Most adults start at a local nonqualifying competition, the kind clubs host throughout the year, with adult events split by level and age. Read the competition announcement early for the deadlines and how to send your music, practice full run-throughs in front of people, and pick an outfit you've already skated in. On the day, arrive early, check in, warm up with your group and skate the program you've trained.
Key takeaways
- Start local. Club competitions often have adult events split by level and age, and they're a friendly place for a first try.
- The competition announcement has the events, the entry deadline, program lengths and how to send your music, so read it as soon as you decide to enter.
- Run your program all the way through, and try a mock competition in front of your coach or friends a few weeks out.
- Wear something you've already skated in, with nothing that can fall on the ice, and bring spare tights and a backup of your music.
- Showcase events are judged too. A performance with no judging at all is usually called an exhibition.
Signing up for your first competition takes some nerve. The good news is that adult events tend to be friendly, with competitors cheering each other on and lending each other hair pins in the dressing room. Plenty of adults compete for the experience or a goal to work toward, and a placing is a bonus.
This page follows a first competition from choosing an event to reading your results. It's written around U.S. Figure Skating competitions, but most of it applies wherever you skate. Your coach will know the competitions near you and can help with every step.
Choosing your first competition
Most adults start at a nonqualifying competition, the local and regional events that clubs host throughout the year. Many include adult events, split by level and often by age group, and your level usually depends on the tests you've passed. Our guide to U.S. Figure Skating tests explains the adult levels, and the announcement says what membership you need to enter.
A small competition at or near your home rink is a lovely first step. You know the ice, and there will probably be familiar faces in the stands. Ask your coach and the skaters around you which local competitions have good adult events, because word of mouth is often the best guide.
Many competitions also run showcase events, where you skate a program built around a character or a story, and props are sometimes allowed. Showcase events at U.S. Figure Skating competitions are judged on the performance rather than on jumps and spins. A performance that isn't judged at all is usually called an exhibition, so if that's what you'd like, ask your club about exhibitions and ice shows.
Further on, U.S. Figure Skating runs adult sectional championships and the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships, often called Adult Nationals. Some rinks run ISI competitions instead, which have their own levels and rules. None of that needs to worry you for a first event.
Entering and the announcement
Every competition publishes an announcement, usually on the host club's website or its online entry system. It lists the events and levels on offer, the entry deadline, program lengths, the rules for each event, and how and when to send your music. Read the whole thing as soon as you decide to enter, and keep a copy where you can find it.
Enter in good time, because entries close on a set date. Check that you've entered the right event and level, and ask your coach if anything is unclear. Many coaches charge for coming to a competition, so it's worth asking about that early, along with the fees in the announcement.
The detailed schedule usually comes out after entries close. Once you have it, check when your warm-up and your event are and when you need to leave home. If you're traveling, book somewhere to stay early, and ask for the time off work before you forget.
Your music
Your music needs to fit the program length for your event, which you'll find in the announcement. Our page on choosing music for your program covers picking a piece and getting it edited. Have the final edit ready well before the music deadline, so you can practice to the version you'll actually skate to.
Many U.S. competitions now collect music by upload, when you enter or by a set date afterward, while others ask you to bring it on the day. The announcement tells you which, along with the file type and how to name it. Either way, bring a backup copy on your phone or a USB drive, and keep it with you at the rink in case of a technical problem.
The weeks before
The best preparation is skating your program all the way through, to the final music, without stopping. Run-throughs build the stamina to finish strong and teach you to carry on after a wobble, which you'll need on the day. Ask your coach how often to run it as the competition gets closer.
A few weeks out, try a mock competition. Ask your coach, your skating friends or even the person driving the ice resurfacer to watch, then skate it once as if it's the real thing, from the moment your name is called. It feels awkward the first time, and that's the point. Skating in front of people is a skill of its own, and it gets easier with practice.
In the last week or so, stop adding anything new. Skate the program you've trained, keep your sessions a little lighter and get plenty of sleep. If your skates need sharpening, do it early enough to get a few practice sessions on the new edges, and our page on when to sharpen your skates explains why.
Pack your bag the day before, so the morning is calm. The table covers what most skaters bring on the day, and our page on what to keep in your skating bag has the everyday basics.
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Skates, guards, soakers and a towel | Guards for walking, and a quick dry before the soakers go on. |
| Your competition outfit | In a garment bag, so it arrives without creases. |
| Spare tights | Tights tend to get a run at the worst possible moment. |
| A backup of your music | On your phone or a USB drive, even if you uploaded it. |
| Warm layers and gloves | Rinks are cold, and there's usually a wait between your warm-up and your skate. |
| Hair and makeup kit | Pins, hair ties, hairspray and anything you'll want to touch up. |
| A small repair kit | Safety pins, spare laces, tape and blister bandages. |
| Your entry confirmation | In case check-in asks for it. |
| Water and snacks | Competition days can be long. |
For the hair, tights and repair kit items in this table, we've put together a Competition Day Kit on our Amazon storefront so you can see them in one place. If you'd like help with makeup too, our competition day makeup picks are the long-wearing pieces we'd choose from Rude Cosmetics.
Heads up: this guide contains an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy through it, Adults Skate Too earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. Details.
