5 Facts from a Former Figure Skater

In addition to being a writer, I'm also a former figure skater. Skating tights, hair in a bun, spandex dresses...yep. That was me! My experiences played a big part in the writing of my most recent novel, All Laced Up.

My own figure skates...all laced up!

To get in the skating mood, I thought I'd share five facts about figure skating. Stay tuned to the last one to see a clip of my synchronized skating team (yes, it's a thing) on the ice!

Me, circa 2004. (We skated to music from
Pirates of the Caribbean, so I think
I was holding a "sword.")

1. Hockey player/figure skater romances happen in real life, too. From Kate and Doug in The Cutting Edge (toe pick!) to Pierce and Lia in All Laced Up, there are many romances featuring a hockey player and a figure skater. Truth is, those romances happen in real life, too. Skaters and hockey players share ice arenas and open skate time and sometimes even locker rooms. It's only natural. Plus, it helps that hockey boys are swoony.
2. Skating jumps are as much fun as they look. Like Lia from All Laced Up, jumps are my favorite element. I especially love flips and loops. When you pick up speed and launch yourself into the air, it really does feel like flying. Learning and mastering a new jump is incredibly rewarding.
3. Tip: never borrow a figure skater’s gloves. It’s cold in ice rinks. Between that and all the spinning, noses run. Skating dresses don’t have pockets for tissues. ‘Nuff said.
4. Figure skaters do fall. A lot. Especially when learning a new jump. Landing one-footed on a sheet of ice on a 1/4-inch wide blade is a challenge. But you learn how to fall the “right” way, and it doesn’t always hurt. The one time I landed directly on my knee and had to be carried off the ice by a complete stranger? Yeah. That was the "wrong" way. That one hurt.
5. Synchronized skating is a thing. Yes, it’s like synchronized swimming except the water is frozen. I was on my university’s team. We were relatively terrible (the highest we placed in any competition was second place…and there were only two teams), but it was a lot of fun. Here’s a video clip from one of our performances (I can't remember which one is me...I'm probably near one of the ends because that's where short people go!):

The team during the medal ceremony

Good times!

Want more figure skating, including a figure skater/hockey player romance? You can find All Laced Up on Goodreads, Amazon, and B&N, out October 10, 2016!

You can also enter to win a signed copy of all three of my books HERE!