By Shelly Walston on Jan 11, 2025

Wichita is hosting the U.S. Figure Skating Championships this month. Here's why you should get on board.

Three reasons to buy tickets to at least one session — and how to get the most out of the spectacle

Amber Glenn and her couch Damon Allen demonstrate the drama of the kiss-and-cry. (Note the plushies.) Courtesy photo by Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating.

If you’re not jumping for joy and making your carpool plans in advance of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships happening at Wichita’s Intrust Bank Arena from January 21-26, you’re doing it wrong.

This is a big deal. Huge. Monumental.

Here are a few reasons why you should buy your tickets now … and then spend the last two weekends before Championships bedazzling your scarves and gloves and catching up on this season’s podcast episodes of The Runthrough, hosted by Olympic medalists Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon.

Reason 1: In three of the four disciplines, U.S. skaters are top placeholders in the world.

In men’s, the front-runner is Ilia Malinin. You might have seen him on your social media accounts at @quadg0d. His moniker is apt: at the Grand Prix Finals in Grenoble, France, Malinin attempted all seven jumps as quads during his free skate. That is a feat never before seen. Ever! He’s the first skater in the history of skating to land a quadruple axel (that’s four and a half rotations), and now people are talking about how he’s practicing quints. As in five rotations in the air. On blades less than 5 millimeters thick. Landing them on a sheet of ice. For your enjoyment (as well as the chance to remain undefeated this season and three-peat his gold medal performance at U.S. Men’s Figure Skating Championships).

Amber Glenn is the one to watch in the women’s discipline. Like Malinin, Glenn is undefeated this season, and like Malinin, she is the top jumper in her field — one of the few U.S. women to land the triple axel since Tonya Harding. She’s competed against a stacked lineup of the world’s best Japanese skaters and come out on top in every competition this season. This is a big deal, as the Japanese women have claimed the top spots in the discipline for years. And Amber Glenn is an underdog who’s finally come into her own; her emoting on the ice and in the kiss-and-cry are worth the cost of admission. She’s a joy to watch. Like, for real. She visited Wichita at Pride in the Park in June 2024 and hosted some skating activities with Visit Wichita. Fans (read: me) loved seeing her. It’s clear Glenn has a love for the sport; and her admirers, aka GlennHeads, love her back. Also of note is Alysa Liu, who’s back this season after taking two years off from the sport. She’s looking more mature on her skates. Her music choice for her short program, Laufey’s “Promise,” is exquisite.

Ice dance is the discipline for those who love absolute precision and routines that require perfection.. You won’t see big overhead lifts or throws (that’s pairs), but you will see a mix of formal and funky costumes, turns and twizzles matched flawlessly, some of the best footwork, and unmatched musical interpretation. The theme this year for the rhythm dance is “social dance of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.” Yes, that’s quite a wide “theme,” but it also means you’ll get routines to doo wop and disco, and these teams skate with an exactness that is truly impressive. At the top of the list is pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates. These two rival America’s sweethearts Meryl Davis and Charlie White (2009-2014), and Chock and Bates are on their way to gaining as many medals. Behind them is a crop of young ice dance teams, and the field really is wide open; it’s almost as vast as the music selections.

I’m not giving short shrift to the pairs teams, but beyond Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, most are quite young, so it’s really anyone’s opportunity to win (or at least come in second behind Kam and O’Shea). Here’s the thing about pairs: big chances for big, bold, thrilling throws, lifts, and side-by-side jumps and spins, but doing any of those singularly is hard enough, and adding synchronization leaves room for what might look like less-impressive skating. Don’t get me wrong; what they do is amazing, and even a failed attempt at a throw triple loop is a thrill. (Now, imagine seeing it live, with the sound of blades on ice, followed by the roar of the crowd. Yeah, you should get your tickets.)

