Skating Is A Crime Not An Olympic Sport - An Honest Look
There's a whisper, a growing rumble, about something that feels a bit off with ice skating as we know it, especially when it comes to the grand stage of the Olympics. For some, the very idea of gliding on ice, with all its spins and leaps, just doesn't quite fit the typical picture of what a "sport" truly is. In a way, it feels like a fundamental misplacement, perhaps even a "crime" against the spirit of pure athletic contest. This isn't about disrespecting the incredible skill involved, not at all, but rather looking at what makes something a sport versus, well, something else entirely.
You see, most folks picture sports as contests of strength, speed, or direct competition where one team or person clearly beats another based on objective measures. Think about races, or games where points are tallied up. Skating, with its artistic components and judges' scores, seems to sit in a slightly different category. It's almost as if it's a beautiful performance, a display of incredible human ability, yet that might not be the same thing as a straightforward athletic battle, you know?
We can actually look at places where this activity happens all the time, like a particular ice facility in Georgia, to see how it operates. The everyday workings of a place like this, with its programs and costs, can offer some interesting points to consider when we talk about whether skating truly belongs in the same breath as traditional Olympic sports. It really makes you wonder, doesn't it?
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Table of Contents
- Is Skating Really a Sport - Or Something Else Entirely?
- The Cost of the "Crime" - Why Olympic Skating Might Be a Burden
- Megan Berntson - A Life on the Ice
- The Academy's Curriculum - Is This "Skating is a Crime" Against Athletic Freedom?
- What About Competition - Is It Truly "Olympic Sport" or Just a Show?
- The "Crime" of Commercialization - When Skating Becomes a Business, Not an Olympic Sport
- Can Fun and Games Coexist with "Olympic Sport" Status?
- The "Skating is a Crime" Perspective on Special Events and Access
Is Skating Really a Sport - Or Something Else Entirely?
When you think about what makes something a sport, a lot of people picture a direct contest. Two teams, or two people, going head-to-head, with a clear winner and loser based on something measurable. Think about a race, where the fastest person wins, or a game where the team with more points takes the prize. Ice skating, particularly the artistic kind, seems to operate on a different set of rules, doesn't it? It's more about presentation, about hitting certain marks and making it look graceful. In some respects, this feels like a slight departure from what we typically call a sport. It's almost like a performance art piece, where the goal is to impress rather than simply to outdo an opponent in a straightforward contest.
Consider a place like the Iceforum, for example. This spot in Georgia has what they call the "finest two sheet ice skating facility." They say the ice surfaces are "regulation NHL size," which sounds very official and sport-like, right? But then you look at what happens on that ice. While hockey certainly fits the traditional sport definition, the figure skating aspect is where things get a bit hazy. Is the size of the ice really what determines if an activity is a sport, or is it more about the nature of the competition itself? It’s something to ponder, anyway, when we discuss whether "skating is a crime" against the traditional idea of what an Olympic sport should be.
The Cost of the "Crime" - Why Olympic Skating Might Be a Burden
One aspect that often gets overlooked when we talk about sports, especially those on the Olympic stage, is accessibility. Can everyone take part? Or is it something that only a select few can really get into? When we look at the costs involved with skating, it starts to paint a picture that might suggest it’s less of a widely available sport and more of an activity that requires a certain amount of money to pursue. This, in a way, could be seen as a "crime" against the idea of universal participation in what we call an Olympic sport, which should, you know, be for everyone.
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For instance, at the Iceforum, public sessions are fifteen dollars. If you need skates, that's another five dollars to rent them. So, just to get on the ice for a bit, you're looking at twenty dollars. That's for a single session, too. If you want to skate on "private ice," that requires payment, and you need to put "private ice stickers" on your session sheet. This structure means that consistent participation, the kind that helps someone become truly good at something, carries a pretty significant price tag. It's not like kicking a ball around in a park, which is often free. This financial barrier, you might say, makes it a bit exclusive, which is arguably not what a true "sport" for the masses should be.
Megan Berntson - A Life on the Ice
To really understand what goes into something like ice skating, it helps to look at the people who dedicate their lives to it. Megan Berntson is one such person. She has spent a very, very long time on the ice, over thirty years, which is quite a commitment, isn't it? She's been coaching at the Iceforum since 2011, helping others learn the ropes. Her personal story gives us a glimpse into the kind of dedication and discipline that this activity demands, which is a lot, you know?
She comes from Warwick, Rhode Island, and she enjoyed competing. She even competed up to "silver solo ice dancing." This kind of background shows that it’s not just about casual fun; there’s a whole world of structured competition and achievement within skating. Her journey, in a way, highlights the intense training and specialized skills needed, which might lead some to question if it's more of a highly specialized art form or a rigorous discipline rather than a broad athletic sport. It really makes you think about the fine lines between these things, doesn't it?
Personal Details and Bio Data
| Name | Megan Berntson |
| Experience | Over 30 years skating |
| Coaching at Iceforum Since | 2011 |
| Hometown | Warwick, Rhode Island |
| Competitive Level Achieved | Up to Silver Solo Ice Dancing |
The Academy's Curriculum - Is This "Skating is a Crime" Against Athletic Freedom?
