Hair, Make-Up & Dress guidelines for competitions?

Linda says:
Your daughter's coach may have advice or guidelines that she/he goes by for competitions. These are some general guidelines. Most, if not all, skaters wear make up. The make up may look overdone but remember it is being applied to be seen at a distance on the ice. You may want to buy make up that will be used only for competitions.

Hair should be neat and away from the face. Many skaters will have their hair in a bun or a braid. Use hair spray instead of pins or clips. You do not want any hair clips falling on the ice. If you use any ribbons or fancy barrettes, make sure they are secure. The dress is up to you and your budget.

A fancy expensive dress is not required. The dress should be dressier than the practice outfits. You will see a wide range of dresses at each competition. Make sure your daughter has practiced her program in her competition dress. You want her to be comfortable in the dress at the competition and you want to have enough time to make any alterations that are needed.

You will also need a sweater or jacket to wear with the dress. This will be used at the rink after your daughter is changed and also on the warm up ice. You may want to bring along an extra pair of tights. The boots should be polished, if needed. Your coach should tell you when to be at the rink if the competition sheet does not specify. Generally it is an hour before the scheduled competiton time. Most of all remember to stay relaxed and have a good time.

Amanda'sMom says:
Most skaters wear make-up during competition, but don't "overdo" the makeup on a young girl. A lot of make-up, especially eyeshadow on eyelids, is great for ice show programs, but may not be necessary for competitions. As a general rule, no makeup for testing.

All hair should be kept out of the face and tied back. For best results, use Mousse on "wet" hair, style (in a bun, ponytail or braid etc.) then use hairspray to give a final set. Stay away from hairpins and hairclips as these may fall out and pose as a danger for your skater as well as other competitors that follow her. Also, secure any hair scrunchies by making sure they are tight so that they don't slip off.

Competition dresses are always "dressier" than practice dresses. Don't overdo the rhinestones etc. I personally don't like too much glitz and glitter on competition dresses as some seem to overpower the skater especially if she is of a young age. As "Laura" says in our dress archives http://www.netway.com/~lovena/052399a.html), "The skater should be wearing the dress, not the dress wearing the skater."

Competition sweaters can also be worn. This is usually worn just before competing, during the skaters warm-up and after the skater has skated her program. Competition sweaters can be made to match the fabric/style of the skaters dress, or you can purchase one thru a pro shop. A plain sweater can be dressed-up with rhinestones and beadwork that matches your child's competition dress. White sweaters go well with light-colored dresses, black for dark-colored dresses.

Boots should be polished and skates sharpened. If you can't hide any blemishes, marks, scratches etc. with polish, try Sk8tape at http://www.sk8tape.com/. These work great on leather boots! Pack an extra pair of laces as well as tights!