A major online controversy surrounding online content creation team The Skating Lesson (TSL) has forced a response from U.S. Figure Skating as well social media account deletion by TSL itself.
Co-owned by figure skaters Jenny Kirk and David Lease, The Skating Lesson has served as an online hub for skaters across the world since 2013, as their YouTube channel provided news, analysis, and interviews from across the sport on their various online channels.
However, TSL has come under fire in recent days, as controversial statements were made by Lease about the tragic January Flight 5342 airline crash that claimed the lives of 67 people, including 28 skaters, coaches, and family members returning home from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
U.S. Figure Skating Responds to The Skating Lesson's David Lease Controversy
U.S. Figure Skating issued an official statement following controversial comments from fan-favorite skating creators The Skating Lesson.
This comes following a now-deleted video that appeared on TSL's Patreon page, in which co-owner David Lease shared his take on the deaths of 28 figure skaters, coaches, and family members in a January 29 plane crash over the Patomic River.
The controversy surrounding the video stems from Lease's comments about the victims of the crash, as he called their talent into question, pondering "I do not think it was worth the gamble of giving up your life" if they "were not going to make it in skating:"
"Not everybody who was on that plane that talented. Like I do not think it was worth the gamble of giving up your life, and your education, and you everything for skating. That is what hit me when I was doing the tributes to these people. These people died, and yes, they were doing a development camp, which they loved, but they were also being taken advantage of, because we all know they were not going to make it in skating. And it seemed like their families were hook, line, and sinker.
This prompted an immediate response from U.S. Figure Skating, who called lease's remarks "cruel and malicious," adding that the organization will "refuse to let such a vile narrative go unchallenged:"
"We unequivocally condemn the cruel and malicious remarks made by The Skating Lesson regarding the tragic loss of those aboard Flight 5342. Such heartless rhetoric has no place in our community. We value and celebrate every member of the skating world—from Olympians to those taking their first steps on the ice and we refuse to let such a vile narrative go unchallenged."
Lease and The Skating Lesson brand have since deleted all of their social media accounts, and their YouTube channel has been manually deactivated as well. The online creation team has not issued a statement since these remarks came to light.
This is not the first time Lease has found himself in hot water over controversial comments he made online. In 2022, the online creator was called out by Russian figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze as he made comments about the wedding of her daughter Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin.
In an Instagram comment at the time (via Sport Express), Tutberidze wrote, "You have no conscience, no honor," referencing Lease's reporting, saying "shame on you" to the YouTube personality:
"Dave, you are full of shit. You have no conscience, no honor. You have no respect for others because you have achieved nothing yourself. Your statements humiliate the people around you. Shame on you," Tutberidze wrote on social media."
Lease has been described as one of the most controversial voices in skating over the years, being called out several times for his commentary on the sport.
In a 2018 interview with Deadspin, former U.S. 2002 Olympic bronze medalist in men’s skating Timothy Goebel described how he sees Lease and The Skating Lesson project, noting, "He’s not a coach or a judge or a commentator. He has no skin in the game, so he just speaks his mind."
As this most recent controversy came to light, tributes for the victims of Flight 5342 continue to pour in from both within and outside the skating community, as some of the sport's greats publicly mourn the loss.
