Alissa consolation thread | Golden Skate

Alissa consolation thread

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I feel bad. How could one not? Alissa, you are not a born competitor but your skating is beyond beautiful when you are not pressured. So what if you can't compete that great consistently? You are stunningly beautiful, sweet, have the best body in skating, you are so intelligent and that smile through the embarassment/pain says how courageous you are. You kept getting up. Whatever happens next, you really touch people in your exhibition skates. It must be hard to be such a great beauty, too.Tough luck, kid. Hey, we didn't get 3 spots but that doesn't make you a bad person. The world is still yours. Best of luck. I hope people give you a break, as you deserve respect for trying so hard. You may not compete like Yuna Kim or Michelle Kwan, but you have such quality in your skating. I hope I am not your last fan on these boards, LOL. It's not the end of the world, just the season!;)
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
she's a brave girl. i give her credit for going out there despite how she competed at the challenge cup and after her short. that takes a lot of courage to go out and skate and still not do well. people say she isn't mentally strong, but i think she is. she's been on the senior scene for about ten years and despite all of her disappointing performances she keeps coming back and trying, and changed coaches to better herself. she loves what she does and because of that she keeps trying. that's one of the greatest traits of a skater.
 

hurrah

Medalist
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
I also think Alissa is hardworking and has competitive spirit. She made a gutsy decision to try and be the very best skater that she could be, and she is taking full responsibility for the risks she decided to take. And so she can be proud of herself for that. No one can take that away from her.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
We love you and wish the best for you....you brought art back to skating....if you want to do solo dance, or singles or whatever for a year or two, that is fine....I just want to see you happy in five years doing something you enjoy and loving life and people. In the immortal words of Michelle Kwan, "Life is about more than triple jumps".
 

ana

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 16, 2010
You are still my favorite skater. I hope you return strong than ever. You need skate for yourself and no for resultats.
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
We love you and wish the best for you....you brought art back to skating....if you want to do solo dance, or singles or whatever for a year or two, that is fine....I just want to see you happy in five years doing something you enjoy and loving life and people. In the immortal words of Michelle Kwan, "Life is about more than triple jumps".

I can't say it any better than this, so I'll just add that I too want to see Alissa pick herself up and find another way to skate that doesn't involve pressure or judges. She'll always have her two national titles and her fifth-place finish at Worlds last year.
 

spikydurian

Medalist
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
I feel bad. How could one not? Alissa, you are not a born competitor but your skating is beyond beautiful when you are not pressured. So what if you can't compete that great consistently? You are stunningly beautiful, sweet, have the best body in skating, you are so intelligent and that smile through the embarassment/pain says how courageous you are. You kept getting up. Whatever happens next, you really touch people in your exhibition skates. It must be hard to be such a great beauty, too.Tough luck, kid. Hey, we didn't get 3 spots but that doesn't make you a bad person. The world is still yours. Best of luck. I hope people give you a break, as you deserve respect for trying so hard. You may not compete like Yuna Kim or Michelle Kwan, but you have such quality in your skating. I hope I am not your last fan on these boards, LOL. It's not the end of the world, just the season!;)
:thumbsup:
That's very kind of you skateluvr in sending Alissa a positive message instead of biting her head off.
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Love this thread and Alissa should know she has plenty of supporters out there look out for her. It is tough to be at the top for US who seems only ever want BEST result and don't really care how you get there. Personally I thought her story last year was so inspiring, she just need to do it again somehow if she chooses. On her best, she were able to bring an old fashioned sort of quintessential gorgeousness that is timeless. Skating career is a bit like life, it is more than just about one big mistakes or one messed up skate, but what you do to deal with it. Let it eat you up? Or take it in and move on better next time.

It would be interesting to see what decision she makes next. I look forward to see her performing in lots of skating shows in Asia, including at Yuna's show in Korea in May, and Artistry on Ice show in Shanghai in June, sharing stage again with Yuna. Maybe she can rest out there or something, visit the Shaolin temples, do some meditation, Karma building and soul cleansing. They do excellent vegetarian food in Asia. (Buddhists are vegetarians just like Alissa), so hopefully she will get to enjoy the food, drink, health stuff while contemplating the future.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Thanks for helping me support Alissa. I saw a poster in the comp thread say he hated her with a passion. Well, she is getting dinged and must feel awful as she was expected to at least get the third position. The other thread got kinda mean. Shen has everything but a world medal. She has so much, but right now she must be very depressed. I see her in shows. They love her in Korea and Japan. SHe has new vistas to conquer. She might check the two big forums, or at least read Hersh. I just hope she happens on our little labor of love to our 'fallen' angel, because all who know her say she is really very sweet.

I will remember her in better days in her pink SP outfit. Just wow. And BTW I wasn't here to defend Flatt laqst year-did not even know she skated injured. It isn't because she is such a beauty I want to suport her. SHe needs it. A lot of US fans seem pretty disappointed. I have always defended Rachael Flatt, who I admire a lot. This isn't about her beauty. I haven't looked at FSU but I think she is going to have a tough time going home. I wonder if we will hear an announcement soon of her plans? I guess she will take some time to regroup before making decisions, but I am assuming retirement or no announcement. Does anyone know if she is slotted to do a Yuna show or Japanice show?
 

