About The Blog

Thirteen years ago, I started Skate Guard Blog as a way of sharing my passion for figure skating with all of you. Over the last decade, I've written several books, put together hundreds of blogs and had some amazing partnerships. The goal of it all has been to shine a much-needed spotlight on the fascinating and fabulous history of figure skating.

If you want to learn more about the blog, you're in the right place!

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Skate Guard begin?

The blog started back in 2013. The format was quite different the first couple of years. The focus was more on current events and interviews with top skaters past and present. There were a few skating history blogs peppered in here and there. In 2015, I made the shift to focus on skating history. It is a niche that doesn't get enough coverage and one I love filling!

Who are you?

I'm Ryan Stevens - an author, former figure skater and judge from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Who is Skate Guard made for?

Anyone who loves figure skating and wants to learn more about its history.

How frequently do you release new blogs?

I aim to release a new blog each week whenever possible.

How many blogs do you have?

The tally as of 2026 is over 1,550!

Who reads this thing, anyway?

Skate Guard has over 5.2 million page views, averaging between 125,000 and 140,000 page views during the peak skating season and 20,000 and 30,000 visits a month during the rest of the year. Over 50% of the blog's readers are in Canada, but there is also a strong readership in the United Kingdom and United States. Over 83% of the blog's readers are women and over 73% are over the age of 45. The blog has over 13,000 followers on Facebook and a growing audience on YouTube and Instagram.

I'm a new reader. Where should I start?

The best place to begin is to visit the Figure Skating History Hubs. These curated guides organize over a century of figure skating history by theme - making it easy to explore the stories and moments that shaped the sport. If you're viewing the blog on your desktop or laptop computer, you can also use the right sidebar to browse Popular Posts, explore the Blog Archive by year and month, or use the search bar to find something specific.

How long does it take to write a blog?

It really depends on the topic and how far in-depth I go. Some blogs take an hour or two; some take a week or two. The great part about writing about things that happened decades ago is that there is really no urgency.

Where do you find your information?

I'm all about using primary sources and not relying solely on any one source to do my research. Newspaper and magazine archives, books, genealogy sites, pictures, videos, old protocols and handwritten notes are all part of my research. I interview former skaters, coaches and judges if it is relevant to a topic I cover sometimes too.

When will the blog cover Yuzuru Hanyu/Sonja Henie/Old Skating Boots/The 1994 Olympics/(insert favourite skater or subject here)?

This is a question I get a lot and the answer is complicated! As a rule, my 'cut-off' for selecting topics is when the IJS system was introduced, so unfortunately no... I'm not going to be writing any blogs on Yuzuru Hanyu or any of your favourite skaters who are competing at this year's World Figure Skating Championships. There are plenty of other great blogs and podcasts already doing that and I encourage you to support them. As the old saying goes, "If you don't use it, you lose it!"

If I have covered a skater before, it is very likely I may not cover them specifically again, so I would suggest using the Search function and Blog Archive to see if I have already done a short bio on them already.

My focus is on figure skaters, events and topics that aren't already well-documented, so I won't be rehashing topics like Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, the Olympic pairs fiasco in 2002, etc.

My interest is really in highlighting the social history of figure skating - the who, what, when, where and why - not the how. Things like the science of skating, boot and blade design, technique of compulsory figures and evolutions in coaching technique are not the kinds of topics I cover.

How can I support Skate Guard?

In so, so many ways... You can get yourself copies of my books "A Complete History of the World Figure Skating Championships", "A Complete History of the European Figure Skating Championships", "Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice", "Sequins, Scandals & Salchows: Figure Skating in the 1980s", "Jackson Haines: The Skating King", "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating".

If you live in Canada and have old skating memorabilia collecting dust in your attic, you can donate it. You can tell people who might be interested in Skate Guard about the blog and suggest they follow on social media.

Leaving a short book review on Amazon, Goodreads or Librarything would also be a huge help! Most importantly though, you can keep reading and tell anyone you know that may be interested.

Will you write a review of my book?

If it has to do with figure skating history, of course! I don't review skating fiction. I had a publisher send me some sort of a skating-themed Harlequin romance novel years ago and I'm still recovering. It was fifty shades of no.

I found a pair of old skates at a rummage sale. Can you tell me how much they are worth?

As fabulous as Antiques Roadshow is, that's not me. Unfortunately appraisals or identifying skates are not something I can help with. I would suggest reading Russell Herner's book "Antique Ice Skates for the Collector", bearing in mind that antique skates - while still very collectible - are not necessarily the commodity that they were when this book was written in 2001.

Where is [favourite skater from years past] now? Will you interview them?

Hopefully they are living their best life! I stopped doing interviews back in 2015 unless it related specifically to something I was already writing, so the answer is probably not - as much as I'd love to. That said, many of your favourite stars from years past - Scott Hamilton, Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill and Tenley Albright included - make multiple appearances on the blog.

I am writing a paper for school and read your blog on [something cool to do with skating history]. Where can I more information on that topic?

In some cases, the information that is covered in each blog is all that I have. In other cases, I have tons more. It really just depends. If you're writing a thesis, working on a school project or are a teacher or professor looking for material, I am happy to help if I am able to. Just shoot me an e-mail.

Why can't I leave a comment?

I made the decision to disable comments on Blogger several years ago. There was simply just too much spam. If you'd like to discuss any of the blogs, please follow Skate Guard Blog on social media and leave a comment when the blog is shared there.

Do you send out updates?

Each week's blogs are always posted on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. If you want to receive a quarterly newsletter highlighting some of the blogs featured on the site and receive updates about upcoming features and books, you can sign up in the Newsletter section in the blog's top navigation panel.

Do you accept advertising?

I am absolutely open to advertising if it's a good fit! If you would like to discuss advertising your product or event on Skate Guard, you can reach me by e-mail. I do not advertise fiction books about figure skating.

Are you open to collaborations?

Absolutely! I'm always happy to collaborate with museums, libraries and members of the media, if the project is a good fit. Here are some of the many projects that I have been consulted for research on, or have contributed to over the years:

Television Interviews

CBC Nova Scotia - Rob McCall/Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier feature

Podcast/Video Interviews

Historical Society of Ottawa

Canadian History Ehx

Blade This! (@SkatingPJ)

Let's Talk About It (Skate Ontario)

This Week In Skating

The Future of Figure Skating

The Victorian Variety Show

The 80's & 90's Uncensored

Beyond The Big Screen