An Interview with an Eis-Skater
Becca Eis, junior, finds passion in her sport, figure skating
The Roar: What made you interested in skating?
Eis: When I was nine, my grade school best friend was moving 45 minutes away, and we wanted to do something together to keep in touch so we decided to take lessons together. But then she didn’t move on with it like I did. Also, watching to Olympics inspired me, too.
The Roar: What do you like about skating?
Eis: I guess I just like the artistry of it because it is very different than others sports. On other sports you are often on a team and some would say that skating is less athletic but you can make it artistic like dance. But it is still exercise and good for you.
The Roar: Do you skate as part of a team or individually?
Eis: I skate individually. I was originally part of a synchronized skating team where we performed coordinated movements, such as circles and formations. But I wanted to skate as an individual so I chose to quit synchronized skating after eighth grade.
The Roar: Who is your coach?
Eis: My coach, Leslie Placett, is in her seventies but is still able to teach me. She coaches five other students, and even though she can’t do the jumps, she is still on the ice. I have been with her for five years so she is kind of like a grandmother to me. She was in the Icecapades, a travelling show, so I like to consider her fairly famous.
The Roar: What is the time commitment to skate?
Eis: Some girls on my level skate three or four times a week and others skate every day. I skate three times a week because I have other commitments like school and it is difficult to balance everything. Most skate four times a week for an hour per session.
The Roar: How do you juggle skating and other commitments?
Eis: I figure it out but it is hard because there are certain blocks of ice time and you have to schedule homework around that.
The Roar: How do competitions work?
Eis: I compete once or twice a year because getting ready for competitions is a lot of work and very time consuming. The competitions are very typical. Each skater performs a program with music. There are three judges that decide first, second, or third. In the higher levels, the judges score on points. For example, the different movements and jumps are worth a certain amount of points and depending on the execution, you are awarded points.
The Roar: How do the levels work?
Eis: When you first start, you are part of a program called Learn to Skate. There are two organizations that do this, ISI or International Skating Institution and U.S. Figure Skating which is what I am a part of. They have Basic 1 through Basic 8 and Free Style 1 through Free Style 6 in group lessons. After Free Style 6, you take private lessons. The levels are Pre-Preliminary, Preliminary, Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior, and Senior. I just passed my Novice test. When you get to each level, you have to go to the ice rink on a certain day and perform in front of judges that they fly in. To pass, you have to get a perfect score on the test.
The Roar: Is this something you would like to continue doing in the future?
Eis: I really do and I think I will miss it a lot. But I’m not going to choose a college based on skating. If there is an ice rink around, that would be nice but most colleges don’t have skating so I wasn’t planning on continuing.
