Anyone with even a remote social media presence caught moments from the 2026 Winter Olympics and perhaps figure skater Alysa Liu’s confident moves to “Stateside” by PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson. Maybe you’ve heard of the showstopping, self-named “Quad-God,” Ilia Malinin, who tumbled to eighth place as the favorite to win gold. For many, the Olympics seem like a defining competition for an athlete’s career. Yet, figure skating goes beyond a four-year watch cycle. At the World Championships last weekend, the Men’s and Women’s singles short and free programs were wrought with emotion, challenges, but not without deserving medalists on both sides. As the championship far surpassed the Olympics in terms of consistency and passion, we prompt the so-called “four-year fans” to consider the end of the season as a chance to dive into the art of skating. Moments from this weekend in Prague leave much to watch for in the 2026-2027 singles skating season: there isn’t a better time for you, the casual couch potato, to tune in all year long.
The joy of figure skating is in the balance of athleticism and artistry; no better seen than in the men’s programs. For this reason, watching the sport is appealing to all types of people. In this season, American skater Ilia Malinin has certainly imprinted himself onto the sport: landing the first quadruple axel, breaking the free skate record 3 times, and most recently winning the World Championships for the third time. He displays such undoubted technical prowess; the sheer base value of his quad jumps skewed the playing field for other talented skaters, making him reach intense fame online. If speed and power aren’t your style, regarded as his closest competitor is Yuma Kagiyama of Japan, whose expression and interpretation brought the audience to tears in a skate last weekend. His performance allows fans to appreciate musicality, along with his infectious joy that lights the audience on fire. The upcoming season is quite possibly the most ideal time to invest yourself in skating, as these two and others continue to hone their skills, the debate of technicality versus performance draws closer. Its versatility implores exploration of skating beyond the Olympics, so why only watch once every four years? Even more so does the sport hit close to the Andover community, members of which have accomplished much in skating themselves. Supporting the sport can also support our Andover community, as we learn more about the talent at our own school.
If you’ve never been the most sports-inclined person, skating itself doesn’t stop at high-speed spins and elegant step sequences. Perhaps the most surface-level, but not unimportant aspect of the season’s start is the range of costumes. This year, we’ve witnessed refined tuxedos like in Stephen Gogolev’s “bank robbery,” a Kung-Fu Panda suit from Olympic gold-medalist Mikhail Shaidorov, and a bittersweet goodbye with La vie en rose from Kaori Sakamoto. Skaters find a way to bring their personality into the costumes they wear, and they play a big part in the story that the performer wants to create. Figure skating isn’t just a competition, but rather a show, and if unique looks are your thing, then the sport will certainly appeal to you. In Shun Sato’s free skate to “The Firebird Suite” by Igor Stravinsky, he perfectly embodies the music’s meaning in his costume with sparkling red and gold embellishments. The piece tells a story surrounding a prince who captures the elusive firebird, and it’s thoroughly told through both his heroic movements, but certainly his costume. Getting to watch these programs unfold is a time to escape from day-to-day tasks and take a step back from school. Being a sport that isn’t offered at Andover, it’s something to enjoy from an outside perspective; it’s easy to develop an affinity for a skater and enjoy cheering them on with your friends when they compete. So take that Saturday night in, grab a friend, some snacks, and enjoy the skating, costumes, music– whatever reason it appeals to you.
The skating season spends a good amount of time in the cold, sometimes dreary winter that we experience. But the time spent talking about your favorite skater or crashing out about unfair judging is quite the opposite. The experience of watching skaters reach their best or having a rougher day skating is an experience better felt with a friend. Our dorm-mates have likely heard many cheers of excitement and cries of despair from the TV downstairs throughout the winter term. The skating season bonded us with friends as the waves of emotions hit us. Sharing love for the sport became sending friends videos, hanging out more often, and of course, catching our favorite competitions on Friday nights. Figure skating has helped us get closer to our friends and destress in a fun and exciting way.
As the 2025-2026 season comes to a close, we fans have seen a variety of skaters show their highs and lows. The various shocks through the season tested many’s resilience and determination. We bid farewell to the well-loved athletes, and simultaneously welcome the next generation of skaters making their debut amid a future of many possibilities. Which is to say there is no better time than the present to follow the sport a little closer. There’s no shame in watching the sport without being a skater yourself, either; perhaps you’ll find a new hobby to pick up along the way. Take the sport as a way to disconnect from school life and simply relax with the beautiful programs– or maybe even cheer on members of the Andover community as they compete. Though the excitement from the Olympics has surely slowed, those who were entranced by the competition shouldn’t stop now — the next season is already in the works, and these talented athletes need viewers.