Ilia Malinin, best known for his gravity-defying jumps, enters the U.S. championships as the reigning gold medalist for two consecutive years. *Courtesy photo by Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating.*

Reason 2: Spectacle! Spectacle! Spectacle!

Y’all, this is a big year for figure skating. Seriously. Not only because the front-runners in three of the four disciplines are U.S. skaters, but because it’s the year leading up to the 2026 Olympics in Milano-Cortina. This is the chance for figure skaters to make their case that they’re the best option for the Olympic Selection Committee. These skaters are gonna be working their hardest, doing their damndest for a chance to be on that roster. We won’t know how many skaters get to compete at the Olympics in any given discipline until after the ISU World Championships in Boston in March, but it’s a big, big deal to medal at U.S. Championships prior to the Olympics. It almost always guarantees you a spot on the roster. (Trust that I could go on, but you probably don’t care about my thoughts on the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic roster.)

Olympic selection notwithstanding, figure skating is the perfect sport for spectacle. We’re talking bejeweled costumes, polished boots and blades, big jumps (see the aforementioned Ilia Malinin and Amber Glenn), and even bigger chances for the lesser-known skaters to become breakout stars. And don’t get me started on the plushies that will get thrown onto the ice! That’s a show in and of itself. Watching spectators shower their favorite skaters with flowers, stuffed animals, and loads of cheering is its own kind of joy. And that could be YOU throwing the plushie! If you’re close enough, you might even get a first-hand view of the kiss-and-cry, the little couch they all sit on to see their scores roll in. Talk about spectacle!

Reason 3: Figure Skating Royalty will be here.

Beyond the skaters who are busting their butts on the ice, you’ll probably get a chance to glimpse some figure skating royalty — the likes of Brian Boitano, Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinsky, Ashley Wagner, and Adam Rippon. You know Tara and Johnny from their Olympic coverage (Johnny’s sky-high hair and their shared bling-y headphones and mics). You might also know Johnny Weir from his recent stint on the reality television show “Surreal Life” and as a judge on the roller-skating competition show “Roller Jam.” The “who’s-who” of the sport show up for U.S. Championships.

Boitano is even hosting Boitano’s Lounge, and if you’ve got the means to purchase those tickets, I’m offering myself as your plus-one. He’s promised to have special guests (even more figure skating royalty?) at each of the five sessions, and there will be drinks and hors d'oeuvres available. When else would you have a chance to bump elbows with Olympic, world, and national champions? And in Wichita, Kansas? Sounds like you should get tickets for Boitano’s Lounge (and one for me) now, too!

How to get the most out of your figure skating viewing:

If you want to see big, big jumps (the kind that will probably make history), you’ll want to make sure you see the Men’s Free Skate on Sunday, January 26. The programs are longer, coming in at just over four minutes, but they’re required to do seven jumps in each program.

If you want to see more skaters, prioritize the short programs. They’re just over two minutes each, so you’ll get to see a swath of skaters in rapid succession. Women’s, ice dance, and pairs short programs are on Thursday and Friday, January 23-24.

If you’ve only got time for one day, pick Saturday, January 25. The competition goes from 9:58 a.m. to 8:52 p.m. according to the U.S. Figure Skating’s schedule. It’ll be a long day, but you’ll see three of the four disciplines. This will absolutely be the most immersive opportunity to get your figure skating fix.

The Details

Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships
January 21-26 at Intrust Bank Arena, 500 E. Waterman St. in Wichita

Single-session tickets for the pro events start at $18 plus fees (juniors start at $15). Learn more and purchase tickets online or at the Intrust Bank Arena box office. Pro tip: Buy in person to avoid online ticketing fees.

Shelly Walston is an educator, reader, writer, and collector of commemorative state plates. She's been teaching English at the high-school level for more than two decades. When not grading essays, working on her novel, walking the dog, or playing strategy games, you'll find Shelly sprawled on her couch, reading a book. More of her writing and book reviews can be found at shellywalstonwrites.com.