The sport was effected dramatically IMHO post the 2008 CMO real-estate collapse/stock market crash. Many parents careers were impacted, as well as grandparents 401k’s etc as sometimes they paid for it as well. Up to a 50% drop in participation, I had heard, and I can’t 2nd source that, as I take it for what is worth. Allowing younger skaters to add more sophisticated jumps traditionally not found at that given level took the wind out of younger skaters as the may have not been competitive with a jumping shrimp phenom that far outpaced their peers. That was a USFSA decision that I thought was not the greatest...
I noticed a lot less skaters at the rink after the crash. I never competed, mind you, just love the exercise and took lots of lessons as an adult skater. Skating is a very expensive sport. How many times can you re-mortgage your house just so your kid can get a chance to be one of 3 to go to Worlds? Things have changed a lot since they dropped figures. There is more emphasis on jumping and then they changed the scoring system as well. You really have to keep your weight down, and I think there are more injuries due to all the tricks they have to do now. I wonder how their bodies are going to function when they hit late 50’s....
Wow. Interesting. thanks
Figure skating for women used to be able style and grace. Now its a bunny hop spectacle that’s just boring to watch.