What is happening to Tara Lipinski???

tripleflutz said:

I think Tara just wanted to have some sort of a life that had nothing to do with skating. She spent her childhood in the rink every day practicing skating, and wore out her hip in the process. But, more than that, from both the mental and physical aspects, I think she was just burned out with skating. Like Jennifer Caprioti, something happened to take her away from the sport for a while, and since she's enjoying life, she's in no hurry to go back.

But, wait until the movie critics decide that she's no longer just a guest(guests usually aren't negetivly reviewed), but someone who claims to be an actor. When the time comes that they see her as fair game, well I don't think she's going to respond well to the sort of sharp criticism they can dish out.

I'll give her another year or two to sort things out and come to her senses, while watching her celebrity fade. I think by then she'll see the need to go back to her day job, I just hope its not too late.

tripleflutz

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I think Tara has pretty thick skin when it comes to criticism. She took it for years with her skating.

thisthingcalledlove said:

I think Tara has pretty thick skin when it comes to criticism. She took it for years with her skating.

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Pat Lipinski lambasted critics for daring to say a negative word about her daughter, and she did it to the media. Judges, coaches, other skaters, other skaters' parents all got heat from Pat.

In an interview at 2003 US Nationals, Tara complained about her treatment in the press. She thought that once she'd won the OGM, she'd be the most popular skater in the US, and become a media darling, but that didn't happen, and I guess Tara never realized how much of an impact Pat Lipinski's behavior had on her image.

tripleflutz said:

I think Tara just wanted to have some sort of a life that had nothing to do with skating. She spent her childhood in the rink every day practicing skating, and wore out her hip in the process. But, more than that, from both the mental and physical aspects, I think she was just burned out with skating.

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That's an interesting insight. I think that might well be true. I have read that she never did really enjoy her gig with Stars on Ice, feeling a little bit left out among the older skaters.

tripleflutz said:

I'll give her another year or two to sort things out and come to her senses, while watching her celebrity fade. I think by then she'll see the need to go back to her day job, I just hope its not too late.

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Well, given her hip situation I don't think she will be able to return to serious skating. But I think it will never be too late for her to involve herself in other aspects of the sport. She has a lot of fans still, as well as friends in a position to help her get back involved if she wants to. She is, after all, an Olympic gold medalist -- the youngest ever with that distinction.

Mathman

tripleflutz said:

I think Tara just wanted to have some sort of a life that had nothing to do with skating. She spent her childhood in the rink every day practicing skating, and wore out her hip in the process. But, more than that, from both the mental and physical aspects, I think she was just burned out with skating. Like Jennifer Caprioti, something happened to take her away from the sport for a while, and since she's enjoying life, she's in no hurry to go back.

But, wait until the movie critics decide that she's no longer just a guest(guests usually aren't negetivly reviewed), but someone who claims to be an actor. When the time comes that they see her as fair game, well I don't think she's going to respond well to the sort of sharp criticism they can dish out.

I'll give her another year or two to sort things out and come to her senses, while watching her celebrity fade. I think by then she'll see the need to go back to her day job, I just hope its not too late.

tripleflutz

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Tara is still young enough to do anything that she sets her mind to do. She still has a long life ahead of her to figure out want she wants to do with the rest of her life. There is world of opportunites out there for her. All these things that she is doing, is life experiences that educate her. When the time comes, she will figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Like I tell my own boys(young men) do what you have to do in life, but enjoy what you are doing, don't settle for anything less. It's never to late for Tara, who's to say that she may decide to go to university later on, but whatever she does I hope that she is happy.

http://www.tararulz.com/gallerytest/categories.php?cat_id=572


Check out Tara's Oscar pics! She looks fantastic!

Never thought I'd say THIS, but that dress makes her look Frumpy. And that she aint.

I agree--that dress makes Tara look matronly. And if she's had a "little work done", I think they made her a couple of inches too big for a woman as short as she is.

Is it a illusion or does Tara have breast!?

It does look bigger. I didn't even notice it the first time and then I looked again and was surprised. I know people are speculating she might have had work done. I don't know.... I just don't think Tara would but then who knows?? I actually thought she might be wearing a padded bra or something.

When I started this thread about Tara, what she was up to these days, well I never thought first, that there would be so many replies, and second, that it would go in that direction.

She has not had any work done. She's always favored height-enhancing shoes and bust-enhancing underwear.

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Now Idle are you saying this from personal knowledge or just guessing

I generally don't post comments but I thought this forum was interesting. I must say that I am not a "real" skating fan but when I watch tapes of Tara's am and pro performances, I think (despite the massive publicity of the late 90's) that she has been tremendously underated (historically) as a figure skater. I have read so many polls regarding great skating performances, skaters and so forth - and Tara is generally omitted. Since Tara, I have watched the Nationals and Worlds annually, and I have seen few skaters the measure of her caliber.

Maybe she has been underated as a skater because she left the competitive ranks so suddenly (maybe due to partial injury) and it snubbed some of the purists in the sport. I don't know.

I also think that her programs in the 1998 olympics were underated. I don't pretend to be very knowledgable about competive skating but her long program in the 1998 olympics was one for the ages - and she was only 15 years old.

Anyhow - I also hope she skates again (with or without jumps) - with or without Stars on Ice.

