About Us

OVERVIEW

Members of CUFSC have a great time practicing together, socializing, and competing against other teams that are part of the Northeastern Division of the USFSA Collegiate Program.  Our team has about 30 active members who span all ability levels.  Competitions take place 2-3 times per year. Our team won intercollegiate nationals in 2003 and made nationals again in 2008 where we placed 5th.

Off the ice, our team is very close. We have several social events throughout the semester that center around team cohesion. Past events have included team dinners, date nights, movie nights, and our annual holiday party where we exchange gifts. Cornell is a really big school, but being a member of the figure skating club offers an opportunity to get to know a lot of really great people through participation in a common activity.

QUALIFICATIONS

The members of our team have all different skill levels, from those who are relatively new to the sport to those who have competed at the Senior level.  All levels are welcome, but in order to ensure the safety of our members, you must have passed at least one USFSA test or completed at least one of the figure skating gym classes offered at Cornell in order to be allowed on the team.

PRACTICE ICE SESSIONS

Practice ice sessions are held at Lynah Rink, which is on campus and generally about a 10-15 minute walk depending on where you live. The sessions are an hour long, and we normally have two every week, on Monday and Wednesday evenings. In addition, there are generally a few Saturday morning sessions scattered throughout the year. There is a music box located in the rink, and you can easily play program music or just fun practice music from any of your devices. The team does not have any coaches at these practices, but the skaters are open to helping each other. Note that none of the practices are required; you are free to attend the practices that are most convenient for you. There are also public sessions that are held at Lynah Rink. The hours are usually 11:45 AM-12:45 PM M-Th and 9:00-10:30 PM on Sundays, but be sure to check the Lynah Rink Facebook page for any schedule changes or updates.

 COMPETITIONS

The team attends 2-3 collegiate competitions every year, officiated by USFSA (United States Figure Skating Association). The team usually drives to these competitions together in cars owned by the students and/or supervisor, and we stay overnight in a hotel close to the rink hosting the competition. Again, none of these competitions are required, but we do encourage our members to attend as many as possible.  Note that you must pay for the events in which you will compete, which normally cost around $50 - $60 per event. Additional information about USFSA sanctioned collegiate competitions can be found here:  http://www.usfsa.org/Programs.asp?id=45.

EXTRA PRACTICE AND COACHING

If you would like to practice at other times than those offered by the team for practice ice, there are a few options.  Cornell University offers figure skating physical education classes, and although most of the skaters that are on the team are above the level at which these classes are taught, the instructor will normally allow you to practice on your own during the advanced class with some constraints. In addition, there is a rink in the town of Lansing which offers figure skating sessions in the evenings, and there are many coaches there, who are happy to give lessons. This rink is just named, “The Rink,” and it is about a 10-15 minute drive from campus.  There is no public transportation in that direction, so you will have to either drive there in your own car, call a taxi, or see if you can catch a ride with one of the other skaters who might be going.  The website for the rink in Lansing can be found here: https://crcithaca.com/figure-skating/

SOCIAL EVENTS

The members on the Cornell Figure Skating Club really do become great friends, and we often have team lunches, dinners, date nights, and other social events for team bonding.  They are lots of fun, guaranteed!  We have several fundraisers in order to keep the costs of the team as low as possible.  Our most popular is called Skate Night, where students at Cornell pay to rent skates and skate around the rink for a while.  We also host 1-2 skate shows every year, where students at Cornell pay to watch us perform to whatever kind of music you like.

FEES

As a member of the team, we ask that you pay dues for the year in order to cover the costs of ice time, travel to competitions, and snacks at the team social events.  The dues are normally between $160 - $200 for the year, and this is all you have to pay for ice time at the practice sessions on campus for the entire year!  This is a mere fraction of what you would pay for ice time at a normal rink in a year, and the fees will also generally include hotel fees if you choose to travel to competitions!