2025 WORLD FIGURE & FANCY SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
FIGURE ARTWORKS (FA)
Skating Artists should bring their personal best and act as role models of of sportsmanship and community. They should arrive as early as possible for the opportunity to train on the World’s Greatest Black Ice.
World Championship (WC) Division: Skating Artists qualify for the WC at the discretion of World Figure Sport. The World Championships’ Titles will be calculated from the combined score of five selected Figure Artworks (valued at 10% each), a Creative Figure (25%), and Fancy Skating (25%).
World Junior Division: Skating Artists qualify for the Junior Division by being 21 years of age or younger as of October 12, 2025. Qualifying Skating Artists may enter the World Championships at the discretion of WFS and World Junior Divisions at the same event. The World Junior Championships’ Titles will be calculated from the combined score of 4 selected Figure Artworks (valued at 50%) and Fancy Skating (50%). Additional Figure Artwork Events are available.
International Open Division: Skating Artists qualify for the International Open Division by being 18 years of age or older as of October 12, 2025 and not participating in the World Junior or World Championship Divisions. The International Open title will be calculated from the combined score of 3 selected Figure Artworks (valued at 50%) and Fancy Skating (valued at 50%). Additional Figure Artwork Events are available.
World Team Fancy Skating: Skating Artists at any age qualify for World Team Fancy Skating with teams composed of 2 – 16 per team by also participating and performing one or more Figure Artworks in any division and enjoying the World Skating Festival.
Inclusive Skating: Skating Artists at any age qualify for Inclusive Skating with any type of disability.
Exams: Figure & Fancy Skating Exams from The Art of Skating curriculum may be scheduled.
The World Skating Festival on Black Ice runs for 5 consecutive days. Events for any single division will be scheduled for either one or two days (note: WC Division does not always have consecutive days – usually Ladies Thursday & Saturday with Men’s Friday & Saturday), please check the entire tentative schedule for details.
Event Protocols
During performance/competition flights, Skating Artists will enter and exit the ice under direction of the Chief Referee. They will obtain an identifying letter for each flight from the Chief Accountant at rink side. They will be directed to a section of the ice to perform each Figure Artwork. After all the Figure Artworks are completed, the Skating Artist will place their letter by the starting center of each of their Figure Artworks.
Skating Artists will communicate with both of the Chief Accountant and Chief Referee regarding any penalty points. Skating Artists will stay on the ice and/or in the box with the Chief Accountant to fill out and sign their Segment Artwork Documents noting any penalty points. The document needs to be directly handed to the Chief Accountant and receipt acknowledged by the accountant’s confirmation of receipt. Any questions should be immediately directed to both the Chief Accountant and Chief Referee at that time (and not after the fact).
After competition flights, Fancy Skating Artists should stay in the building with their costume on for various post-competition segments (e.g. medal ceremonies, audience interaction, official photography) that might require their presence.
Fancy Skating Artists may choose to request to perform only portions of the overall events in their Division with combined communications before the start of the competition to both the Chief Referee and Accountant. They will be ranked in portions entered, but will not receive an overall ranking in their Division.
Penalties to be assessed as follows:
- Pre-Sets (Championship and Junior Divisions): 9 points
- Starting before whistle – 3 points
● Foot/blade Touchdown (except Creative Figure segment) – 3 points
● Fall– 6 points
● Hand touchdown – 6 points
- Marking of long axis with blade – 9 points
● Interfering with another Skating Artist – 9 points
- Unsportsmanlike conduct – stomping, kicking ice, refusing to sign penalty papers, not making the Chief Accountant aware of any needed penalties, leaving the ice before placing the on-ice indicator letters by one’s Figure Artworks – 9 points
- Publishing information on Creative Figures prior to event – 3 points
- Creative Figure Artworks are open to a skating artists’ creativity and drawing is allowed either before or after skating the artwork to make it pop or stand out as much as possible for the judges and spectators.
The maximum penalty is 9 points per Figure Artwork.
The judges do not have access to the referee’s papers, which are only seen by the Chief Accountant. The on-ice letter indicators may be touched by the official Chief Referee and/or WFS Official photographer and will be immediately replaced in the original position to allow for beautiful photography.
JUDGES: The judging panel will be sequestered and will not witness the live skating. They will only evaluate the Figure Artworks left behind on the ice by the skating artists and identified by their letters. Judges will rank order the Figure Artworks such that the lowest number indicates the highest quality rank:
- World Championship Division is judged on the following: Edges, Tracings, Turns, Loops, Cross-cuts, Centers and Alignment, Spinning Center/Flying take off/landing and Overall Quality of a Figure Artwork.
- All Other Divisions: Overall Quality.
Upon request by the Skating Artist, the Chief Accountant might request a Figure Artwork to be judged for Figure Artwork Exam credit.
TIE BREAKERS:
World Junior and International Open Divisions: If a tie occurs in the first three placings, it will be broken by prioritizing figures already competed and judged.
World Championship Division: If a tie occurs in the first three placings, the tied Skating Artists resume competition and re-skate the Swirling Mirror (Double-Sided RFI-LFI) to break the tie. During a World Championships’ Medal tie-break all judges rank the Overall Quality of the Figure Artworks.