Today Cass attended her third ice-skating lesson at the Blue Ice Snow Park skating rink @ Pavillion Bukit Jalil. Before the class started, we checked out the new figure skating skates. The skates that she wanted are priced at RM870 and are the cheapest for beginners. Cass has been looking forward to getting these skates as the skates provided by the skating rink are hard and stiff, thus rendering it hard for her to do more advanced movements in them.
Unfortunately the beige colored skates (for ladies) are all sold out. Only the black ones (for men) are in stock. In the event (big IF) Cass takes part in competitions in future, she’s not allowed to wear black skates during competitions. The new stock for the ladies skates will only arrive in December and Cass is very disappointed.
Later that night, I called a friend whose daughters are national figure skaters to ask her where else I can get those figure skates. We had a long chat on ice-skating and the prospects in our country. I found out from my friend that competitive skaters don’t receive cash prize when they win competitions (with the exception of Olympics). A medal is all they get and of course, the glory of winning. That’s it! And I wonder why parents still invest so much money and time in their children’s passion when the rewards are not even rewarding. I’m kiasu like that. I want to see returns in my investment 😬
Figure skating is a very expensive sport and a painful one too when they fall. My friend’s daughter had many falls during her 17 years of figure skating and had even gone for major surgeries to fix the injuries. Thankfully my friend is a physical therapist at a hospital who can help her daughter recover faster. And she’s her daughter’s biggest cheerleader, investing in all her daughters’ overseas competitions and expensive skates. But I guess she didn’t invest in vain as her daughter is now a figure skating coach, as well as a gymnastics coach. Her daughter is extremely disciplined and talented in both the sports. She also obtained a full scholarship to study psychology in a private university with the condition of competing for the university. Her daughter will graduate in a few more months. My friend stopped paying for most of her daughters’ expenses when she turned 18 and started to work as a part-time figure-skating and gymnastics coach.
Cass has big dreams in figure skating while I see it as a hobby and sports for her and nothing more than that. While she looks forward to her Sundays now and tells me that she wants to continue learning figure skating FOREVER (O.M.G.!), I am not willing to spend 3-4 hours at Pavillion Bukit Jalil every Sunday for the next 3-4 years! When Cass turns 17 or 18, she can Grab herself to the skating rink without me accompanying her.
We went to the supermarket to get my weekly supply of veggies, fruits and ready-to-eat triple washed salads before we left the mall.
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Figure skating is one of the most expensive hobbies to have. And to add on competitions! Yikes! I’m glad my daughter did not ask for it but I’ve seen her friend get to competitive and performance levels. Mum had to take her for lessons early in the morning cos that’s when there was ice time. Same with ice hockey, male and female. Then the skates, special sharpening, costumes etc. My daughter asked for horseback lessons which is priced slightly less, but she didn’t want to compete, just ride. The stables/ instructor encouraged doing hunter trials, she did one and that was enough for her. Same way of spending money…riding boots, jodhpurs, helmet, lessons, outfits for competition, etc etc.
Hi Chris
Horseback riding classes are very costly here. Usually elite class parents would send their kids for such classes at the equestrian club, of which they are members.
I never dared pester my parents for all these luxurious classes back in the day! 🥺