Insane Amnt of $ to Become OWG Figure Skater

[WeakAnkles]

This comes as no surprise to me. My Father made me choose between skating and singing as they were both expensive because they require hiring a coach to get to the elite level. Skating, for most people, also has a very short shelf life. I'm in my 50's now and I can still sing like I used to. If I were to hit the rink......Who knows what would happen as I haven't been on the ice in years...

Just a reminder that the screen name "WeakAnkles" is already taken here...

 

[Scout]

I get that figure skating - even at the juvenile level - can be ridiculously expensive. But $2500 for a dress at the juvenile level is a choice, not a cost. If money were truly an issue, you could make do with a much cheaper dress.

 

[mrrice]

I get that figure skating - even at the juvenile level - can be ridiculously expensive. But $2500 for a dress at the juvenile level is a choice, not a cost. If money were truly an issue, you could make do with a much cheaper dress.

This is quite true. My dance students would order a basic dance dress from the Danskin Catalog and then the Parents would bling them out on there own. We had $100.00 budget and we never went over and that includes shoes.

 

[Icey]

https://www.bustle.com/p/how-much-d...r-its-expensive-to-get-into-the-sport-8146666

Forbes notes that elite-level figure skaters will likely have reached their peak with a price tag of around $100,000 on their past training and skating life.

I have read this in many other articles: $100, 000 is the amount spent during ALL the years of training: it is not an annual costs.

 

[concorde]

https://www.bustle.com/p/how-much-d...r-its-expensive-to-get-into-the-sport-8146666

Forbes notes that elite-level figure skaters will likely have reached their peak with a price tag of around $100,000 on their past training and skating life.

I have read this in many other articles: $100, 000 is the amount spent during ALL the years of training: it is not an annual costs.

That is a horribly written article since it constantly contradicts itself. On minutes it says $10,000 to $30,000 And later it quotes Scott Hamilton as saying up to $80,000.but then it seems to say a lifetime of $100,000.

Think about it, most elite skaters skate at least a decade before they reach the Olympics. If you take the bottom line of $10,000 per year, then you teach $100,000. For the bill payer of skaters, does that make sense?

The costs provided in the article are wrong.

Even travel team soccer costs more than $10,000 per year and they don't pay for ice time.

 

[ancientpeas]

Not to be flippant but have any of you priced out what it would take to do 3 day eventing at an competitive level? I was forced to chose at 10 which I was going to keep going with on a more serious basis ballet or riding because both were expensive and time consuming. I'm sure my parents were hoping I'd chose to go for my point shoes but for me dance, which I love, was always a pale second next to riding. When all my friends had posters of Duran Duran on their walls I had horse posters. My first great love was a horse called Teddy Bear. He was too big for me to ride at 6-7 but I loved him. I had to ride ponies at that age.

I want to be the child of whoever said spending 2,500$ on a dress was equivalent to a birthday present. I'm available for adoption and I'm completely house broken.

My assumption is that Figure Skating, like horseback riding and boating, is elitist in that it's so expensive to even start doing that most parents can't afford it so kids never even get to try it to see if they'd like it.

 

[megenta]

Not to be flippant but have any of you priced out what it would take to do 3 day eventing at an competitive level? I was forced to chose at 10 which I was going to keep going with on a more serious basis ballet or riding because both were expensive and time consuming. I'm sure my parents were hoping I'd chose to go for my point shoes but for me dance, which I love, was always a pale second next to riding. When all my friends had posters of Duran Duran on their walls I had horse posters. My first great love was a horse called Teddy Bear. He was too big for me to ride at 6-7 but I loved him. I had to ride ponies at that age.

I want to be the child of whoever said spending 2,500$ on a dress was equivalent to a birthday present. I'm available for adoption and I'm completely house broken.

My assumption is that Figure Skating, like horseback riding and boating, is elitist in that it's so expensive to even start doing that most parents can't afford it so kids never even get to try it to see if they'd like it.

Yeah, there are probably millions of people who could be OGM winners in different sports if they'd have the chance and the money etc. Glad I'm not talented in anything special since everything in the world cost so much. Well I could be a talented sloth whisperer and not know it.

 

[Yatagarasu]

I have read this in many other articles: $100, 000 is the amount spent during ALL the years of training: it is not an annual costs.

Nope, definitely annually. IIRC the estimated costs for Yuzuru, annually, were around 150k USD.

It's a really expensive sport but not just at the elite levels. To even get there, you are going to pay through the nose. While mentioning Yuzuru, for example, he followed his sister into skating. But when things got serious, they couldn't support both children, so his sister quit in order for him to continue. She had dreams of her own but it just wasn't doable. His mother had to find another job.
When he got his ANA contract, that worked out but otherwise, well, good luck with that because you have to get to the point where you can get those 'big' sponsorships and up there on top, there's not all that much room considering skating isn't tennis or basketball. The prizes aren't even remotely like those either. Javier struggled something awful until he got to the point where he could cover his costs.

I wish it were like tennis or basketball but alas, it's not.

 

[Skater Boy]

This comes as no surprise to me. My Father made me choose between skating and singing as they were both expensive because they require hiring a coach to get to the elite level. Skating, for most people, also has a very short shelf life. I'm in my 50's now and I can still sing like I used to. If I were to hit the rink......Who knows what would happen as I haven't been on the ice in years...

I hope you are happy with the choice and experience. I so wished we had money for music lessons or sports. I feel like I missed so much. I don't think I ever cared about winning but the chance. The level of ability now is so high whether it be sorts,the arts or whatever. It seems like the bar has been raised. It is amazing what kids are doing at the lowest levels of music and sports.

But the cost of competitive skating is daunting. And the rewardhas to be in competing and performing not winning medals or you may be sadly disappointed. With judging and ice bieng slippery it is a risky business.