When you hear about an "academy" for something, it often brings to mind a very structured way of learning, almost like a school. The Iceforum Skating Academy is no different. It offers a "full figure skating program" that takes people from just starting out all the way through the most advanced competitive levels. This kind of setup, where you follow a set plan, might be seen by some as a bit restrictive for what we call a "sport." It's almost like a prescribed path, which could be a "crime" against the free, spontaneous nature that many associate with true athletic expression, you know?
The academy program, we're told, "follows the curriculum of the US Figure Skating." This means there's a very specific set of things to learn and master. They teach the "basic fundamentals of skating" as well as hockey skills. And, apparently, "All lessons are given by a..." (presumably, a professional instructor). This emphasis on a formal curriculum and professional instruction, while good for learning, might also suggest that skating is more of a taught skill set, like playing a musical instrument, rather than an innate athletic contest. It’s a very different kind of engagement, in some respects, than just playing a game of tag or running a simple race.
What About Competition - Is It Truly "Olympic Sport" or Just a Show?
One of the hallmarks of a sport is competition, right? But the way that competition is judged can really change how we see the activity itself. In many sports, the outcome is quite clear: who crossed the finish line first, who scored the most points, who lifted the most weight. With figure skating, however, the "skaters participate in US Figure Skating tests and competitions," and these often involve judges. Judges, by their very nature, introduce a subjective element. This means that what one judge sees as excellent, another might view differently. This subjectivity, for some, is where the idea of "skating is a crime" against pure athletic objectivity comes into play. It’s not just about what you do, but how it’s perceived, which is a bit different.
Think about it: in a foot race, there’s no debate about who won. The fastest person wins. In figure skating, a perfect jump might not get the highest score if the landing isn't artistic enough, or if the music choice doesn't resonate with a particular judge. This reliance on opinion, even informed opinion, can make it feel less like a straightforward athletic contest and more like a judged performance. It’s almost like a dance competition, which is amazing to watch, but we don't typically call dance an "Olympic sport," do we? This distinction is a pretty important one, actually, when we consider what belongs in the Olympics.
The "Crime" of Commercialization - When Skating Becomes a Business, Not an Olympic Sport
Any large facility needs to operate as a business, that's just a fact. But when the business aspects start to overshadow the pure athletic pursuit, some might argue that it compromises the integrity of something being called a "sport." The Iceforum, like many such places, has a full range of services that go beyond just the ice itself. They "boast a full service snack bar, a pro shop, skate sharpening." These are all things that add to the convenience and experience, of course, but they also highlight the commercial side of the operation. This focus on additional services and retail, in a way, can be seen as a "crime" against the simple, unadorned purity that some believe an Olympic sport should embody. It's a very practical aspect, to be sure.
You can also buy "Summer class punch cards" at the front counter. The website itself is "powered by SportsEngine's Sports Relationship Management (SRM) software." This kind of infrastructure, while necessary for running a big facility, really emphasizes that this is a commercial venture, a business that provides a service. While businesses are vital, the question becomes: does the heavy commercial framework around an activity detract from its status as a pure "sport"? For some, the answer is yes. It suggests that the activity is more about consumption and service provision than about raw, unadulterated athletic competition, which is a pretty strong point to consider.
Can Fun and Games Coexist with "Olympic Sport" Status?
When you introduce people to skating, especially younger ones, it's often done through enjoyable activities. The Iceforum's program aims "to introduce basic skating elements with fun games, teamwork, and the expectation of strong skating." This sounds absolutely lovely, doesn't it? It’s about making learning enjoyable and building good habits from the start. But then you have to ask: can something that begins with "fun games" and "teamwork" in a playful setting truly evolve into a high-stakes "Olympic sport" that demands the same gravitas as, say, a marathon or a wrestling match? There's a bit of a disconnect there, arguably.
The transition from playful introduction to the intense, judged world of competitive figure skating is quite stark. While all sports have their roots in play, the level of formalized structure and subjective assessment in skating seems to pull it further away from the simple, clear-cut nature of many other athletic contests. It makes you wonder, in some respects, if the very nature of its beginner instruction, focused on games, inherently positions it as something other than a serious, hard-nosed sport in the Olympic sense. It's a subtle point, but it's there.
The "Skating is a Crime" Perspective on Special Events and Access
Beyond the regular lessons and public sessions, facilities like the Iceforum also host special events, like birthday parties. You can "contact our birthday party coordinator" to arrange something. However, there's a note that "hiring a party coach not available while we are on winter break, generally the last week of" a certain period. This kind of detail, while practical for managing a facility, points to the very scheduled, almost calendared nature of access to the ice. It’s not always available for spontaneous use, which, for some, might be another small piece of evidence in the "skating is a crime" argument against it being a truly organic, accessible sport. It's very much a controlled environment, you know?
Even things like "Semester 4 registration is open through July 5" for classes show a very structured, time-bound way of engaging with the activity. It's about signing up for specific periods, following a timetable, rather than just being able to show up and participate in a broadly defined athletic pursuit. This organized access, while necessary for managing a large facility, further emphasizes the institutional nature of skating. It’s less about open fields and more about scheduled slots, which is a distinction that really matters to some people when they consider what makes something a true "Olympic sport."
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