Post tryout: Brubaker will sit out season

[Mathman]

That raises another question....

The money spent flying athletes and coaches/ federation members plus IOC judges and officials in from all over world to skate in empty arenas makes no sense to me.

My impression is that except for the Olympics, almost all of the expenses are born, directly or through dues paid to member federations, by the parents of skaters. So in that sense I guess it does makes sense to hold international competitions for junior skaters even though they do not expect to recoup much of the expenses by live gate receipts, television, or corporate sponsors. It's an expensive amateur hobby. no doubt about it.

 

[janetfan]

My impression is that except for the Olympics, almost all of the expenses are born, directly or through dues paid to member federations, by the parents of skaters. So in that sense I guess it does makes sense to hold international competitions for junior skaters even though they do not expect to recoup much of the expenses by live gate receipts, television, or corporate sponsors. It's an expensive amateur hobby. no doubt about it.

OK, I get your point.

My question is whether this (tremendous amount of) money could be spent more wisely?

Remember , ISU is run by speed skaters. They accept noboby cares except the parents.

Figure skating has not just a potentially but proven bigger fan base.

Button predicted back in 2002 (or whenever he gave his famous rant against Cinquanta and those running ISU) that figure skating being run by speed skaters would hit very hard times.

Button was right....ISU was wrong.

 

[gmyers]

Russians broke through with Artistry and Chinese with big twists and jumps and Americans are not having any kind of top down philosophy imposed because no one takes any kind of control or interest in making American pairs better or more interesting not even USFS.

 

[Tonichelle]

Why is everyone surprised? Do American pairs ever stay with each other for more than 30 seconds?

well in this case, they weren't ever officially together. They were just doing a tryout. Totally different issue.

 

[janetfan]

well in this case, they weren't ever officially together. They were just doing a tryout. Totally different issue.

This is totally different too......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gaf6H_p8IUw

It's Tai and Randy winning Jr Natls when they were ,,,,hmmmm maybe 12 and 14.

And look at what a "gorilla" that young Randy was back then

And imagine that in USA (thankyou Mr Nicks) somebody actually had the idea of starting a Pairs team when they were kids so they could have a chance to develope and grow TOGETHER as skaters.

Shocking I say
By USA standards it was almost like cheating

 

[Tonichelle]

I agree that the USA goes about it wrong, but even young teams don't stay together forever (for whatever reason), too. So, we're still not hitting the mark.

 

[sidwich]

It's Tai and Randy winning Jr Natls when they were ,,,,hmmmm maybe 12 and 14.

And look at what a "gorilla" that young Randy was back then

And imagine that in USA (thankyou Mr Nicks) somebody actually had the idea of starting a Pairs team when they were kids so they could have a chance to develope and grow TOGETHER as skaters.

Shocking I say
By USA standards it was almost like cheating

Actually, Mabel Fairbanks put Tai and Randy together, but all the credit to Mr. Nicks for developing them through their teen years when a lot of coaches would have given up on them because of Tai's size and Randy non-gorillaness.

I don't think anyone in the USFSA doubts that starting teams as kids and developing them over years is the optimal situation, BUT we don't live in a totalitarian state. The Chinese can go out and scout their millions of children and find the most talented, most physically-optimal kids and pull them out of their homes, ship them off to sports academies and give them no choice but to continue to skate, skate, skate until they don't pan out, get injured or become competitive athletes.

The U.S. has to rely on talented kids finding their way to the sport, not getting injured or growing too much/little, not giving up (to be a kid, for other sports, to go to COLLEGE, etc.), and having families that can support the incredible costs that figure skating entails. When you consider the dumb luck that it takes for the right kids to find each other at a young age, live close enough to each other to make training viable at that age, and be willing to commit to the sport and each other, Tai and Randy are really an amazing story.

 

[Victura]

I have perhaps a silly question. Why is it that we are seemingly able to have more long-term and successful ice dance partnerships (as least as of late), but not pairs? I see many of the same logistical problems with dance as with pairs, with finances, commitment, etc. The only difference is that size may not be as much of an issue, if the girl grows a bit taller, but even then she can't become taller than her partner. What are people's thoughts on this?

 

[Olympia]

We had a thread about this awhile ago, with some very interesting observations, and all I remember is that the height differential was one important factor. That, and the fact that all of our really good North American ice dancers came from that fertile ground of the Zoueva/Shpilband rink. There doesn't seem to be an equally nourishing home for pairs skaters in the United States at this moment. (And who knows what will happen to ice dancing now with the rift between Igor S. and Marina Z.?)

Beyond that, I can't recall anything. I hope other people will check in.

Sidwich, you make a great point about the sheer, dumb luck that brought us Tai and Randy. As you say, in this country, we can't go out and harvest promising skaters the way they can in China and used to do in the U.S.S.R. We must take what we get, and we were lucky enough to get Tai and Randy.

 

[Tonichelle]

I have perhaps a silly question. Why is it that we are seemingly able to have more long-term and successful ice dance partnerships (as least as of late), but not pairs? I see many of the same logistical problems with dance as with pairs, with finances, commitment, etc. The only difference is that size may not be as much of an issue, if the girl grows a bit taller, but even then she can't become taller than her partner. What are people's thoughts on this?

they don't throw them or lift them above their head...