Sacramento Couple Become Figure Skating Super Fans at Olympics

Michael Butler and Eric Astacaan have attended 12 World Figure Skating Championships and planned a 9-event Olympic trip.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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A Sacramento couple, Michael Butler and Eric Astacaan, have become devoted figure skating fans, attending numerous events worldwide including 12 World Figure Skating Championships. The couple planned a trip to the 2026 Winter Olympics in order to see figure skating competitions in person, securing tickets to 9 Olympic events.

Why it matters

Figure skating is one of the most popular sports at the Winter Olympics, drawing passionate fans from around the world. The dedication of Butler and Astacaan to attending figure skating events globally highlights the sport's broad appeal and the devotion of its fanbase.

The details

Butler has wanted to take Astacaan to the Olympics ever since attending the 2006 Winter Games in Italy. The couple's figure skating fandom has grown over the years, with them attending 12 World Figure Skating Championships. In 2007, they even met fans who had been attending the event for 20-30 years. The couple is so knowledgeable about the sport that they could step in as commentators, quibbling over small scoring details.

  • Michael Butler attended the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy.
  • The couple attended the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships in Tokyo.
  • The couple has attended 12 World Figure Skating Championships over the years.

The players

Michael Butler

A Sacramento resident and figure skating super fan who has attended numerous events worldwide, including the Winter Olympics and 12 World Figure Skating Championships.

Eric Astacaan

Michael Butler's husband and fellow figure skating super fan, who has accompanied Butler to events around the world.

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What they’re saying

“We're big figure skating fans. What better place to come than the Olympics to see figure skating?”

— Michael Butler (wbal.com)

“When we went to Tokyo in 2007 for the World Championships, we met people who said they'd been coming 20, 30 years and I looked at Michael and said, what a bunch of nerds and then look at us 20 years later!”

— Eric Astacaan (wbal.com)

“It gets pretty nerdy. Let's say a football player might quibble over a foot or two in bounds. We quibble over did somebody really get a .5 deduction on that component?”

— Michael Butler (wbal.com)

“And sometimes it's like the price is right. We're two or three without going over!”

— Eric Astacaan (wbal.com)

What’s next

The couple plans to attend the closing gala on Saturday, the final figure skating event of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The takeaway

The dedication and passion of Butler and Astacaan for figure skating, demonstrated by their attendance at numerous global events over the years, highlights the widespread appeal and devoted fanbase of one of the Winter Olympics' most popular sports.