Do you use your real name or a Skating name in competition?

[FSWer]

Ok fellow Skaters. I don't think this has ever been brought up before. I hope this isn't too personal. But I was wondering who here uses their real name,and who here uses a Skating name when they compete, or are in a Show? BTW. is there anyone here who can explain to me about WHY some skaters use Skating names? What is the actual main reason? Anyone know how it started? Thanks.

[Clarice]

I don't know what you mean by a "skating name". At all the competitions I've ever been at, people use their actual names.

[Skittl1321]

I think there may be a few top competitors who go by a nickname either because a) they always go by their nickname (such as Kristi Yamaguchi or Kimmie Meissner) b)their name is already associated with someone famous,or c) their name is hard to pronounce and a coach recommended an "easier" name. I can't think of an example, but I know I've heard of skaters who do the last two.

I don't, however think that a "stage name" is necessary until the very top levels of competition, so it's unlikely many people on the board would use these.

[flo]

Hi there,
We use our real names for competition events. Up until a few years ago, when we entered events we also had to show proof of age, such as a birth certificate. So then our names on the certificate did need to match - or come close to the name on the certificate or whatever we sent in for proof of age. Now that much of this information is computerized, we don't have to do this anymore. We all use our real names or nick names (so our friends will know us!). Of course on-line we use our forum names to maintain some privacy and level of safety - although many of know each other's real name!

[Clarice]

My daughter always goes by a short form of her name (think Liz for Elizabeth, although that's not her name). When she went to Regionals, she was always listed by her full name because that's the name USFS has her registered under. We always had to ask the announcer to announce her by the short form, since that was how people knew her and what she preferred.

[Skittl1321]

My daughter always goes by a short form of her name (think Liz for Elizabeth, although that's not her name). When she went to Regionals, she was always listed by her full name because that's the name USFS has her registered under. We always had to ask the announcer to announce her by the short form, since that was how people knew her and what she preferred.

I noticed Bebe Liang's USFSA profile is under Bebe, but her ISU one is Beatrisa. At competitions it varies what they will announce.

[Clarice]

So some skaters use shortened forms of their names, but they're still their actual names. I've never heard of anybody using a "stage name" except perhaps for Janet Lynn. Those are her first and middle names; her last name was Nowicki, but they dropped it for skating purposes - something about being afraid of prejudicing foreign judges at the time because it was a very ethnic sounding last name, and because announcers had difficulties pronouncing it properly. I can't imagine those being problems for any skater today.

[flo]

Clarise - interesting. I didn't know that!

[isakswings]

Ok fellow Skaters. I don't think this has ever been brought up before. I hope this isn't too personal. But I was wondering who here uses their real name,and who here uses a Skating name when they compete, or are in a Show? BTW. is there anyone here who can explain to me about WHY some skaters use Skating names? What is the actual main reason? Anyone know how it started? Thanks.

Never heard of anyone using a "stage" name for skating. We just use dd's real name.

[RachelSk8er]

Um...the only place where I see people using "skating names" is in roller derby. There is even a national registry where you have to get your skater name or your team's name approved (if it's the same or too close to one that someone else has, it gets rejected). Since I wanted something figure skating-related, my roller derby skater name is Dorothy Slamill.

I wonder what would happen if I used that in a figure skating competition...ha ha. My company is making us new employee ID badges, I asked to have it on there totally as a joke and they thought I was serious.

I imagine there are some female skaters who have gotten married and have legally changed their last names but still go by their maiden name because that's who people know them as.

[Bill_S]

... my roller derby skater name is Dorothy Slamill.




Ha Ha! I never understood the desire to either participate in or watch roller derby, but that's one great stage name! :lol:

[Mrs Redboots]

In the UK, it wouldn't be possible to compete with a name other than your own, as you need to be a registered member of NISA, and the competition organiser is required to check with NISA that everybody is a member in good order. So unless you were registered with a different name - and even then, that would cause problems as you have to give your coach's name and registration number.

