Patrick Chan AND Don Jackson!

Layfan · Feb 23, 2011

Of course Mathman prefers falling leaf. It was one Michelle's trademark moves

I prefer falling leaf too but I could watch Sasha doing a Russian split all day long. It's all good.

I've always wondered which one is harder. In ballet, there is no question: the Russian is harder. Way harder. But I don't know how much the momentum you get in skating makes a difference.

To me there are no spins like the layback and the scratch spin. Oh, and the camel. I guess I'm a classic sort of girl. But it all depends on how good a skater does it of course. Sasha is the only person who does the I-Spin to my liking. It's breathtaking. I don't love the Y-spin but I do love it when Alissa does it.

With the camels, I really love it best when the skater achieves a good back position - not a sideways one. When a male skater had a good camel it's magical - their lines go on foreeeeever.

Spun Silver · Feb 23, 2011

Speaking of manly spread eagles, this guy's was to die for at Nationals (Jonathan Cassar):
http://figureskatersonline.com/news/2010/05/06/jonathan-cassar-moves-to-southern-california/

Mathman · Feb 23, 2011

^ All Cassar needs to become a contender is a more reliable triple Axel. :yes:

Speaking of manly moves, I have always regarded the triple Axel as the cherry on top of the men's figure skating sundae. Ilia Kulik was my fave, along with Todd Eldredge. Quads? Well, they are hard to do, but there is nothing particularly testosterony about spinning around in the air.

And then again, Mao Asada was doing triple Axels at 13, so what do I know?

Serious Business · Feb 23, 2011

Mathman said:
I am really going to get in trouble now, but in thinking about the topic of girly men in figure skating it suddenty struck me that I can't actually think of any girly girls in the sport. Look at the thighs on those broads! (Oh, sorry. : )

Even a fem lady like Dorothy Hamill is more tomboy than dress-up tea party with Barbie and Ken.

I don't disagree that any woman skating at that level are tough as nails. But I do think that in the metrics of most societies at large, including all the ones where skating is active, female skaters are considered pretty girlish, especially compared to top athletes from other sports. I mean first of all and totally obvious are the sparkly costumes and sequins and makeup. And skating favors shorter people with very compact body types (the easier to spin and rotate in the air). Very few other sports have so many stringy midgets competing. Tiny is considered dainty is considered girly.

Then there's the fact that skating is a judged aesthetics sport. And being judged visually is considered a pretty feminine / emasculating thing in most modern culture. Refer to feminist theory 101 and male gaze and all that.

Blades of Passion · Feb 24, 2011

Can we please get back to the real point of this thread:

Patrick Chan's right eye does not move upward. It does not move upward.

Bluebonnet · Feb 24, 2011

Mathman said:
I am really going to get in trouble now, but in thinking about the topic of girly men in figure skating it suddenty struck me that I can't actually think of any girly girls in the sport. Look at the thighs on those broads! (Oh, sorry. : )

Even a fem lady like Dorothy Hamill is more tomboy than dress-up tea party with Barbie and Ken.

OK, I'll go back to tatting my doily now.

Yeah, especially ladies in gymnastic. Nastia Liukin and former USSR lady gymnast (forgot her name) are the only two girls I liked in that sport. So I stopped watching it.

Also, what could be more manly than quad jumps?! That jump is so exciting!

Ok, Blades, as you requested, back on topic. Chan's eye sight must have been affected by these un-usual eye muscle movement conditions. He is actually handsome if you don't look at his eyes.

Mathman · Feb 24, 2011

Bluebonnet said:
Also, what could be more manly than quad jumps?! That jump is so exciting!

I think Triple Axels are more manly than quad jumps. Maybe because the man is thrusting forward instead of backing into it?

Just because something is exciting doesn't necessarily make it manly. A roller coaster ride is exciting, for instance. And who takes us on more roller coaster rides than Alissa Czisny (now that Sasha Cohen is retired from competition)?

Blades of Passion · Feb 24, 2011

Mathman said:
I think Triple Axels are more manly than quad jumps. Maybe because the man is thrusting forward?

You totally stole my line.

Mathman · Feb 24, 2011

I did! I did!

I was trying to remember where I heard that great line. All props to BoP. :bow:

Blades of Passion · Feb 24, 2011

In the post-twitter World, the retweet is the sincerest form of flattery.

Serious Business · Feb 24, 2011

Mathman said:
I think Triple Axels are more manly than quad jumps. Maybe because the man is thrusting forward instead of backing into it?

By that logic, the manliest move in figure skating is... the split falling leaf! A skater is thrusting forward, in the shape of a phallic missile, and even lands forward. It's like an arrow of penetrative manliness.

Ironically, it's women who tend to do the move more often. Although among current male skaters, Jason Brown and Shawn Sawyer do some pretty good ones.

