United States Figure Skating Association
Encyclopedia
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body
for the sport of figure skating
on ice
in the United States
. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic Committee
"USOC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
and is the United States member of the International Skating Union
("ISU"). Although the name of the organization is “THE UNITED STATES FIGURE SKATING ASSOCIATION” it is known as and conducts business under the name “U.S. Figure Skating.” Founded in 1921, U.S. Figure Skating regulates and governs the sport and defines and maintains the standard of skating proficiency. It specifies the rules for testing, competitions and all other figure skating related activities. U.S. Figure Skating promotes interest and participation in the sport by assisting member clubs, skaters, and athletes, appointing officials, organizing competitions, exhibitions, and other figure skating pursuits, and offering a wide variety of programs.
Athletes and officials who represent the United States at international figure skating competitions are selected by U.S. Figure Skating.
The Association is a non-profit organization.
. At the time of its formation, the Association was composed of seven (7) charter member clubs including: Beaver Dam Winter Sports Club, The Skating Club of Boston, Chicago Figure Skating Club The Skating Club of New York, Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society
, Sno Birds of Lake Placid, and Twin City Figure Skating Club (which became the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis in 1929).
Since its inception through 1947, the governance activities of the Association were centered in New York City. The annual Governing Council meetings, as well as the annual Executive Committee meetings, were all held in New York City. In 1949 the Association transferred its offices to Chicago, Illinois. The offices were again moved, this time to Boston, in 1950. In 1979, the Association moved into its current headquarters in Colorado Spring, Colorado. This followed the USOC's move to Colorado Springs a year earlier in July 1978.
In the 1930s, the Association made an effort to increase the number of competitive events by creating the three sectional championships, Eastern (1938), Midwestern (1933) and Pacific Coast (1936).
In 1959, the Eastern and Pacific Coast Sections expanded their qualifying competitions by adding three Sub-Sectionals Championships each. The Eastern Section created the New England, North Atlantic, and South Atlantic Regions, while the Pacific Coast Section established the Central Pacific, Northwest, and Southwest Pacific Regions. It wasn’t until 1962 that the Midwestern Sectional finally added their regional championships to the qualifying competition cycle.
The abbreviated name, "USFSA" was first used in April 1921 and trademarked in 1972. The distinctive shield logo was adopted in 1964 and used until 2003 when U.S. Figure Skating instituted its current logo.
In 2006, the Executive Committee was eliminated. At the same time the Board of Directors was reduced to sixteen members from its previous 29 members.
As of May 5, 2007, the Association officially adopted the name "U.S. Figure Skating" and dropped the abbreviated name of "USFSA".
* Deceased
Officials receive their appointments from U.S. Figure Skating after demonstrating a certain level of proficiency, and in some cases, after trialing or taking written examinations. In most cases, officials are appointed at three (3) levels; regional, sectional, and national.
Below is a list of officials at a typical large competition. For the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 70 officials were assigned along with over 50 alternate officials. The parenthetical number is how many people were assigned to the respective positions. If there is no number, only one person was assigned.
1Erie, PA
2excluding Erie, PA
1excluded for Synchronized only
2Upper Peninsula
3Lower Peninsula
4excluding Kansas City and St. Joseph's
5excluding Chattanooga
6Kansas City and St. Joseph's
1all cities north of and including Visalia
2for Synchronized only
3all cities south of Visalia
4Las Vegas
5excluding Las Vegas
, however, this discipline was last competed at a national championship competition in 1999.
Singles and adult skaters must show they are proficient at a given level by passing two (2) tests at each level, moves in the field
("MIF") and free skate ("FS"). Additional test are conducted in the pairs skating, free dance
and pattern dance discipline. Each member of a synchronized skating team must pass the appropriate test of single’s competitor.
Tests must be completed in the order of increasing difficulty. They may not be taken out of turn. However, a singles skater may take as many moves-in-the-field tests before taking any free skate tests. Once a free skate test is passed, a competitor may only compete at that level at qualifying competitions. There are four (4) test levels specific to adult figure skating. Adult skater must be twenty-one (21) years of age or older.
1The test panel consists of three test judges of these levels or higher, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS.
2The test panel consists of three dance test judges of these levels or higher.
3A single bronze or higher test judge, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS, may also judge this level.
4A single silver or higher test judge, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS, may also judge this level.
5A single silver or higher dance test judge may also judge this level.
