RACHEL GRESHAM | staff writer
While figure skating may bore some people to death, I am thoroughly intrigued by the skill, strength and grace portrayed by the limber athletes on the ice.
Ice skating has been a passion that my mother and I have shared for a long time. During the Olympics, we spend every spare moment sunk into the couch, cheering for our favorite skaters and shushing everyone that dares to speak during a glorious performance.
Each year, different countries bid to host the World Figure Skating Championships; to my surprise and delight, this prestigious competition was held at the Staples Center in L.A. this year. It probably won’t be in the U.S. again until 2015.
My mother and I, thrilled with the opportunity to enjoy our favorite sport together, bought tickets to watch the final , and most exciting, day of competition: the ladies free skate. It entailed four hours of breathtaking performances by the best 24 women ice skaters in the world.
The tension could be felt in the arena as fans cheered for their favorite country. My mom and I were surrounded by spectators that held deep Korean pride. With flags raised in the air and loud cheering, the Koreans welcomed Yu-Na Kim to the ice, who went on to break the world record with the highest combined skate score of 207.71, winning the Ladies World Champion title.
Although America has lost its dominance in the world figure skating rankings, U.S. skaters Rachael Flatt and Alissa Czisny had the stadium on their feet with their astounding performances. Rachael Flatt placed 5th in the competition, to the unhappiness of the large American crowd.
The experience of watching the ice skaters live, opposed to viewing it on TV, was utterly amazing. I cheered and clapped and gasped with the crowd, as we watched history unfold before our eyes. I enjoyed seeing the entire picture that broadcasts just can’t show.
The most uplifting part of the program transpired after French skater Candice Didier lost her footing on a turn, skidded across the ice, and slammed into a wall. She laid limp long enough for a team of red-shirted men to carry her off, but then returned to the ice to finish her stunning performance—proof that adrenaline works amazing wonders!
I absolutely love watching the fluent and expressive movements of the ice skaters as they gracefully glide across a crisp sheet of frozen water. Mesmerized by their swift strokes, I gaze in wonder at how they become a part of the music with their entire body. I admire how much training and discipline it must take to gain the strength and flexibility to hold difficult positions in a delicate manner.
As a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a professional figure skater —I loved to imagine being on the ice with 33 million eyes glued to my every movement. I will never have that, but I still love the excitement of watching others, filled with energy and spunk, do a triple-lutz then turn into an elegant spin. Oh the beauty!
