Insane Amnt of $ to Become OWG Figure Skater

ice coverage · Feb 9, 2018

Long article from Money magazine re costs for U.S. figure skaters:

This Is the Insane Amount of Money It Takes to Become an Olympic Figure Skater

http://time.com/money/5136679/olympic-figure-skating-costs/
https://twitter.com/KMulhere/status/962010533145731078 (Feb 9)

Numbers such as:

When figure skater Jeremy Abbott was competing internationally, funding from U.S. Figure Skating was a big help, says his mother, Allison Scott. Even so, she adds, that money covered about a third of the skating expenses for Abbott, a two-time Olympian and four-time national champion.

“The biggest misconception in the expenses is that once you hit the Olympic level, everything is taken care of,” says Allen Scott, Abbott’s stepfather. “It’s not.”

The mother of eleven-year-old Elise Freezer was interviewed for the article.
Some GS members will recall that Elise placed fourth in Juvenile Girls at 2017 U.S. Nats.

Freezer spent $2,500 on a Rey-inspired costume for a Star Wars-themed program Elise skated last year.

mrrice · Feb 9, 2018

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...

concorde · Feb 9, 2018

ice coverage said:
The mother of eleven-year-old Elise Freezer was interviewed for the article.
Some GS members will recall that Elise placed fourth in Juvenile Girls at 2017 U.S. Nats.

Freezer spent $2,500 on a Rey-inspired costume for a Star Wars-themed program Elise skated last year.
[/INDENT]

That is not normal. I personally know 2 girls that went to Juv Nationals last year and 2 Juvs that went Nationals this year. 2 of the 4 girls I know medaled. None spent even close to that much on a dress.

satine · Feb 9, 2018

Here is a timestamped link for a feature on Patrick Chan- where they estimate $160,000 a year as being a low figure ($127,000 USD?) :eek:

Mathman · Feb 9, 2018

ice coverage said:
Freezer spent $2,500 on a Rey-inspired costume for a Star Wars-themed program Elise skated last year.

This sounds like a lot of money. But then again, it's all relative. I have heard of adult women who spend that much on a designer dress, and they don't even skate in it.

Ic3Rabbit · Feb 9, 2018

I have been pointing these things out here over time for awhile now from experience at elite level of this sport. :yes: :laugh:

IDK why this is coming as news or a shock.

ice coverage · Feb 9, 2018

mrrice said:
This comes as no surprise to me. ...

I don't think it will surprise anyone on GS that competitive figure skating is expensive.
And this article is not the first to offer some numbers.

But I did think the article is thread-worthy. YMMV.

For me, it has the first quantification I have seen of how far (or not so far, really) USFS funding goes in covering expenses of the likes of Jeremy Abbott.
I was under no illusion that USFS funding covered anything close to 100% of expenses.
But the question for me has been what proportion (in ballpark terms) would be covered for a top skater like Jeremy.
And I know that other GS members have had varying opinions at to what the proportion would be.
Now we have a data point that at least for Jeremy, the answer is one third.

And even if Elise Freezer is atypical (and my impression before this article already was that she is atypical in some ways), the idea that any eleven-year-old juvenile would wear a $2500 costume is (for me) an anecdotal example of how early the costs can become extreme.

Ic3Rabbit said:
I have been pointing these things out here over time for awhile now from experience at elite level of this sport. :yes: IDK why this is coming as news or a shock.

You are one of many GS members who over the years have shared knowledge about costs for elite skaters.

I did not post the article because it would come as a shock to anyone. I did not expect it to come as a shock to anyone.

I would say that you have misunderstood the point of the thread. :laugh:

Since you frequently cite your personal experience in the sport, please do enlighten us:

When you were eleven years old and/or a juvenile competitor, did you or any of your peers wear costumes that cost $2500?

brightphoton · Feb 9, 2018

Luckily, after an expensive amateur career, figure skaters can look forward to a lucrative job in the National Figure Skating League.

Ic3Rabbit · Feb 9, 2018

ice coverage said:
I don't think it will surprise anyone on GS that competitive figure skating is expensive.
And this article is not the first to offer some numbers.

But I did think the article is thread-worthy. YMMV.

For me, it has the first quantification I have seen of how far (or not so far, really) USFS funding goes in covering expenses of the likes of Jeremy Abbott.
I was under no illusion that USFS funding covered anything close to 100% of expenses.
But the question for me has been what proportion (in ballpark terms) would be covered for a top skater like Jeremy.
And I know that other GS members have had varying opinions at to what the proportion would be.
Now we have a data point that at least for Jeremy, the answer is one third.

And even if Elise Freezer is atypical (and my impression before this article already was that she is atypical in some ways), the idea that any eleven-year-old juvenile would wear a $2500 costume is (for me) an anecdotal example of how early the costs can become extreme.