1The test panel consists of three test judges of these levels or higher, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS.
2The test panel consists of three dance test judges of these levels or higher.
3A single bronze or higher test judge, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS, may also judge this level.
4A single silver or higher dance test judge may also judge this level.
5A single silver or higher test judge, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS, may also judge this level.
Each level of pattern dance, with the exception of international, consists of three or four individual dances. Preliminary skaters must pass the Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango, and Rhythm Blues, while gold-level skaters must pass the Viennese Waltz, Westminster Waltz, Quickstep, and Argentine Tango. There are currently ten dances at the international level.
1The test panel consists of three dance test judges of these levels or higher.
2The test panel consists of one or three dance test judges of these levels or higher.
3A single bronze or higher dance test judge may also judge this level.
4A single silver or higher dance test judge may also judge this level.
Synchronized skating teams are not required to pass any tests as a whole. Each individual team member must have passed the appropriate moves-in-the-field test.
1Preliminary moves in the field, dance, or figure is also acceptable.
Every year, U.S. Figure Skating sanctions numerous non-qualifying competitions, shows, and carnivals. In addition, it annually sanctions qualifying regional and sectional competitions, in various disciplines, that lead up to championship competitions. The Association also selects those athletes and officials that represent the United States at international competitions.
* Effective September 1, 2012, the U.S. Junior Championships (for Juvenile and Intermediate level competitors) with be held in conjunction with the U.S. Championships.
). These competitions include the ISU Junior Grand Prix
, Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
, the ISU Grand Prix, the World Synchronized Skating Championships
, the World Figure Skating Championships
, and the Olympic Games
.
The association also houses the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame in its headquarters building in Colorado Springs, Colorado
.
U.S. Figure Skating maintains two Internet domains, usfsa.org, established in 1997 and usfigureskating.org, established in 2003.
In 2005, U.S. Figure Skating partnered with MLB Advanced Media to create icenetwork.com. Subscribers to icenetwork.com have access to a wide variety of live and on-demand figure skating competitions, as well as results, photographs, athletes' biographies, and other on-line, multimedia material.
U.S. Figure Skating also has Facebook
, Twitter
, and Myspace
accounts as well and a YouTube
channel and Flickr
website.
The association has an RSS
feed and can push
alerts and content via text messaging
.
crashed en route from New York City to Brussels, Belgium. The team was going to participate in the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Among the team members that perished were 18 athletes, seven coaches and managers, three judges and referees, and six team family members. Within one week of the tragedy, the association announced the formation a memorial fund on honor the lost team members.
"The mission of the Memorial Fund is to provide qualified U.S. Figure Skating members in need of financial aid with monetary assistance to pursue their goals both inside and outside the competitive arena. The fund is committed to awarding skating and academic scholarships to those athletes who have demonstrated excellent competitive results and/or academic achievements, and who have potential in national and international competitions."
. It was shown again for an encore presentation on March 7, 2011. The film was generally well received Proceeds of the movie were used to further the mission of the Memorial Fund.
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
for the sport of figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
on ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic Committee
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
"USOC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
The Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act is a United States law that charters and grants monopoly status to the United States Olympic Committee, and specifies requirements for its member national governing bodies for individual sports.The current version of the Act was sponsored by Senator...
and is the United States member of the International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
("ISU"). Although the name of the organization is “THE UNITED STATES FIGURE SKATING ASSOCIATION” it is known as and conducts business under the name “U.S. Figure Skating.” Founded in 1921, U.S. Figure Skating regulates and governs the sport and defines and maintains the standard of skating proficiency. It specifies the rules for testing, competitions and all other figure skating related activities. U.S. Figure Skating promotes interest and participation in the sport by assisting member clubs, skaters, and athletes, appointing officials, organizing competitions, exhibitions, and other figure skating pursuits, and offering a wide variety of programs.
Athletes and officials who represent the United States at international figure skating competitions are selected by U.S. Figure Skating.
The Association is a non-profit organization.
History
In 1921 the United States Figure Skating Association was formed and became a member of the International Skating UnionInternational Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
. At the time of its formation, the Association was composed of seven (7) charter member clubs including: Beaver Dam Winter Sports Club, The Skating Club of Boston, Chicago Figure Skating Club The Skating Club of New York, Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society
Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society
The Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society is the oldest figure skating club in the United States. Its predecessor organization, called "The Skater's Club of the City and County of Philadelphia", was founded in 1849, and merged with the assets of the Humane Society of Philadelphia in 1861...
