Why doesn't anyone like pairs skating any more? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Why doesn't anyone like pairs skating any more?

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
judges will always love that classical lines and Pairs
that you associate with Gordeeva/Grinkov, Brezhnaya/Sikhuralidze and now with Volosozhar/Trankov
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
Well, since I won't acquiesce to being an Emily Dickinson NOBODY, I still like pairs skating. I didn't realize it was no longer popular. If it has become the orphan child, I really have no idea as to the reason. What surprises me about myself is that I never would have imagined becoming the fan of ice dancing that I have. That was my red haired stepchild in skating until the last few years.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
I disagree that widespread disinterest has anything to do with lack of NA pairs... aren't 2 of the top 4 teams from Canada?

I remember most of the great pairs teams... I mentioned them in an earlier post on this thread. They were, for the most part, Soviet/Russian, not NA.

Find a youtube of a skate that includes the Protopopov's pair spiral. The simplicity, perfectly matched lines, the elegance... it's worth a dozen triple twists with crashy catches or 15 throw triples landed on the butt (but still rewarded under CoP) but that spiral wouldn't be valued today. Likewise the joy of G/G in Calgary, compared to their mature grace in their second Olympic win, there is a real range of emotion. Those didn't look like the same program at all. Irina Rodnina: three OGM with two different partners. I think she was WC something like 10 years. She was dominant.

Once you've been wow'd by those skaters... it's tough to get too worked up by V/T, S/S, or any of the rest. They're fine skaters, no doubt, but the thrill isn't there in pairs for me anymore. I think it has everything to do with the programs, and not the skaters themselves.

I haven't given up on ever seeing a truly great pairs team again. I'm waiting patiently.
 

Redstone

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 12, 2011
Today's pairs make me miss Zhang & Zhang, let alone Shen & Zhao :love:

I hope Tong Jian comes back from his scheduled surgery stronger...and he and Pang Qing save pair skating at the Olympics.

No offence, but I don't see how Pang/Tong at their the best are better than S/S and V/T at their best. I mean, good luck to him, Pang/Tong can surely be an itersting addition to the mix of medals contenders at the Olys, but "save" it? Don't think so.
I generally don't think that pairs need saving any more thanany other skating discipline. I'm fascinated with both S/S and V/T and simply adore Tanya and Max's skating> My only wish is that there were more top level pairs from different countries and for sure it'd boost fans interest in the sport.
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
How did pairs skating turn into the orphan child that nobody wants?

Pairs should be the most enjoyable and exciting discipline to watch. It has everything, jumps and spins like singles, two-skating-as-one like dance, plus its own bag of circus tricks like overhead lifts, throws and twists. And yet...

Because COP made it unwatchable.
 

FlattFan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Starting from 1990, I love Kristi and Rudy. Their programs had quite a few highlights that none of the US pairs have.
M/D are awesome. Their programs are always special. Poor K/S, just couldn't reach it.
B/S are also very special although I don't like them as much as M/D. M/D are more original.

T/M are boring as hell. They are the first COP pair, and they put a damp into pair skating in general. Boring, boring, boring. Watching water boiling is probably more interesting than these two.
Z/Z were exciting at the Olympics actually. They looked equally boring, but they went for big tricks that pushed me to the edge of my seat. They lost the exciting portion of their performance when they stuffed all the big tricks back in the bag.
S/Z were a bit overrated. They are more connected than T/M and the Zhangs, but something else is missing. Their programs aren't as original and special as M/D or B/S. Even programs in 6.0 era.
S/S are so overrated. They are the worst world champion of pair skating since the new system. Messy, flawed programs year after year. And everything looks labored. I can't get into them at all.
K?S almost had it. Both are boring folks, disguised by clever choreography. But it can only go so far. And their inconsistency didn't help.
P/T are like the M/T of pairs but 10 years older. Don't know when to call it quit. Last persons to leave a party. Just sad to watch now.
V/T are just gross. With tacky programs to boot.

I think the #2 Canadian pair are the only pair that is closest to the cool old day.
 

centerpt1

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 27, 2008
I'm not sure when I lost interest in pairs. For some reason, it all looks the same to me now. Every pair seems to do the same ugly lifts- and most don't do interesting dismounts any more. Dance lifts are creative and wonderful. Pairs lifts are staid and boring.

There has to be some way to tweak the scoring system to reward creativity and interesting choreography.

Also-whenever a fresh, new team comes along, they break up.
 

evangeline

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
I like Savchenko/Szolkowy, but the only other pairs team I was really, really interested in and loved to watch was Takahashi/Tran. Above all other pairs, Takahashi/Tran's skating had that air of old-school pairs elegance to them, except updated to CoP standards.

