U.S. Figure-skating, the national organization charged with governing the sport in the U.S., is headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, conveniently close to the base for the U.S. Olympics Training Center. The headquarters here is also host to the World Figure-Skating Museum and Hall of Fame. They are proud of an annual visitation of more than 15,000 skating enthusiasts.
With a membership of 170,000 it can boast membership from school-affiliated clubs, collegiate clubs and individual members. It has grown from a club numbering seven in 1921 when it was first formed and first became a member of the ISU, the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure Skating is also a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, the USOC, and is one of its strongest and fastest growing organizations within the Olympic movement. Over 1000 people volunteer on the Board of Directors and on the numerous committees required to keep this organization running smoothly. Thousands more volunteer during club activities, competitions, officiating and judging all over the United States.
Across the U.S. there are more than 700 clubs that are registered with U.S. Figure-skating. There are also somewhere around 900 U.S. Figure-skating Basic Skills programs and during the skating season, the Headquarters in Colorado Springs will process an average of 5,300 figure skating skills tests each month.
In April of 2007, U.S. Figure skating and NBC forged a partnership on a multiyear deal that would mean that NBC would take over where ABC left off and be the network to which to tune to watch high-definition live broadcasts of the U.S. Figure skating Championships. This deal also includes primetime coverage on Saturday nights of Skate American and the ladies free skate. You can also go to icenetwork.com for other television programming and live event schedules.
According to the U.S. Figure-skating site:
•Figure-skating is the most popular sport to watch among American women and their teenage daughters
•54% of the total population greater than 12-years old is interested in figure-skating
•65% of enthusiasts have at least one year in college
•70% of the women polled actually consider themselves a figure-skating fan
•Women who are sports fans prefer to watch figure skating over the NHL, professional tennis and college basketball or football
•Figure-skating is ranked highest among sports fans of the U.S. that are greater than 12 years old
•68% of the fans are women between the ages of 25 and 54