, Sno Birds of Lake Placid, and Twin City Figure Skating Club (which became the Figure Skating Club of Minneapolis in 1929).
Since its inception through 1947, the governance activities of the Association were centered in New York City. The annual Governing Council meetings, as well as the annual Executive Committee meetings, were all held in New York City. In 1949 the Association transferred its offices to Chicago, Illinois. The offices were again moved, this time to Boston, in 1950. In 1979, the Association moved into its current headquarters in Colorado Spring, Colorado. This followed the USOC's move to Colorado Springs a year earlier in July 1978.
In the 1930s, the Association made an effort to increase the number of competitive events by creating the three sectional championships, Eastern (1938), Midwestern (1933) and Pacific Coast (1936).
In 1959, the Eastern and Pacific Coast Sections expanded their qualifying competitions by adding three Sub-Sectionals Championships each. The Eastern Section created the New England, North Atlantic, and South Atlantic Regions, while the Pacific Coast Section established the Central Pacific, Northwest, and Southwest Pacific Regions. It wasn’t until 1962 that the Midwestern Sectional finally added their regional championships to the qualifying competition cycle.
The abbreviated name, "USFSA" was first used in April 1921 and trademarked in 1972. The distinctive shield logo was adopted in 1964 and used until 2003 when U.S. Figure Skating instituted its current logo.
In 2006, the Executive Committee was eliminated. At the same time the Board of Directors was reduced to sixteen members from its previous 29 members.
As of May 5, 2007, the Association officially adopted the name "U.S. Figure Skating" and dropped the abbreviated name of "USFSA".
Governance
U.S. Figure Skating is an association of clubs, governed by its members and its elected officers at national, regional and club levels. As of June 2011, U.S. Figure Skating had 688 member, collegiate, and school-affiliated clubs and a membership of 180,452. Each member club may send delegates to the annual Governing Council meeting.Governing Council
U.S. Figure Skating has a representational government. Clubs and individual members appoint delegates. The number of delegates representing a club and the individual members depends on the prior year's paid registered membership. Athlete delegate representation is required to be 20 percent of the prior year's registered delegate and proxy votes. Collectively these delegates meet annually (typically early May) to review, amend and ratify the actions taken by the Board since the prior year's Governing Council. This annual meeting of the appointed delegates is called the Governing Council.Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is charged with the management of the business and affairs of U.S. Figure Skating. It is currently composed of sixteen (16) members including: the president, three (3) vice presidents (one from each section), the secretary, the treasurer, four (4) group coordinators, two (2) coaches, and four (4) athletes.Presidents
Patricia St. Peter is the current president of U.S. Figure Skating. She began her term in 2009. The prior presidents are listed below.| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| 2005–2009 | |
| 2003–2005 | |
| 2000–2003 | |
| 1998–2000 | |
| 1995–1998 | |
| 1992–1995 | |
| 1989–1992 | |
| 1986–1989 | |
| 1983–1986 | |
| 1980–1983 | |
| 1976–1980 | |
| 1973–1976 | |
| 1970–1973 | |
| 1967–1970 | |
| 1964–1967 | |
| 1961–1964 | |
| 1958–1961 | |
| 1955–1958 | |
| 1952–1955 | |
| 1949–1952 | |
| 1946–1949 | |
| 1943–1946 | |
| 1940–1943 | |
| 1937–1940 | |
| 1935–1937 | |
| 1934–1935 | |
| 1932–1934 | |
| 1930–1932 | |
| 1928–1930 | |
| 1925–1928 | |
| 1921–1925 | |
Committees
Committees, in particular the Permanent Committees, are responsible for proposing and enforcing the rules of the U.S. Figure Skating. Other special committees may undertake other projects, such as nominations and other ad hoc matters.Permanent Committees
The following table shows the Association's permanent committees:| Adult Skating | Athlete Development | Athletes Advisory | Audit |
| Coaches | Collegiate Program | Compensation | Competitions |
| Dance | Ethics | Finance | Grievance |
| International | International Judges & Officials | Judges | Membership |
| Memorial Fund | Pairs | Parents | Program Development |
| Rules | Sanctions and Eligibility | Selections | Singles |
| Special Olympics/Therapeutic | Sports Sciences and Medicine | State Games | Strategic Planning |
| Synchronized Skating | Technical Panel | Tests | Theatrical Skating |
Mission statement
“As the national governing body, the mission of the United States Figure Skating Association is to provide programs to encourage participation and achievement in the sport of figure skating on ice.”Executive Director
The Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of U.S. Figure Skating. Mr. David Raith is currently serving in that capacity and has done so since 2005. He is charged with carrying out the policies, programs, and goals of the association as approved by the Board of Directors.Departments
The departments that support U.S. Figure Skating's operations reside at its headquarters in Colorado Spring, CO. These departments are staffed by full-time employees. They administer and manage the association's day-to-day affairs.| Athlete Development | Athlete High Performance | Events | Finance |
| Information Technology | Marketing and Communications | Membership | Executive Director |
Finance
The Association is a non-profit organization. As of June 30, 2010, U.S. Figure Skating had revenue, support and gains of approximately $17.6 million derived primarily from dues, admissions and activity fees, skating events, sponsorships, broadcast and licensing, publications, grants, and other sources. The association expended approximately $12.1 million on its various programs and services plus an additional $2.5 million on management and general administrative expenses, under which the departments listed under the “Operations – Departments” are included.Officials
Member clubs arrange to hold test sessions and competitions. The competitions are conducted under the supervision and authority of U.S. Figure Skating appointed officials. The member club (for competitions, the club is sometimes call the local organizing committee or “LOC”) is responsible for many of the ancillary functions of the test session or competition (registration, transportation, event monitoring, hospitality, messengers, copying, etc.). For national and international events, U.S. Figure Skating headquarters staff also provides logistics and event support. The officials are responsible for actually running the test sessions, competitions, and associated individual events. All the officials at test sessions and competitions are unpaid volunteers.Officials receive their appointments from U.S. Figure Skating after demonstrating a certain level of proficiency, and in some cases, after trialing or taking written examinations. In most cases, officials are appointed at three (3) levels; regional, sectional, and national.
Below is a list of officials at a typical large competition. For the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 70 officials were assigned along with over 50 alternate officials. The parenthetical number is how many people were assigned to the respective positions. If there is no number, only one person was assigned.
| Chief Referee | Assistant Referees (3) | ||
| Dance Referee | Assistant Dance Referees | ||
| Chief Accountant | Assistant Accountants (3) | ||
| Chief Technical Accountant | Assistant Technical Accountants (2) | ||
| Chief Ice Technician | Assistant Ice Technicians (3) | ||
| Chief Music Coordinator | Assistant Music Coordinators (4) | Music Technician | |
| Chief Announcer | Assistant Announcers (3) | ||
| Technical Controllers (6) | Technical Specialists (8) | Data Operators | Video Replay Operators |
| Judges - Singles/Pairs (18) | Judges - Dance (9) |
Organization
U.S. Figure Skating's members, clubs, and qualifying competitions are divided into three (3) geographical sections, that are further divided into nine (9) regions.Eastern Section
| New England Region | North Atlantic Region | South Atlantic Region |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | New Jersey | Delaware |
| Maine | New York | District of Colombia |
| Massachusetts | Pennsylvania1 | Florida |
| New Hampshire | Georgia | |
| Rhode Island | Maryland | |
| Vermont | North Carolina | |
| Pennsylvania2 | ||
| South Carolina | ||
| Virginia | ||
| West Virgina | ||
| Chattanooga, Tennessee |
1Erie, PA
2excluding Erie, PA
Midwestern Section
| Eastern Great Lakes Region | Upper Great Lakes Region | Southwestern Region |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Illinois | Arkansas |
| Indiana | Iowa | Colorado1 |
| Kentucky | Michigan2 | Kansas |
| Michigan3 | Minnesota | Louisiana |
| Mississippi | Missouri4 | Nebraska |
| Ohio | North Dakota | New Mexico |
| Tennessee5 | South Dakota | Missouri6 |
| Wisconsin | Oklahoma | |
| Texas |
1excluded for Synchronized only
2Upper Peninsula
3Lower Peninsula
4excluding Kansas City and St. Joseph's
5excluding Chattanooga
6Kansas City and St. Joseph's
Pacific Coast Section
| Northwest Pacific Region | Central Pacific Region | Southwest Pacific Region |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | California1 | Arizona |
| Idaho | Colorado2 | California3 |
| Montana | Hawaii | Nevada4 |
| Oregon | Nevada5 | |
| Washington | Utah | |
| Wyoming |
1all cities north of and including Visalia
2for Synchronized only
3all cities south of Visalia
4Las Vegas
