“I need skating in the same way I need air.”
Penn State figure skater Ariel McCoy fixes her gel sleeves and three-year-old Risport skates in preparation for team practice on Nov. 10, 2021, at the Pegula Ice Arena. “I only wear Risport brand because they are a leather boot as compared to some synthetic leather and plastic boots that are out on the market. The leather helps with their longevity. I’ve had about six pairs of Risports since the time I was 12,” said McCoy. According to McCoy a new pair of Risport skates with fresh blades average $1,000. Though McCoy’s current pair are worn they have molded to her feet making her reluctant to purchase new skates.
The Pegula Ice Arena is home to Penn State Hockey and to festive communal skating but to Penn State collegiate figure skater Ariel McCoy the rink symbolizes late-night practices, countless hours spent perfecting jumps, calloused feet, bedazzled costumes, performance rehearsals and above all artistry on the ice.
“Pegula is my sanctuary where everything else fades away. As soon as I hear my skates hit the ice, I know I’m home,” said McCoy, a senior majoring in viola performance and print/digital journalism.
McCoy practices her split jump in preparation for her upcoming holiday performance during communal skate hours on Nov. 12. According to McCoy, hockey receives preference over practice times often pushing figure skating practices to 9 p.m. “If I want or need to get individual practice time in, I have to go during public skate. Trying to prepare for my solo while people skate around me for fun feels kind of demeaning,” said McCoy.
McCoy began her figure skating career in her hometown of Crofton, Maryland at the age of three. Her adolescence was spent developing in the fierce world of competitive figure skating.
“From the ages of seven to twelve it was hard maintaining my physique, my composure, my stamina… doing all of that in order to do well in competitions while still being a kid,” said McCoy.
McCoy’s journey from a child skater to a member of the Penn State Figure Skating Team required a reevaluation of the personal importance which she derived from the sport.
McCoy hits the ice after failing to tighten her core while performing the lutz jump during practice. McCoy repeatedly readjusted her technique before finally landing the jump on her fifth attempt. “There is no skating without falling. I always keep going until I land it unless I’m hurting myself or sharking. If I’m sharking, I know it’s a mental block,” said McCoy. According to McCoy, ‘sharking’ is when a skater continuously circles to perform a jump then refrains at the last minute.
“I had to mentally release myself from the toxicity of the competitive circuit. Since then, collegiate figure skating has become the biggest creative outlet in my life,” said McCoy. “I finally stopped trying to impress others and I began skating for myself.”
According to McCoy, performance events like the 2021 Happy Holiday’s Ice Show have granted her the opportunity to illustrate the artistic talent behind a sport that she feels garners little recognition.
“People don’t realize all the elements that must come together for a skater to perform well. Not only do they have to exhibit a high level of technique and athleticism in their jumps and spins… they must learn choreography, have elegance, and entertain as a performer,” said McCoy.
Behind McCoy’s 2 minute 36-second holiday performance solo was over 15 hours of preparation both inside and outside of the arena. According to McCoy, hockey receives preference over rink time often pushing figure skating practices till 9 p.m. McCoy must take advantage of public skate hours in order to squeeze in individual practice time.
McCoy rests her head in exhaustion after practicing her solo routine for over 2 hours.
“Hockey is what makes the school money so they will always be placed as a higher priority,” said McCoy. “I think part of the reason Penn State does not take our team as seriously is because figure skating is not considered an NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] sport.”
One hope McCoy holds for the future of the program is increased funding and recognition. Despite representing the university in competitions, the program is required to place “club” on all team gear and social media platforms.
“Obviously ‘club’ is just a word, and the team is what you make it but when you hear ‘club’ you think ‘oh it’s just a group of girls who like to skate’. There’s a lot of girls on the team who will tell you that little word carries a lot of weight,” said McCoy.
In the absence of university funding, the financial burden of equipment is placed on the individual student-athlete. According to McCoy, skates average $1,000 and costumes range from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending upon the custom fit and intricacy of the design.
Limited resources, including paid coaches, meant preparation for McCoy’s holiday performance solo extended beyond the plexiglass walls of the ice rink. McCoy choreographed her jazz routine within the parameters of her college apartment. Spending over 4 hours splicing and editing her performance music.
