Debris on the Ice

[icenut84]

A little bit off topic, but does flash photography going off in the skaters' faces really bother them? There are always announcements about no flash photography, but there are still one or two jokers in the front row who do it anyway.

Mathman

I'm sure it does bother them sometimes. I remember reading something from a while ago (I can't remember exactly when it was, but I think it was a GP event, maybe last season), when a skater actually fell on a jump because someone took a flash photo at that very second. I assume flash photography is banned because it *can* distract a skater.

[dr.frog]

Flash photography certainly *does* bother the skaters. In recent years at US Nationals, they have had the skaters themselves doing the blurbs begging people to turn off their flashes and talking about how unfair it is to the skaters to have their concentration ruined by idiots who think the rules don't apply to them.

Seriously, if somebody unexpectedly pointed a flash at *you* from 10 feet away when you were doing something delicate that your whole career depended on, wouldn't *you* be bothered?

[hockeyfan228]

At Worlds 2003 in DC, there were numerous announcements saying that flash was forbidden and could affect the skaters' performances. In the Ladies SP Julia Sebestyen fell coming around the short side of the rink on forward cross-overs, marring what had been and continued to be a powerful and otherwise accomplished program, one of the best of the day. There was a very stern announcement after her program about flash, and the Washington Post reported that she may have fallen because of flash.

[SkateFan4Life]

At Worlds 2003 in DC, there were numerous announcements saying that flash was forbidden and could affect the skaters' performances. In the Ladies SP Julia Sebestyen fell coming around the short side of the rink on forward cross-overs, marring what had been and continued to be a powerful and otherwise accomplished program, one of the best of the day. There was a very stern announcement after her program about flash, and the Washington Post reported that she may have fallen because of flash.

Skating fans who insist on taking flash photographs during competitions should be escorted out of the arena. Their cameras should also be confiscated. I have a "take no prisoners" attitude toward this behavior. It is absolutely, completely STUPID for people to take flash photos during competitions. Where are the brains, folks? Egads. It gives yet another slap in the eye to those of us who attend these competitions and shows.