5excluding Las Vegas
Types of Membership
U.S. Figure Skating has nine (9) types of membership:U.S. Figure Skating Programs
U.S. Figure Skating offers many programs to accommodate a wide range of skill and interest levels.Testing
Testing allows figure skaters to demonstrate that they have achieved a certain level of skating proficiency. Tests progress in increasing difficulty and focus on power, strength, speed, quickness, flow, extension, and edge quality and control. Tests are conducted under the auspices of member clubs and administered during test sessions. Usually, three (3) test judges (the judge panel), of appropriate level, determine the outcome of the tests on a pass / retry basis. Tests up to a certain level may be judged by a single, sufficiently qualified, judge. The member club is responsible for reporting the results to U.S. Figure Skating. U.S. Figure appoints test judges at various levels (bronze, silver, and gold) based on trial judging and their judging experience. According to their level, test judges are qualified to determine the outcome of increasingly difficult tests. Test judges are invited by the member club to participate at a given test session. Skaters’ testing levels passed determines at what level they may compete. For qualifying competitions, skaters must pass the free skate test at the level for which they intend to compete. U.S. Figure Skating still offers tests in compulsory figuresCompulsory figures
Compulsory figures or school figures were formerly an aspect of the sport of figure skating, from which the sport derives its name. Carving specific patterns or figures into the ice was the original focus of the sport. The patterns of compulsory figures all derive from the basic figure eight...
, however, this discipline was last competed at a national championship competition in 1999.
Singles and adult skaters must show they are proficient at a given level by passing two (2) tests at each level, moves in the field
Moves in the field
Moves in the Field is a name given to elements of figure skating that emphasize basic skating skills and edge control. In the context of a competitive program, moves in the field include spirals, spread eagles, Ina Bauers, hydroblading, and similar extended edge moves.In the United States, moves...
("MIF") and free skate ("FS"). Additional test are conducted in the pairs skating, free dance
Free dance (figure skating)
The free dance is a part of an ice dancing competition. It is the second part of the competition to be contested, after the short dance.-Structure and content:...
and pattern dance discipline. Each member of a synchronized skating team must pass the appropriate test of single’s competitor.
Tests must be completed in the order of increasing difficulty. They may not be taken out of turn. However, a singles skater may take as many moves-in-the-field tests before taking any free skate tests. Once a free skate test is passed, a competitor may only compete at that level at qualifying competitions. There are four (4) test levels specific to adult figure skating. Adult skater must be twenty-one (21) years of age or older.
Standard Track Levels
| Moves in the Field | Free Skate | Pairs | MIF, FS, Pairs Panel1 | Free Dance | Free Dance Panel2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Preliminary | Pre-Preliminary | Bronze3 | |||
| Preliminary | Preliminary | Bronze4 | |||
| Pre-Juvenile | Pre-Juvenile | Pre-Juvenile | Bronze | ||
| Juvenile | Juvenile | Juvenile | Bronze | Juvenile | Bronze5 |
| Intermediate | Intermediate | Intermediate | Silver | Intermediate | Bronze5 |
| Novice | Novice | Novice | Silver | Novice | Bronze |
| Junior | Junior | Junior | Gold | Junior | Silver |
| Senior | Senior | Senior | Gold | Senior | Gold |
1The test panel consists of three test judges of these levels or higher, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS.
2The test panel consists of three dance test judges of these levels or higher.
3A single bronze or higher test judge, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS, may also judge this level.
4A single silver or higher test judge, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS, may also judge this level.
5A single silver or higher dance test judge may also judge this level.
Adult Track Levels
| Moves in the Field | Free Skate | Pairs | MIF, FS, Pairs Panel1 |
Free Dance !! Free Dance Panel2 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Pre-Bronze | Adult Pre-Bronze | Bronze3 | Adult Pre-Bronze | Bronze4 | |
| Adult Bronze | Adult Bronze | Adult Bronze | Bronze5 | Adult Bronze | Bronze4 |
| Adult Silver | Adult Silver | Adult Silver | Bronze | Adult Silver | Bronze |
| Adult Gold | Adult Gold | Adult Gold | Silver | Adult Gold | Silver |
1The test panel consists of three test judges of these levels or higher, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS.