According to McCoy, balancing her academic schedule with figure skating leaves her little time to recover mentally and physically. “I’d say 70% of students don’t even know Penn State has figure skating which is a little upsetting when you are dedicating as much time as any other student-athlete,” said McCoy. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter because I am doing this as a passion not for school recognition.”
In the face of restricted resources and narrow recognition lies a passion for figure skating that grew with the girl.
“I am a product of my dedication to figure skating. My growth in the sport is reflected in my growth as a person,” said McCoy.
Though McCoy notes that the majority of Penn State’s student body is unaware of the figure skating program, she finds comfort and community in her friendships with fellow teammates.
“I’ve been with these girls since freshman year. We’ve grown together as skaters and really as women. I’ve been in the position where one of the girls on the team got second and I got third. I was just as proud that she got sliver as I was that I got bronze. It’s not about the individual it’s about the team,” said McCoy.
McCoy, leaves the chaos of the dressing room to mentally prepare in the hallways of the Pegula Ice Arena during rehearsal for the 2021 Happy Holidays Ice Show on Dec. 4, 2021. “Figure skating is a team sport, but I like to be alone when I warm up to focus. I listen to my routine music and run through the motions of the choreography,” said McCoy.
The 2021 Happy Holidays Ice Show illustrates the niche figure skating community present in State College. Figure skaters ranging from youth to the collegiate level showcased their programs on Dec. 5, 2021, at the Pegula Ice Arena.
“The community really supports and shows up for each other. I know that the little skaters look up to us and that is all the recognition I need,” said McCoy.
As the holiday performance season concludes and McCoy enters her final year competing for Penn State she anticipates sore muscles, sleepless nights, and ice burn. At the same time, she reflects on her sadness as time dwindles to engage in her purest form of self-expression at the collegiate level.
McCoy wakes up early on the morning of the 2021 Happy Holidays Ice Show to start the intricate process of performance makeup in her Parkway Plaza apartment. As a young figure skater, McCoy received a diagram detailing the specific performance makeup her coach required to elongate the eyes and highlight the lips. According to McCoy, the bold makeup look is now second nature. “The diagram was my first experience with makeup. My mom was an 80s queen, so my makeup was always over the top and borderline clownish,” said McCoy.
“If I was doing this for praise whether it be from my previous coaches or the university, I would have quit a long time ago. I put in the hours with technique and choreography because it’s how I can express myself and be me,” said McCoy. “I need skating in the same way I need air.”
After wearing the same figure skating dress since the age of 14, Penn State figure skater Ariel McCoy, struggles to pick which one of her two new costumes to wear for her holiday performance solo in her Parkway Plaza apartment bedroom on Nov. 15, 2021. For her senior season, McCoy bought the yellow dress secondhand from a friend for $500. According to McCoy, she had been designing the gray dress in her mind since she was 10. It is her first custom dress costing $850. “You can ask any of the girls on the team, I had to borrow costumes for the last three years,” said McCoy. “I went to my mom, and I said, ‘listen I will never ask for anything again, but can I please have my own dress designed for my senior year?’ I wanted that moment of performing in the dress I’ve wanted since I was little.”
McCoy crouches just above the ice flattening her torso to muster the balance required to perform a sit spin during her solo routine at the Happy Holidays Ice Show. “You need an insane level of balance to cleanly perform the sit spin. I have been doing it for decades, but I still hold weights in my room and practice bending up and down on one leg till my muscle tires out,” said McCoy. “During the performance, my mind was racing but it went blank during the sit spin because it took everything I had left.”
McCoy adds drama to her technique while performing her first jazz style routine to “Blue Skies” by Ella Fitzgerald. McCoy spent hours outside the ice rink choreographing and splicing music for her solo performance. “I have a list of songs in my phone that I want to perform to. I’d been skipping over “Blue Skies” for a while, but it felt right this time,” said McCoy. “I’ve never done a jazz style before, but I wanted to give a bouncy, lively performance that is not commonly seen in figure skating.”
~ 12.14.2021