Crystal Skate

Every sport has a defining element without which it cannot survive. Football has the ball, tennis has the racket and figure skating has the music. Yes, not the ice, not the skates, but the music because without it there'd be no figure attached to the skating. I've been meaning to talk about music for a while now, but never really got around it before. So now I am dedicating the next five posts to this wonderful invention that gave colour to the world and helped create our favourite sport. Patrick Chan performing his 2013/2014 free skate Photograph: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images Europe There is only one genre of music you can begin this discussion with; the father and mother of all melodies, the king and queen of grace, the god and goddess of sophistication: classical music. Classical music started it all. If today we have the likes of Rihanna, Coldplay, Adele and millions of other performing artists, it is because hundreds of years ago, people like the Italian name...

Coco Chanel once famously said that when a woman dresses shabbily, all everyone will remember is the dress; but if you dress impeccably, they will remember the woman. Her words can also be applied to figure skating because the routines that stand out, that are remembered for their quality, are the ones that benefit from fabulous costumes, especially in the exhibition. This routine was initially their free skate in 2012/2013 Photographs: Dave Sandford / Getty Images N America Exhibition programmes can blend into one another if not handled with care. Most of them are set to popular songs, the type that you hear on the radio, love for a few weeks, then quickly forget about when a trendier song hits the radio stations. That is not to say that the routines set to them are not beautiful, but just as the songs themselves, they can be forgettable. To avoid this, some skaters go to great lengths to create programmes so unique, they can never be confused with someone else's. And with ...

In figure skating, exhibitions are like that nice glass of red wine one might enjoy at the end of a really pesky day of work. They're the long satisfied breath you let out or the triumphant fist bump in the air that means: 'I've done it!' Concurrently, they are also a way to show off. Sure, it's nice to be able to throw the rules out the window for a change and skate to whatever, in whatever, however you want it. But figure skaters like being in the spotlight, and what better time to shine than when there is nothing restraining you from showing your full potential? What that means is that some athletes will go to unbelievable lengths to put on a show, like when Adelina Sotnikova  did rhythmic gymnastics on ice,  or when Javier Fernandez  made a mix-tape to get us to get off our butts and join the gym.  These programmes were so good, they will never be forgotten. But they wouldn't have been as fantastic had they not benefited from some terrific costume choices....

If season 2014/2015 has taught us anything about figure skating, it's been that this is an unpredictable sport. From Javier Fernandez winning the World Championships, to Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov not winning the European Championships, we've been fully reminded that it's never safe to bet in figure skating. Skaters who are now on top can abruptly drop tomorrow and rankings can change like the wind. This changeable nature of the sport is also reflected in the costumes. Just because a skater has the best costume in the short programme, doesn't mean they must also have the best costume in the long one. That is certainly true for this next pair: Ksenia and Fedor skated to Notre Dame de Paris  by Richard Cocciante Photograph: David Ramos / Getty Images Europe Their music was sung in English, French and Spanish, depending on the country they were skating in Photograph: Jamie McDonald / Getty Images Europe I decided to begin with the worst costumes this ...

Many people confuse pair skating with ice dancing. Even though there are very few similarities between the two, they seem one and the same to the untrained eye. Perhaps it's because those unfamiliar with the sport can't understand the point of having two categories for couples. There is a point of course because pair skating is not dancing on ice. Pair skating contains a lot more elements that are significantly more difficult than dancing: jumps, throw jumps, death spirals, side-by-side spins, etc. In order to be able to perform them without costumes getting in their way, pair skaters have to wear aerodynamic clothes, which the ice dancers don't. Because of the restriction in length and shape, you'd think pair costumes are less fabulous. Not a chance! This season, especially, was full of gorgeous dresses paired with dashing attires for the boys. Ironically though, neither one of the best costumes of the season was a dress: The Russian pair skated to music from Cro...

If figure skating were a job you had to apply for, the ideal candidate would have to be more than just a skater. They'd have to also fulfill all the following requirements: talent, creativity, hard work, flair and an eye for detail. On their CV, under skills, they'd probably put: great taste in music, masterful presentation skills, ability to choose a great costume, lots of charisma and, yes, of course, outstanding skating skills. Anyone lacking one of these attributes would not even be called for an interview. In the real world though, there is no such thing as an ideal figure skater, which is why we end up with bits and pieces of perfection spread all over the place rather than concentrated in one athlete. The best programme, the best costume, the best choreography, the best music choice, the best jumps, the best spins, the best presentation, etc. cannot all be found in one place. That's why it is no surprise that the best costume worn this season by a man in the free s...

Scott Moir was once asked what the atmosphere was like in the men's locker rooms. He replied that there is a camaraderie between the boys most of the time which springs from them making fun of each other's costumes. Even though Scott could only speak for the ice dancers, it's not hard to imagine that single skaters are also having a laugh at their opponents' (and their own) outfits. Most men, as a rule, don't give as much importance to fashion as women do. So you can imagine that with no partner fussing about what they are going to wear, most male skaters don't stress too much over their costumes. A lot of them settle for a plain jumpsuit or a black tie attire - something comfortable that makes them look decent. There are certain themes though for which 'decent' doesn't do it. That's when things get interesting. Can't you just picture some of them cringe at themselves in the mirror? Soundtracks, musicals and operas are usually the genres ...