Ashley Wagner's popularity | Golden Skate

Ashley Wagner's popularity

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I think we have no polls but maybe I don't know where they are. Ashley seems to get criticism I find unwarranted. Her pros as a skater for me include great musicality versatility enabling her to skate and dance to much music as her sp and lp showed so well. I find her the most complete artist left on the scene with grace coming on fast. Cesario is among my top five exciting skaters to watch.

I can't help but think her personality causes negativity and the judges register their dislike in her marks. She was screwed in Sochi. Like flatt 5th place would have been fair. I agree she can come across abrasive and talks big but so do many men and they are not penalized. I started this thread to get a sense of her popularity and secondarily why you like her or not. Off ice behavior has ruined the hopes of many a would be ice princess.

Lastly this is a beautiful girl second to none I have seen over the years. It is sad to hear she is old and lacks Hollywood beauty. I really support her as she works so hard had tough breaks with mills who was her perfect choreo and she was skewered after nationals. She has self loathing but showed us she belonged. I was once a huge mirai fan and mite be again but Ashley was so maligned.

I hope people will weigh in as fan or non fan and explain why. She will be number two lady or. Number one maybe again. True thoughts?

I have enjoyed her evolution. Double footing does not take away all she does do so very wel out there.

Skateluvr is a Fan for life
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
I think Ashley's done really well for the US ladies in the past few seasons, being a solid representation on the GP and GPF (she won 3 out of 4 GP events in the past 2 years, and medalled at both GPFs). She's also getting quite a bit of harsh criticism for not having a reliable 3-3, when the reality is, she brought it back this season to be more competitive and while she struggled with it in the 2nd half of the season, she did have occasional success with it, which is to be commended. Also commendable is her sticking with it, when a 3F+2T would garner her more points (and indeed, 5th at Worlds had she opted for that instead of a 3F+3T<< in the SP -- she would have been 4th after the SP in Sochi too had she gone for a clean 3-2). I think she is screwed by the judges, but her own stubbornness to not play it safe has occasionally screwed her over this past half of the season too.

It's pretty pathetic that people are writing her off, especially having been one of the GPF medalists, and a winner of a GP this year. She bombed US Nationals so she gets a lot of flack for keeping Mirai out of Sochi (not that Mirai showed the level of consistency Wagner showed the whole season up until then...). She worked hard though to redeem herself, and even got a personal best FS at Worlds 2014. So, to write her off after she just got a personal best is pretty irrational - although I suppose people also jeer at Sotnikova, saying she'll never replicate Sochi. Haters gonna hate, as they say.

As far as being old and lacking Hollywood beauty, those are just the musings of certain superficial hags who have nothing better to do than bash athletes who are more successful/athletic/beautiful than they will ever be.

Ashley will be just fine. And yes, as you said, double footing doesn't change the fact that she at least puts out interesting programs and exudes personality and attitude instead of being a superficial prim and prop ice princess.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Having met Ashley recently I found her to be beautiful, very, very nice, and quite approachable. She's actually very tiny in person, has a beautiful smile, and is quite gracious. I think what did her in with a lot of people on this board is the fact that she made so many statements prior to this year's competitions about winning medals, not being satisfied with anything but, etc. etc. and then could only manage a Bronze at Nats. Then, which wasn't her fault, she gets chosen to go to Sochi over Mirai and everyone feels SOOOO sorry for poor Mirai that opinion turned against Ashley. Forget the hard work Ashley has put in or how she's represented the US the last couple of years!!! I do not believe for one nanosecond that Mirai would have come close to Ashley's placements at either the Olympics or Worlds. BUT - because she didn't bring home a medal (I guess top 10 Internationally isn't worth much?) she's a "has been!"

I just have a problem with the people that attack a skater's personality, etc. It should be all about the skating. They don't train to give interviews or sound bites and yet they're criticized outrageously because they aren't articulate enough or whatever. On the other hand, there are male skaters out there with egos bigger than Rhode Island and they're okay.....but let a female skater show a little ego and the ol' double standard kicks in.

I'm not a huge fan of Ashley's skating but I really hope she kicks the proverbial butt next season!
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Wagner is only as popular as overhype :laugh:

her peak was in 2012, Wagner is done. the coming seasons Edmunds, Karen, Amber even Mirai will all pass her
 

AsadaFanBoy

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 14, 2014
How popular is Ashley on the boards?

Ashley should be considered with an even mind.

