"Half of figure skating is opinion, convincing judges"

This quote by Scott Hamilton speaks to the subjective nature of figure skating. While the technological aspects of figure skating are unbiased, the artistic aspects are open to interpretation. Hamilton is recommending that a large part of number skating is encouraging the courts of your interpretation of the artistic aspects. This indicates that a skater should have the ability to properly communicate their analysis of the program to the judges in order to succeed. This requires a skater to be able to share their analysis of the program through their skating, in addition to with their body movement and also facial expressions. It also calls for a skater to be able to successfully connect with the judges in order to discuss their interpretation of the program. Ultimately, Hamilton is recommending that a huge component of figure skating is persuading the judges of your interpretation of the artistic elements.