What to wear
Many skaters compete in a skating dress, or in fitted skating pants with a top. U.S. Figure Skating asks for clothing that's modest and suited to an athletic event rather than a stage costume, though it can reflect the character of your music. For a first competition, a simple outfit in a color you love is plenty, and you don't need rhinestones to look the part.
Skating tights are part of the look. Over-the-boot tights cover the top of your skates for a long, clean line, and some skaters prefer footed tights under the boot. Tan or a shade close to your skin is the usual choice, though black can suit darker outfits. Pack a spare pair, because a run an hour before you skate happens to everyone eventually.
Wear your full outfit for at least one run-through before the day. Spin and jump in it, and check that nothing digs in or slips. Anything loose, from a sequin to a hair clip, can come off on the ice, and the referee can take a deduction if part of your costume or decoration falls. Sew down anything that dangles, and leave jewelry at home.
Hair should be off your face and secure enough to survive a spin, usually in a bun, a ponytail or braids, held with pins and hairspray. Makeup is optional. If you wear it, go a little stronger than everyday makeup so your face reads from the stands, and try it once before the day so nothing is new. For practice clothes, our guide to what to wear ice skating covers the basics.
On the day
Get to the rink early, with time to check in at registration, find the dressing room and catch any changes to the schedule. Then get changed, do your hair and warm up off the ice with whatever routine your coach has given you.
Before your event, your group gets a short warm-up on the competition ice, and the schedule shows how long it is. Use it to get a feel for the ice and try the elements you want to check, but save some energy, because you'll skate your program soon after. Put your guards on as soon as you step off the ice, and keep them on whenever you walk in your skates.
There's usually some waiting while the skaters before you take their turn. Keep a jacket on and keep moving, and find whatever keeps you calm, from chatting to a quiet corner. When your name is called, step on, skate to wherever your program starts and take your opening position. When the music begins, skate the program you've practiced.
If something goes wrong, keep going. Get up from a fall, find your place in the music and finish the program, because the rest of it still counts. Afterward, take your bow, step off and put your guards on. Then go and find your people, because you just did a competition.
If your coach can't be there, you can still compete. Know your schedule well, find the dressing room and the ice entrance early, and ask a friend or another skater to film your program and hold your guards. Plenty of adults compete without their coach at the boards, and other skaters are usually happy to help.
Results and protocols
Results are usually posted at the rink and online after each event, and many competitions hold a small awards ceremony. Depending on the competition and the event, you'll be scored either with the International Judging System (IJS) or with the Component Judging System (CJS), which replaced the older 6.0 system on July 1, 2026. The announcement says which.
Under IJS, you get a protocol, a score sheet that lists every element you skated with its value and the judges' marks, plus your component scores and any deductions. Under CJS, each judge gives three marks, for technical elements, composition and presentation, and skating skills, rather than scoring every element. Our article on how figure skating scoring works explains the numbers on a protocol.
Go through your protocol or placings with your coach rather than on your own late at night. It shows what's already working and what to practice next, which makes it one of the most useful things you'll bring home. A low score at your first competition says very little about you as a skater. It mostly shows you where to start.
Deductions and bonuses for adults
Deductions are points taken off your total, for things like a fall or running over time. At U.S. Figure Skating adult singles events they're much smaller than the ones you see on TV. These are the adult amounts per U.S. Figure Skating's current deductions chart, and the 2026-27 scoring settings use the same figures.
| What happened | Adult Pre-Bronze, Bronze and Silver | Adult Gold and up |
|---|---|---|
| Each fall | -0.25 | -0.50 |
| Over the maximum time, for each 5 seconds or part of 5 | -0.25 | -0.50 |
| Costume or prop violation, or part of a costume falling on the ice | -0.25 | -0.50 |
| Each illegal element or movement | -0.50 | -1.00 |
An interruption of more than 10 and up to 20 seconds costs 0.25 at Adult Pre-Bronze and 0.50 at Adult Bronze and up, and longer ones cost more. Adult program times are maximums with no 10-second leeway, so there's no deduction for finishing early, but any time over the limit counts.
There's a bonus to aim for too. In Adult Silver, Gold and Masters free skates, the last three jump elements started in the second half of the program get 10% added to their base value. The second half starts halfway through the maximum time, which in 2026-27 is 1:10 for Silver, 1:25 for Gold and 1:35 for Masters. Adult Bronze and Pre-Bronze free skates don't have this bonus.
Nerves
Most skaters are nervous before they compete, including skaters who have done it for years. Nerves show up as shaky legs or a sudden need for the bathroom, and they don't mean you aren't ready. They mean it matters to you.
What helps a lot is preparation you trust. Run-throughs and a mock competition mean your body has done this before, even if your mind goes blank. On the day, slow breathing and thinking only about your first element can take the edge off.
If nerves are a big part of skating for you, our page on building confidence on the ice has more ideas, and they work for competitions too. Afterward, whatever happened, write down what went well and one thing to work on, and our page on setting skating goals can help you plan what's next. Then celebrate, because you did it.
This is general advice from adult skaters. Every competition sets its own rules in its announcement, and U.S. Figure Skating rules change from season to season, so check the details with your coach or the organizers before you rely on anything here.
