"Fluff Piece" I would MOST like to see... | Page 2 | Golden Skate

"Fluff Piece" I would MOST like to see...

treeskater

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
During the Olympics, if there were to be a fireside chat figure skating segment, I would like a series that featured each of the aspects that go into making a champion and views from all over the world. For example, off-ice training both athletic and artistic, how a choreographer works with a skater, music selection, health training (diet, sleep), period training/concept of peaking, funding, handling travel/jet lag, how to balance good skating with CoP maximum, goal setting, psychological factors (nerves, practice vs. competition mind set,) finding and funding practice ice. Why DO foreign skaters come the US to train? These topics would be great for a round table segment. I think at one of the major international events, spectators were invited to ask questions at a meeting with the coaches and while people on the net did not give real specifics, I gather it was very interesting, informal, and informative although not well attended.

As stated previously, how judges judge, callers make their calls, process of feedback to skaters (verbal, print, etc.) While the US, Canada, and the UK have a series of tests for advancement, what do all the other countries do?

One of the best videos put out in the last decade was a Media one by the ISU. It did an excellant job of showing skating errors - much better than 10 seconds of Ice Moves......

Skating fans come at all levels of interest and knowledge and the hard-core fans know where to find the information to expand their knowlege base. The casual fan, who does enjoy watching the sport but doesn't have the understanding, needs to be cultivated seriously.
 

dancindiva03

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Chele615 said:
Regarding Gregory and Petukhov and being ignored by the media. They really are. However, I can already see some fluff pieces coming up for this year on them based on the fact that Denis' citizenship came through this year and whatnot.

I'd like to see that but I'm sure most, if not all, of Ice Dance's allotted "fluff time" will be devoted to whether or not Tanith got her citizenship. But I'll keep my fingers crossed that Melissa and Denis also get fluffed!
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
So...on one end of the coin, we have people dissing fluff in favor of more skating, and then on the other side, people want to see MORE fluff. :scratch: :scratch:
 

dancindiva03

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Red Dog said:
So...on one end of the coin, we have people dissing fluff in favor of more skating, and then on the other side, people want to see MORE fluff. :scratch: :scratch:

I don't necessarily want MORE fluff, I just want DIFFERENT fluff!
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
I thought the original idea (information about the judging system) would be great -- and IMO they should show these fluffs at Olys, before the skating, so people will understand the system a little bit better (so they have to get more creative when they complain how "__________ wuzrobbed"
 

Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
dancindiva03 said:
I don't necessarily want MORE fluff, I just want DIFFERENT fluff!

My point exactly. I'd rather have NO Fluff during televised events, but here in the good old USA I suspect we're stuck with fluff.

And Joe, I'm laughing because I had the thought last night that if we're serious about a Whine and Cheesefest gathering at Nationals, STL Blues just might be able to help with a location suggestion!! Does this mean we both have great minds?? ;)

DG
 

brad640

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 8, 2004
DG, I love your ideas. Some things I would like to see:


1. A Time for Fluff.

Televised skating coverage is like a miraculous gift. It rarely happens, and when it does, it is much too brief. I don’t think fans truly hate fluff, we just get mad when precious time is wasted during coverage of events. I have read much insightful analysis of televised skating coverage on this board, but I will retread some of the *many* problems. First, finding the coverage is more complicated than cracking the Da Vinci Code. It is often hidden on ESPN2 after midnight, and taping it can be treacherous because skating is scum to ESPN and will always be preempted by any basketball game that happens to go into overtime. Sometimes, they delete skating performances on the sly, as happened last year to one of Joubert’s free skates on the GP that mysteriously disappeared, only to reappear in a random rebroadcast. It’s bad enough that event coverage is delayed by at least a week, usually 2-3 weeks in most cases, then there are commercials between every skate. That leaves little time to show everyone in the field, so only the top skaters make the cut. It can be very frustrating when someone interesting is cut, and when time is allotted to rerun Irina staring out the window into the snow wistfully contemplating vasculitus, it is too much to bear. If fluff is presented *in addition to* the event itself, I think it would be very entertaining.

In an ideal world where all skating events were televised live, fluff would fit in very well during Zamboni time. The commentators could recap what had happened in the previous group, then introduce interesting fluff and come back in time to set the stage during the warm-up. That way fans would not feel cheated, but would see fluff as an interesting way to fill dead time, like a halftime show in football.

2. Matt Savoie

Matt is one of my favorite skaters, but I don’t recall ever hearing him speak.
Not since Rudy Galindo has a skater faught so hard “to keep his vision of skating alive.” Matt is an old fashioned skater in a good way, because he has continued skating while going to school full time, and he has remained in Peoria with his family when most elite skaters pursue top coaches at any cost.
Also, he has always performed difficult choreography, even before CoP. His educational background is intriguing with a Masters in Urban Planning, and now his deferred acceptance into law school at Cornell. I would like to know what his career plans are and how, if at all, skating has influenced his view of the world through his studies. Most of all, I would like to see an analysis of how he works to convey emotion on the ice, because he is one of the best when it comes to artistry.

3. Revisiting Great Moments on Location

One of my favorite fluff pieces was one Michelle did when she returned to the Edmonton arena where she won worlds in 96 and walked around the ice recounting the elements of her ground breaking Salome LP. It showed her walking into the empty arena talking about how it felt to be back there after winning. The mood was similar to Katarina Witt’s explanation of Where Have all the Flowers Gone, when she explained that she felt linked to Sarajevo after the great success she had there.