2The test panel consists of three dance test judges of these levels or higher.
3A single bronze or higher test judge, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS, may also judge this level.
4A single silver or higher dance test judge may also judge this level.
5A single silver or higher test judge, appointed in single/pairs or dance for MIF or in single/pairs for FS, may also judge this level.
Pattern Dance
Compulsory dance was renamed pattern dance.Each level of pattern dance, with the exception of international, consists of three or four individual dances. Preliminary skaters must pass the Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango, and Rhythm Blues, while gold-level skaters must pass the Viennese Waltz, Westminster Waltz, Quickstep, and Argentine Tango. There are currently ten dances at the international level.
| Level | Panel ex. Solo1 | Panel Solo2 |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary, Solo Preliminary | Bronze3 | Bronze |
| Pre-Bronze, (Standard, Adult, Masters and Solo) | Bronze4 | Bronze |
| Bronze (Standard, Adult, Masters and Solo) | Bronze | Bronze |
| Pre-Silver (Standard, Adult, Masters and Solo) | Bronze | Bronze |
| Silver (Standard, Adult, Masters and Solo) | Silver | Silver |
| Pre-Gold (Standard, Adult, Masters and Solo) | Silver | Silver |
| Gold (Standard, Adult, Masters and Solo) | Gold | Gold |
| International (Standard, Adult and Masters) | Gold |
1The test panel consists of three dance test judges of these levels or higher.
2The test panel consists of one or three dance test judges of these levels or higher.
3A single bronze or higher dance test judge may also judge this level.
4A single silver or higher dance test judge may also judge this level.
Synchronized Skating
| Team | Individual |
|---|---|
| Senior | Novice |
| Junior | Intermediate |
| Novice | Juvenile |
| Intermediate | Pre-Juvenile |
| Juvenile | Preliminary |
| Preliminary | (none) |
| Collegiate | Juvenile |
| Adult | Adult Bronze1 |
| Masters | (none) |
| Pre-Juvenile | (none) |
| Open Juvenile | Pre-Preliminary |
| Open Adult | (none) |
| Open Collegiate | (none) |
1Preliminary moves in the field, dance, or figure is also acceptable.
Qualifying and International Competitions
Regional Competitions
The following regional competitions are held in singles skating:| Singles |
|---|
| New England Regional Figure Skating Championships |
| North Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships |
| South Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships |
| Eastern Great Lakes Regional Figure Skating Championships |
| Upper Great Lakes Regional Figure Skating Championships |
| Southwestern Regional Figure Skating Championships |
| Northwest Pacific Regional Figure Skating Championships |
| Central Pacific Regional Figure Skating Championships |
| Southwest Pacific Regional Figure Skating Championships |
Sectional Competitions
The following sectional competitions are held in singles, pairs, ice dance, adult, and synchronized skating:| Singles, Pairs, Ice Dance | Adult | Synchronized |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships The Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating which has been held since 1938.... |
Eastern Adult Sectional Figure Skating Championships |
Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships |
| Midwestern Sectional Figure Skating Championships Midwestern Sectional Figure Skating Championships The Midwestern Sectional Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating.Skaters compete in three levels: Senior, Junior, and Novice. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies singles, Men's singles, Pairs, and Ice dance. Medals are... |
Midwestern Adult Sectional Figure Skating Championships |
Midwestern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships |
| Pacific Coast Sectional Figure Skating Championships Pacific Coast Sectional Figure Skating Championships The Pacific Coast Sectional Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating.Skaters compete in three levels: Senior, Junior, and Novice. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies singles, Men's singles, Pairs, and Ice dance... |
Pacific Coast Adult Sectional Figure Skating Championships |
Pacific Coast Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships |
Championship Competitions
The following championship competitions are held in singles, pairs, ice dance, synchronized, adult, and collegiate skating:| U.S. Figure Skating Championships |
U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships |
U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships* |
U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships |
U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championships |
U.S. Intercollegiate Figure Skating Championships |
International Competitions
U.S. Figure Skating selects the athletes and officials that represent the Uinted States at international figure skating competitions (Team USATeam USA
Team USA is a wrestling faction brought together as part of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's X-Cup Tournaments, which involved a team of X Division superstars from various countries representing their nation in an international wrestling competition.-America's X-Cup:Team USA was created and led...
