Figure Skating

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Bonny, I skated as a kid, too, for fun. I could walk down the street to the local lake any time I wanted. I loved skating at night.
I've never sat above the lower bowl in the venue we see the skating shows at, but I can imagine if you're in the nose-bleed seats, without binoculars the skaters would look miniscule.
Stars On Ice hasn't drawn the crowd it used to since Scott Hamilton retired, but my husband and I still enjoyed seeing it live immensely. I really feel like I'm missing my right arm not planning to go this year. It was like our "date night" going to the show, and I'd meet up with on-line fellow skating fans each year.
I liked Dick Button. He helped me learn the different elements and what made one a good one and what made one a bad one. I totally agreed with him on the leg position of the layback spin. "Uncle Dick" as he's known by fans would let you know when someone performed a great performance. Without him, I'd not know some of things I know now about skating and the different elements of it.

I just watched a repeat of Improv on Ice with the Goo Goo Dolls as musical performers. It was a good show!

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Catlady711,
The faces of skating sure have changed.
I just finished watched the latest Improv on Ice show with the Goo Goo Dolls. Kurt was in it. It was a good show.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

PrairiePurrs,
It wasn't that I disliked Michelle Kwan because she didn't jump...which she did, of course, and usually quite well.
I would rather watch a program with no mistakes, full of "in-betweens" and "moves in the field", like beautiful spirals and Ina Bauer moves, than a program full of attempted and fallen on big jumps.
Skaters like Dorothy Hamill and Yuka Sato are amazing to watch skate.

The new scoring system puts a little too much emphasis on doing certain things to rack up points rather than just letting a skater skate.

Michelle's style did not bode well with the new skating system. People like Kurt, Yuka, Dorothy and many others would not do well with that system either...maybe if they'd been "raised" on it. But, certain skaters who had come up with the 6.0 system and were really engrained to skate for that system, just couldn't do well with this new system coming into effect mid-stream through their eligible career.

One of my issues with Michelle was that all her programs looked the same. She never "stepped outside the box". But that being said, I totally applaud her for all she did in her skating and have any ill-will thoughts towards her. She just wasn't my cup of tea in her style of skating.

I also admit, my heart has always been with the pro skaters who were more free to do what they wanted in their programs. There is a HUGE difference in watching a live or televised competition compared to watching a live or televised show starring pro's who are entertaining and having fun.

The most exciting thing at the live shows was the lights going down, the venue getting quiet and seeing the first flashes of the skate blades under the curtain where the skaters ender the ice and then the SOUND of the blades on the ice. Thrilling!

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Originally Posted by PrairiePurrs:
I didn't think much of the new system at first, but the choreographers are getting the hang of it now and the programs are improving as a result.

YES, I've noticed...some of the choreography is starting to mesh in with the new system.
Take for example Jeremy Abbott who won US Nationals Gold in mens competition. His coach is Yuka Sato and his short program was choreographed by former dance pair/now solo skater Shae-Lynn Bourne! He not only skated the skate of his life, but his short program was wonderfully choreographed. I didn't hear if they mentioned who his long program was choreographed by, but it was equally wonderful.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

So, anymore thoughts on the US Nationals which just finished airing on tv last night?

I really, really loved Meryll Davis and Charlie White in the Dance discipline.

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto are good and I totally understand that they are the fans sentimental favorites, but their performances seemed flat to me.

I fell asleep during the last 2 or 3 skaters of the Ladies long program last night so am going to try to catch the repeat on Universal Sports later today.

[Grace]

Watched the Ladies last evening, and the Dance earlier. I'm not liking the new scoring much. I thought that Mirai Nagasu was much better than Rachel Flatt - and look who is the winner.

I read an interesting article in the NY Times about the new scoring, and the further into it I got, the more I kept thinking school figures. Takes me back to the days of Trixie Schuba. She was perfection in figures, building up overwhelming leads before the free skate.

If that's where this is headed, count me out.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

I have to agree with a lot of the quotes in that article.
Rachel was flat, no pun intended! She "punched the clock" like Scott said (IIRC...I should've left the window open with the article up to check!)

I have always loved the more beautiful side of skating==lovely, long-held spirals, beautiful 'hair touching the ice' death spirals, Ina Bauers all the way across the ice with the back bent far back, beautiful classic layback spins with proper leg and arm position. I've always enjoyed the pro's more than the eligibles.

There will probably never be a perfect scoring system, but like Sasha said " it's like a math test, heads are filled with numbers" (paraphrasing there)...to have to count spins, etc., while you are competing...how can you "flow" when you're too busy thinking technical stuff!

I guess we'll always complain, just like we do about the weather.