Skating at High Altitudes

The locations for the U.S. Figure Skating adult competitive season were announced yesterday, and the choice of venue for Midwestern Sectionals as Colorado Springs has since become a topic of debate among the adult figure skating community.

I compete at Eastern Sectionals, so I don't really have a stake in the debate (my beef is with the lack of announcement about a location for Easterns...erggg). But if I keep up the competitive skating, it's an issue I may have to face in the future.

Indeed, it all brings up a great point about skating in general - how competitions held at higher altitudes present a challenge for some skaters who are not used to the effects of thinner air. Generally speaking, elite-level figure skaters are well-trained enough endurance-wise that it would only have minor effects. There may be a bit more heavy breathing or gasping for air at the end of a program, muscles may feel a little heavier, etc. The effects are certainly not imagined.

But since we're dealing with older skaters who are not quite elite-level here, the concern is a bit more warranted. Many skaters are actually very worried, and some are angry that it puts them at a disadvantage for the season. On the other hand, many skaters have chimed in saying the altitude difference isn't that hard on your skating, and that the host club in Colorado Springs puts on one heck of a fun event.

The way I see it, the location isn't going to change. So the best thing skaters can do is to educate themselves on the effects of higher altitudes on athletics. One of the skaters posted this helpful primer that really explains a lot - I learned some things I never knew, like the fact that it's not actually about the air, it's about the air pressure. Skaters will need to train harder and get that endurance up. That's not so simple of course, and with adult skaters, injuries may become more likely.