IFS magazine -- do skaters like it? | Golden Skate

IFS magazine -- do skaters like it?

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
In the latest issue of International Figure Skating (June 2004) the first four letters to the editor are from fans wanting more features about their favorite skaters. The editor responds:

"Michelle Kwan has not been available for [photo shoots and interviews]. An upcoming cover has been offered to Michelle through her management. We have yet to receive a answer."

"Several interview requests have been submitted to Sarah Hughes by IFS. She has declined them all."

"nterview requests [to Tara Lipinski] have not received replies."

"[Ilia Kulik] has declined all interview requests presented to him by ISF, including the offer of a cover for himself and his wife, Ekaterina Gordeeva."

Is something going on here? This is show biz, after all; why wouldn't these skaters want to be on the cover of a famous trade magazine? Even Sarah, who is out of skating for the time being, has many fans who want to read about her.

Do skaters regard these interviews as intrusions into their privacy? Are they too busy? Do they have something against IFS publisher Mark Lund?

Inquiring minds want to know. :)

Mathman
 

Lynn226

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Mathman, you raise some interesting questions. I believe that all of the skaters you mentioned have at least granted interviews to IFS in the past and most, if not all, have appeared on the cover. I can understand why Tara and Sarah would turn down the interviews. They have opted to take other career paths and maintaining their figure skating fan base may not be their top priority. I believe Ilia Kulik is a private person.

OTOH, MK is still quite active in the sport and the exposure couldn't hurt. It could be as simple as scheduling conflicts. All of these people lead busy lives. Or it could be more "sinister." The magazine is struggling now with the possible takeover (I'm not sure what the latest news is on that.) And it could be that some skaters have a problem with the editorial tone of the magazine. IFS has been quite vocal in condemning the ISU for judging problems. Olympic eligible skaters, such as MK, may fear retribution from the ISU if they associate themselves too closely with "the enemy."
 

Longhornliz

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Mathman said:


"[Ilia Kulik] has declined all interview requests presented to him by ISF, including the offer of a cover for himself and his wife, Ekaterina Gordeeva."

Mathman

Ok please dont laugh, but I must have been living off stage in a sound-proof booth.... when did they get married?????
 

Lynn226

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Re: Re: IFS magazine -- do skaters like it?

Longhornliz said:
Ok please dont laugh, but I must have been living off stage in a sound-proof booth.... when did they get married?????

It's been awhile, but I think it was rather low key, so don't feel too badly. :)
 

Grgranny

Da' Spellin' Homegirl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Don't remember for sure but wasn't it just before the baby was born??
 

frozetoez

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
If IFS treats skaters like they treat their subscribers, then I would say that there are many skaters who aren't too happy with them. :sheesh:
 

lulu

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Actually they got married 1yr after Liza was born.

As to why the skaters are not doing cover stories-I don't know it could be any of the reasons(or more) Mathman mentioned above.
 

Ximena

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Liza is such a cute little girl, she looks exactly like Ilia IMO, she has the same exact face.
 

dmr65

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
frozetoez said:
If IFS treats skaters like they treat their subscribers, then I would say that there are many skaters who aren't too happy with them. :sheesh:



:laugh: Yeah...


well, I noticed something over the years that I found very displeasing.. They seem selective as who they want on the cover and who they want to interview.. It seems to be a clique of skaters allowed on the cover or shown in the magazine.. :sheesh:
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
They do seem to have a select few on their covers. They almost never do pairs or dance teams. IFS likes to focus on singles skaters. One reason I don't like the mag.

My guess about Ilia turning them down was because they offered him the cover with Gordeeva. They appear to be very private about their relationship, and do nothing to prompte it publicly.

Sarah is busy trying to be a regular student, and Tara has been out of it for a while. As for Michelle, she probably has a million offers, and won't have time to do them all. She's been featured on IFS a number of times, IIRC. Maybe she's just making herself available to others that have had less acess to her.
 

76olympics

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 4, 2004
IFS mag

I subscribed for a few years and my chief memory is the unrelenting and constant re-subscription notices. They came 40 times more than the actual mag-and contributed to my finally just dropping it.

Sometimes-the articles were interesting and it gave you advance notice of skating shows or books. But-it was a little sanitized and party line to me (tho' I am sure it had to be to get cooperation from the skating community). This is why I enjoy this messageboard-where I can hear different perspectives and some opinionated views. It is the best figure skating board I have encountered-very lively but not gossipy or scurrilous.

I am not sure why the skaters are not contributing right now. It could be editorial differences behind the scenes or just a time where skaters are less interested in jumping into the spotlight.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
They do seem to have a select few on their covers. They almost never do pairs or dance teams. IFS likes to focus on singles skaters. One reason I don't like the mag.

There was Jamie and David... and this month has Shen and Zhao... they've also had Bourne and Kraatz...


Mark Lund does seem to really really like having MK

however this month came with a readers survey which I read and filled out and sent off

I love IFS... I love the photo shoots... and they've never been awful to me... and I've complained to them about things, I've never seen the thousands of "resubscribe" notices other than the cards that are in the magazine... and that's normal for any magazine.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Tonichelle said:
Mark Lund does seem to really really like having MK
I read the numbers somewhere -- I think it was in Lund's book Frozen Assets -- that IFS and BOI have something like a 20% increase in sales when Michelle appears on the cover.

MM.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Mathman - I felt the same way when I read IFS latest. The Letters to the Editor were more fascinating than the articles.

Apparently Sasha loves the cover - how many times has she been on the cover? (who can blame her) but it is the others who do not seem to care one way or the other for the cover spot. MK does steer clear of the spotlight I believe that is what makes her fans so eager to read even a sentence about her from whatever source. She doesn't flaunt her career.

But there are so many others whom I believe should make the cover of these magazines and yet the editors do not rush to present them. I will anticipate a cover of Shizuka soon!!!

Joe
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I think with a lot of skaters... like the ones not from N. America it'd mean they either traveled here... or IFS traveled there for the photo shoot... not all that cost effective. Yes it is mostly N. American... but the target audience is mostly N. Americans...

they do make sure to include mini articles on a lot of the skaters every issue.... this is the first time in a long time that Langlois & Archetto didn't have an "update"

I don't think they're Anti-anyone.... if anything it could be the otherway around...


and for being afraid of the spotlight MK wasn't too shy on her last cover photo...
 

Grgranny

Da' Spellin' Homegirl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I thought it was an old picture of Ekaterina. I didn't realize it was Daria or that she had developed that much.
 

dmr65

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Nope... #10 is Katia... I had assumed it was Dasha but noticed somethign not quite right.. But when I enlarged it a while back I seen it was Katia.. I recall that outfit from their Scorpions program.. That's one of my favorite programs. I like the Scorpions to..




Denise..
 
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