[RachelSk8er]

Ha Ha! I never understood the desire to either participate in or watch roller derby, but that's one great stage name! :lol:

I thought the same thing a few years ago when some girls tried to talk me into it. But modern flat track women's roller derby is a lot different from 1970s roller derby with a banked track and walls to slam people into (which was more like professional wrestling than an actual sport). The emphasis is much more on the athletic aspect, and there are pretty big safety rules. We're not even allowed to do basic stroking/warm-up stuff without all the required equipment on and our mouth guard in.

In the UK, it wouldn't be possible to compete with a name other than your own, as you need to be a registered member of NISA, and the competition organiser is required to check with NISA that everybody is a member in good order. So unless you were registered with a different name - and even then, that would cause problems as you have to give your coach's name and registration number.

Same in the US--you have to be a member of the USFS and put your USFS number on applications, so I imagine if they looked it up and it was different (beyond "Kathleen" going by "Katie" on her competition form), that might raise questions.

[Skittl1321]

So some skaters use shortened forms of their names, but they're still their actual names. I've never heard of anybody using a "stage name" except perhaps for Janet Lynn. Those are her first and middle names; her last name was Nowicki, but they dropped it for skating purposes - something about being afraid of prejudicing foreign judges at the time because it was a very ethnic sounding last name, and because announcers had difficulties pronouncing it properly. I can't imagine those being problems for any skater today.

Janet Lynn is one of the skaters I was thinking of- thank you!

[herniated]

I use my full name. But most people know me by my nickname so when I compete they are like "Who's that?" Then they see me on the ice and say, "Ohhh, I know her! That's her full first name?" I have an odd one. :lol:

[FSWer]

Um...the only place where I see people using "skating names" is in roller derby. There is even a national registry where you have to get your skater name or your team's name approved (if it's the same or too close to one that someone else has, it gets rejected). Since I wanted something figure skating-related, my roller derby skater name is Dorothy Slamill.

I wonder what would happen if I used that in a figure skating competition...ha ha. My company is making us new employee ID badges, I asked to have it on there totally as a joke and they thought I was serious.

I imagine there are some female skaters who have gotten married and have legally changed their last names but still go by their maiden name because that's who people know them as.


Um...interesting Rachael. BTW. how did you choose Dorothy from Rachael?

[FSWer]

I think there may be a few top competitors who go by a nickname either because a) they always go by their nickname (such as Kristi Yamaguchi or Kimmie Meissner) b)their name is already associated with someone famous,or c) their name is hard to pronounce and a coach recommended an "easier" name. I can't think of an example, but I know I've heard of skaters who do the last two.

I don't, however think that a "stage name" is necessary until the very top levels of competition, so it's unlikely many people on the board would use these.


With the exception of Sasha Cohen. As everyone knows her by BOTH her real name (Miss Axexandra Pauline Cohen AND her skating name Sasha. BTW. do skaters have a say or choice to if they want to use one?

[Clarice]

With the exception of Sasha Cohen. As everyone knows her by BOTH her real name (Miss Axexandra Pauline Cohen AND her skating name Sasha. BTW. do skaters have a say or choice to if they want to use one?

Sasha is a nickname for Alexandra, just like Katie is a nickname for Katherine or Lizzie is a nickname for Elizabeth. It's not a special name she uses for skating, it's her real name that she uses all the time.

[Clarice]

Um...interesting Rachael. BTW. how did you choose Dorothy from Rachael?

It's a joke, FSWer. Rachael's roller derby name, Dorothy Slamill, is supposed to make you think of the famous figure skater Dorothy Hamill. In roller derby, they slam the other skaters into the wall - SLAMill, get it? It doesn't have anything to do with Rachael's real name.

[stardust skies]

You can register with the USFSA or ISI with a fake name...first, last, or both. They don't check your ID when you register. Neither do skating clubs. The only time you cannot use a "stage" name is if you compete are Regionals or above, as they do check your ID when you register at the actual event (the day of). I've known people to use stage names for privacy reasons. There is nothing wrong with it, but you can't compete in qualifying events that way.

