some people will ignore the signs, but I believe there are those who never thought of staying in their seat and would not mind knowing what’s right.

Well, Mommia, I think this is a great idea for a post. Let’s start a list of what to do and what NOT to do at a figure skating competition.

Don’t walk in the stands while a skater is on the ice. I’ve been to a competition that was really well run. At the base of the stands, in front of the stairs. were a pair of girls. Each girl had one end of a rope. While skaters were on the ice, they wouldn’t let spectators in the stands. After the event, they let people find a seat.

This is such a great idea. If you can get enough volunteers to make it work, do it at the next competition. There are few things worse than trying to watch your skater’s program while other people walk in front of you. Even worse: little kids chasing one another up and down the aisles while skaters are on the ice. If an adult trips those kids, you’ll know who it was. Yep. I’m ‘fessing up. Start hunting around for Synchro Mom, too, because she’s telling the little beasts to go play in traffic.

Today is Rinkformation’s joint posting day. Check out our other posts about competing

Ice Coach: Test Track vs. Well Balanced

Ice Girl: It Takes Perseverance

Synchro Mom: Make-up for Synchronized Skating Competitions

Don’t spill on me. Please. Spectators edge their way to their seats with their hands full of blankets, coolers, and hot chocolate from the concession stand. Please don’t spill on me. It’s just gross. All the I’m sorrys in the world won’t change the fact that I have to spend the day in a sweatshirt with cold, sticky, hot chocolate on it.

And for the love of Pete, please don’t spill anything on Ice Grandma’s poodle hat. It’ll start to bark and I’ll never hear the end of it.

This week’s Ask the Expert: Summer Camp expert and National-level coach Diana Ronayne. This Wednesday, April 28 on IceMom.net.

We know, we know. Your angel is amazing. Clapping and cheering for your skater at appropriate times is just fine. However, when your angel does a three-turn, don’t exclaim, “That’s my angel! Look at my babee!” We know. Your kid is gifted. Please. Sit down.

Don’t put down other skaters. We know your angel is terrific, but that doesn’t mean you can criticize the other skaters in her group at the top of your voice. Look, proud parent, other proud parents are sitting next to you. They’re probably video recording their little angel on the ice and catching every snarky word you’re saying about the kid’s hideous figure skating dress. Knock it off.

Grandad, stop listening to the game. If Grandad is sneaking his AM/FM radio and headphones into the rink, know that nothing good can come of it. He should not shout about the blind refs, the lousy coaches, and the pitcher who can’t throw. Grandad, we’re watching your angel skate. We’re not at the sports bar. Keep it down, please.

Cool camera. Can you cut the flash? Dad got a new camera for father’s day and the proud papa wants to use all the features to record angel’s first competition. That’s great, Dad. Just don’t use the flash, OK? At best, the flash bounces off the hockey glass, blinds the other spectators, and ruins your photo. At worst, the flash disrupts your skater and Angel falls to the ice.

So, parents. Have I covered it? What else is OK to do in the stands? What’s not OK? Am I way off base? Let me know!

Have you entered our April contest yet? Submit your embarrassing rink story to: info@rinkformation.net Deadline: 4/30/10

Photo credits:
Guys who will spill their beer: Malingering on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Man in the stands: Malingering on Flickr.com Creative Commons

cake

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I really thought I was the only one that was getting peeved. It's like a whole group of people that have never been taught common sense.

