Quote Originally Posted by ivy View Post
When I think of essential elements of skating I think of moves like Michelle's spirals, Angela Nikodenov's layback, Shizuka's Ina Bauer, Brian Boitano's spread eagles. They are unique to skating, they can't really translate to other sports/arts. Sadly they aren't worth a lot of points, but can create a spell. They speak to an edge cutting a curve into the ice and the curve being felt through out the body.

Over all I like CoP, but this increasing fracturing of elements in things that add or subtract points is not the right direction in my opinion. It's loosing the forest for the trees. I'd like GoE to be more holistic - - failed, poor, below average, average, above average, good, excellent. That may seem more subjective, but feels right to me
I agree with every word of this. In 1994, when Brian Boitano was attempting to come back and compete at the Winter Olympics, he debuted a long program set to Shaker hymns. In the middle of the program, he did something I will never forget: a spread eagle followed by another spread eagle to one long note. The two spread eagles covered the entire length of the rink. It was so simple, so musical, and so so perfect (and very much "in tune" with the spirit of Shaker hymns and Shaker philosophy). I do remember hearing people in the audience gasping in admiration (you could hear them even on tv). He changed the program significantly for the Olympics and never included that portion again (but I remember seeing a great increase in spread eagles by other skaters for the next season or two or three after that).

Now I'm a big fan of COP (yes you can shoot me now), but that kind of move would never be used today because it doesn't gather enough points. But it's not only sine qua non for me, it's ne plus ultra of artistic skating - flow, edge, musicality.