When you first became interested in figure skating. . . . | Golden Skate

When you first became interested in figure skating. . . .

Pookie

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Who or what first drew you to watch figure skating? Who or what has kept you interested?

I can vaguely remember watching the Protopopov's when I was a kid because my mom was watching skating. But Dorothy Hamil is what made me a figure skating fan when I was a teenager and I have been ever since. Sometimes the interest wanes just a little but then someone will come on the scene and make it exciting all over again.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I became interested in figure skating in the 1998-99 season, when Michelle was doing East of Eden in all those pro-am competitions. I was attempting to deal with a tragic calamity in my life at that time, and the heart-wrenching beauty of Michelle's performances served as a much needed catharsis for me.

What keeps me interested is following Michelle's career as a young woman, although I have many other co-favorites now.

I hope that everyone who has a special favorite gets the same pleasure from watching him or her perform as I do with Michelle.

Mathman
 

lulu

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
I always liked figure skating, but my watching usually consisted of the Olympics, and whatever comps I could find on TV when I channel surfed.
The 1994 Olys were the first game I truly remember, I remember watching the Ladies LP, mainly because of the Tonya/Nancy saga-and loving Oksana Bauil. I just thought she was the greatest:)
I watched it off and on until the 2002 Olympics. I watched the pairs comp and Scott and Sanda's IMO very biased commentating made me upset. That started my learning more about B&S and the other skaters, and buying tapes and watching as many skating programs as I can.

So I guess one can say that my obsession with figure skating is due to Scott and Sandra.:sheesh:
 

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
When I saw Peggy Fleming skating on TV at the 1968 Winter Olympics. From then on I was hooked.
 

aly*cutie

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
I was like 7 years old, and my mom was watching skating, so I watched it with her. I poked fun at the costumes they were wearing hehe! (now remember i am only 7 here) and I saw Tara skate next. She just blew me away! She looked younger than all these "big girls." as I used to call the skaters. She was so enrgetic that I wanted to do that too! So I took group lessons for 6 weeks. I loved it! Then I couldn't get on the ice for 3 years then when I was 10 I started again. :)
 

hockeyfan228

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Probably the first time ABC broadcast figure skating on Wide World of Sports. Fleming and John Misha Petkovich and the Protopopovs had me hooked. I can't remember the first time I saw Ice Dance, though.
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
When I was 8, my mom pulled me out of bed to watch the FS exhibitions at the Worlds, particulartly to watch Torville and Dean. She considered their Bolero a triumph of human spirit, and wanted me to watch it and remember.

After that, I would watch FS because my parents did (yes, my father likes watch it too). Then I guess I developped my own appreciation of it.
 

PrincessLeppard

~ Evgeni's Sex Bomb ~
Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I'm pretty sure I watched Dorothy Hamill win the Olympics, I certainly had the haircut.:\ (I was 8, I didn't have any say in the matter) But I got hooked on figure skating during the 84 Olympics.

and I got brave enough to start skating myself last year:eek:

Laura:)
 

Lcp88

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I always remember watching figure skating off and on when I was little in addition to partcipating, but I didn't become really "hooked" on it until the 2000 - 2001 season. I watched the 1998 Olympics and Nationals on and off until that season, but I don't ever recall watching the GP events or Worlds. My earliest memory is of Michelle Kwan skating to her 98 Rach SP at Nationals, and for some reason can always remember watching the Hartsells.
Laura
 

rachelstarlet

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I was 7 during the 92 Olympics and I adored Midori Ito, which is funny bcs most of the other little girls were all about Kristy. I remember jumping and spinning in my living room. From then on I always kind of watched skating when it happened to be on and I was watching TV, with a little more interest coming in during the Olympics, but then I noticed Evgeni Plushenko during a couple competitions before the Olys in 2002 and he drew me in because I hadn't really seen anyone w/ his style before. I obsessed over the Olympics, then watched everything I could get my hands on last season, and here I am!
 

