Editorial: Stop Hating on Ice Skating

brightphoton · Apr 14, 2011

Historically, figure skating was more beauty pageant than sport, so that certainly plays into the "easy" perception of figure skating. Also, this kid can't bench 200 lbs? That's just embarrassing. He needs to work out.

I love figure skating, but I got so much second-hand embarrassment reading this article. It's similar to what cheerleaders say, "lifting girls and doing cartwheels all while wearing a miniskirt is hard. Therefore, cheerleading is a sport!" Sport =/= physical strain on your part.

gkelly · Apr 14, 2011

brightphoton said:
Historically, figure skating was more beauty pageant than sport,

I would say that historically, figure skating was more of a technical sport about subtleties of blade control skills than a blatantly athletic sport. It didn't take an especially athletic body type to do good school figures so much as a lot of training.

As freestyle skills became more demanding and more important, the athletic demands increased, but it was valued to make the athletic moves look effortless, so the appearance of ease that the best skaters achieved belied the actual effort and skill involved and made the decisions appear pageantlike from the outside.

Tonichelle · Apr 15, 2011

brightphoton said:
I love figure skating, but I got so much second-hand embarrassment reading this article. It's similar to what cheerleaders say, "lifting girls and doing cartwheels all while wearing a miniskirt is hard. Therefore, cheerleading is a sport!" Sport =/= physical strain on your part.

considering the strain the girls at my high school put on their bodies with the tumbles and tricks and high energy that they had to sustain throughout an entire football game (they didn't get a half time, they had to go out and do their routine and then go back to running around cheering) I'd say their sport is just as difficult as any others (gymnastics, figure skating, cheerleading, track, etc). I was not a cheerleader, and was actually one of their targets, but I can't deny their athletic ability.

If the skaters are all so wimpy, and that it's embarassing to think about/watch, I suggest finding something else to pass the time watching. I'm sure the "reality" of WWF wrestling will make a better impression. :sheesh:

brightphoton · Apr 15, 2011

Cheerleaders can go injure themselves vaulting each other in the air, but it doesn't make cheerleading a sport. Straining and dangerous, yes, but a sport? No. At best, it is an auxiliary activity. By definition, cheerleading isn't independent; if football didn't exist, there would be no need for any girls to wear short skirts to cheer the football players on. Cheerleading's main purpose is to titillate males during halftime shows, not show any athletic ability. Gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and figure skating on the other hand are actual sports. Their main purpose is to athletic excellence. Futhermore, they are independent. If every other sport disappeared, those three could still continue to exist.

The author wrote an article, basically saying that figure skating is a sport because it is so physically demanding to him, and he's so tired after workouts. Simultaneously admitting not being able to bench 200 lbs isn't helping his argument. One could simply ask him, well, what if you're just wimpy? He should have said he could squat 300 lbs or something.

Tonichelle · Apr 15, 2011

By definition, cheerleading isn't independent; if football didn't exist, there would be no need for any girls to wear short skirts to cheer the football players on.

So they do athletics but they aren't athletic? Come again? Going back to the high school - and college - cheerleading, teh athletics, not the hormones, are what pushes the girls AND GUYS to excell in what they do. They are demonstrating athletic ability. If "rythmic" gymnastics is a sport, and figure skating is a sport, cheerleading is no different. It still takes athletic skill and abilitity to be great.

brightphoton · Apr 15, 2011

No, a sport is a competition between 2 or more people or groups of people. Cheerleading doesn't do that. Yes, there are cheerleading competitions, but the main purpose is ra ra go team!

Tonichelle · Apr 15, 2011

brightphoton said:
No, a sport is a competition between 2 or more people or groups of people. Cheerleading doesn't do that. Yes, there are cheerleading competitions, but the main purpose is ra ra go team!

perhaps sideline cheerleaders, but high school teams and collegiate are training for the competitions (all the way to nationals) they cheer to fund their sport.

brightphoton · Apr 15, 2011

The cheer competitions are auxiliary to cheerleading's true purpose: to entertain and rally. If there were no cheer competitions, nothing of value would be lost because the girls could still shake their booty at the halftime show. If there were no football halftime show, then they would cease to be cheerleaders. Whom would they cheering on? It would simply be modified gymnastics.

Tonichelle · Apr 15, 2011

brightphoton said:
It would simply be modified gymnastics.

there you have it, then, they are athletes.

brightphoton · Apr 15, 2011

Sport is a competition. Cheerleading is an entertaining activity. Cheerleading could only be considered modified gymnastics if cheerleading existed independently of football halftime shows.

Can't have it both ways.