You are one of many GS members who over the years have shared knowledge about costs for elite skaters.

I did not post the article because it would come as a shock to anyone. I did not expect it to come as a shock to anyone.

I would say that you have misunderstood the point of the thread.

Since you frequently cite your personal experience in the sport, please do enlighten us:

When you were eleven years old and/or a juvenile competitor, did you or any of your peers wear costumes that cost $2500?

I think you're the one that misunderstood my intentions here or my interpretations of your intentions. Why take it personally? Also, no need to be once again picking on my personal experience in the sport.

At 11 not many have costumes that are 2500. There are elite seniors that don't, but there also are some that do, it's all in who makes your costumes and how elaborate or jeweled you want them or don't want them to be. But since you asked, my costumes back when I was 11 cost roughly about 1200 pp give or take, which was quite some time ago.

ice coverage · Feb 9, 2018

Ic3Rabbit said:
... Also, no need to be once again picking on my personal experience in the sport. ...

"... once again picking on my personal experience in the sport"???

You either are misunderstanding again or imagining. I do not know which.

Ic3Rabbit said:
.... At 11 not many have costumes that are 2500. ...

Good to know.
So I will extrapolate that the cost of Elise's costume is not unique for her young age, but not typical either.

Ic3Rabbit said:
... But since you asked, my costumes back when I was 11 cost roughly about 1200 pp give or take, which was quite some time ago.

Thank you for an informative response. :thank:

Mathman · Feb 9, 2018

About expensive costumes for children who want to skate, this thought came to me. We had a thread a while back about whether their should be athletic-type uniforms for figure skating, in order to cut down on the rhinestones, etc. We mostly ridiculed this idea -- what is figure skating without its bling?

But maybe for children's competitions it makes more sense. The USFSA could even sell them to local clubs and make some money. :yes:

Sam-Skwantch · Feb 9, 2018

Sometimes when I think about a sport like Figure Skating, a sport that has been around for over century and the inability the athletes have to make a go at competing and being financially sound, it drives me insane how far behind it’s marketablity has fallen in the world today. Especially when you see people like Kelly Sildaru who capitalizes on her notoriety and even created her own power bar which looks to be rather successful. I mean...the girl won four X-Games medals in two years at ages 13 and 14 but is that really so different then winning a GP medal? While she is injured she helped sponsor a pretty major event (Simple Sessions) which I don’t think is any less attended then most GP events. Watch how she not only launches her product but she vlogs it out and turns it into a cool thing that people want to be a part of.

People should seriously watch this and wonder why a sport that people put so much into can’t offer more to it’s athletes. She is a slopestyle skier BTW.
https://youtu.be/iIpeHgiyWIs

What is it that makes Figure Skating so unmarketable to help the athletes offset these costs and sustain their career? Why can’t more athletes tour and make money away from the competitions at mini exhibitions for sponsors? Why aren’t sponsors attracted? Is it the lack of dependence on a federation that frees or maybe inspires athletes like Kelly to aspire to grow her brand. Is anyone familiar with Roxy Brand? They seem to sponsor and promote athletes who surf, skate (board), ski, etc and their girls are really quite successful.

Maybe I’m off topic but it seems like the cost of training in Figure Skating is only compounded by the difficulty skaters have in making a comfortable living outside of the competitions for all but a select few.

Sorry for ranting but it really makes no sense to me :bang:

noidont · Feb 9, 2018

“Expensive" is relative. For me one 2500 dollar dress a year is ok. It's like buying your kid an expensive toy, not really for competitive purposes. Children want bling blings more than adults. I know I wanted them when I was a child. But the price in this article still doesn't add up. So you spend 100 dollars a day for coaching/ice time. Say you train 20 days a month, that's 2000 dollars a month, 24000 dollars a day. Round up to 30,000 if you might. The rest of the cost, with what this article described, I counted roughly around another 30,000 dollars (costume, choreography, travel expenses, boots). I spoke to an elite athlete parent recently and was told all expenses are tax deductible once you fit some USOC criteria.

It is a lot of money, but not insane amount of money. Are other sports/recreational activities much cheaper?

Mathman · Feb 9, 2018

noidont said:
Are other sports/recreational activities much cheaper?

Oh, goodness yes. Basketball? Nail a hoop onto a telephone pole. Stickball? Steal a broom and break off the handle.

mrrice · Feb 9, 2018

noidont said:
“Expensive" is relative. For me one 2500 dollar dress a year is ok. It's like buying your kid an expensive toy, not really for competitive purposes. Children want bling blings more than adults. I know I wanted them when I was a child. But the price in this article still doesn't add up. So you spend 100 dollars a day for coaching/ice time. Say you train 20 days a month, that's 2000 dollars a month, 24000 dollars a day. Round up to 30,000 if you might. The rest of the cost, with what this article described, I counted roughly around another 30,000 dollars (costume, choreography, travel expenses, boots). I spoke to an elite athlete parent recently and was told all expenses are tax deductible once you fit some USOC criteria.

