LAKE PLACID, NY -- They take to the ice as if they've been doing it all their lives, but many competitors in the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championship only recently took up the sport.
"I had a friend who I worked with; she started to skate at 40. And I was 31 at the time, and I thought well, if she could do it I could," said Lisa Becker, a competitor.
The hundreds of competitors range in age from 21 to 83, but they all share a love for the sport.
"Most of us either skated a little when we were younger and took it up again, or just took it up later in life. And it's just a bunch of people getting together, we love to skate, and it's a nationally-sanctioned competition. I tell people it's an old-folks competition!" said Christopher Williams, a competitor.
The skaters we talked to said that one of the biggest thrills about this competition is that it's held here in Lake Placid at an Olympic Center with such a rich history.
They take to the ice as if they've been doing it all their lives, but many competitors in the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championship only recently took up the sport.
"Even now when I walked in this time, my second time, walked in, looked at that ice rink, the 1980 ice rink, the spirits are still there. I mean, I could see the hockey game. I could see Mike Eruzione's goal," said Williams.
"It's a little intimidating. I have to say. When I saw the arena I thought, 'Oh my gosh, how am I gonna fill out this big arena?' I guess I'm gonna find out," said Becker.
"I think one of the biggest things in this competition in particular is the history. The history of Lake Placid as a sporting facility, and a sporting venue," said Denny Allen, the Olympic Center General Manager.
This is the fifth time Lake Placid has hosted the competition. The skaters are from all across the United States. Saturday is the last day of the competition.