Why is Figure Skating Prize Money Taboo?
The discussion of prize money at International Skating Union (ISU) competitions seems verboten. The spectators sitting beside me at Four Continents had no idea that any of the ISU events offered a cash prize; the TV commentators don’t bring it up; nor do the media report it in their articles. Why is figure skating prize money so taboo when hockey salaries and tennis cash prizes are widely reported?
In my opinion, knowing there’s prize money at stake adds an extra element of excitement to the event. Here’s what was on the line for Four Continents skaters:
Men and Ladies
1st place US$ 15,000
2nd place US$ 9,000
3rd place US$ 6,000
4th place US$ 4,500
5th place US$ 3,250
6th place US$ 2,500
7th place US$ 2,250
8th place US$ 2,000
9th place US$ 1,750
10th place US$ 1,500
11th place US$ 1,250
12th place US$ 1,000
Pairs and Dance (per couple)
1st place
2nd place
3rd place
4th place
5th place
6th place
7th place
8th place
9th place
10th place
11th place US$ 1,750
12th place US$ 1,500
For more on cash prizes, this is an interesting article about bonuses the ISU awards to skaters who perform well each year.
Yes, this post was inspired by Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s free dance!
February 8th, 2009 at 6:46 am
I think it’s taboo because for so many years it was an amateur sport. Even then skaters had sponsors and no one knew who these people were. I think the sport still needs a lot of change and could have changed in a better way as far as the new judging system and being professional. I think they should just make it professional at this point. Good skaters could then skate longer and have time to mature. The sport seems very disconnected somehow.
February 8th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
The only reason the ISU began offering cash, was that it was a way to stop hemorrhaging name skaters to the professional ranks. Guess what happened? They managed to kill off the competition. It started with the lame pro/am tournaments. They muddied the waters, when they let pros come back to compete in Lillehammer. What a mistake. Save for the sponsorship from private corps, the old skool skaters actually skated because they truly loved it. Is that a slam at today’s skaters? No, not really, but it puts things into perspective as to one of the many reasons figure skating has gone down the tubes.