What Makes a Relative New Skater Special?

Joesitz (RIP) · Oct 14, 2006

This is just my way at predicting a skater who will be special in the years to come.

The young skater whether in juvenile, junior, novice or even seniors whom I've never seen before has the following traits for my own prediction)

1. A sincere demeanor while stepping onto the ice before the judges and audience.

2. Begin to skate to, and continue to skate to, the music with any variations the music has to offer.

3. The all important flow over the ice should be seen almost immediately. Clean cut edging should flow from one element to another with excellent jump landings, and spin finishings.

The above, in my opinion, is with the individual skater. Teaching or Coaching of the above is fruitless unless the skater has the natural feeling for figure skating.

A good choreographer can work wonders with a skater who has the above traits and a style will be formed.

Quads and Bielmans are fine but are they really figure skating?

Joesitz

lisadotdash · Oct 14, 2006

Joesitz said:
This is just my way at predicting a skater who will be special in the years to come.

The young skater whether in juvenile, junior, novice or even seniors whom I've never seen before has the following traits for my own prediction)

1. A sincere demeanor while stepping onto the ice before the judges and audience.

2. Begin to skate to, and continue to skate to, the music with any variations the music has to offer.

3. The all important flow over the ice should be seen almost immediately. Clean cut edging should flow from one element to another with excellent jump landings, and spin finishings.

The above, in my opinion, is with the individual skater. Teaching or Coaching of the above is fruitless unless the skater has the natural feeling for figure skating.

A good choreographer can work wonders with a skater who has the above traits and a style will be formed.

Quads and Bielmans are fine but are they really figure skating?

Joesitz

Well, I think it is focus, focus, focus. If they need to make straight As, if they want to chase boys, or girls, if they play other sports, or maybe if they are worried about money or their parents' staying together, they can't focus on any of the above, and that's a tall order. I am not a parent so I far from know what I'm talking about, but it has to count for something.

Ladskater · Oct 14, 2006

I saw Karen Magnussen interviewed and she said she started figure skating at the age of six. Her mom took her to the rink for a mom's and kid's session. Karen skated around the rink a few times with the help of the metal apparatus (looks kind of like a chair) and the next thing her mom saw was Karen skating unassisted and the metal apparatus on the other side of the rink. Her mom knew then that Karen was destined to be a great skater.

SeaniBu · Oct 15, 2006

Ladskater said:
I saw Karen Magnussen interviewed and she said she started figure skating at the age of six. Her mom took her to the rink for a mom's and kid's session. Karen skated around the rink a few times with the help of the metal apparatus (looks kind of like a chair) and the next thing her mom saw was Karen skating unassisted and the metal apparatus on the other side of the rink. Her mom knew then that Karen was destined to be a great skater.

What a inspirational story!

I have always thought that there are so many different types of people and skaters on the simplest level a refection of types of people. It takes so many types to fill this world, so skaters can come in may different types of people. There are definitive types of skaters with their own types of personalities, but one thing holds true of all - perseverance and demur tenacity. These beautiful people that give their all to give us the truest meaning of expression through perseverance.

Whatever you skate (on what level) thank you for giving a great amount of life to a sport that embodies all that is competition AND entertainment!

Tomorrow at 11:00 is a great time for me, the rest of the world will see!

CzarinaAnya · Oct 15, 2006

Emotional stability/Sportmanship is a also a key factor in how well a skater will connect with his/her audience. The ones who just kept reaching for the gold and never quite got it, or even the ones who do leave the sport early, and do it gracefully, are both usually remembered fondly by the avid skating fan. We can all attest to who we remember not so fondly, because they weren't able to control themeselves.

Joesitz (RIP) · Oct 15, 2006

Remember I'm not talking about What Makes a Champion - big jumps and convoluted spins will do that (with a clean routine, of course)

I'm talking about those 10, 15, 16 year olds who can wow you with beautiful basics, and you know that there is a special skater trying to come out.

It was Caroline Zhang last year and this year it seems to be Adam Rippon, but I will hold off on the latter to see him again.

There are,imo, many other talented skaters coming up to standard but few have that neat technique to make them special.

My special skaters of the past: Johnny Weir, Sasha Cohen, Yukina Ota. They don't necessarily win competitions but they are still special.

Joe

Ladskater · Oct 15, 2006

I think what really makes a new skater special or capture one's attention is the skaters' love of figure skating. The Toller Cranstons, and Kurt Brownings are inspiring to watch. They are a gift to the ice. Watching Toller skate was like watching an artist paint a picture from the beginning to the end - of course Toller is an artist as well. The same goes for Kurt. He is inspiring and a joy to watch.

I know what you are getting at here. What makes a particular skater stand out from the rest when they burst on the competetive scene.

