Some resources for ice figures

These resources will help you learn how to skate figures. One day, I hope to create a more exhaustive database. This is a start.

Online groups and websites

• The Compulsory Figures Project on Facebook
• Memories of Patch on Facebook
• Bring Back Compulsary [sic] Figure Skating to Europe
• Skatingforums.com occasionally has a thread on figures
• The World Figure Sport Society, the World Figure & Fancy Skating Championship & Festival, and the related YouTube channel

Books

This is not an exhaustive list of books. There are many, many older skating books that cover figures. This is a selection of some of the most current and relevant works and a few that have stood the test of time; a couple address English-style skating, which is related to figures but not quite the same thing. Bookfinder is a good place to find out-of-print books.

• Berman, Alice. 1995. Skater’s Edge Sourcebook: Ice Skating Resource Guide. 1st ed. Kensington, MD: Skater’s Edge.
• Bodek, Louis, John B. Shoemaker, and Yvonne S. McGowan. 1976. The Evaluation of Errors in Figures. 8th ed. Boston: United States Figure Skating Association.
• Broadbent, Sidney. 1997. Skateology: A Technical Manual for Skaters Regarding Skates, Skating Fundamentals, Skate Sharpening. Revised ed. Littleton, CO: Iceskate Conditioning Eqpt.
• Dawe, Louise Vacca. 2016. Patterns on Black Ice: The Art and Sport of Figure Skating. n.p.: Bebranded.ca.
• Dědič, Josef. 1982. Single Figure Skating for Beginners and Champions. Prague: International Skating Union.
• Diamantidi, Demeter, Carl von Korper, and Max Wirth. 1892. Spuren auf dem Eise. 2nd ed. Vienna: A. Hölder.
• Fowler, G. Herbert. 1897. On the Outside Edge: Being Diversions in the History of Skating. London: Horace Cox. Reprinted with introduction and notes by B. A. Thurber. Evanston, IL: Skating History Press, 2018.
• Hickey, Deborah. 2016. World Figure Championship. Lake Placid: World Figure Sport Society.
• Hines, James R. 2014. The English Style: Figure Skating’s Oldest Tradition. Westwood, MA: Neponset River Press.
• Ice Sports Industry. 2012. The ISI Handbook. Plano, TX: Ice Sports Industry. A new edition is published every other year.
• Johnson, Susan A. 1991. “And Then There Were None: A Fond Remembrance of Compulsory Figures at the World Championships. Part I.” Skating 68 (3): 8–13.
• Johnson, Susan A. “And Then There Were None: A Fond Remembrance of Compulsory Figures at the World Championships. Part II.” Skating 68 (4): 11–17.
• Jones, Ernest. 1952. The Elements of Figure Skating. 2nd ed. London: Allen and Unwin.
• Ogilvie, Robert S. 1985. Competitive Figure Skating: A Parent’s Guide. New York: Harper and Row.
• “Special Regulations for Figures.” n.d. [1991?]. Colorado Springs: US Figure Skating.
• Stark-Slapnik, Nina. 1986. Figure It Out! Think Your Way to Great Figures. Cleveland: StarSports.
• Vandervell, H. E. and T. Maxwell Witham. 1869. A System of Figure-Skating: Being the Theory and Practice of the Art as Developed in England, with a Glance at Its Origin and History. London: MacMillan and Co.

Videos and DVDs

• Gloudeman, Emma. 2019. Video Figure Guide. Roseville, CA: self-published. Demonstrations of all the figures done on roller skates—including some that are not on the ISU schedule of compulsory figures for ice.
• Kelly, Karen Courtland. 2009. Figure Eights: The Life Force of Figure Skating. Lake Placid: Peak Edge Performance, Inc. Also available for iPad: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Demonstrations of all the compulsory figures on the ISU schedule.
• Miller, Diane and David Santee. 2016. Fundamentals of Figures. Cold Spring, MN: Professional Skaters Association.