- lutz completely unreliable
- decent 3F-3T; it was great early in the season, but what happened to it?
- terrible spins. The positions are not that good, the extension isn't there, she loses too much speed, it's clunky, she needs to work on her camel (that weird limp thing she does is not pretty), and worst of all, her spins are repetitive. She also doesn't always hit everything to get a level 4. No excuses...Suzuki could do it, Ashley can learn.
- skating skills: sometimes she skates on the flats. Spirals *cough*. Twizzles need work.
- step sequence: no speed, edge qualify not that good, can't seem to do a level 4 step. She moves like her boots are lead.

But
- musicality is wonderful. She skates on beat
- she holds out her moves a little longer than the other ladies. It isn't graceful, but it is polished. Kudos.
- when she hits that 3F-3T it's pretty good.
- 3Lo-2A is great
- usually good music selection.
- Romeo and Juliet was actually a great program. She just didn't have the stamina to skate the whole thing.
- overall her skating is well-rounded. A little more complete than the others even if she doesn't match them technically.
- she's shown the capacity to improve over a short time period. 2A-3T out of nowhere after not hitting it for a long time? That 3-3 might get tweaked and consistent. It's not really fair to say she won't be able to get it.
- competitive drive; a skater has to want to win. She's shown that.
 

concorde

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Pros
- hard worker with a drive to win
- carried the US Ladies for 2 years

Cons
- Some of her jumps are "weak." She tends to two-foot a lot.
- When I see her on TV, I find her personality to be "grating." Someone above she is really sweet and I do not doubt it, but her sweetness is not what is projected. I know of one other skater where the TV personality and the real personality are off by 180.

Personally I think she can hold on as one of the top three for at least 1, maybe 2 years. She would have to improve to move up in the US; she has been working hard for the last 4+years so I really doubt that more improvement is possible. At this point in her skating career, time is not her friend.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I do not love Ashley. (I don't really do a lot of ladies.)

But I have a soft spot for her, and the reason for that is 90% due to the unreasonable, unwarranted, irrational and ridiculous level of hate she received after Nationals. Conversely, I found myself close to actively disliking Mirai due to the same factors.
 

pointyourtoe

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
- terrible spins. The positions are not that good, the extension isn't there, she loses too much speed, it's clunky, she needs to work on her camel (that weird limp thing she does is not pretty), and worst of all, her spins are repetitive. She also doesn't always hit everything to get a level 4. No excuses...Suzuki could do it, Ashley can learn.

She is perfectly capable of all level 4 spins, and she recently achieved it at 2014 worlds. She has a pretty classical layback and fine biellmann, certainly both far better than Suzuki and I way prefer Suzuki as a skater.

- skating skills: sometimes she skates on the flats. Spirals *cough*.

Her Charlotte stop is meant to be on a flat. She has great extension in her arabesque, better than many if not most skaters even if she's not gumby like Adelina or Julia

- step sequence: no speed, edge qualify not that good, can't seem to do a level 4 step.

Before worlds 2013, only a tiny handful of female skaters even received level 4 footwork (they implemented a rule change that made it clearer). Since then it's become far more common and the judges seem to be increasingly generous in rewarding level 4. In fact, at 2014 worlds, Ashley received level 4 footwork for her sp.
 

Coltrocks12

On the Ice
Joined
May 18, 2014
I have never liked or cared for Ashley. I don't care for her attitude and sense of entitlement. I am still mad they sent her to Sochi and not Marai Nagasu who earned her spot by beating Ash at Nats. I am probably in the minority though, and especially on this board.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
But I have a soft spot for her, and the reason for that is 90% due to the unreasonable, unwarranted, irrational and ridiculous level of hate she received after Nationals. Conversely, I found myself close to actively disliking Mirai due to the same factors.

Still, random people venting on the Internet is no reason to dislike anyone.

I am probably in the minority though, and especially on this board.

It does seem to be a minority opinion on this particular board. The issue (should the USFSA go strictly by U.S. Nationals results or should it take into account also past success internationally) has been debated for years here, long before either Ashley or Mirai appeared on the scene. At first I would say that the sentiment was about 50-50, but there has been a gradual shift, both on Internet boards and within the leadership of the USFSA itself, that the "Nationals only" criterion has put the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage at Worlds over the years.
 

TMC

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
I love Ashley.

She has a strong, assertive and determined personality that shows in her skating as well. She has musicality and artistry.

I don't know if she's really much better or worse than, say, Gracie or Mirai (apart from the two-footing issue). They all have different styles. I prefer Ashley over the other US ladies at the moment, partly because of her personality and partly because of her athletic style of skating where I feel she still takes the time to pay attention to the tiniest details (hand movements etc.) and acknowledge every nuance in the music. I like her sassiness and the way she attacks her programs.