I noticed Shawn Sawyer's gifts right away as soon as I saw him skate. Toller Cranston more or less "discovered" Shawn and featured him in one of his last specials. Toller recognized Shawn Sawyers special talents right away. Shawn's line and flexibility are awesome.

All skaters work hard, but some just have that extra something that makes them special and it is always inspiring to watch them when they come along.

lisadotdash · Oct 16, 2006

IMHO, good answer.

childfreegirl · Oct 16, 2006

Joesitz said:
Quads and Bielmans are fine but are they really figure skating?

They are part of skating, but IMO, they should not be the focus. So somebody has a quad - fine. But do they also have a sense of style? Do they interpet the music, skating fast when it's called for and slowly when that's called for? Do they really get into the program, or are they just skating from jump to jump or element to element like a robot? That feel for the music, the interpetation, is what I look for and what I enjoy in skating. Quads and bielmans in a program are fine, but they don't make or break the program for me.

dancindiva03 · Oct 16, 2006

When I watch "new" skaters, I look for spark and personality. I don't want to see someone who looks terrified or something like that. Second, consistancy, and third, a willingness to take risks.

backspin · Oct 17, 2006

What's sad to me is, the many beautiful skaters that will never reach the limelight.......mainly because they don't ever get the triple jumps.

There's a girl at my rink, novice level, who just skates with pure joy and abandon. On a good day, she makes me cry to watch her run through her program. But you'll never see her in the higher ranks because she's a nervous competitor and the jumps just aren't there.

I wish there were more show or ice theater performance opportunities for skaters like this, who truly do shine on the ice.

just wondering · Oct 17, 2006

backspin said:
What's sad to me is, the many beautiful skaters that will never reach the limelight.......mainly because they don't ever get the triple jumps.

There's a girl at my rink, novice level, who just skates with pure joy and abandon. On a good day, she makes me cry to watch her run through her program. But you'll never see her in the higher ranks because she's a nervous competitor and the jumps just aren't there.

We have a girl at our rink who found herself in a similar situation. She tested out and is now co-coaching a young girl who seems to have great talent. I can already see the influence of this beautiful skater taking hold in the little spitfire. May make for a wonderful combination.

Let's hope the beautiful skaters can find a way to impart their skating talents. There seem to be plenty of coaches to work on the jumps.

JW

amber68 · Oct 18, 2006

Joesitz said:
Remember I'm not talking about What Makes a Champion - big jumps and convoluted spins will do that (with a clean routine, of course)
Joe

This an over simplistic and disregarding definition of a "what makes a champion".
Being a champion is not about being the best jumper or spinner, having the best choreography or being the most talented. It’s about mastering your fears, controlling your nerves, withstanding the pressure even if you feel it crushes you. This is the hardest part in any sport and separates the champions from the rest of the pack.
And the Olympic champions are even more special since the chances to win the gold are so very few. Imagine you failed once. Imagine how sublime is to be able to win on your last try.

Joesitz (RIP) · Oct 18, 2006

amber68 said:
This an over simplistic and disregarding definition of a "what makes a champion".

Amber - I seldom use emoticons. If I did for my simplistic definition of a champion I would have used:no:

anything_for_skating · Oct 19, 2006

Joesitz said:
Quads and Bielmans are fine but are they really figure skating?

joe, I SO agree with you!
That's exactly what I meant in my post in that thread about Asada's and Kimmie's quads. I hope ladies skating will not become just a fight for better jumpin mashine.
And bielmans...I SO didn't like on one of the competitions where I was last year, almost EVERY girl did a bileman. Maybe each...20th didn't. So, atleast for me, bielman isn't what it used to be.

hockeyfan228 · Oct 19, 2006

anything_for_skating said:
joe, I SO agree with you!
That's exactly what I meant in my post in that thread about Asada's and Kimmie's quads. I hope ladies skating will not become just a fight for better jumpin mashine.

That has been the case in Ladies' skating since school figures were eliminated, and a skater without the jumps could no longer rack up a big enough lead in figures. I think Gedevanishvili and Slutskaya are two examples of skaters who do well, despite the lack of refinement, whenever their jumps are on.

Joesitz (RIP) · Oct 19, 2006

Hockeyfan - I would even go beyond Gedenashvili and Slutskaya and say any skater (think Kimmie, Mao) with exceptional prowess to big jumps have their PCS scores go up accordingly.

Joe

What Makes a Relative New Skater Special?

Joesitz (RIP)

lisadotdash

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

SeaniBu

CzarinaAnya

Joesitz (RIP)

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

lisadotdash

childfreegirl

dancindiva03

Match Penalty

backspin

just wondering

amber68

Joesitz (RIP)

anything_for_skating

hockeyfan228

Joesitz (RIP)

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