Picture the following:
The Time:
The year is 1973 or 1957 or 1984 (anytime before figures were phased out of competitive figure skating).
Length of Patch Figure Skating Practice Sessions:
A patch session is usually forty-five minutes to one hour long. Figure skaters may not be able to practice all the figures they need to during that time, so watching the clock is important during a patch session. If eight different figures are on a test and a skater needs to practice each figure for ten minutes (and/or repeat practice on certain figures), he would need more than sixty minutes of patch practice. For that reason, most figure skaters need two to four patch practice sessions each day and will return to the rink in the afternoon for more patch practice sessions. Patch practice time takes more time than freestyle practice time, which usually requires two to three forty-five minute practice sessions a day.
About Figure Tests:
There were eight figure tests originally. Later, the Preliminary Figure Test, was taken before the First Figure Test, so there were nine figure tests. The higher the test, the more difficult the figures. It sometimes takes one to two years to pass certain figure tests. To compete at the Senior level (the level that is seen at Olympic and World figure skating competitions), the skater has to pass the Eighth Figure Test. Some skaters give up because the higher figure tests are so difficult and never pass the Eighth Figure Test.What an Individual Patch Looks Like:
As the patch practice session continues, the skaters continue to move to the right (or left) and layout each figure one by one. Eventually, their clean patch is filled up with circle eight designs, turns, and scribed circles (which are used to see if circle sizes remain correct).
When a figure skater does a "layout" of a figure, he tries to trace the circles so that only one line appears on the ice. A "layout" means that the first circles are traced two additional times. No marks are allowed on the ice to help ice skaters find their centers, circles, or turns.
Serpentines:
Three circle figures, called serpentines, also move toward the center of a strip of ice. If two skaters share a strip, the third serpentine circle overlaps into the patches. As a courtesy, before "overlapping," skaters ask each other for permission to "overlap." Overlapping uses precious clean ice and it is an art in itself to maintain a nicely laid out patch because of the overlap marks of the opposite patch's skater.
Loops:
Near the last ten to fifteen minutes of a patch session, skaters will practice loops. Loops are done on smaller circles and their long axis will sometimes be drawn horizontally across the patch. Loops make heavier marks on the ice and can be done over slightly marked up ice. Sometimes some skaters will stay on the session that follows a patch session (a freestyle session with skaters jumping and spinning ) for five to ten extra minutes to get in last minute loop practice. Loops look like little oblong circles inside larger round circles.
Coaching:
Some coaches wear skates while teaching patch lessons. Others wear heavy boots that can walk on the ice so that their blades don't mark up skaters' patches with unnecessary marks.
