Review of Ashley Wagner’s Skate & Sculpt Fitness Class (Part 1)

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending three-time US National Ladies Figure Skating Champion and Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Wagner’s Skate & Sculpt, an adults-only on-ice figure skating fitness class. Ashley Wagner tours around the USA leading Skate & Sculpt for skaters aged 18 and up.

Image featured above: My friends and I with Ashley Wagner after her Skate & Sculpt class. Ashley is third from the right in the grey hat. Ashley graciously posed for photos with all of the class attendees.

Disclaimer: This review was written based on my own perceptions and experiences in the Skate & Sculpt class I took. I am not affiliated with Skate & Sculpt and do not speak on behalf of Skate & Sculpt.

This post is the first in a two-part review of Ashley Wagner’s Skate & Sculpt. In Part 1, I provide an overview of the class itself. In Part 2, I share a few key takeaways from my perspective, takeaways that I have since incorporated into my on-ice training routine. Of course, I recommend attending Skate & Sculpt for the full experience and hope my review has encouraged you to do so!

To view Part 2 of my review, please visit the following link: https://findingbalanceontheedge.blog/2023/12/10/review-of-ashley-wagners-skate-sculpt-fitness-class-part-2/

When I signed up for Skate & Sculpt, I was curious to see how Ashley Wagner would be in person. She is considered a bit of a maverick in the figure skating world, known for her honesty and fearless departure from the traditional. She created waves during the Fall 2013-Spring 2014 competition season by skating to Pink Floyd’s “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” a musical aesthetic that at least on the surface may appear more Elvis Stojko than ladies figure skating competitor.  Yet she pulled it off with moxie and grace to spare! Personally, I find Ashley Wagner’s departure from the norm refreshing. I tend to think of ladies figure skating in the USA as being a little conservative and white gloves-y, so appreciate when a skater hits the scene who doesn’t fit the mold.  The figure skating world needs more people like that.

I was pleased to discover that Ashley Wagner brings her honest and fearless nature to Skate & Sculpt. Specifically, she is unafraid to acknowledge one of the unfortunate truths of figure skating, that adult figure skaters often struggle to find and justify their space on the ice.  First, it can be awkward and intimidating for adult skaters to seek out space when youthful skaters are flying around the ice practicing advanced skating moves.  Next, and perhaps most importantly, adults can at times feel resented for taking up space on the ice.  Ice time is limited and expensive, and – unfortunately – there are haters out there who believe adults should yield valuable ice time to children who still have a chance to compete at Nationals or the Olympics. Ashley Wagner’s Skate & Sculpt class creates a liberating safe space for adults to practice figure skating unencumbered by resentment and judgement. It is simply just fun!

Now I will provide a summary of the Skate & Sculpt class I took. There were around forty of us in attendance at the one-hour class. Ashley began the class with a spunky word of welcome about what we could expect. Her welcome included one swear word, a refreshing trademark of her honest and somewhat unfiltered style! Then, we skated a warm-up led by Ashley to popular music playing overhead. She wore a headset so could offer instructions and words of encouragement to the entire group throughout the class. I will discuss specific elements of the warm-up in Part 2 of my review.

Following the warm-up, Ashley had us divide ourselves into two groups, beginner and advanced, as the class aims to accommodate skaters of all levels. Each group had its own side of the rink, running parallel lengthwise. Ashley taught and demonstrated various skating patterns, which each group then practiced down the length of the rink. The turns in the patterns ranged from basic mohawk and three-turns to more advanced counters and rockers.

A couple of friends and I initially joined the advanced group, but soon moved to the beginner group, as we are currently at a level between beginner and advanced. The advanced group was more equivalent in level to the novice through senior moves in the field tests, in other words levels 6 through 8 of the 8-level moves in the field test structure. The beginner group was more equivalent in level to pre-preliminary through pre-juvenile, in other words levels 1 through 3. And there was no shame at all in dropping from the advanced group to the beginner group… no baleful stares or stink eye from the other skaters! By contrast, there was a supportive vibe permeating throughout the class. Also, given Skate & Sculpt’s aims of inclusivity and fun, Ashley does modifications to the patterns in order to make them accessible to skaters of all levels. I was impressed to notice Ashley taking the time to work with a no-test beginner one on one to help find a pattern that would work for them.

Following the lengthwise patterns part of the class, Ashley taught us a circular crossover drill. I will discuss the drill in detail in Part 2 of my review. Both groups practiced the drill at different speeds on their own half of the rink, which was divided widthwise across the center. The more advanced group skated to a quicker beat, while the beginner group skated to a slower, more elongated beat.

Our final exercise in the class was simply to skate a lengthwise pattern of our own choosing, allowing us to explore our creativity and improvise on the spot. Ashley ended the class with an encouraging and candid discussion about the challenges adult figure skaters face, indeed that she herself has faced since the end of her competitive days, reminding us that Skate & Sculpt is our space and our space alone.

Probably the greatest challenge for my friends and me was simply following the patterns, as they could be fairly intricate and we were learning them on the spot. One friend remarked that she would be willing to pay extra to find out the patterns in advance of the class itself. However, this provides motivation for us to attend again in the future, now that we are more familiar with what to expect. Another friend who skates at a solid beginner level (having passed the Adult Bronze moves in the field test) remarked that even though the patterns could be challenging, she learned many new things that made attending the class more than worthwhile. This perspective is important to highlight for anyone who may be on the fence about attending Skate & Sculpt. There is no need to be wishy washy or afraid. Just go for it! You won’t regret it. Of course I know that can be easier said than done. Figure skating is such a competitive sport that it is not unusual for us to be apprehensive, to worry we will not fit in or measure up. Skate & Sculpt is antithetical to this type of mindset. All are welcome in the class.

Overall, Skate & Sculpt was an invigorating experience and I am very glad I attended it. Indeed, my friends and I were raving about the class for weeks afterwards and have incorporated some of what we learned into our on-ice training routines. In addition to being a powerful force on the ice, Ashley Wagner is an inspiring and sincere individual who is empathetic to the challenges and needs of adult skaters. It was a pleasure to meet her in person and take her Skate & Sculpt class. Thank you Ashley!

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