Spun Silver · Feb 25, 2011

Mathman said:
^ All Cassar needs to become a contender is a more reliable triple Axel. :yes:

MM, are you really Jo Ann Barnas?

Or her husband?
http://www.freep.com/article/201102...nathan-Cassar-toward-top-figure-skating-world

Mathman · Feb 25, 2011

Spun Silver said:
MM, are you really Jo Ann Barnas?

Or her husband?

http://www.freep.com/article/201102...nathan-Cassar-toward-top-figure-skating-world

No (I am actually Brian Boitano). But Jo-ann Barnas is a very cool lady. The Detroit Free Press is one of the few newspapers that coves figure skating as a major (well, sort of major) sport. Barnas covers all Olympic sports plus writes occasional in-depth features about local athletes.

Anyway, I have had the pleasure of seeing Jonathan perform in lots of local shows and exhibitions. I'm with Joe Inman -- he can make you weep. If there were a sport of solo male ice dancing he could be a champion.

But his jumps are always an adventure. Interestingly, he had the same coach here as Alissa Czisny, Julie Berlin -- another lovely lady that I cannot bring myself to say anything negative about.

jaylee · Feb 25, 2011

Mathman said:
But his jumps are always an adventure. Interestingly, he had the same coach here as Alissa Czisny, Julie Berlin -- another lovely lady that I cannot bring myself to say anything negative about.

I didn't know Berlin was his former coach. That explains why Frank Carroll told him they would have to rebuild his axel from scratch.

I think it's a great pity that Berlin's former students have to work so hard to rebuild their jumping technique at a relatively late stage in their career.

sunny0760 · Feb 26, 2011

Mathman said:
If there were a sport of solo male ice dancing he could be a champion.

If Cassar does it, I would definitely see him.

Thank you for the news link, Spun Silver.

Good read and I found Jeremy article in the same newspaper.
http://www.freep.com/article/201101...bott-won-t-retire-after-loss?odyssey=obinsite

Back to Chan, I don't have much to add. I saw again his FS at Nats... his steps are so so exciting! Maybe his steps toward Worlds too! Go, Patrick, GO!

Short circuit · Feb 27, 2011

Here is the infor re the Jackson/Chan Oshawa Skating Club carnival:

OSC presents "ADVENTURES IN TV LAND"
with 2 special guest skaters
World Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist Don Jackson,
2 time World Silver Medalist and Olympian Patrick Chan

Tickets will be available for OSC Carnival members Saturday, February 26th through the GM Centre box office.
Tickets will be available for general public on Saturday, March 5th through the GM Centre box office.

Prices:
Adults $20
4-8 yrs old $12
3 and under FREE

CdnSkateWatcher · Mar 11, 2011

Found the flyer ... hopefully I'm allowed to link to it - ?????

http://oshawaskating.com/ESW/Files/Carnival_2011.pdf

Violet Bliss · Mar 11, 2011

This is really worthwhile because besides the opportunities to see two Canadian greats live and cheaply, the proceeds go to supporting skating in Oshawa.

http://www.ckdo.ca/see_community.asp?show=10000&page=1

Oshawa Skating Club 'Adventures in TV Land'
General Motors Centre, 99 Athol Street East, Oshawa - Apr 2, 2011
The Oshawa Skating Club presents the 'Adventures in TV Land' skating extravaganza show tonight at 7PM. Come see performances by the 4 time Canadian champion and 2 time world silver medalist, Patrick Chan as well as 1962 World Champion Don Jackson. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for kids. Ticket proceeds will go to supporting learn to skate programs at the Oshawa Skating Club. The OSC runs a number of learn to skate programs for various age groups and runs a special program for children with special needs called 'Special Blades'.

wallylutz · Mar 11, 2011

I am sure they would hope that by the time the show takes place, Patrick can add the title of World Champion in their ads.

CdnSkateWatcher · Mar 12, 2011

SkateFiguring said:
This is really worthwhile because besides the opportunities to see two Canadian greats live and cheaply, the proceeds go to supporting skating in Oshawa.

http://www.ckdo.ca/see_community.asp?show=10000&page=1

Yeah ... we don't live in Oshawa, but, I know "through the grapevine" the club and the people who skate there and coach there; it's a good place, good coaches, very family-oriented, producing some nice skaters too ; the Special Blades program is supposed to be a good one. IIRC, their Canskate co-ordinator was named one of the Best of the Best Canskate Coaches last year, too ...

Patrick Chan AND Don Jackson!

Layfan

Spun Silver

Mathman

Serious Business

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be

Bluebonnet

Mathman

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be

Mathman

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be

Serious Business

Spun Silver

Mathman

jaylee

sunny0760

Short circuit

CdnSkateWatcher

Violet Bliss

wallylutz

CdnSkateWatcher

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