If you grew up in the 2000s, there’s a strong chance Disney’s Ice Princess had you convinced you could balance school, friendship drama, and becoming a competitive figure skater overnight. For a lot of us, that movie was our first real introduction to skating culture. Over time, though, figure skating slowly faded into something we only paid attention to during the Winter Olympics. Until now.
Between skaters embracing pop music, personal expression, and new TV shows turning skating into a full-blown drama, the sport is suddenly everywhere again, and it feels straight out of a coming-of-age movie.
Alysa Liu’s Comeback
Alysa Liu’s return to figure skating feels like the ultimate comeback story — the kind you’d expect in a sports drama, not real life.
After retiring from competitive skating at 16 years old due to burnout and pressure, Liu could’ve easily stayed gone for good. Instead, she chose to come back on her own terms.
She decided to stop fitting into the sport’s traditional mold and completely redefine it instead. Her return isn’t about the pursuit of perfection her child self once chased; it’s about joy, self-expression, and skating because she loves it again.
With her alternative aesthetic, emotionally driven performances, and fearless music choices (yes, Lady Gaga included), Liu has reinvented what a figure skater can look like. She demonstrates that the sport doesn’t have to be stiff, overly polished, or confined to a single image. It can be expressive, modern, and deeply personal.
What makes her story so inspiring is that she didn’t just come back the same; she came back changed, confident, and in control of her narrative. In doing so, Liu isn’t just winning fans; she’s also shifting the culture of figure skating itself, showing a new generation that success doesn’t have to mean sacrificing authenticity.
Amber Glenn’s Fearless Expression
Amber Glenn is proving that figure skating doesn’t have an expiration date, and she’s doing it with confidence, authenticity, and serious star power.
In a sport where athletes are often expected to peak as teenagers, Glenn is pushing boundaries by competing at the highest level in her mid-twenties, heading into the Olympics at 26 years old. Her longevity challenges the idea that greatness in skating has a narrow timeline, showing that strength, artistry, and growth don’t disappear with age, but evolve instead.
Beyond that, Glenn has become a powerful voice for LGBTQ+ representation in skating. By being openly queer and speaking up for equality, she’s helping create a sport that feels more inclusive and reflective of the world we live in.
Just like Alysa Liu, Glenn’s routines to Lady Gaga bring pop culture straight onto the ice, blending elite athleticism with the music that defines a generation. Her performances feel bold, emotional, and fearless, proving that skating can be both a sport and a form of self-expression.
Between breaking age norms, embracing identity, and redefining performance style, Glenn isn’t just competing; she’s reshaping what figure skating looks like in the modern era.
Skating Takes Over TV
Just as real-life skating started trending again, TV fully leaned in.
Heated Rivalry, the show that turned into everyone’s personality over winter break, turned hockey into a dramatic, high-stakes world of pressure, ambition, and obviously, forbidden love.
With Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams quickly becoming fan favorites, the show’s popularity exploded, so much so that both actors carried the Olympic torch before the Winter Games.
Then, riding off the wave of popularity, came Finding Her Edge, giving ice dance its own emotional spotlight. Its focus on partnerships, tension, and the artistic side of the sport makes it feel straight out of a romance drama.
The fact that both shows were already renewed for more seasons proves that skating isn’t just a trend — it’s becoming part of mainstream entertainment again.
Final Spins
Figure skating’s revival proves that when sports and pop culture collide, magic happens. With shows like Heated Rivalry and Finding Her Edge keeping skating in our weekly watch rotation, the Winter Olympics now feel like the climax of a story we’ve been following all year.
When you combine that cultural momentum with skaters like Alysa Liu reinventing the sport on her own terms, and Amber Glenn breaking age barriers while advocating for representation, the Winter Olympics transform into something bigger than a competition: they become a storyline.
This new era of skating feels like a real-life sports drama unfolding in real time. One where pop music soundtracks Olympic routines, TV shows turn athletes into icons, and fans tune in not just for medals, but for the moments.
Honestly? Figure skating has never felt this exciting to watch.
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