2025 World Figure and Fancy Skating Championships in Lake Placid

Experience the fascinating display of compulsory figures and fancy skating at Lake Placid’s historic Jack Shea Arena.

Beth Woronoff’s creative figure at the 2019 World Figure and Fancy Skating Championships in Vail. Photo courtesy: KAREN COURTLAND KELLY/ WORLDFIGURESPORT.ORG

For many years, compulsory figures were an essential part of figure skating competitions, which is how the sport got its name.

Skaters traced circular patterns on the ice to showcase their ability to execute clean turns evenly around circles. These figures were important for the sport's terminology and played a key role in evaluating a skater's technical skills.

Peggy Fleming performs compulsory figures in Grenoble, France 1968

Although compulsory figures were removed from competitions in the late 20th century, they remain a vital foundational skill in figure skating training.

Compulsory figures experience a rebirth.

Since 2015, when the World Figure Sport Society and the World Figure & Fancy Skating Championships & Festival on black ice were established, more skaters have been training and competing in figures.

Additionally, an increasing number of coaches are adopting the new methods developed by World Figure Skating to educate their skaters.

Many athletes and coaches believe that figure training enhances alignment, core strength, body control, and discipline, providing a competitive advantage.

Lake Placid’s Olympic Center is the ideal home for reviving this iconic sports competition.

Today, this international skating event combines the sport of figure skating with fine art, encompassing performance, decorative, and recording skills, to offer a unique blend of a world-class skating competition, cultural celebration, and festival atmosphere.

From Wednesday, October 8 through Sunday, October 12, witness five days of exciting World Figure & Fancy Skating events.

According to Olympic skater and WFSS President Karen Courtland Kelly, “It’s unlike any other sporting event because it elevates and unites skating, jewels, and art as never seen before. The World Figure and Fancy Skating Championships is as much a fine art festival as a skating competition.

“During their routines, the artists blend skating techniques with the historic art of fancy figures by etching patterns on the ice with their skate blades, just as another artist would with a pencil or brush, and the patterns they produce are easily seen on the black ice.”

In addition to the competition on black ice, the event features several additional elements:

• Pop-up Museum open to the public in the 1932 Hallway and Art Gallery Contest from 9am to 8:50pm Wednesday through Sunday.

• Lessons and workshops for skaters of all levels

• Accessible family skating that welcomes people of all abilities

Skating legends from the past and contemporary performing artists come together at these Championships for an experience that fuses the historic and the contemporary, paving the way for present-day audiences worldwide to enjoy figures and fancy skating.

Check out the 2025 World Figure & Fancy Skating Championships webpage for more information.

 

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