My three worst things are people moving all around like it's no big deal, kids always sitting on the stairs and then look at you like your crazy when you would like to walk down, and last but not least other figure skaters screaming for their skaters. Isn't clapping enough? Must we scream YOU ROCK! WOOOHHOOOO!?
PairsMom

Adults must clap politely and loudly for all skaters and model this behavior for their skaters! It is good sportsmanship. Any cheering or calling out of names “Good job ……” should be done only at the END of the program. Do not try to break the concentration or focus that the skater must have BEFORE the program. One more thing, parents and other spectators (grandparents taking pictures, etc.) should avoid the area around the gate where the coach is attempting to put the skater on the ice. STAY AWAY! Let the coach do their job and please go sit down in the stands and enjoy the show! I have seen grandma rush up to the skater to apply more lipstick while the coach is giving last minute instructions to the skater about to take the ice, no kidding, funny but NOT funny. Parents: Encourage your skater to compliment the other skaters in the lobby, locker rooms, benches, etc. they will make friends this way and their parents will appreciate your child's kindness. If they had a rough skate, compliment the dress!
Maggie J

Thank you, Ice Mom! One of the biggest things I see a competitions is younger siblings (and sometimes even older ones) running around unsupervised. It is so distracting to have them running up and down the stands and anywhere else they can find a path. If you have to bring other children with you that are not involved with the competition they MUST be supervised! If you know they can't hold it together all day then you need to make other arrangements for them. I totally sympathize with Synchro Mom and would gladly help her hold the door out to the parking lot.
sk8rmomp

Um…one stuffed animal per person throwing is a good rule of thumb. It's embarrassing for the skater, and it gets embarrassing for the audience too when there are twenty million stuffies on the ice and only two little tiny arms to pick them up and carry them…trip after trip after trip…. We know you love your star, but please think of the other competitors too. The competition has to be delayed when this happens.

Talking (in a conversational or loud voice) to each other about unrelated things while other skaters are on the ice is not cool. Other people are not interested in your social life or what you are having for dinner. They came to watch the action on the ice and hear the music.

Cowbells are great, but limit them to after the skater has finished you might throw off your own skater (see PairsMom's comment).

Be thoughtful. Talking about other skaters (anywhere in the rink) unless it is complementary should not be done (sometimes, this shouldn't be done either because someone might misinterpret what you say, or only hear a part of what you are saying or take it out of context). You really don't know who is sitting next to you. Remember what your mom taught you ” if you don't have something nice to say…Don't say anything”. It works! {blush—speaking from experience…what I had to say was nice, but could have been misinterpreted and the skater happened to have finished skating and was standing right next to us…} P.S. having good peripheral vision is a good thing…

Yes, yes, yes, I second PairsMom with encouraging your skater to get to know other skaters in the changing room, complement them, smile, countless skaters have made lasting friendships over the years doing this.
invisiblesk8r129A

Perhaps as it is embarrassing stories month I should comment on my embarrassing competition etiquette story.

To understand you really need to get an idea about the set up of the rink. The skaters entered from the opposite side of the spectator section, so naturally, all of the skaters and coaches were over on the opposite side of the rink. And at these competitions people from my club tend to sit together and cheer for our skaters, etc. The seats were not grad-stand style, instead being floor level. They used to provide risers for the seats, but a few too many older people falling and breaking their hips in years past has put an end to that…

In any case, we were watching one of the more exciting high level events and one of the skaters from our rink is a top skaters in this division. During the warm ups everything is fine, but just before the competition starts this lady (who was quite far along in her pregnancy) comes and stands right in front of our section. Now, had we had grand-stand or even raised seats I do not think this would have been an issue, but as we were floor level it was very difficult to see around this woman and her baby-belly. I was sitting in the front row, but being the type of person I am, didn't say anything because I was hoping she would move once she saw which event was starting. However, first skater comes out and she doesn't move. The people behind me start complaining “Down in front” not exactly loudly, but definitely not quite either. Finally it gets to where I can't see anything, and I can't hear anything either due to the commentary from behind me. So I get up and politely asked, “Do you think you could please move over a little bit, the people behind me can't see.” The woman looks at me like I am a moron, scoots exactly 2 inches to the right and continues to stand in her spot. As I sit down the next skater comes out and the woman starts clapping loudly. During the performance the woman is yelling advice, etc. to her skater from the boards. She was the COACH! I was more than a little mortified for asking the coach to move over. And now I really felt like a moron, because I really should have recognized the woman in the first place (I think the pregnancy threw me off as I hadn't seen her in over a year as well as the coach not being in the coaches/skater ready area)… The people behind me and I had a laugh over the blunder, but I really wanted to crawl away and hide my face for the remainder of the competition.