But then they broke up :cry:



I blame the stupid team event at the Olympics....
 

hippomoomin

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
You are correct. My interest in pairs has been dwindling since 2010, not just because the old top pairs are on the decline (the reason why they haven't retired kind of tell the week new comers), but also new promising pairs are either breaking up or injured, or both.
New Chinese pairs have good pair skills but poor singe jumps & skating skills; North American pairs have good single jumps but their throws tend to look heavy and not thrilling; Then only Russian pairs are left for me to enjoy. But due to the lack of competition, I am giving them up too. :disapp:
The field needs some new blood, some new comers that can dominate.
I wished Dan Zhang didn't retire. Hao with is new partner his no where near their pervious form, she needs to mature as fast as possible, and he needs to fight against problems of getting old. :no:
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
why and how could they "save" it? just wondering..

To be clear, they can save it for me, personally. I love their flow on the ice, their oneness, their lines, their emoting.

Whether they can save it for anyone else, who can say? The last pair I truly loved was Shen & Zhao. The first pair I ever loved was the Protopopovs.

You will note the absence of North American pairs in the list, although if I had to pick a favorite pair today, it would be M-T/M.
However, the COP rules are such that D&R deserve to be marked higher than M-T/M. That alone is one reason that watching pairs is no joy whatsoever right now for me. I cannot answer for anyone else; however, NBC did not even show the list of pair finishers in their coverage today-and there were 2 North American pairs at the top of the list.
 

Macassar88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
why and how could they "save" it? just wondering..

They could save it by showing amazing artistic and technical programs like they did in Vancouver!
Also hoping that Steuer gets his choreo back to Piña level brilliantness for S and S

But in response to the original question, almost all of the top pairs have shittastic programs. Especially Volosozhar and Trankov. That SP was vomit worthy.
 

Macassar88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
judges will always love that classical lines and Pairs
that you associate with Gordeeva/Grinkov, Brezhnaya/Sikhuralidze and now with Volosozhar/Trankov

I don't associate Volosozhar and Trankov with classical lines. They have some pretty ugly lifts. If you want classical lines, look at Vera Bazarova. She has some of if not the best lift positions of all time. And her manservant does a good job at showcasing her beautiful lines and extension.
 

bramweld

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
I don't associate Volosozhar and Trankov with classical lines. They have some pretty ugly lifts. If you want classical lines, look at Vera Bazarova. She has some of if not the best lift positions of all time. And her manservant does a good job at showcasing her beautiful lines and extension.


V/T should not be mentioned in the same breath as G/G and B/S. No, no. V/T are very strong technically and powerful but IMHO only Tanya consistently and intentionally pays attention to her presentation. The basic glide and quality of transitions of these pairs has not been matched in the COP era. But as long as COP give V/T marks for what they're currently doing, even when they have disastrous programs, I'll hold my breath till another pairs team can draw me in the way these classic pairs did. We need new talent and fast.
 

figuristka

Medalist
Joined
Dec 15, 2003
I suppose Pairs is the least interesting for me. Always liked men and ladies better and Dance well i used to do some ice dance myself so like it more than Pairs too. I however have a much bigger interest in Pairs when there are great quality teams. The first pair i adored is G&G who made pairs skating so beautiful and romantic. Also loved B/S,S/P, and S/Z. I do love the skating of V/T. S/S i like too but usually find their programs a bit strange. Enjoy both the top Canadian pairs but V/T are the pair who i like best on the ice right now.I find him quite expressive for a male pairs skater. Oh the Protopopov's are so sweet. I once had a session when they were skating. Lovely couple. Are they still able to skate?
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
I don't associate Volosozhar and Trankov with classical lines. They have some pretty ugly lifts. If you want classical lines, look at Vera Bazarova. She has some of if not the best lift positions of all time. And her manservant does a good job at showcasing her beautiful lines and extension.

Im saying they are the closest to pre CoP, B/S were really the last complete pair, huge twists, big jumps, lovely lines, they had chemistry
Vera has lovely lines but Yuri does not , you are right he is merely there to showcase Vera which makes him a background/irrelevant
 

TheIronLady

Spectator
Joined
Nov 28, 2010
Pang/Tong need to eat.

Pairs is the only discipline that was completely ruined by IJS. It used to be very dangerous and difficult, but now it's almost a joke how much danger one has to accept to do it. I think this has reduced the numbers of skaters interested in pairs. Second, IJS has made spins, spirals, and SBS jumps uglier than before. There is no way to make a pairs program connected to music with how IJS rewards them.
 

ffionhanathomas

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 12, 2013
I agree, its far more unpopular than it used to be. For example, here in the UK at nationals there's only been 1 senior pairs team competing for a while, and the junior and novice categories fluctuate between 1-4. Ice dance and singles however, have so many more competitors!
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
I'm recalling that I rarely invested much time in Ice Dance during the 6.0 days. It just wasn't worth the bother. But I loved watching pairs back then...

Now under CoP, it's just the opposite.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
I've always loved both, but these days, I just love dance a whole lot more, and since 2010, it's worse.
 
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