Figure Skating Artistry

I spent most of the past week attending the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. I am officially blown away by the skill and courage of the younger skaters.

I did not realize that I would be sitting among the parents and friends of the skaters. I learned much about the sport and the athletes. For instance, novices, juniors and seniors are not divided by age, but by skill level. Hence, some juniors are younger than some novices.

It was fascinated to watch the novice skaters. They were 10 years of age and up, though one of my favorite "ladies" appeared no more than six. And she was amazing! Winning the pewter medal (4th place), little Caroline Zhang is an up and comer. She can jump, spin and dance, already. Give her time, and no injuries, and you will definitely see her in the Olympics.

Watching skating live is an entirely different experience from seeing it on television. You can feel the entire audience holding its collective breath as a youngster takes off for a double jump. The group joy at a safe landing, or the disappointment at a fall, is immense. The crowd works to support and encourage the fallen skater to get up and keep going with applause. When the judges do not reward a good performance adequately, there is a definite murmur from the crowd. But it is followed with encouragement to the skater.

Yes, I saw Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen. They had better be looking out for Kimmie Meissner, she's got the fire. Johnny Weir earned and deserved his second gold, and here comes Evan Lysacek whose short program was absolutely unbelieveable.

If you get the chance, go see these artists for yourself. Not just the famous ones, the little ones, too.