Here's the Finnstep | Golden Skate

Here's the Finnstep

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
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United-States
That's the goal; but actually, the most important parts of the Finnstep will be the key points, which involve hitting the designated parts of the patterns.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
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Jan 28, 2013
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I did some minor research into the Finnstep, since I had no idea of what it was.

The Finnstep is a quickstep dance. It got it's name from its inventors, Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko. Now, there's a blast from the past! They debuted this dance as their Original Dance at the 1995 European Championships. It was later adapted to a Compulsary Dance. Of course, now it's being included as part of the Short Dance in the Olympic year.

It was last skated as a complusary dance in 2009. Here's a video of it, performed by Pechalat and Bourzat at the 2009 European Championships.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br7DzHQAK7k

It looks difficult, and even more so when considering how the spirit of the dance must be maintained. I predict some "WOW" Short Dances next year.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
How great that Rahkamo and Kokko have gained ice dancing immortality. I loved them as a team. I hope all the skaters can rise to the occasion and conquer their fears on this one. Too bad we can't have Rahkomo and Kokko show up to skate a demonstration of it.
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
The Finnstep is based on this awesome OSP :love:. Here is what Petri Kokko had to say about it in 2008:
"When you think of this dance, I'd like you to think of sparkling champagne and crystal clarity," Kokko told the assembled press. "The steps themselves aren't very difficult, but the timing is crucial. It's hard to do it properly. For example, the footwork is fast and precise, but all the movement is coming from the knees while the upper body remains stiff. The holds have to be strictly maintained throughout the entire dance . . . its very ballroom."
Sadly, it was only used twice, at 2009 Euros and 4CCs. If we've been deprived of the Finnstep as a CD, at least it'll make a comeback as an SD pattern... it'll only be about a million times better than the YP.

I did some minor research into the Finnstep, since I had no idea of what it was.

The Finnstep is a quickstep dance. It got it's name from its inventors, Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko. Now, there's a blast from the past! They debuted this dance as their Original Dance at the 1995 European Championships. It was later adapted to a Compulsary Dance. Of course, now it's being included as part of the Short Dance in the Olympic year.

It was last skated as a complusary dance in 2009. Here's a video of it, performed by Pechalat and Bourzat at the 2009 European Championships.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br7DzHQAK7k

It looks difficult, and even more so when considering how the spirit of the dance must be maintained. I predict some "WOW" Short Dances next year.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
I hope that no one suffers the fate of Rubleva & Shefer RUS while dancing the Finnstep. It's a very bouncy dance. One of the straps important for keepin her costume on broke, and thus was a Youtube sensation born, poor things. They were very good sports about it.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
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Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Well, I had to look that up on YouTube! I thought she handled the situation with poise and grace. I liked her wry smile in the K&C, very charming!

They were quite elegant, all things considered. He is certainly rocking the mullet!
 

TontoK

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Jan 28, 2013
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How great that Rahkamo and Kokko have gained ice dancing immortality. I loved them as a team. I hope all the skaters can rise to the occasion and conquer their fears on this one. Too bad we can't have Rahkomo and Kokko show up to skate a demonstration of it.

Oh, I did, too! They were crowd-pleasers. How nice that they finally won the Europeans and two WC Medals, especially back in the day when Ice Dancing placements simply did not shift.

Even more pleasing was that they did not come from a traditional skating powerhouse. Nowadays we see champions from places like Spain and Korea, but it was a rarity back then. Think what they accomplished with very little federation help (I assume).
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Finnstep is a fantastic compulsory dance. It's very difficult but not in a "pointlessly difficult Midnight Blues way". The way steps go together actually makes sense and it's light, breezy and bouncy if performed well. :)

Think what they accomplished with very little federation help (I assume).

I am not sure but I would guess that they had quite substantial help from their federation given Finland is very rich country with big social spending.
 

