Figure skating rink



A figure skating rink is an ice rink intended for or compatible with the practice of figure skating. In many locations, it is shared with other sports—typically ice hockey and/or short track speed skating.

ISU-sanctioned competitions
In the modern era, the dimension requirements for ice figure skating have largely been aligned with those of other indoor ice sports. Rule 342 of the ISU Special Regulations & Technical Rules: Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance governs the dimensions of the skating area for the short program/short dance, free skating/free dance and pattern dance(s). It must be rectangular. Its recommended and maximum dimensions are 60 m in length and 30 m in width. This is also the required size for the ISU's short track speed skating competitions, and was the recommended size for IIHF ice hockey events prior to 2022. The rink's minimum dimensions for ISU figure skating competitions are 56 m in length and 26 m in width, which also matched the minimum IIHF requirements prior to 2014.

In the ISU's formative years, those requirements were significantly more modest. Its official rules, which encompassed the World Championships, stated that the free skate area must be "symmetrically bounded" and measure at least 35 m in one direction.

Teaching and regional competitions
Figure skating's free-form nature and lack of head-to-head competition have allowed it to develop in places typically not accessible to other ice disciplines. In the middle of the 20th century, an important teaching tool for the sport were so-called ice skating studios, small sheets of artificial ice laid over the floor of a residential or otherwise repurposed building as semi-permanent facilities, similar to a dance studio. Some stars of yesteryear took their first strides or taught at such facilities.

The ISU has continued to take advantage of this relative flexibility. Rule 107 of its Constitution and General Regulations contains provisions for lower competition classes, labelled as "Interclub" or "Local". Those give national member federations and their clubs the leeway to stage events that are not directly sanctioned by the ISU, and may incorporate a number of self-defined rules. As a result, some of these competitions, including select national championships, have been held on ice surfaces smaller than the official mininum of 56 metre by 26 metre.

Judging
The scoring system rewards skaters who have good ice coverage, i.e. who efficiently cover the entire ice surface during their programs. If a rink has different dimensions, a skater's jump setup and speed may be hindered as he or she adjusts.

Ice quality
Ice quality is judged by smoothness, friction, hardness, and brittleness. Factors affecting ice quality include temperature, water quality, and usage, with toe picks causing more deterioration. For figure skating, the ice surface temperature is usually kept between −5.5 °C (22 °F) and −3.5 °C (26 °F), slightly warmer than an ice hockey rink, which means softer ice and easier landings for the figure skaters. Typically after every two warm-up groups during the competitions, an ice resurfacer cleans and smooths the surface of the ice sheet. Inadequate ice quality may affect skaters' performances.

Officials
The ISU does not permit officials to be seated on the ice surface. The judges and the referee are seated at the rinkboard. The ISU prefers that the technical panel be seated in an elevated position.

Kiss and cry
The kiss and cry is the area in a figure skating rink where figure skaters wait for their marks to be announced after their performances during a figure skating competition. It is so named because the skaters and coaches often kiss to celebrate after a good performance, or cry after a poor one. The area is usually located in the corner or end of the rink and is furnished with a bench or chairs for the skaters and coaches and monitors to display the competition results. It is often elaborately decorated with flowers or some other backdrop for television shots and photos of the skaters as they react to their performance and scores.

Olympic venues
Since short track speed skating was contested at the 1992 Winter Olympics, the rinks are used for figure skating and short track speed skating during those Winter Olympic Games. For all international competitions sanctioned by the ISU, at least one covered and preferably heated rink is required. For the ISU Figure Skating Championships, the Winter Olympic Games and the Winter Youth Olympic Games, two covered and closed rinks are required. For the ISU events, the Winter Olympic Games, the Winter Youth Olympic Games and the qualifying competition for the Winter Olympic Games, the ice rinks must be heated.