[jazzpants]

Real name... and my coaches won't let me use my "skating name" in competition (which is, of course, "Jazzpants") :P

Of course, during my event, I'm sure a few people have yelled out "Jazzpants" though. :lol:

[RachelSk8er]

You can register with the USFSA or ISI with a fake name...first, last, or both. They don't check your ID when you register. Neither do skating clubs. The only time you cannot use a "stage" name is if you compete are Regionals or above, as they do check your ID when you register at the actual event (the day of). I've known people to use stage names for privacy reasons. There is nothing wrong with it, but you can't compete in qualifying events that way.

Synchro teams also have to have birth certificates on hand for every skater who is on the official roster for a qualifying competition to make sure age requirements are met (I remember our team manager had them all in a big binder when I was a kid, they may have even had to send copies of them in with the paperwork at some point). At nationals in 2008 they even carded all the skaters on the adult teams to make sure we were old enough. But there you're not competing with your name anyway, you're under the team name.

[blue111moon]

The only other person I can think of who went by a name other than their birth name for skating is Rocky Marvel, whose real name is something like Rocco Marvaldi.

I do know of a couple adults who changed test levels by reregistering under married names so their previous records didn't affect their current level.

[Virtualsk8r]

I knew a coach who taught in Canada and one of her students was "Cookie Rankin" - one of the at one time famous Rankin Family singing group from Nova Scotia. Can't remember Cookie's real name - probably Catherine or something like that -- but was always called Cookie. Skate Canada even registered her as Cookie Rankin and all her skating tests were done under that name!

Hey- if Miley Cyrus can do it, I guess all the other Destiny's can too! :P

[Virtualsk8r]

I do know of a couple adults who changed test levels by reregistering under married names so their previous records didn't affect their current level.

Umm - isn't that a bit unsportsmanlike? Not to mention bordering on fraud? The poor skaters who started as adults have a hard enough time learning the skills to compete - and now there is the possibility of having to compete against ringers who actually skated as children and passed a test or two?
Boy- don't let any of my adult skaters know that or they will be really :twisted:

[blue111moon]

Umm - isn't that a bit unsportsmanlike? Not to mention bordering on fraud?

Yes, it is.

[IceSkateRuth]

I haven't started to compete yet, but when I do I'd use my real name. I know Sasha Cohen has a skating name cause her real and full name is Alexandra Pauline Cohen. But her family and friends call her Sasha, so probably that's why she used it. ;)

[TreSk8sAZ]

I haven't started to compete yet, but when I do I'd use my real name. I know Sasha Cohen has a skating name cause her real and full name is Alexandra Pauline Cohen. But her family and friends call her Sasha, so probably that's why she used it. ;)

I don't consider using a nickname (and Sasha is a common nickname for Alexandra in (I think)Russian-speaking countries) is using a skating/stage name. It really is similar to an Elizabeth using Liz or Beatrisa using Bebe, as someone else said. I think of using a skating name as more meaning changing your name completely or dropping entire aspects of your name (ala Janet lynn, Rocky Marvel, and others that have been discussed). It would be more like me using "Elizabeth" rather than my name, Tracy, or my nickname, Tre.

[kayskate]

My nickname that I have gone by since high school w everyone but my family is on my passport as well as registered w the skating associations. If I were to compete, I would use it. It is completely unrelated to my legal birth name.

Kay

[londonicechamp]

Hi

Well, I suppose that in competitions, you have to use your real name, as in Singapore, we follow the ISI system, and you got to be a member of the ISI before you can compete, and you will use that ISI registered name for your competition.

londonicechamp

[Mrs Redboots]

My nickname that I have gone by since high school w everyone but my family is on my passport as well as registered w the skating associations. If I were to compete, I would use it. It is completely unrelated to my legal birth name.

Kay

Presumably, though, even though you would be on the list under your legal first name, if it was a local competition and the announcer knew you, they would use your everyday name. I've seen (and introduced) Margarets as Maggie, Christines as Chris, Dorothys as Dottie, and so on. Conversely, I've hissed at a lot of announcers that they're pronouncing our last name wrong!

[Swizzler]

Had I known back when I registered for ISI and USFSA that my age would be published and posted at the rink and online for competitions, I definitely would have used a stage name! :cry: