Figure skating is a unique sport. Not a lot of people do it, not many schools include it in there extracurricular, and sometimes, you have to travel a long commute to find a rink that has lessons. It's just not that popular.
With that comes a whole new world that you only understand if you are actually a part of that community. There is new lingo, new social norms, inside jokes, loves, and even new dangers.
To be a figure skater is to be some mutation of a "typical human being". Most people will look at you like you have three noses, but fellow skaters won't even need you to explain any further than just one look.
Here are some things that only skaters will understand.
1. Learning new choreography.
You've found the song and agreed on the dress. Now, it's time to learn the routine. Your coach says a bunch of moves in succession and runs through it with you only to make you try it from the beginning and you only remember the first three steps.
2. When your music malfunctions.
That moment when you are all pumped to kill your routine and you are standing in your starting pose, waiting those couple of seconds before your music booms through the speakers. But then those seconds turn to a minute, and then two minutes, and you start to cramp and eventually fall out of your pose because everyone is staring at you and you cant feel your arms any more. And the minute you fall out of your pose, your music begins.
3. Your poker face after a hard fall.
Just get up. No one saw that. Keep skating and look like you are concentrating on what you're going to do next. It's not like you can't breath or you feel like your tailbone is lodged higher up in your spine. Don't let them see your pain.
4. Loving the feeling of newly sharpened blades...at least until you need to stop.
You start skating, and it seems so much easier to go forward. It feels like you're going so fast and no one can stop you. Which is all great and all, until you try to stop and can't.
5. Telling a non-skater that you're learning a flip.
Saying that you are learning a flip will instantly make a non-skater screw up their face in half awe and half disbelief. Then, trying to explain to them that you're not actually flipping...I mean, Scott Hamilton can do it, but I definitely can't.
6. When you're out skating with friends and they ask you to do a trick.
"Do that jump thingy!" or "Do that spinny move!" First of all, which jump/spin are you talking about? Second of all, do I have to? Third of all, I don't really want to.
7. Randomly tripping on your toe pick.
You're just skating around, mind your own business, when boom! You fall on your knees because your toe pick decided it was time for you to kiss the ice.
8. When you're sweating even though you're surrounded by ice.
Us skaters work hard out on the ice. So, it's only normal for us to skate in tanks or small dresses. People just don't get it when they're just sitting and watching from the bleachers.
9. The sound you make when your edges are on point.
You know that you are skating strong when your blade makes that low noise when it's cutting through the ice in strong stroke. Music to my ears.
10. Landing that jump for the first time.
There are no words for this feeling. You know what I'm talking about.
11. You have no life.
Between practices, off ice lessons, Pilates, yoga, stretching, school, competitions, tests, and shows, you get about five minutes where all you want to do is sit and stare at the back of your eyelids.
12. Accidentally getting on the ice with your guards on.
Just tuck and roll with it. You have no choice!
13. Stretching at any time possible...or socially acceptable.
14. Falling in your spiral.
Let's face it. We have all done it. Although this one may be a little excessive, it's still the same idea. Ouch.
15. Being able to skate better than you can walk.
Anyone that knows you will laugh and tease you about the fact that you can skate better than you walk.