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
We love you and wish the best for you....you brought art back to skating....if you want to do solo dance, or singles or whatever for a year or two, that is fine....I just want to see you happy in five years doing something you enjoy and loving life and people. In the immortal words of Michelle Kwan, "Life is about more than triple jumps".

Beautifully stated! Thank you!
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
I can't say it any better than this, so I'll just add that I too want to see Alissa pick herself up and find another way to skate that doesn't involve pressure or judges. She'll always have her two national titles and her fifth-place finish at Worlds last year.
Thanks! For me, the GP Final win was a big momment. The really odd thing about life is you never know at the time if something is going to be good or bad for you in the long run....I had three really bad days at different times in my life that turned out to be the best things for me in the long run.....whether or not she skates competition for the next two years or so in the grand scheme of things probably will have little effect on her happiness through the years....
Look at John Z. and Silvia F. They didnt win worlds but they won each other and now are having a kid.....
As skateluvr says, Its not the end of the world...it just may be the beginning of one....
You go, girl! You rock!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I will remember her in better days in her pink SP outfit. Just wow. And BTW I wasn't here to defend Flatt laqst year-did not even know she skated injured. It isn't because she is such a beauty I want to suport her. SHe needs it. A lot of US fans seem pretty disappointed. I have always defended Rachael Flatt, who I admire a lot. This isn't about her beauty. I haven't looked at FSU but I think she is going to have a tough time going home. I wonder if we will hear an announcement soon of her plans? I guess she will take some time to regroup before making decisions, but I am assuming retirement or no announcement. Does anyone know if she is slotted to do a Yuna show or Japanice show?

For one thing, I think that Rachael is also very pretty. She doesn't have the best posture, but she has very nice features and a truly radiant smile.

Additionally, I feel that pretty much all skaters ought to be defended. They work like dogs during years when most of us are clueless about how to set and achieve goals. Then they go out in front of zillions of people and do stuff that would give most of us heart attacks. Even the least of them are impressive, and Rachael and Alissa (each a former national champion) are far from the least of them.

Back to Alissa--sigh; I wish she had been able to pull it together. But she still has possibilities in skating. Like her fellow spin-master Lucinda Ruh, she would make a fabulous show skater. She has also wisely kept up her education, and she has a college degree. She's not one of those unfortunate one-sided athletes who are completely ignorant of the outside world.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I agree Olympia that Flatt is very cute. She is adorable really, who has it all. She won the genetic lottery on all fronts. I did not mean to imply she was unattractive. I mentioned Rach because of many posts saying everyone gives Alissa breaks that Rach did not get (like from Hersh) and posts here because of Alissa's natural beauty. That may indeed be part of her appeal to everyone. That is human nature. People are attracted to beautiful women, esp those with talent w(earing such great outfits too, LOL). Then add someone with Alissa's talent and sweetness and people are sympathetic. Apparently Rach was skewered for skating injured. But we see many times people don't like her looks/body type. I never understood this because she has one defect really, just no long neck that makes her posture look less than perfect, but her posture is far from horrible. And anyway, these things get pushed aside in CoP skating. Most women don't spend forever perfecting their spiral positions as there are not enough points. And pointed toes, which were part of the exquisite line of Sasha and Bobek, did not matter when Yuna was skating.

So, yes, they are amazking, these figure skaters, even the 18-24 at worlds. It is too bad we can't even get the competitions covered, never mind fluff peices like we used to about skater x from some little country practicing. I'd love to see Alissa in her home rink just skating when she is not afraid of the judges, or the mobs of fans and the cameras. I used to say the same about Sasha. I did see her practice early in her career and perform, and every little skater girl mobbed her-pushing past veteran big names. Alissa has some of Sasha's amazing strengths, making her beautiful to watch when she is, as u say, keeping it together.
 
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Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Additionally, I feel that pretty much all skaters ought to be defended. They work like dogs during years when most of us are clueless about how to set and achieve goals.

The interesting thing is, in the case of the dogs I know that are "working dogs" (and one of the ways I think this saying came from perhaps?) is that the dogs run and pull not just because it's what they're bred to do but that they LOVE DOING IT. A dog that doesn't feel good, is injured, or just doesn't want to pull doesn't love it and doesn't make the team. A musher knows their dogs and helps them with that mental toughness or tells them it's okay to sit it out.

Where as it seems sports like gymnastics and skating have skating mothers, fans and coaches (and federations) that say "to hell with what you want, did you not see how much money we put into your skating from the time you were in diapers? GET OUT THERE AND WIN ME A MEDAL"... I think that's the key difference as to why the dogs work and why a lot of these skaters do. Sure they get into it for different reasons, all athletes do, but how many times do we see these skaters who seem born to do what they do and they don't look happy. They just go through the motions.

And when the fail, we don't help endear them to the sport at all... Jenny Kirk doesn't even skate for fun often anymore. Too much in the way of painful memories... how do skaters get past that?

That's why it's heartening to see threads like this - even though the critique on the skating may be valid.
 
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