Figure Skating

TheLearningWife

TheLearningWife

Orthodox
Heritage
Woman
Found this while looking for inspiration for kids… isn’t it breathtaking :love:



So far, I prefer performances from the 80s/90s, early 2000s, with some exceptions (same with gymnastics). Today’s seems more focused on technique and comes across mechanical, whereas in the past people were well-rounded and incorporated classical dance in their routines.
 
I love figure skating too! Do you remember the guy from the 90s who used to do the "funny" routines? I can't remember his name at all but I remember watching him on TV. This might sound cliché (as I'm trying to remember/describe him): he was the short funny bald guy... and he was an *amazing* figure skater. He always had a sense of levity in his routines that set him apart from his competitors that were always "so serious."
 
starlight said:
I love figure skating too! Do you remember the guy from the 90s who used to do the "funny" routines? I can't remember his name at all but I remember watching him on TV. This might sound cliché (as I'm trying to remember/describe him): he was the short funny bald guy... and he was an *amazing* figure skater. He always had a sense of levity in his routines that set him apart from his competitors that were always "so serious."
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Found him. It was Scott Hamilton. He is such a brilliant skater not just technically but in his ability as a performer. He's incredibly engaging to watch.


Also, nothing is as SWPL as a "skate-off" :LOL:
 
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40 year old woman just claimed the world title...!



Technically perfect, and the music is beautiful. As a dancer myself, I have to say they match their movements to the sound 100%. I don't think this is just a feminist award here, this is unbelievable, especially for a woman of her age and as someone who overcame many injuries (her background story is impressive).

Curious here what some of the ladies think.
 
Samseau said:

40 year old woman just claimed the world title...!



Technically perfect, and the music is beautiful. As a dancer myself, I have to say they match their movements to the sound 100%. I don't think this is just a feminist award here, this is unbelievable, especially for a woman of her age and as someone who overcame many injuries (her background story is impressive).

Curious here what some of the ladies think.
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Wait, what? You are a dancer? Ballet or what? I have to know because I am a dancer also so I have to know if we are the same lol.

As to the video clip: she is a lifelong figure-skater. It was an ok performance with some obvious missteps, but pretty good really.

(Edit: not technically perfect)
 
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My best dance is swing, lindy hop and west coast. I was an instructor for Lindy Hop for years. Next best is Bboy (break dance), and I'm not that good but I can do basic floor moves. Then Salsa, and Tango (I'm terrible but still enjoy the challenge).

Years of practice has given me an intuitive sense of matching movement to music. I don't move to the music, the music moves me.
 
Samseau said:
My best dance is swing, lindy hop and west coast. I was an instructor for Lindy Hop for years. Next best is Bboy (break dance), and I'm not that good but I can do basic floor moves. Then Salsa, and Tango (I'm terrible but still enjoy the challenge).

Years of practice has given me an intuitive sense of matching movement to music. I don't move to the music, the music moves me.
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I'm happily married, no need for that lol. (A joke...)

Edit: but seriously, I am trained and certified in Cecchetti method
 
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Samseau said:
You know, it's actually a great activity to do with a spouse. Learning a dance together can be a lot of fun. Even if you're both bad, it will bring you closer together.
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I agree. Worst case scenario it is a funny memory to laugh about later. My husband and I did try to take a couples swing class as a date a long time ago but our daughter decided to get the stomach flu about five minutes after we left so we had to cancel and that was the end of that lol! Might be time for us to try again :)
 
starlight said:
Found him. It was Scott Hamilton. He is such a brilliant skater not just technically but in his ability as a performer. He's incredibly engaging to watch.


Also, nothing is as SWPL as a "skate-off" :LOL:
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Thanks for sharing, I hadn’t heard of him before! That was an impressive performance. I’ve never seen someone do a flip like that on ice!!

It’s crazy how down to earth people were, just more authentic all-around.
 
I always enjoy watching figure skating as well. I always enjoy the Winter Olympics, but there are other events in between the four year gap.

I like women's figure skating better. Women are far more graceful on the ice. However, I do like men's skating too. Men's skating is more like gymnastics, while women's skating is more like ballet. In some ways the couple's skates are best because they can show both of these together.

I particularly liked the first video in the thread. That was flawless. I always wonder when they throw the girl for a triple twirl if she will be able to land cleanly without any kind of wobble, or worse yet a fall. The girl in that video seemed like she nailed everything perfectly. Also the two of them were incredibly well synchronized with each other. Beautiful!
 