Other ladies I find a bit meh...I feel like Ashley really tells a story; with the others I often get pretty bored. Yeah, they're beautiful and all, but I honestly don't even remember Gracie's FS from this season....whereas I remember both Ashley's programs quite vividly. I enjoy Mirai's skating as well but for different reasons - her personality is different but it still shines through strongly. I know that Gracie has spirit and personality as well, I just don't see it in her programs (she has brilliant exhibitions though). They're trying to sell the ice princess personality and if it works and gets the points, more power to her. I'm just happy that there's Ashley for those of us who enjoy our skating with a bit of sass :biggrin: - something for everybody! I hope she stays on for many many seasons.
 

Barb

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
I love Ashley, her skating but mainly her attitude, I love figure skaters that are hard workers, Mao, Shibs and Ashley, they love figure skating and they do a great effort to ahieve theirs goals and enjoy their journey too.
 

TMC

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
It does seem to be a minority opinion on this particular board. The issue (should the USFSA go strictly by U.S. Nationals results or should it take into account also past success internationally) has been debated for years here, long before either Ashley or Mirai appeared on the scene. At first I would say that the sentiment was about 50-50, but there has been a gradual shift, both on Internet boards and within the leadership of the USFSA itself, that the "Nationals only" criterion has put the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage at Worlds over the years.

Makes so much more sense.

I know this is difficult to imagine, but it could have happened: What if Davis and White, as the USA's only 100% sure-to-medal-in-Sochi skaters, had completely bombed both their programs at nationals - like six falls and Katsalapov2014-style twizzles - and come like fifth at nationals. Would there have been such a hue and cry if the USFSA had nevertheless decided to send them to Sochi? Or if they'd not sent them - would people have been happy with that decision, because it was "fair to the top three who earned their spots"?

I always love the underdog, but results are needed if the sport is going to keep people interested at all.
 

fleeting

Queen Anissina
Medalist
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
I like Ashley well enough, I suppose. She's probably my second-favorite behind Mirai. I like her fire and how she did manage to pull out her 3-3 even though it wasn't successful very often. I like her better as an exhibition skater than a competitive one, because I feel like her musicality really shines through in exhibitions. I loved her Young and Beautiful and her Sweet Dreams exhibitions this year.

I appreciate how she took a stance on the LGBTQIA issues in Russia and she seems nice enough. I think she makes a very solid point that she skated clean in Sochi and still came behind Lipnitskaya, Gold, and Asada, who all fell at one point or another. I think the face meme was just something to draw parallels between McKayla Maroney in London and someone in Sochi and it just happened to be her.

She's not my favorite American by any means, but I was appalled at how she was treated by the general public because I do like her. If anything, Polina was the one who had even less of a claim than Ashley to go to Sochi over Mirai. I want Ashley to have a great season next year and prove her naysayers wrong.
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
Having met Ashley recently I found her to be beautiful, very, very nice, and quite approachable. She's actually very tiny in person, has a beautiful smile, and is quite gracious. I think what did her in with a lot of people on this board is the fact that she made so many statements prior to this year's competitions about winning medals, not being satisfied with anything but, etc. etc. and then could only manage a Bronze at Nats.

Ashely won the pewter medal at nationals, not the bronze.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Makes so much more sense.

I know this is difficult to imagine, but it could have happened: What if Davis and White, as the USA's only 100% sure-to-medal-in-Sochi skaters, had completely bombed both their programs at nationals - like six falls and Katsalapov2014-style twizzles - and come like fifth at nationals. Would there have been such a hue and cry if the USFSA had nevertheless decided to send them to Sochi? Or if they'd not sent them - would people have been happy with that decision, because it was "fair to the top three who earned their spots"?

I always love the underdog, but results are needed if the sport is going to keep people interested at all.

The other point of view is this. If Davis and White had blown nationals, that's sports. If you are the best (American) football team in the league but lose in the playoffs, you don't get to play in the Super Bowl. ;)
 

AsadaFanBoy

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 14, 2014
For the spiral I was thinking more of black swan. Shallow edges.

Anyway getting the levels on spins and making them pretty aren't really the same. She also favors the back camel entrance which gets repetitive.
 

minze

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
I love Ashley, her skating but mainly her attitude, I love figure skaters that are hard workers, Mao, Shibs and Ashley, they love figure skating and they do a great effort to ahieve theirs goals and enjoy their journey too.

Agree with you. Ashley works hard and love the sport. Love that
 

UnsaneLily87

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
I love Ashley, she's got FIRE and knows how to sell a program. I find her more engaging to watch than any other US woman at the moment.

I love her attitude, it's refreshing to see a nice-but-sassy woman in skating. Too many women fall into the "pretty princess" trap where they just say the nice things and keep their head down. Way more fun with personalities!
 
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