So another part of skating competition etiquette – know who you are talking to before you speak.
http://raisingfigureskaters.com/ Deb Chitwood

I think you’ve all made great points! I have to say, though, I love it when the skaters’ friends and fans are spontaneous in their cheering. I’m only comfortable with clapping for everyone myself. But I love hearing a loud cheer by the skaters’ friends that brings laughter to the whole arena.
http://twitter.com/icemom icemom

I like the cheering, too, Deb. I think it's cute when the synchro girls shout some cheer before their friends skate. I like clapping during programs, too. Lots of clapping for every skater. But a loud, shrill, That's my baybeeee is just too much for me!

Thanks for the comment!
http://twitter.com/icemom icemom

Ouch! That's terrific, invisible!

You know, that so could have been me. I am terrible at recognizing people. I remember names, but not faces. Heck, I can't even find Ice Girl out on the rink if she takes off her jacket. I can't tell you how many times I've been watching a different kid only to see her do a double twisty thing and realize that's not Ice Girl.

I am a dork.
http://twitter.com/icemom icemom

Hi, Maggie.

Clearly you belong in Synchro Mom's and my little club of bad parents.

Welcome to the dark side. We have cookies.

Ice Mom
http://twitter.com/icemom icemom

Hi, PairsMom!

Have you been talking to Ice Coach? I swear she could have written this:

One more thing, parents and other spectators (grandparents taking pictures, etc.) should avoid the area around the gate where the coach is attempting to put the skater on the ice. STAY AWAY! Let the coach do their job and please go sit down in the stands and enjoy the show!

I also love the idea of making friends in the locker rooms and being kind to everyone. That's the way it should be.

Thanks for the great comment.

Ice Mom
http://twitter.com/icemom icemom

I think part of the problem is that people think what works well at other sporting events will work well for figure skating.

No one yells You Rock! WhooHooo! at a golf tournament. At least, not for long.

I think people have experience at their local high school's football games or maybe a major league baseball game, where this kind of behavior is just fine.

Thanks for the comment!

Ice Mom
http://twitter.com/Synchromomnet Synchro Mom

Yes we are the president and vp of the bad parent club…ice coach is secretary, as she is too busy putting kids on the ice. Please take note: all unruly fans/children can be picked up after the competition, you will just need to give us a few minutes to take them out of the harnesses and locate them by number…. now this could be fun!
sk8buggie

I have one more that I need to rant about. Don't sit and compare and make up excuses for your skater's miserable skate. It makes other parents (whose skater just had a great skate!) very uncomfortable. We all recognize that bad skates happen…it's a fact of life on the ice. Go give your skater a hug, build a bridge, and stop harping on it!
http://icemom.net Ice Mom

Yeah, I forgot about that, didn't I? Well, Angel has the sniffles. Obviously that threw her off. Urgh.
bellesmom

Do not ever throw real flowers on the ice after your skater is finished, unless they are properly wrapped. There's a mom at my rink that throws fresh flowers on to the ice for her daughter. At the last competition, the next skater in the group was delayed 20 minutes so ice crew could get all of the flower petals and pieces off the ice.
There is a reason people throw stuffed animals and not flowers.
Tia

Also, it’s really annoying at qualifying competitions especially, when someone’s friend happens to get first and the results get posted then the other girls start yelling to each other obnoxiously, SHE GOT FIRST it is annoying, and saddening to the other girl in that girl’s group that didn’t qualify, or didn’t do well, please keep the excitement down, others are trying to cheer up.
Tia

Also, it's really annoying at qualifying competitions especially, when someone's friend happens to get first and the results get posted then the other girls start yelling to each other obnoxiously, SHE GOT FIRST it is annoying, and saddening to the other girl in that girl's group that didn't qualify, or didn't do well, please keep the excitement down, others are trying to cheer up.