Meeting skaters in Helsinki

You're all lucky. I'm a little jealous. Have a great time.

I'm too shy to ask for autographs but I've seen the Shibutanis and Ekaterina Bobrova. I saw Jason Brown and Kevin Reynolds having photos taken with fans.

Honestly my best advice is to just hang out at the arena as much as possible, you will bump into skaters as a matter of course if you stick around the main concourse. The tip about practice sessions is also bang on but it might be too late for most of that now. If you are staying at the official hotel or willing to trek there for a nightcap if they have a place for drinks in or near the lobby, some light lobby stalking can also yield top results

My advice about approaching them is basic common sense advice: be polite, be concise, and even if an autograph is what you're after lead with something specific about why you like their skating in particular. Be as genuine and specific as you can in conveying this- that program you really liked in 2013? Some moment in their current free program that really grabs you? How much fun they always seem to have on the ice? Tell them about that. If you know a few words in their language (even if it's literally just hello) that can really help you get farther than you otherwise might. If you actually do this and are polite, in my own experience chances are literally close to 10/10 that you will leave happy no matter what you hoped to get out of the encounter.

It's obviously going to be less effective to try to approach them if they are mobbed (see the magic door above) but in rare cases that might be your only chance/choice. Understand in those situations though you're less likely to get what you're after, even if all you're after is acknowledgement, since in those situations you may have no opportunity to talk to them at all.

Finally, if you are a fan of any less popular skaters (or even if not truly a fan), consider approaching them. Skaters who aren't going to place high tend to not be approached much at all, even at major competitions like this, and tend to be VERY grateful for any kind words you might toss their way. As a hidden bonus for you, occasionally these skaters DO really come into their own later on (I approached Mariah Bell at Nats YEARS ago and she was the MOST surprised and grateful and excited that someone approached her and it was really SO cute and endearing, but also she truly obviously REALLY appreciated it too, and now look at her lol.)

Following the steps above, I've actually only had one person I approached ignore/be kind of rude to me.

Running into Carolina Kostner at the gate: kinda cool. Almost literally running into her in the ladies room: less cool and for some reason she had a huge Angry Birds plushy in the hood of her jacket.....
And I'm almost sure I also saw Madison Hubble on the plane. Or at least a very very pretty girl that looks a whole lot like her.

Met and took pictures with:
Tatiana Tarasova
Mariah Bell
Paul Fentz
Daisuke Takahashi
James & Cipres

Met/saw:
John Zimmerman
Silvia Fontana
Isadora Williams
Anne Line Gjersem
Wang & Liu
And some familiar faces that I can't really remember the names.

I met a bunch of skaters after men's FS in the scandic hotel)) I sat at the hotel lobby/bar - was watching ice dance FS on TV. Was surprised that there where quite a few fans hanging around (well, obviosely after Yuzu arrived to the hotel most of the fans went away).
Took photos with:
Boyang
Shoma
Stephane and Deniss
Wenjing Sui
Javi
Patrik
Tracy Wilson
Misha Ge

Found myself walking behind Stephane and Deniss on the upper floor of the Arena prior to the Men's FS - a Japanese lady went up to Stephane but he waved her discreetly away. He was talking quietly to Deniss and you could see that they needed preparation time.

Kevin Reynolds from Canada very kindly agreed to sign the skate of a young fan.

https://pic.twitter.com/SlY12dauz9