 

[Skater Boy]

https://www.bustle.com/p/how-much-d...r-its-expensive-to-get-into-the-sport-8146666

Forbes notes that elite-level figure skaters will likely have reached their peak with a price tag of around $100,000 on their past training and skating life.

I have read this in many other articles: $100, 000 is the amount spent during ALL the years of training: it is not an annual costs.

When we are talking about top notch skating ie Hanyu, Chen or even Chan about $150,000 to 200,000 US woud be the costs. I believe at least a couple of years ago the Chinese community in Canada had to raise or were raising over 200,000 CDN for Chan to compete at the top level. Not sure if it is the same now that he is no longer an elite skater or the very top. It can add up - 4 flights a month, paying for the coaches, coaches travelling, choroegraphers for 3 programs a year including gala. Dance, medical, costumes. Then you have to travel often with family and as mentioned it is not only paying for your coaches to attend but their salary for l ost money or wages. Hotels. food though some is covered by the event in some cases. I could never figure out how skaters coudl pay for it all - especially skaters like Weir and Rippon who had expensive tastes - in bags of all things. eVening gowns and suits for the banquets, grooming coss as appearance is important. In some cases make up and hair training. SPOILER - I, TONYA) Not everyone can go shoot some rabbits and make a coat like Tonya Harding. (Thank goodness) But there is a certain expectation of deportment, carriage and dress for competitors.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Not to be flippant but have any of you priced out what it would take to do 3 day eventing at an competitive level? I was forced to chose at 10 which I was going to keep going with on a more serious basis ballet or riding because both were expensive and time consuming. I'm sure my parents were hoping I'd chose to go for my point shoes but for me dance, which I love, was always a pale second next to riding. When all my friends had posters of Duran Duran on their walls I had horse posters. My first great love was a horse called Teddy Bear. He was too big for me to ride at 6-7 but I loved him. I had to ride ponies at that age.

I want to be the child of whoever said spending 2,500$ on a dress was equivalent to a birthday present. I'm available for adoption and I'm completely house broken.

My assumption is that Figure Skating, like horseback riding and boating, is elitist in that it's so expensive to even start doing that most parents can't afford it so kids never even get to try it to see if they'd like it.

First of all, I want to say, I love horses and always wanted to try equestrian. So, I think it's really cool that you did that.

Secondly, I agree with all you said here except the little part that I bolded. Not all, actually many, families of figure skaters are not elitist or have endless amounts of $ to throw at their kids sport. My parents were very blue collar and made many sacrifices throughout the years to make it kind of work for me and my training. This is the point that Jeremy Abbott's family was making in the article: Many of us made super sacrifices to get where we dreamed of being.

I'm happy to see that more less fortunate kids in urban areas are able to experience a sport that they may have not have been able to now thanks to Figure Skating in Harlem and its spin-off Figure Skating in Detroit. :agree:

 

[ancientpeas]

First of all, I want to say, I love horses and always wanted to try equestrian. So, I think it's really cool that you did that.

Secondly, I agree with all you said here except the little part that I bolded. Not all, actually many, families of figure skaters are not elitist or have endless amounts of $ to throw at their kids sport. My parents were very blue collar and made many sacrifices throughout the years to make it kind of work for me and my training. This is the point that Jeremy Abbott's family was making in the article: Many of us made super sacrifices to get where we dreamed of being.

I'm happy to see that more less fortunate kids in urban areas are able to experience a sport that they may have not have been able to now thanks to Figure Skating in Harlem and it's spin-off Figure Skating in Detroit. :agree:

True. I'm glad their are programs out there to help out.
Skating will never been European football though. All you need for that is a ball and room to play.

 

[gkelly]

My assumption is that Figure Skating, like horseback riding and boating, is elitist in that it's so expensive to even start doing that most parents can't afford it so kids never even get to try it to see if they'd like it.

It's not especially expensive to start skating at the beginner levels. Taking group lessons and then one private lesson a week with a couple of extra practices would be comparable in cost to many other sports or other activities that middle class kids pursue. (But not accessible to poor kids without sponsorship of some kind.)

But that level of commitment will only get you through single jumps and maybe beginning doubles.

If you want to train seriously, with more lessons and more practices every week, with higher-end skates that need to be replaced more often, it will cost more. If you want to enter multiple competitions per year and travel outside your local area to compete, it will cost more. If you want to work with the best coaches and choreographers, it will cost. If you want to wear costumes that stand out for their elegance, it will cost. If you want extensive off-ice training and support systems in addition to on-ice training, it will cost.

And so on.

Young kids may dream of the Olympics when they start, but older kids should be realistic about what their families can support and set their expectations accordingly.

Of course if a young skater is exceptionally talented, working up to double axels and triples with a medium level of commitment at middle levels, then they and their families may look into financial assistance as needed to go even further.

But most kids aren't going to get that far even with full-time training. And even most really talented kids won't max out on their potential because of the costs.

 

[Barb]

And Russia and China governments pay the same amount of money for each one of their skaters? I know that China has a contract or something similar with Lori for choreography, I know her choreographies are not precisely cheap.

And what about Japan? it is cheaper or more expensive than USA. We can assume that japanese skaters are from wealthy families?. Who receives more economic support from the government or the federation? Americans, Canadians or Japanese?

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

And Russia and China governments pay the same amount of money for each one of their skaters? I know that China has a contract or something similar with Lori for choreography, I know her choreographies are not precisely cheap.

And what about Japan? it is cheaper or more expensive than USA. We can assume that japanese skaters are from wealthy families?. Who receives more economic support from the government or the federation? Americans, Canadians or Japanese?

Definitely not Americans: I can tell you that much.