Registering for a competition is not difficult but does require a little advanced planning. Registration deadlines for competitions are typically four to six weeks prior to the competition date. Also, make sure to talk with your or your skater’s coach to determine which events and levels to register for.

There are two ways to register for a competition, depending on the type. For qualifying events (those that are part of the National Qualifying Series) and any series which requires registration (Excel, Solo Dance, Adult, etc.), you must register via EMS on the U.S. Figure Skating website. Other competitions provide registration through entryeeze. Check the competition announcement for instructions on how to register for that competition.

Many competitions offer practice ice for skaters as they are generally only given a short warm-up (approximately five minutes) at the beginning of their group’s turn. If provided, you can usually purchase practice ice ahead of time, generally at the end of the registration process. This is a two-step process. First you purchase practice ice when registering for the competition. Then you select the actual day and time for practice ice after registration closes and the schedule is released. The schedule is typically released a week or so before the competition. Be aware that practice ice sessions tend to be short (20 minutes or so) and there may not be any near the time of your or your skater’s event (i.e. the nearest practice time may be 6:00 am while your event isn’t until 2:00 pm).

An alternative to pre-purchasing practice ice may be open sales, but this is not guaranteed. If open sales are an option, this practice ice would be purchased and selected after the competition schedule is provided, so you can see if there are any close to your event.