I have to make one more observation for those who do not think Tara is a good actor. From my limited viewpoint, Tara has handled her success as a Figure Skater with incredible dignity. She still participates in many charities and seems to give back to the world a little of her good fortune. And - she has dedicated herself to working hard on her acting career and appreciates her successes - whatever they may be. It would have been very easy for someone who travelled the "pressure packed" road as Tara did as a kid, to grow up as a "brat". Again, from what I can see, Tara is a wonderful girl.

Personally, if she makes it as an actor, I think it will be on a TV situation comedy. Throughout her skating years, Tara showed a great personality and she also showed the ability to be "cute" and funny. She probably doesn't like the term "cute" but a lot of "cute" girls have made it big on television. Tara's cute.

Either way, Tara will always be my favorite.

Thanks for joining us, James.

I completely agree about Tara's potential as a young actress. She is already better than all those stand-up comedians turned actor that we see on situation comedies (Ray Romano, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin James, etc.), IMHO.

Mathman

jamesmango said:

I have read so many polls regarding great skating performances, skaters and so forth - and Tara is generally omitted. Since Tara, I have watched the Nationals and Worlds annually, and I have seen few skaters the measure of her caliber.

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No, there will never be another Tara. I loved Tara's Speed LP that she used in 1996. I think that music suited her style perfectly and was better than the Rainbow LP she used at the Olympics. Looking back, Speed is one of my all time favorite ladies LPs. I wish Tara could still skate so she could reprise it under the new costume rules with pants or a jumpsuit.

Tara is like any other professional athlete whose career was cut short by injuries. Her career was stellar as far as it went, but historical greatness will alway elude her because her resume just isn't long enough.

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I am sure you know more than me - but

Resume and historical greatness -

Tara competed at the senior level for three years (1996-1998). As you know - of the six "major" competitions (Nationals, Worlds, and Olympics), she won the gold in three out of six. I don't know - How many American female figure skaters (in recent history - not the dark ages) have competed at such a high level for three consecutive years - with success? I don't think historical greatness is measured by longevity in figure skating. Many mention Kwan - who is admittedly great (even though I don't appreciate her skating) - but, how long would she have competed at the senior level if she had won Olympic gold? I guess I'm dating myself but Baseball had Sandy Koufax (shortened career) who is considered one of the best pitchers ever - and Football had Barry Sanders. The "purists" in the sport have to realize that the utimate prize (in today's media world) is the Olympic gold - and one Olympic gold is as good as two. I dare say that it may be a long time indeed where a gold medal winner in Olympics female figure skating repeats. There is too much money and fame associated with the aftemath of winning - especially if the female is attractive and had personality.

I still think Tara gets penalized for succeeding at a young age - and too soon. If Tara had won the gold in her third Olympic try - after 12 years of competing at senior level - would it make her historically greater?

I lost interest when Tara "retired" - but I think you will see history treat her much kinder in years to come - when the "purists" give her fair credit for giving a shot in the arm to a sport that needed a real shot in the late 1990's. Kwan and Sasha are beneficiaries of Tara's success.

Thanks

I promise to shut up, now.

Obviously, Tara's my girl.

jamesmango said:

I am sure you know more than me - but

Resume and historical greatness -

Tara competed at the senior level for three years (1996-1998). As you know - of the six "major" competitions (Nationals, Worlds, and Olympics), she won the gold in three out of six. I don't know - How many American female figure skaters (in recent history - not the dark ages) have competed at such a high level for three consecutive years - with success? I don't think historical greatness is measured by longevity in figure skating. ... .

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To start with, longevity has a great deal to do with historical greatness -- Sonia Henie is the prime example. Furthermore, it was in 1992 that skaters were allowed to earn money while retaining Oly eligibility, so the economic problems that forced earlier skaters into a pro career didn't exist for her. Finally, a lot of skaters (notably Kristi Yamaguchi) are well remembered and well loved because their pro careers means that the public doesn't forget them, whereas injury cut short Tara's pro career as well as her competitive career. IMHO, what happened to Tara will always be one of skating's tragedies

What happened to Tara was very much the result of what Tara did to herself, not the capricious hand of fate.

She practiced that 3L3L 50 times a day, week in and week out, in the year leading up to the Olympics. She was having a lot of pain, but ignored it. After the Olympics was over, she skipped Worlds not because she was tired or ill, but because she was in too much pain to do 3 competitive programs.

Tara signed with SOI (where she didn't have to do 3/3s) and toured for the post-Olympic year, then had surgery on her hip. After the surgery, the doctors told her to take 3 to 6 months off before resuming skating, but Tara ignored the doctors' advice and returned to SOI within 6 weeks of the surgery. As a result, she developed severe arthritis in that hip. As the arthritis progressed, Tara was in great pain and was able to do less and less on the ice. Eventually, she had to end her skating career and instead pursued a secondary career as an actress.

The sad thing was two of Tara's contemporaries, Naomi Nari Nam and Deanna Stellato, emulated her intense training ethic, and also lost out on skating careers due to injury. Sasha might have been the next one to lose out, but she suffered stress fractures in her back and had to take 9 months off from skating.

Tara's resume as a competitive skater is the same as Oksana Baiul's. And much as I loved to watch Oksana skate in her prime, I don't think she will be in the Pantheon. Neither will Tara.