This is a very amusing and true ice skating story. First of all, figure skaters need to do the following if they fall while performing:
How to Fall Gracefully During Figure Skating Competitions:
- Get up quickly
- Don’t show emotion
- Continue skating and focus on whatever else is planned in the skating program
- Act like the fall did not happen
Now, let's move on...
This story is an example of how a fall was handled at an ice skating event. It is a funny story that is "a classic" in the figure skating world. It is not the story of a typical fall.
My ice skating partner and I were preparing to compete in an ice dancing event.
My ice dance partner was a very handsome twenty-year-old with long, brown hair. Even though this was a time when long hair was "in" for most young people, the style was not seen as appropriate for competitive skaters. As the competition approached, everyone involved with my partner's skating bothered him to get his hair cut. He assured everyone that he would get it done.
The day of the competition came, and sure enough my ice dance partner showed up at the ice rink with the perfect haircut ... or so everyone thought.
My partner, newly groomed, and I skated to a second place in the initial round of the competition. Entering the final round, the competition was close. If we skated well, we could pull up to first place. Little did we know what waited in store for us during the warm-up for the final round!
At the end of the warm-up, the announcer made the call to clear the ice. We were the only skaters remaining on the ice. My partner insisted that we do one more Rocker Foxtrot mohawk. It was an ill-fated move.
Upon falling during the maneuver, I turned to my partner and said, "I told you we shouldn't have done another mohawk!" IN SHOCK, I NOTICED THAT MY SKATING PARTNER'S NEW "HAIRDO," WHICH WAS ACTUALLY A MAN'S WIG, HAD FALLEN OFF HIS HEAD! He was wearing a beanie over his hair and looked sillier than you could imagine. I grabbed the wig and placed it back on his head.
The judges, officials, audience (by the way, the rink was packed), and our coach were laughing so hard! The laughing went on for a good five to ten minutes. We didn't pull up – we dropped to fourth. We did not skate our best, but we sure have a good story and memory about that competition!
