The Future of Figure Skating

Erica Rand has just published a new book called ‘Skating Away from the Binary’, which looks at our skating and our struggle to be allowed to compete as a gender-nonconforming pair team, and examines issues around gender binaries, sports, and politics in a very accessible way.

As well as being my pairs partner and friend, Erica is a professor of Art and Visual Culture and of Gender and Sexuality Studies at Bates College. Many of her courses concern the intersections of gender, race, and sexuality—including a course called Queer and Trans Sports Studies. A longtime activist and cultural critic, Erica has written on topics ranging from Barbie to Ellis Island, and has used her experience as an adult figure skater and group-lessons coach to help her think and write about opening up sport and movement for all.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZJtaqOxw0iczfAoyGiiY94Z-fqo8yh3ZX0GvLPTzxm0/edit?tab=t.0

You can order “Skating Away from the Binary” through the University of Minnesota Press: https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517920555/skating-away-from-the-binary/

Links:
More about Erica: https://www.bates.edu/faculty/profile...

Erica’s first book skating book, “Red Nails, Black Skates”
https://www.dukeupress.edu/red-nails-...

Riki Wilchins, When Texas Came for Our Kids
/ when-texas-came-for-our-kids

You can reach me with comments or suggestions for people I should talk to by email at fsfuturepodcast @ gmail.com or instagram at futurefspodcast.

You can also support the podcast by making a one-time or recurring contribution at Ko-Fi.com/futureoffigureskating.

Dr Ami Parekh made history as the first skater to represent India at the World Championships. She now works as a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor. She is passionate about helping skaters be healthy at all stages of their career, and frequently works as the medical director at competitions. Ami is also the Executive Director of the Chicago Youth Foundation, an organization which brings figure skating and hockey to underserved communities.

https://youtu.be/MOouEgSLzfA

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_4p7mYDm2plc2yYwI5Wfy3eZ34-LYqxgrmfcpRyqMe4/edit?usp=sharing

You can reach me with comments or suggestions for topics and people I should talk to, by email at [email protected] or Instagram @futurefspodcast If you appreciate the podcast, you can also support my work with a one-time or monthly contribution at ko-fi.com/futureoffigureskating

https://www.chicagoyouthfoundation.org/

Ami Parekh India Worlds 2007 Short program

Ami Parekh INDIA "Raga Jazz" 2014 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships Taipei, Tawain

Ami Parekh - 2013 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships,Osaka LP

Chicago Youth Foundation on local news
https://youtu.be/gxh4fainK48?si=Nh4SUqgRtq2S-ZrQ

Bharatnatyam on Ice:
https://www.facebook.com/thebetterindia/videos/2879877888944953/?rdid=TZ6lsbLjUvDlB3Fn

Meryl and Charlie Bollywood OD 2010
https://youtu.be/Pn37SMb_5NM?si=4VaNIB2TsuvT4baW

Tara Prasad
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2cQ4QjTNEAw

Kat Arbour, Ice Dynamics off-ice training
https://icedynamics.app/

Helmet Safety
https://youtube.com/shorts/DFwCupGDqtQ?si=SQUNu4LUFmu4cpUz

Early specialization and talent development in figure skating: Elite coaches’ perspectives https://ciss-journal.org/article/view/8744/13311
Health Consequences of Youth Sport Specialization https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6805065/

Jimmy Morgan is a coach and choreographer and the co-Vice President of American Ice Theatre. Previously, he competed at the national level in pairs with his partner Alex Shaughnessy. Jimmy is an advocate for LGBTQ + inclusion in sports, and through both his work on the ice and his social media presence, he encourages people to engage with figure skating and art in general as a way to learn more about yourself and engage with new ideas. Jimmy is also one of my pairs coaches! We a really fun conversation about queerness in skating, the growing field of showcase competitions and philosophical topics like how to judge art, the inherent unfairness of sport, and why skating appeals to the casual viewer.
Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C... Support on Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/futureoffigureskating
You can follow Jimmy on Instagram @ hashtagjimmy. You can reach me with comments or suggestions for people I should talk to by email at fsfuturepodcast @ gmail.com or instagram @ futurefspodcast.

Jimmy Morgan, Ryan Dunk “Modern Dreams” “ • "Modern Dream" - Figure Skating Choreograp...
Jimmy Morgan “I Hate Figure Skating” • "I HATE SKATING" - Figure Skating Choreogr... • Ballet sur glace Villard-de-lans élite 202... • "Mother Nature" Koko Hirano practices her ... • Trans People Don't Make Sports Unfair - Sp... • How I'd Make Figure Skating Popular Again ...

With transgender inclusion in sports being the target of intense political attacks, I was grateful to speak with an athlete who has been a leading voice for inclusive sport. Grace McKenzie (she/her) is a transgender woman and lifelong athlete who found an inclusive and welcoming support network within the U.S, women's rugby community, which she describes as the most transformative experience of her transition journey. She was recruited to her first team in 2019, and played for 7 years across the United States for highly competitive clubs including the Berkeley All Blues and the New York Rugby Club.

When World Rugby announced its plans to ban trans women internationally from the sport in 2020, Grace took action by organizing a global movement in opposition. She started a petition that accumulated over 25,000 signatures, and has engaged hundreds of clubs and dozens of professional athletes around the world through Rugby for All an organization that she helped co-found, and as an Advisory Council member of the Sport & Rights Alliance Since then, Grace has shared her story and advocacy at numerous forums around the world including the United Nations, prior to her retirement from the sport in early 2025.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/lgtcGR0bd6U
Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H_ky1ylon2lSY15Yn71MNgvCV-ln_gVErIEwmYsT1LM/edit?tab=t.0

You can follow Grace on Instagram @withgracetoo
Rugby for All https://www.instagram.com/rugbyforall.co/
Sports & Rights Alliance https://www.instagram.com/sportandrightsalliance/

You can learn more about resources for transgender figure skaters and their allies at skatingpartner.com

You can reach me with comments or suggestions for topics and people I should talk to, by email at [email protected] or Instagram @futurefspodcast

If you appreciate the podcast, you can also support my work with a one-time or ongoing donation on Ko-Fi, www.ko-fi.com/futureoffigureskating

Links:
Grace powerfully represented trans women in the debate at the Play the Game conference, which you can watch here: https://www.playthegame.org/conferences/play-the-game-2025/live-streaming/

New USFS “Category Policy” (October 2025)
https://usfigureskating.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a74f8ee4ba91875df45aa1592&id=cca7538f2a&e=412852edf6

Episode Notes

Stéphane Lambiel is a two-time World Champion and the 2006 Olympic silver medalist. He continues to perform in shows around the world, as well as working as a choreographer and the head coach of the Skating School of Switzerland. Chris Trevisan is the Director of the Skating School and was previously a guest on the Future of Figure Skating (episode 14). In this conversation, recorded in Champéry in August 2025, Stéphane and Chris discuss the values that underpin their work and their hopes for beauty and simplicity in figure skating.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/kyDGxyhIcww

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1upw6esoodFCFasc67AcarBKzai4wWOm34oVuQXVp0GE/edit?tab=t.0

You can follow Stéphane on Instagram @slambiel and the Skating School @ skatingschool Y
ou can also see videos from the Skating School, including their Step of the Month series, on their YouTube channel  @theskatingschool 

You can reach me with comments or suggestions for topics and people I should talk to, by email at [email protected] or Instagram @futurefspodcast If you appreciate the podcast, you can also support my work with the Tip Jar at https://futureoffigureskating.pinecast.co

Support The Future of Figure Skating by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/futureoffigureskating