). These competitions include the ISU Junior Grand Prix
ISU Junior Grand Prix
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of international invitational junior level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Junior figure skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing...
, Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition. The International Skating Union established it in 1999 to provide skaters representing non-European countries with a similar competition to the much older European Figure Skating Championships and a chance...
, the ISU Grand Prix, the World Synchronized Skating Championships
World Synchronized Skating Championships
The World Synchronized Skating Championships are the world championships for the sport of synchronized skating. Held since 2000, the World Synchronized Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union and attracts the most elite synchronized skating teams from...
, the World Figure Skating Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
, and the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
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Sponsors
U.S. Figure Skating has a number of sponsors, suppliers, and licensees that provide support to the association either financially or by supplying other goods and services. U.S. Figure Skating also makes available its logo and sanctioned content, primarily competitions, to various licensees.| Sponsors | | Suppliers | |Licensees |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services... |
United Airlines United Airlines United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental... |
icenetwork.com |
| The J.M. Smucker Co. The J.M. Smucker Co. The J. M. Smucker Company is a manufacturer of fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, beverages, shortening, natural peanut butter and other products in North America. Smucker's headquarters are located in Orrville, Ohio.- History :... |
Main Event | NBC Sports NBC Sports NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others... |
| State Farm State farm State farm can refer to:*Sovkhoz, a type of state-owned farm in the Soviet Union*Volkseigenes Gut, a type of state-owned farm in East Germany*Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, a type of state-owned farm in People's Republic of Poland... |
EVC | US Bank |
| Alka-Seltzer Plus | ||
| Hilton Worldwide | ||
Media
Skating magazine is the official publication of U.S. Figure Skating. Established in 1923, 11 issues are published annually.The association also houses the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame in its headquarters building in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
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U.S. Figure Skating maintains two Internet domains, usfsa.org, established in 1997 and usfigureskating.org, established in 2003.
In 2005, U.S. Figure Skating partnered with MLB Advanced Media to create icenetwork.com. Subscribers to icenetwork.com have access to a wide variety of live and on-demand figure skating competitions, as well as results, photographs, athletes' biographies, and other on-line, multimedia material.
U.S. Figure Skating also has Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, and Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
accounts as well and a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel and Flickr
Flickr
Flickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
website.
The association has an RSS
RSS
-Mathematics:* Root-sum-square, the square root of the sum of the squares of the elements of a data set* Residual sum of squares in statistics-Technology:* RSS , "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary", a family of web feed formats...
feed and can push
Push technology
Push technology, or server push, describes a style of Internet-based communication where the request for a given transaction is initiated by the publisher or central server...
alerts and content via text messaging
Text messaging
Text messaging, or texting, refers to the exchange of brief written text messages between fixed-line phone or mobile phone and fixed or portable devices over a network...
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Formation and Purpose
On February 15, 1961, the entire United States figure skating team was killed when Sabena Flight 548Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548, registration OO-SJB, was a Boeing 707 aircraft that crashed en route to Brussels, Belgium, from New York City on February 15, 1961, killing the entire United States Figure Skating team on its way to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.The flight, which...
crashed en route from New York City to Brussels, Belgium. The team was going to participate in the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Among the team members that perished were 18 athletes, seven coaches and managers, three judges and referees, and six team family members. Within one week of the tragedy, the association announced the formation a memorial fund on honor the lost team members.
"The mission of the Memorial Fund is to provide qualified U.S. Figure Skating members in need of financial aid with monetary assistance to pursue their goals both inside and outside the competitive arena. The fund is committed to awarding skating and academic scholarships to those athletes who have demonstrated excellent competitive results and/or academic achievements, and who have potential in national and international competitions."
RISE
In 2009, U.S. Figure Skating commissioned the production of a full-length feature documentary film commemorating the 50th anniversary of the loss of the 1961 U.S. World Figure Skating Championship team and exalting figure skating in the U.S. The movie, RISE, was produced and directed by the Emmy-award winning company, Lookalike Productions of Englewood, NJ. The film was release on February 17, 2011, for a one-night presentation through NCM FathomNational CineMedia
National CineMedia operates NCM Media Networks, an integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology...
. It was shown again for an encore presentation on March 7, 2011. The film was generally well received Proceeds of the movie were used to further the mission of the Memorial Fund.