Just a question that came to my mind watching a Jill Trenary performance. She was very pretty to watch on the ice, but she fell so much! And doubled so many things! Elizabeth Manley also said something in her autobiography about feeling that Katarina Witt sometimes won simply because she was beautiful. I know image is hugely important in the world of figure skating, but how often is it THE deciding factor? Do we remember Jill solely because of her looks--whereas we've forgotten many one-time world champs because they didn't have the glamour?
Do the prettiest skaters always win?
- Thread starter Tinika
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- Mar 19, 2006
Sorry, but I just can't think that there are any that aren't at very least "kinda pretty." Prettiest, well that is so open to interpretation - Jennifer Kirk, Kiira Copelli (I know that isn't right on spelling - she's Finish) These girls are not really the most beautiful to me but there are a number of men that would completely disagree with me. Yes pretty, but prettiest???? Honestly Shizuka did win and she is one of my favorites and Fumie has something that just makes me wilt. As far as best looking goes for me Fumie, Irina, Sara M, Shizuka, etc... but if I try to look thru others' eyes I couldn't do it.
So does the prettiest always win, no. 'Cause someone is going to disagree that Sasha is prettier. Kiira didn't place and Jenny did even try (well , pulled out of the whole arena) - but they have the modeling contracts - go figure. Good is good, and the amount of "good looking" people are on the rise. There are more beautiful faces now then 20 years ago per-capita - at the same time the "others" seem to be the "overweight population" often talked about being a problem today. Yah but where is that line. This is very much a matter of relativity. I can't draw a line, I know someone who called Irina Chunky - this to me is ridiculous, but they have their own spin on life.
So does the prettiest always win, no. 'Cause someone is going to disagree that Sasha is prettier. Kiira didn't place and Jenny did even try (well , pulled out of the whole arena) - but they have the modeling contracts - go figure. Good is good, and the amount of "good looking" people are on the rise. There are more beautiful faces now then 20 years ago per-capita - at the same time the "others" seem to be the "overweight population" often talked about being a problem today. Yah but where is that line. This is very much a matter of relativity. I can't draw a line, I know someone who called Irina Chunky - this to me is ridiculous, but they have their own spin on life.
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Yeah...i dont think it matters in competition.
BTW I didnt know where to ask this but are you allowed to post video links on this website (like the You send it thing) because on another forum someone posted a pretty funny video of a 2004 COI practice with Sasha, Fumie, Tim Goebel, and jenny kirk.
BTW I didnt know where to ask this but are you allowed to post video links on this website (like the You send it thing) because on another forum someone posted a pretty funny video of a 2004 COI practice with Sasha, Fumie, Tim Goebel, and jenny kirk.
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- Jul 28, 2003
Tinika said:
Actually the answer to your question is no. Trixi Schuba - no glamour Queen by any means was world champ and Olympic champ based solely on her expertise at figures. She was not a very good free skater, but in those days figures counted for fifty per cent of the mark. No one could beat Trixi when it came to tracing school figures.
IMO, there is a concentrated effort on behalf of the various national skating associations to pressure their skaters into a universal 'rubber mold' image. If the 'perfect picture of a skater' didn't exist in the skating establishment's mind's eye, why would they continue the very long standing practice of advising their skaters to:
1) loose weght (Elizabeth Manley),
2) get their teeth straigtened (Xue Shen),
3) get a costmetic and hair-do make-over (Michelle Kwan),
4) get a more professional looking or more appropriate costume for a particular program (Jeff Buttle),
5) change choreographers (Sasha Cohen),
6) change technical coaches (Brian Orser).
Having the right image (not necessarily the same thing as being the prettiest or most handsome skater) goes a long way in assisting a competitor to, first and foremost, get along with their own skating association and secondly, have their association politic for them so that when the skater does lay down a good performance the performance is not overlooked but rewarded. :yes:
1) loose weght (Elizabeth Manley),
2) get their teeth straigtened (Xue Shen),
3) get a costmetic and hair-do make-over (Michelle Kwan),
4) get a more professional looking or more appropriate costume for a particular program (Jeff Buttle),
5) change choreographers (Sasha Cohen),
6) change technical coaches (Brian Orser).
Having the right image (not necessarily the same thing as being the prettiest or most handsome skater) goes a long way in assisting a competitor to, first and foremost, get along with their own skating association and secondly, have their association politic for them so that when the skater does lay down a good performance the performance is not overlooked but rewarded. :yes:
I guess I didn't phrase my original question exactly right. What I meant was, if it comes down to two (or three) skaters vying for gold, all with good technique and artistry, does the most conventionally attractive skater usually come out on top? Or, even if she makes a few mistakes, is she given the win anyway over someone who might have skated better, but doesn't quite fit the USFSA or ISU's image? This is why I mentioned Trenary specifically, and maybe Kerrigan, Bobek, and Witt could be put in there as well. Jill very rarely skated cleanly, but she usually placed well in spite of it. It always seemed to me that part of this was because she was the officials' darling, always perfectly made up and coiffed and with very expensive and gorgeous costumes, as opposed to, say, Harding, Manley, or even Ito.
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- Jan 15, 2006
Tinika said:
Not always.
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- Jul 27, 2003
Tinika said:
If I were a judge I would appreciate that a skater made the effort to do hair and makeup and wear a costume appropriate for the program. If there was a dead tie then yes, I would go with the skater who put forth the most effort to be the "complete package".
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- Jun 21, 2003
But this can backfire, too. Like when Brian Joubert decked himself out like a fully rigged sailing ship to portray Columbus. (He should have just gone with his natural good looks, instead, LOL.)Piel said:
Complete package:
http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/images/guestphotos/9709710t.jpg
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- Mar 14, 2006
Part of me thinks this is a really silly question.
There are a number of current and recent champs who definitely don't fit the "pretty-girl" image.
There are also plenty of pretty-girl skaters who don't win because they don't have the skills.
I think the judges are more professional than that (even if they are biased in other ways)!
The pressure to look sexy and gorgeous is very high, too high, so high it makes people forget this is a sport -- but even so, a superb skater who is not particularly gorgeous is still going to score high.
I am very pleased that at least one younger skater has resisted this pressure and actually looks like a regular teenager... and has done pretty well, medal-wise! Hurray for Kimmie and her parents!
There are a number of current and recent champs who definitely don't fit the "pretty-girl" image.
There are also plenty of pretty-girl skaters who don't win because they don't have the skills.
I think the judges are more professional than that (even if they are biased in other ways)!
The pressure to look sexy and gorgeous is very high, too high, so high it makes people forget this is a sport -- but even so, a superb skater who is not particularly gorgeous is still going to score high.
I am very pleased that at least one younger skater has resisted this pressure and actually looks like a regular teenager... and has done pretty well, medal-wise! Hurray for Kimmie and her parents!
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- Jun 21, 2003
But Kimmie has such natural and unaffected beauty that she doesn't need to create a "glamorous" image for herself.
http://www.udel.edu/PR/NewsReleases/2006/jan/1-23-06/Kimmie1lg.jpg
http://www.udel.edu/PR/NewsReleases/2006/jan/1-23-06/Kimmie1lg.jpg
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
How adorable!!!
Those tender eyes!
Those tender eyes!
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