April

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
MK

I started watching b/c of MK. Plus, we didn't have cable and figure skating came on the locale channels, so I got hooked in.
 

Kwanisqueen81

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 30, 2003
my fandom

I was a casual fan circa '88 I vaguely remember the battle of the Brians. I was a huge fan of Witt(Still am) But I was a 'once every 4 year fan'. In 1992 I was rooting for Midori and Surya but oddly not Kristi(luv her though). I remember how suprised I was to see Paul medal. But the whack heard around the world changed all that for me. I was glued to my TV sets. Strangly after 1994 olympics I was still ignorant to alot of skating (at that time I didn't fully understand the difference between eligible and pro, I thought 'skating was skating') So as a result I really to into the pro side skating during the mid 90s. During this time I took the time out to identify jumbs, spins, edges, ect. I returned to watching elgible compotitions full time starting with 1997 nats. But reallyy did it for me was 1998 nats I didn't see '97 skate america so I didn't see Tara's and Michelle's programs for that season untill nats and well...the rest as they say is history.

6.0, 6.0, 6.0, 6.0, 6.0, 6.0, 5.9, 6.0, 6.0
 

amykaren

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
I became a fan when I was trying to lose weight in 1997 by walking on the treadmill. I always watched TV when walking, and there was a professional skating show on (I didn't know anything about skating-that there was a difference between pro and amat.) Anyways, Beche & Petrov (is that name right?) were skating and were so good it inspired me to walk faster and really work out good. From then on, I caught any skating show that was on. The sport has inspired me!

BTW-I tried skating once when I was little and I hated it! I think it was because no one showed me how to skate-I was on my own and couldn't even stand up! When I turned 30, I thought-I am going to try this again. I went to a local skating rink and loved it!!! (I read books before trying so I knew some basics). I have been skating ever since and take my kids skating
all the time. We have an outdoor rink downtown that is open in the winter, and it is free. The ice there is great and it is fun to spend a day skating then going for hot chocolate. I love it!!
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
When you first became interested in figure

A pair of blue figure skates trimmed with gray fur. My mom bought them for me and my dad flooded the back yard in Prince George so I could get extra practice.

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Lynn226

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Holiday on Ice

There were not any permanent ice surfaces where I grew up, but they would build a rink every year for Holiday on Ice. I started asking my mom and dad to take me to the show when I was about 4 or 5 years old.

The first individual skater that I like was Dorothy Hamil. And I even had my hair cut like her. I remember the day because noone wanted me to do it because I had such long hair.
 

toutestgrace

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Peggy Fleming in '68. I remember being so excited when my 8th grade teacher Sr. Mary Samuel had the class read a news clipping about her win as one of our assignments. :)
 

Sadie

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
I remember watching ice skating most of my life, but I think I became the most interested in it was around 1990-ish. Scott Hamilton and Kurt Browning really caught my eye. And I have been an avid viewer ever since. :D
 

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
When I became interested in skating

The first time I watched skating was the 1984 Olympics. I was nine and remember being enthralled by Torvill & Dean's "Bolero." I also watched the ladies event, but all I can remember was that Katarina was really pretty.

I watched occasionally for the next couple of years. At this point I began to notice differences in skaters -- some had good "presentation," while others were good "jumpers." I was really rooting for Debi Thomas in Calgary and was disappointed when she lost. I also enjoyed watching the "Battle of the Brians."

I think I became a "fan" when I saw Midori Ito win Worlds in 1989. She was one of a kind. By now I knew the different jumps and realized how hard the 3axel was. I also think I identified with Midori because she was the first Asian World Champion and I am Asian-American. Around this time, three other skaters attracted my attention -- Paul Wylie, who I thought was a wonderful stylist, Tonya Harding, who at that time could match Midori in the jumping department and Kristi Yamaguchi. I got hooked and have been watching ever since.
 
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