Why Ice Skaters Get Showered With Plushies, and Where They All Go After

It’s a fun tradition that’s been part of professional figure skating since the early 2000s, and it’s still going strong today. We’re talking about stuffed animals being thrown onto the ice at the end of a skater’s performance. From panda bears to Winnie the Pooh-themed stuffed animals, the variety is endless, and it often happens during big competitions like the Winter Olympics.

But why is it that fans toss plushies onto the ice? Sure, they’re cute and cuddly, but it does seem a little odd considering figure skating is such a formal, dressy sport. Well, there’s actually a simple reason behind the plushies making their way onto the ice, and we’re divulging all the deets here.

The answer is pretty simple. Fans throw plushies onto the ice during figure skating competitions as a safer, less messy way to admire the skaters. If you recall, flowers were once the staple item being thrown onto the ice, mostly in the ’90s, but they were too messy, as U.S. team figure skater Jason Brown explained to Today’s NBC Bay Area station in 2026.

They’re also a potential hazard, since flower stems are a little harder. With plushies being much softer and still a nice way to recognize the skaters, the switch made better sense. Brown even told the media outlet, even if the plushies hit you in the head, “it’s safe.” So, that’s why you see plushies of all sizes being tossed onto the ice, only to be scooped up later (and we’ll tell you what happens to them in a bit).

But fans didn’t just collectively decide one day to start throwing plushies instead of roses. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, U.S. Figure Skating banned flowers in 2001, not only because they caused tons of debris but also because of safety concerns “related to the Sept. 11 attacks and subsequent anthrax scares.” Many organizations also adopted stricter guidelines for what can be thrown, and it seems fans caught on that flowers just weren’t it anymore.

The good news is that with plushies, fans can continue showing admiration for the figure skaters without wasting flowers or creating messes. The soft, cuddly toys are then gathered up by “sweepers” or “pixies,” as NBC Sports Philadelphia points out, and then they’re taken somewhere else. But don’t worry, they don’t get thrown away!

Many of the stuffed animals tossed onto the ice at figure skating events, like the Olympics, are gathered up and donated to the Ronald McDonald House, a global nonprofit program that provides temporary housing for families with injured or sick kids undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals.

Brown shared in 2026 that he has been donating the plushies thrown on the ice since 2014. He was even kind enough to bring two large bags of the stuffed animals to give out personally in 2026 in Milan, even though he wasn’t competing in that year’s Winter Olympics.

Basically, the plushies serve a multi-purpose role. They not only show the skaters they are loved and adored, but then go to children facing difficult times, bringing them a little joy.