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Finnstep is a fantastic compulsory dance. It's very difficult but not in a "pointlessly difficult Midnight Blues way". The way steps go together actually makes sense and it's light, breezy and bouncy if performed well. :)



I am not sure but I would guess that they had quite substantial help from their federation given Finland is very rich country with big social spending.

Nokia was Rahkamo & Kokko's sponsor for several years during their competitive career.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I think what TontoK meant was that the Finnish Federation did not have any particular political clout in ISU circles, back in the day when such things were paramount in ice dance.
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
I think what TontoK meant was that the Finnish Federation did not have any particular political clout in ISU circles, back in the day when such things were paramount in ice dance.

I think they still are. ;)

Maybe to a lesser extent though. :)
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
When I saw Emily and Evan do the Finnstep, I thought, "Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers". I like it....it certainly is difficult but will give the judges an easier time, and the fans too, in some esoteric way.....heck, anybody can go out there and do a pattern waltz...how can you grade D and W against the other top six teams if everyone is perfect (if you are a know nothing fan like me) ? Another plus is that us old farts will love it....forget the blues and hip hop, bring on Fred and Ginger! Hummmm... a Disson show where six couples are skating around the arena at once doing the finnstep to a big band. Forget Riverdance...this will be really big!
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
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Joined
Jan 28, 2013
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I think what TontoK meant was that the Finnish Federation did not have any particular political clout in ISU circles, back in the day when such things were paramount in ice dance.

Yes, thank you, that's what I intended to say. I recall a circumstance in a major competition in the early 90's (I think) where something like the top 15 ice dance teams earned the exact same placements through three CDs, the OD, and the FD. Not one iota of movement. For example, not once during the five dances was the 13 ranked couple allowed to move to a 12th placement.

Now, I suppose that they could have all skated the five dances in the exact same order of proficiency, but that seems statistically improbable. The more likely explanation from the viewpoint of a casual fan was that the fix was in, and the dancers and judges were simply going through the motions. The marks could have been mailed in. Ice dance judging was notorious in those days. That a pairing from Finland, of all places, managed to earn a European title and make it to the podium twice at the WC was remarkable.

I tried to find documention to support this statement, but couldn't... and frankly it's been many years since that competition, so I may have a few details wrong... but I distinctly recall the furor on the old AOL message boards.
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Oh yeah before the advent of IJS, there was usually no movement whatsoever during Ice Dance events.
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
In the same way that Tracy Wilson correctly predicted how Bourne & Kraatz would be marked out of a bronze medal at the Olympics by bloc scoring during the CDs. Whatever else you may say about the COP and IJS, it has been manna from heaven for ice dancing.

The Finnstep should be a wonderful short dance. Very late 20s/early 30s. I'm greatly looking forward to it.
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
In the same way that Tracy Wilson correctly predicted how Bourne & Kraatz would be marked out of a bronze medal at the Olympics by bloc scoring during the CDs. Whatever else you may say about the COP and IJS, it has been manna from heaven for ice dancing.

The Finnstep should be a wonderful short dance. Very late 20s/early 30s. I'm greatly looking forward to it.
Some people thought that Bourne and Kraatz were just not that great at compulsories (or in general). I won't deny that there was a lot of political maneuvering in ice dance judging (there still is) but sometimes NA skaters didn't win/medal because others were better. Shocking, I know.

I also disagree that the IJS has been all that great for ice dance. The movement in the standings is good, as is the ability of younger teams to contend, and to some extent, the attempt to make the scoring more objective. OTOH, getting rid of the CDs and some of the elements now required have turned ice dance into pairs skating with dance elements. And a lot of the lifts the ice dancers now do to get good levels and GOEs have little to do with the program (what did the Goose have to do with the Mahler FD, exactly?) and/or are ugly (P/B's SD lift last year, and I happen to like P/B). Wait your turn was problematic, but it also allowed younger teams time to develop and gel without the pressure of competing at the very top and trying to move up quickly up the ranks - a pressure that has done some teams very little good.

We are in agreement about the Finnstep, however; it really is fabulous.
 
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