Thomas More said:
I always enjoy watching figure skating as well. I always enjoy the Winter Olympics, but there are other events in between the four year gap.

I like women's figure skating better. Women are far more graceful on the ice. However, I do like men's skating too. Men's skating is more like gymnastics, while women's skating is more like ballet. In some ways the couple's skates are best because they can show both of these together.

I particularly liked the first video in the thread. That was flawless. I always wonder when they throw the girl for a triple twirl if she will be able to land cleanly without any kind of wobble, or worse yet a fall. The girl in that video seemed like she nailed everything perfectly. Also the two of them were incredibly well synchronized with each other. Beautiful!
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I thought their chemistry was off the charts and had to look deeper into it. They started skating together when she was 10 and he was 14, and they later married and had a daughter. He suddenly died on the ice at 25 from an undiagnosed congenital heart issue, very sudden and tragic! She wrote a book called “My Sergei: A Love Story”. I knew there had to be something more, they are completely synchronized, like one! So beautiful to watch, I will try to find more like this when I get a chance.
 
Douglas Quaid said:
My mom suggested to start using ice skating as a date idea with women. I think she might be on to something
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I’ve been hitting the local rink with the kids a lot lately, and I just had to laugh to myself that this is a great place to meet a potential wife. Lots of first generation/immigrant girls and probably the fittest young ladies in town. Plus, it’s pretty romantic to skate together I think. My other suggestions are the international food aisle of your local supermarket or local Euro food store.
 
TheLearningWife said:
Thanks for sharing, I hadn’t heard of him before! That was an impressive performance. I’ve never seen someone do a flip like that on ice!!
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The flip is actually against the rules and he got docked points because of it but he did it anyway because he's performing for the audience not the judges. You can see it in his face.
TheLearningWife said:
It’s crazy how down to earth people were, just more authentic all-around.
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So interesting that you mentioned this, while I was perusing Scott Hamilton's routines an interview popped up featuring him with the (clickbaity) headline "Scott Hamilton says Tonya Harding Killed Figure Skating." It was pretty interesting. I always kind of wondered why figure skating piddled out like it did. It was sooo popular in the late 80s-90s. As a kid I just enjoyed watching the skaters, it was always on the tv as back ground noise, like other kinds of sports. I had no idea about the judging scandals, fixed wins, etc., and then because of that they *completely* overhauled the scoring system. After that, skating died out. Loss of faith in the judges by the viewers, and even worse... skating became a "skate by numbers" approach. Artistry, creativity, performance, engagement, all got replaced by technical aspects. That's why now every competition seems like it's following a checklist, because it is.

Also, I just want to add, that the performance you posted in the OP is exceptionally beautiful. I watched it over quite a few times, and Ekaterina's smile shines through the entire time. And it really seems genuine. Another thing, if you watch again you'll notice, Sergei always has his eyes on her. That's why they make such a good duo. There was a moment when they nearly missed a handhold and she looked at him like "ahh!!" and then he caught her hand right at the last moment which, of course, brought her smile back. They both seem to have so much joy while performing as opposed to other figure skaters who seemed liked they hated it or just going through the motions.
 
starlight said:
I always kind of wondered why figure skating piddled out like it did. It was sooo popular in the late 80s-90s. As a kid I just enjoyed watching the skaters, it was always on the tv as back ground noise, like other kinds of sports. I had no idea about the judging scandals, fixed wins, etc., and then because of that they *completely* overhauled the scoring system. After that, skating died out. Loss of faith in the judges by the viewers, and even worse... skating became a "skate by numbers" approach. Artistry, creativity, performance, engagement, all got replaced by technical aspects. That's why now every competition seems like it's following a checklist, because it is.
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Thank you for this, I think you hit the nail on the head. Seems like judging scandals are still a thing.

starlight said:
Also, I just want to add, that the performance you posted in the OP is exceptionally beautiful. I watched it over quite a few times, and Ekaterina's smile shines through the entire time. And it really seems genuine. Another thing, if you watch again you'll notice, Sergei always has his eyes on her. That's why they make such a good duo. There was a moment when they nearly missed a handhold and she looked at him like "ahh!!" and then he caught her hand right at the last moment which, of course, brought her smile back. They both seem to have so much joy while performing as opposed to other figure skaters who seemed liked they hated it or just going through the motions.
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This video alone has made me so picky. Some people just have “it”.
 
This is such a great sport for kids. Big improvements in balance, spatial awareness, and grace in only a couple months. We do a lot of off-ice work. Another big plus is lots of HS’d kids skate in the middle of the day and they are all very nice kids.
 
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