Joesitz (RIP) · Apr 15, 2011

Modern Figure Skating is ACROBATICS ON ICE. It is not ballet on ice, and the general public does not see it as Grand Arte but is it a form of Dance. However, competitive skating's 4 minutes challenges the skaters to do rotational tricks; maintain a good line of posture; and be musical as a solo dancer.
It's not easy but neither is the 2.5-4 hours of a marathon run. Both sports have limited appeal to the general public.

antmanb · Apr 15, 2011

brightphoton said:
Sport is a competition. Cheerleading is an entertaining activity. Cheerleading could only be considered modified gymnastics if cheerleading existed independently of football halftime shows.

Can't have it both ways.

Well dictionary.com would disagree, it defines sport (amongst other things as):

"An athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc."

Note the word "often" and not "only" or "exclusively".

It also defines it as:
"diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime".

Mathman · Apr 15, 2011

antmanb said:
...fishing..."

But can fishermen bench press 200 pounds?

Olympia · Apr 15, 2011

Tonichelle said:
So they do athletics but they aren't athletic? Come again? Going back to the high school - and college - cheerleading, teh athletics, not the hormones, are what pushes the girls AND GUYS to excell in what they do. They are demonstrating athletic ability. If "rythmic" gymnastics is a sport, and figure skating is a sport, cheerleading is no different. It still takes athletic skill and abilitity to be great.

I'm a city slicker and not knowledgeable about cheerleading, but I feel that I must leap (so to speak) to its defense. What I've seen of competitions on TV show something that's plenty athletic. In fact, I believe that cheerleading leads to more injuries (and more serious ones) than any other sports for girls. It is a form of gymnastics--and a demanding one--whatever its origins. Since we are skating fans, we should be used to dealing with ambiguity about such things.

janetfan · Apr 15, 2011

brightphoton said:
By definition, cheerleading isn't independent; if football didn't exist, there would be no need for any girls to wear short skirts to cheer the football players on. .

Actually I am pretty sure I have seen cheerleading competitions on TV, independent of football and the objective was to WIN.

I believe I saw it on ESPN.

antmanb · Apr 15, 2011

Mathman said:
But can fishermen bench press 200 pounds?

Tonichelle · Apr 15, 2011

Mathman said:
But can fishermen bench press 200 pounds?

my dad can... but then he's also a hunter, and you gotta be able to pack out a ton of moose every year...

Tonichelle · Apr 15, 2011

Olympia said:
I'm a city slicker and not knowledgeable about cheerleading, but I feel that I must leap (so to speak) to its defense. What I've seen of competitions on TV show something that's plenty athletic. In fact, I believe that cheerleading leads to more injuries (and more serious ones) than any other sports for girls. It is a form of gymnastics--and a demanding one--whatever its origins. Since we are skating fans, we should be used to dealing with ambiguity about such things.

I'm hoping you understood that I am on the side of the cheerleaders on this one in that it is a sport.

Poodlepal · Apr 15, 2011

I remember someone on REAL Sports ( Bernie Goldberg, IIRC) said that bowling was a sport, but the bowlers weren't athletes (I suppose meaning that they didn't have to be physically fit--although I personally would question that. I don't think you could bowl all that well if you're fat and out of shape, Fred Flintstone and Ralph Kramden notwithstanding

) He then said that skaters are athletes but it isn't a sport. I can see what he means.

Skaters have to be in peak physical condition, but so do dancers. Dancing is not usually considered a sport, but a competition. You don't see dancing on ESPN or in the Olympics--it's considered one of the arts, not one of the sports.

I think that it is the judged nature of skating that is the problem. Yes, refs and umps sometimes make bad decisions, but there is a right and wrong answer. Either the ball was over the plate or it wasn't. The foul shot was made before the buzzer or it wasn't. Sometimes it takes instant replay to find the truth, but there usually is a truth. Figure skating has this component, too--either the lutz took off on the right edge or it didn't--but the minute "performance" "choreography" and "interpretation" are judged, it becomes much more like a subjective art competition than a traditional sport.

Whatever it is though, it sure is great!

Tonichelle · Apr 15, 2011

Poodlepal said:
I remember someone on REAL Sports ( Bernie Goldberg, IIRC) said that bowling was a sport, but the bowlers weren't athletes (I suppose meaning that they didn't have to be physically fit--although I personally would question that. I don't think you could bowl all that well if you're fat and out of shape, Fred Flintstone and Ralph Kramden notwithstanding ) He then said that skaters are athletes but it isn't a sport. I can see what he means.

I dunno, my best friend is a nationally ranked bowler and just started working out/getting into shape and she is large/out of shape. (lifestyle change is due health issues) She was a youth champion bowler while in high school and she didn't work out or stay physically fit for it either. So I don't know how I'd rank Bowling lol

Editorial: Stop Hating on Ice Skating

brightphoton

gkelly

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

brightphoton

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

brightphoton

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

brightphoton

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

brightphoton

Joesitz (RIP)

antmanb

Mathman

Olympia

janetfan

Match Penalty

antmanb

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Poodlepal

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

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