It is a lot of money, but not insane amount of money. Are other sports/recreational activities much cheaper?

Tennis, the other sport I did when I was younger was much cheaper than skating. First of all, you don't need an expensive costume to compete. There are tennis courts everywhere, including at my school where I could play for free. Like Football, Baseball, and Soccer, there was a team at my high school and I had no shortage of friends, or teammates if I wanted to practice on my off time.

It might be different in colder climates but, here in Ca. there are very few rinks and they can be expensive. My training was expensive and I never had private coaching or ice time.

Amei · Feb 9, 2018

noidont said:
It is a lot of money, but not insane amount of money. Are other sports/recreational activities much cheaper?

It depends, something like volleyball, football (any version), basketball and even swimming are something that kids can be put into and 'trained' at their schools as part of the physical education. And even if you do some of those sports outside of school its relatively cheap, I did volleyball through a local YMCA league when I was a kid and it was like a couple hundred dollars for the whole season and it included everything.

mrrice · Feb 9, 2018

Sam-Skwantch said:
Sometimes when I think about a sport like Figure Skating, a sport that has been around for over century and the inability the athletes have to make a go at competing and being financially sound, it drives me insane how far behind it’s marketablity has fallen in the world today. Especially when you see people like Kelly Sildaru who capitalizes on her notoriety and even created her own power bar which looks to be rather successful. I mean...the girl won four X-Games medals in two years at ages 13 and 14 but is that really so different then winning a GP medal? While she is injured she helped sponsor a pretty major event (Simple Sessions) which I don’t think is any less attended then most GP events. Watch how she not only launches her product but she vlogs it out and turns it into a cool thing that people want to be a part of.

People should seriously watch this and wonder why a sport that people put so much into can’t offer more to it’s athletes. She is a slopestyle skier BTW.
https://youtu.be/iIpeHgiyWIs

What is it that makes Figure Skating so unmarketable to help the athletes offset these costs and sustain their career? Why can’t more athletes tour and make money away from the competitions at mini exhibitions for sponsors? Why aren’t sponsors attracted? Is it the lack of dependence on a federation that frees or maybe inspires athletes like Kelly to aspire to grow her brand. Is anyone familiar with Roxy Brand? They seem to sponsor and promote athletes who surf, skate (board), ski, etc and their girls are really quite successful.

Maybe I’m off topic but it seems like the cost of training in Figure Skating is only compounded by the difficulty skaters have in making a comfortable living outside of the competitions for all but a select few.

Sorry for rating but it really makes no sense to me

This is a really great post. Think about tennis players. If the top player wins a "Single" Grand Slam, they are set for life. If a player makes the final at Wimbledon, they become a millionaire even if they lose. The winner receives 2,200,000 Million Dollars. They could retire after that event and live comfortably for life. There are also more opportunities for sponsors in other sports. Things like shoes, and clothing can be worn by anyone and they don't need to play the sport to look good in them. Even with Hockey, you have those cool jerseys that sell very well.

There's a limited demand for skates and skate related clothing.

concorde · Feb 9, 2018

noidont said:
“Expensive" is relative. For me one 2500 dollar dress a year is ok. It's like buying your kid an expensive toy, not really for competitive purposes. Children want bling blings more than adults. I know I wanted them when I was a child. But the price in this article still doesn't add up. So you spend 100 dollars a day for coaching/ice time. Say you train 20 days a month, that's 2000 dollars a month, 24000 dollars a day. Round up to 30,000 if you might. The rest of the cost, with what this article described, I counted roughly around another 30,000 dollars (costume, choreography, travel expenses, boots). I spoke to an elite athlete parent recently and was told all expenses are tax deductible once you fit some USOC criteria.

It is a lot of money, but not insane amount of money. Are other sports/recreational activities much cheaper?

I have a soon to be Novice skater and your estimate does not cover her current training expenses.

Training costs may eventually be tax deductable but they are not for the first decade plus that a skater is on the journey. And chances are not in a skater's favor that he/she will reach the point where expenses do become deductable.

yelyoh · Feb 9, 2018

Mathman said:
This sounds like a lot of money. But then again, it's all relative. I have heard of adult women who spend that much on a designer dress, and they don't even skate in it.

Ic3Rabbit · Feb 9, 2018

concorde said:
I have a soon to be Novice skater and your estimate does not cover her current training expenses.

Training costs may eventually be tax deductable but they are not for the first decade plus that a skater is on the journey. And chances are not in a skater's favor that he/she will reach the point where expenses do become deductable.

Agreed and this doesn't even touch on what most elite figure skating athletes have to shell out on the regular.

Insane Amnt of $ to Become OWG Figure Skater

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