Asking skaters for autographs/pictures?

Hmm, well I wasn't sure where exactly to put this...

But since I've never been to a skating competition before, I was wondering, when is the best time to ask for autographs/pictures with skaters? Maybe at the end of the practice sessions? When else would be a good time?

Also - is there any times when I should not try to bug the skaters? (I suppose waiting in the lobby of the hotel for the event for skaters to walk through is not a great thing to do?)

And what if I happened to be in a restaurant and see skaters sitting at a table there? Is it really bad to go up and ask them for an autograph?

Please let me know what you guys think!
Thanks!!

What I mostly do is wait at the end of the practice session and most of the skaters will come to you. It's the best!

I haven't mentioned this before, but I happened to visit the last Cup of China in Beijing. The hotel with skaters was located just 150 meters away from the actual ice palace - on the other side of some local highway. After every event all the impossible superstars (Miki, Yu-na, Verner, Ben&Tanith and others) would come out of the back entrance and make the whole way to the hotel by walk (there was a bridge thrown over the highway) in rather casual way. Little, fragile and lonely they would sail towards their retreat among raging waves of Korean fans. Khm...
The same was during GPF 2006. A local back entrance was the place where I met Mao in person for the first time. (She was heading towards her bus, and when she was passing by, I said "arigato, Mao-chan!". :-) She turned to see who was that fluent Japanese speaker in such a dark, cold and alien place as Saint Petersburg, and when she saw that that was ~just me~, giggled a little nervously and went further. )
So, yeah, it's never a bad idea to check back entrances in such occasions.

Ditto with bibi - end of the practice sessions. I think a lot of the skating fans get their autographs at this time, and I was lucky enough to have Ira (Irina) walk in my direction during Worlds 2004 for a little chat and autograph! The practice sessions themselves are just fun to go to, period.

I've always found the hotel entrance thing to be too much of a hassle, but summervie's experience might make me change my approach in the future...

Many competitions have meet n greets.

I know you can't get pics and autographs when they are warming up, but I have always wondered: when someone screems out something like "I Love You!" or they waive at the skaters, would it kill the skaters to even aknolage (think I spelled that wrong) the fans? Even just one of them? Maybe sometimes they do, but I have never seen it. I got to go to skate america this season, and skaters acted like no one else even exsisted when they were warming up. I know that warm ups are very important, and they have to concentrait, but.... I just think they could give a couple smiles maybe. Ya know...

*Omg I haven't been on here forever! Been so busy!*

I'm going to worlds, and I'm wondering the same thing. Unfortunately I can't get into the practices, because I don't have an all-event pass. Where should I go to get one from Mao? where will she be going out of practice sessions?