How many people skate competitively worldwide?
- Thread starter Dionesios
- Start date
Not really.
Can you define "competitively"? That will help narrow the question.
There really isn't any such thing as professional competition any more, by the way. And when there was, it wasn't really an organized sport. More like shows with scores IMO.
Eligible skaters now can earn prize money at international competitions and they're allowed to earn money through skating in most other ways. So the most successful competitive skaters may be able to earn a living as skaters, making a profit from skating-related income after subtracting all their training expenses.
But most skaters who compete internationally are basically amateurs and get no financial profit from the endeavor. They may be spending a lot of money on training, travel, equipment/costumes, etc., or their federation or outside sponsors may cover most of their expenses. But they may not earn much if any actual skating income.
There's no real distinction between "amateur" and "professional" these days. The distinction is more "eligible" vs. "ineligible." And the way the rules have been, the only way to lose eligibility in approximately the last decade has been to enter a competition that hasn't been sanctioned by the ISU or a member federation. The competitions that would not be sanctioned would be professional competitions. And as I mentioned, there really aren't any being held any more.
Can you define "competitively"? That will help narrow the question.
There really isn't any such thing as professional competition any more, by the way. And when there was, it wasn't really an organized sport. More like shows with scores IMO.
Eligible skaters now can earn prize money at international competitions and they're allowed to earn money through skating in most other ways. So the most successful competitive skaters may be able to earn a living as skaters, making a profit from skating-related income after subtracting all their training expenses.
But most skaters who compete internationally are basically amateurs and get no financial profit from the endeavor. They may be spending a lot of money on training, travel, equipment/costumes, etc., or their federation or outside sponsors may cover most of their expenses. But they may not earn much if any actual skating income.
There's no real distinction between "amateur" and "professional" these days. The distinction is more "eligible" vs. "ineligible." And the way the rules have been, the only way to lose eligibility in approximately the last decade has been to enter a competition that hasn't been sanctioned by the ISU or a member federation. The competitions that would not be sanctioned would be professional competitions. And as I mentioned, there really aren't any being held any more.
Are you counting synchro?
Competitive team skating has really taken off in the last few years. I, too am curious by what your criteria is for "competitiveness." I skate on a competitive synchro team and am more than 50. Are you going to count the adults, too?
Competitive team skating has really taken off in the last few years. I, too am curious by what your criteria is for "competitiveness." I skate on a competitive synchro team and am more than 50. Are you going to count the adults, too?
Similar threads
