“It’s unlike any other sporting event because it elevates and unites skating, jewels and art as never seen before,” Olympic skater and World Figure Sport Society President Karen Courtland Kelly said. “The World Figure and Fancy Skating Championships is as much a fine art festival as a skating competition. During their individual routines, the artists blend skating techniques with the historic art of fancy figures by etching patterns on the ice with their skate blades, just as another artist would with a pencil or brush, and the patterns they produce are easily seen on the black ice. With Lake Placid’s rich history and all its contemporary events and activities, the Olympic Center is the perfect home for this iconic cultural and sport celebration.”

This international skating event blends the sport of figure skating with fine art, including performance, decorative and recording arts, to offer a unique combination of a world-class skating competition and cultural celebration with a festival atmosphere.

The not-for-profit WFSS was founded in 2015 at the same time the first-ever World Figure Championship on black ice was held at the historic Olympic Center in Lake Placid. WFSS’s Skating Hall of Fame was also launched that same year, with Dick Button, who trained in Lake Placid under coach Gustave Lussi, and other skaters having attended that induction ceremony.

In addition to the competition on black ice, the event also includes:

¯ Dorothy Hamill’s antique jeweled skate blade exhibition and pop-up museum inside the entrance to the 1932 Jack Shea Arena.

¯ Competitor practice sessions and filming of competitors and their work on black ice

¯ Skating experiences on black ice with lessons and workshops for all ages and levels

¯ The Fine Art on Ice World Finals competition on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. and Fancy Skating Art of Movement World Finals Saturday evening from 7 to 9 p.m.

¯ World Junior Figure and Fancy Skating Championships (through age 21) on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.

¯ Official inclusive skating practice Sunday morning and after 3:15 p.m. for all ages and levels and anyone with any type of disability, including wheelchairs

¯ Awards ceremony Sunday at 5 p.m.

¯ Crystal Skating Ball and Lake Placid Skaters Reunion beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday, featuring the Art of the Olympians Cocktail Party and the Roy Blakey Collection exhibit.

“The event is a unifying force that brings skaters and artists together in a celebration of culture, art, and sport,” Kelly said. “The World Figure and Fancy Skating Championships lift the art of skating while also supporting the development of skating artists of all ages, all levels, and all nationalities. Through scholarships, we provide skating experiences for everyone regardless of their life challenges, and in this way, we pass on the skills and knowledge from elite artists to a whole new generation of performers.”

Admission to the competition and all other components of the World Figure and Fancy Skating Championships is free for spectators with the exception of lessons and workshops. Donations are accepted at the door and online at www.worldfiguresport.org to support the work of the not-for-profit WFSS, including this annual event and skating scholarships. All attendees are asked to register in advance, at https://tinyurl.com/bdecrsxm.