I would like to see Oksana return to the Hamar arena to relive her Olympic moment beginning with her steely composure after receiving injections, missing a couple of elements, throwing things in at the last minute, and finally breaking down in K&C. On a different note, I would like to see Debi Thomas go back to Calgary to relive her Olympic moment and talk about how her life has changed since she moved on from the sport and the perspectives she has now on skating competitively at a young age, the trend toward younger girls winning, and the medical implications of skating at the top level.
 

Frau Muller

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
I predict the following Ice Move fluff piece during ABC's upcoming telecast of the Campbell's cheesefest:

Mike Weiss demonstrates the 'Mike Pike'! Better yet we see him coaching his children in how to do the Mike Pike. [subtle reminder to all of us that he's married & with children!]
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Doggygirl said:
Just had one of those smack your forehead - coulda had a V-8 moments.

If fluff is defined by "pieces" in the airing of a competition that aren't the actual competition, here's what I want to see.

A technical caller be interviewed. A look at the computer screens they use, the instant replay features, how they go about deciding the difficulty levels and verifying revolutions on spins / jumps and "timing" the "position holds on spirals.

A judge (or more) being interviewed. A look at the computer screens they use, and how they go about determining and entering GOE's and PCS scores.

"Ice Moves" where elements are demonstrated at various levels.

In fact, this might be a nice programming idea for that new Internet based service that the USFSA is sponsoring - a "pay per view" type in depth session on NJS. I might just go suggest that.

I think pieces like this would make a dandy replacement for Johnny's shopping trips, Sasha's joy of being back in CA, MK's make up tips, Weiss's clearly heterosexual lifestyle, etc.

Opinions?

DG

The CBC is great at doing exactly what you have in mind. Usually they have Barb Underhill and Paul Martini or Brian Orser or Elvis Stojko demonstrating skating moves and explaining the technical side of skating.

Sometimes they interview coaches and judges as well. It's quite informative. I have yet to see them following a skater to his or her favorite shopping mall!!!

:)
 

XxSweetKissesxX

Match Penalty
Joined
Oct 13, 2005
I would love to see pieces on lesser known skaters instead of the people we see almost every day here in the states. I would suggest that they saves the fluff pieces on the U.S. skaters for the U.S. Nationals.

During an International Event I would love to see pieces on some international skaters, especially from overseas. I think we all would appreciate I piece on Kevin van der Perren, Brian Joubert, Domnina/Shabalin, and Obertas/Slavnov during Skate America. Well I am going there and there is a good chance I will be able to meet them all.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
XxSweetKissesxX said:
I would love to see pieces on lesser known skaters instead of the people we see almost every day here in the states. I would suggest that they saves the fluff pieces on the U.S. skaters for the U.S. Nationals.

During an International Event I would love to see pieces on some international skaters, especially from overseas. I think we all would appreciate I piece on Kevin van der Perren, Brian Joubert, Domnina/Shabalin, and Obertas/Slavnov during Skate America. Well I am going there and there is a good chance I will be able to meet them all.


I believe this is a good idea. However, American TV has this habit of focusing only on the American athletes/participants at international events (if Americans are there). If you doubt me just watch 5 minutes of NBC Olympic coverage. :scratch:

As for American bias, I've said this before. It's fine in small doses, but when the entire broadcast is centered on your own country's men instead of the event taking place, you've got a problem.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I've travelled around the world at least twice. If a country has athletes in the Olympics, you will see them on their country TV. Full Olympic coverage is monumental even for State supported TV.

Let's be honest, what we want is more figure skating shown on TV. Others want to see ALL the contestants in The Luge.

Joe
 

screech

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
Canadian TV has pretty decent fluff pieces, like teaching skating moves (though they really overdid it at Worlds this year), but I like when Paul Martini goes to Mariposa and talks about stuff there.

Even their skater-related fluff is good. Nothing like 'Sasha cooks!' or 'Johnny goes shopping!'. It's things like Jeff talking about what made him move to Lake Arrowhead and how the changes have worked for him (though they did make him do a cheesy journal reading voice over in the third person). Things like that that are actually informative and actually relate to the competition and the person as a skater. Things like that I don't mind so much.

CTV/CBC also talks with/about the people involved in the new judging system to get a bit more understanding, but they don't overdo it. They do talk with coaches (Joanne is ALWAYS in Emanuel's fluff pieces and Lee is always in Jeff's). Things like that.

I just wish I would never again have to see something like "Michelle does her makeup!' or 'Tim straightens his hair!'
 

Kasey

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Okay, so personally, I think "Johnny goes shopping" should have won an Emmy! That is the funniest freaking thing EVER!!!!

That said, any fluff piece on ANY skater never to have fluff done before! Not "who's popular" who we already know about. But the unknown, unseen skaters.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Kasey said:
Okay, so personally, I think "Johnny goes shopping" should have won an Emmy! That is the funniest freaking thing EVER!!!!

That said, any fluff piece on ANY skater never to have fluff done before! Not "who's popular" who we already know about. But the unknown, unseen skaters.
:laugh: That was great fun. I'm sure he went along with the gag.

Joe
 
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