That may be true for many youngsters who go into figure skating, but not necessarily all. And reasons why someone gets on the ice the first time may be different from reasons why they decide to start lessons or reasons why they decide to train seriously.
Some skaters start skating lessons because they try skating and they like the feeling of gliding at speed. Or, when they get a little further along, the feeling of jumping. Either can feel like flying.
In the days when school figures were a big part of the sport, some shy skaters especially liked the fact that it was an individual sport and liked the process of mastering technical challenges.
Skaters who like the performance aspect but don't like the technical training won't get very far.
Skaters who like the technical part and aren't interested in the performance part are more likely to reach the elite levels. Somewhere along the line, they'll realize that if they want to place higher they need to learn how to perform.
Some introverted skaters do go on to become successful and popular performers.
Others don't make as much effort in that direction and may be resented by fans -- and maybe some judges -- who want to be entertained.
