What makes the greatest skaters just that?
- Thread starter sarahmistral
- Start date
I chose Equally brilliant technically and artistically -- "the whole package".
To me a skater can't be great even if she had the greatest jumps and spins if she didn't know how to interpret the music. A skater has to have a good technique but what separates the wheat from the chaff is the artistry. She has to know how to balance between those two.
A great skater knows how to touch the audience, she knows how to grab your attention, she makes skating look effortless, she has a good barriage, style and overall a good posture. Sasha Cohen is an example of a perfect posture. Tim Goebel on the other hand, as a good technique and a beautiful smile he has, doesn't, in my opinion, represent the best barriage. It's small things that count.
But, in fact, my conception of a good skater includes all of those options, you can't really separate one from another, it's the package.
To me a skater can't be great even if she had the greatest jumps and spins if she didn't know how to interpret the music. A skater has to have a good technique but what separates the wheat from the chaff is the artistry. She has to know how to balance between those two.
A great skater knows how to touch the audience, she knows how to grab your attention, she makes skating look effortless, she has a good barriage, style and overall a good posture. Sasha Cohen is an example of a perfect posture. Tim Goebel on the other hand, as a good technique and a beautiful smile he has, doesn't, in my opinion, represent the best barriage. It's small things that count.
But, in fact, my conception of a good skater includes all of those options, you can't really separate one from another, it's the package.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
IMO, a lot has to do with natural ability and not wasting it.
Joe
Joe
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
It's not just talent that makes a great skater, but attitude and sportmanship. How he/she conducts themselves in public and with their fellow teammates as well as fellow competitors. Elvis Stojko is a great example of not only being a wonderful competitor, but one who shows great team spirit and is generous to his fans and is well respected in the skating world.
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2004
It's actually a combination of those things that make a skater appeal to me. Or sometimes just one. It depends on what you mean by great as well. I'm not the end all be all of what makes a great skater, but the skaters that appeal to me have a combination of excellent qualities. So I say a mix of 1,2, and 6
Choice 2/6 is extremely important for basics. Artistry is important and so are the technical skills. For me, a skater with no presentation skills is of very little interest to watch. That's why a combination of both is needed in my mind. You can have a stronger aspect. For example Midori Ito is considered a technical skater (which she was, shes a legend in jumping), but she did have presentation skills as well. So I do think a complete package is needed for a great skater. But there's more to it than that. Choice 1 appeals to me because personally I get tired of watching skaters fall over and over again. I used to love Sandhu, but after a while you get weary of watching him slide all over the place. Whereas even though I'm a die hard Michelle Kwan fan, I also really liked Tara Lipinski because she had nerves of steel. She always could pull it together. I don't think longevity is really what makes a great skater. Tara had a short career and yet I think if her hip had allowed her and she had chosen to stick around she would have been a dominating skater in the field.
Choice 2/6 is extremely important for basics. Artistry is important and so are the technical skills. For me, a skater with no presentation skills is of very little interest to watch. That's why a combination of both is needed in my mind. You can have a stronger aspect. For example Midori Ito is considered a technical skater (which she was, shes a legend in jumping), but she did have presentation skills as well. So I do think a complete package is needed for a great skater. But there's more to it than that. Choice 1 appeals to me because personally I get tired of watching skaters fall over and over again. I used to love Sandhu, but after a while you get weary of watching him slide all over the place. Whereas even though I'm a die hard Michelle Kwan fan, I also really liked Tara Lipinski because she had nerves of steel. She always could pull it together. I don't think longevity is really what makes a great skater. Tara had a short career and yet I think if her hip had allowed her and she had chosen to stick around she would have been a dominating skater in the field.
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2004
I think it would be a combination of the 1st and 2nd options. I chose the excellent competitior though because nobody will know how great you are unless you do well in competitions 
