Should figures be a requirement in a skater's training regimen?

[CzarinaAnya]

I think it should be. Edging is very important thing in FS, IMO.

The pro's have this wonderful quality of being able to turn on a dime with their edges, because they were required to do them and do them well, for competition.

 

[CDMM1991]

You may have a good point here CzarinaAnya. I do not think they should be a part of competition anymore though, but a required part of the training regiment? Sounds good to me. Mind you, I'm not sure how they would enforce somehting ina training regiment.

 

[CzarinaAnya]

I agree about not doing it for competition. but practicing them could vastly improve some sloppy edging we've been seeing in amatuer skating, lately.

 

[CDMM1991]

I agree about not doing it for competition. but practicing them could vastly improve some sloppy edging we've been seeing in amatuer skating, lately.

ITA.

 

[Mathman]

Did you guys see the opening segment that Brian Boitano just did in Ice Wars, all on one foot? Skaters can't do that now-a-days because they haven't done figures.

MM

 

[dancindiva03]

I think that while it might be dull and tedious to bring figures back to competitions (I wouldn't mind it, but a lot of fans would find it boring I'm sure), I think it would be a great idea to bring back the figures tests. I'm absolutely dying to learn figures, but none of the coaches at my rink teach them anymore, plus there isn't anymore "patch" ice. Then there is also the issue of having to buy new boots and a pair of figure blades which I really can't afford, but I still think it would be such a benefit to my skating, and to all other skaters.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I think some practice in figures could help a free skater. If not figures, they could try Compulary Dances. It's all about edging.

Joe

 

[sk8m8]

I believe a practical re-institution of figures would be require them for levels of certification...juvinile, intermediate, junior, senior so that they would at least be taught at the level of "competence." That's to say, you would have to be at least "x" level of ability to graduate to the next competitive level.

I think this could increase the importance of teaching school figures in coaching and training, but also correct a lot of sloppy technique throught FS as a whole. I've always thought figures were beautiful, and older skaters have told me that they helped them keep up their level of skating.

 

[dancindiva03]

I think some practice in figures could help a free skater. If not figures, they could try Compulary Dances. It's all about edging.

Joe

When I first started skating, I was only doing freestyle but my coach immediately sent me to a dance coach to learn the edging and such. Little did he know I'd turn into an ice dance nut who has passed all the dances up through the Hickory Hoedown, but I'm STILL trying to get my elements to pass the Bronze freestyle!

 

[CzarinaAnya]

I believe a practical re-institution of figures would be require them for levels of certification...juvinile, intermediate, junior, senior so that they would at least be taught at the level of "competence." That's to say, you would have to be at least "x" level of ability to graduate to the next competitive level.

I had that in mind when I made this thread, but I couldn't figure out how to say it. So, ITA.

 

[Ladskater]

:thumbsup:

I think it should be. Edging is very important thing in FS, IMO.

The pro's have this wonderful quality of being able to turn on a dime with their edges, because they were required to do them and do them well, for competition.

Learning how to execute quality edges is what figure skating is all about and yes tracing figures did help skaters in the past develop this good habit; all the pros out there showed off their skills in this area - Kurt Browning especially.

As far as todays skaters go - this is something some of them need to develop more. I know here in Canada figures are still part of a skaters development. After watching Jeff Buttle in the Skate Canada Gala, I can't help but think Jeff must be practicing figures or at least incoroporating them in his training. His edge control is wonderful and deep. His Ina Bauer in his Ave Maria program is a beauty. It is rare for a male skater to execute a Bauer - Jeff's is marvelous as is his Spread Eagle.

Yes, figures were a very big part of skating and still should be done because they make a skater concentrate on edge control and edge quality as well as deep knee control - all key elements to become a great skater - the likes of what we saw on the Pro skates.

Good post.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Watching Kurt on Ice Wars last night one had to understand the power of edging on skates. His footwork was all blade to ice (not toe rake stuff).

Joe

 

[NJSk8Fan]

What a timely question after having watched Ice Wars last night. As others have mentioned, you only need to watch Brian, Kurt and even Yuka skate to realise what beautiful edging ability can do for a skater!
I think it should definitely be a part of training, and as another poster suggested, part of the requirements for progressing to the next level of skating.
It is a quality that seems to have flown-out-the-window with the majority of the eligible skaters.
I could watch somebody like Brian, Kurt, Yuka, Dorothy Hamill, even Katia Gordeeva, skate all day with their wonderful qualities and not execute a single jump and enjoy it more than a tripple and quad packed program.

 

[BravesSkateFan]

I think they should cut the qualifiying round as it is now and make figures as the qualifying round for Worlds (but not have it count as part of the score).

 

[orchid]

Good ideas by all. Absolutely, figures should be a part of a skaters development, particularily for the really young kids but even on to juniors and seniors.

Excellent skills in figures, edge techniques add grace, artistry and confidence to any skater's perfromance.

Coaches, bring 'em back !!!

 

[emma]

Did you guys see the opening segment that Brian Boitano just did in Ice Wars, all on one foot? Skaters can't do that now-a-days because they haven't done figures.

MM

I saw it and was totally
That was a really wonderful program.

 

[cborsky]

I was given the opportunity to make up a repeating footwork sequence in my stroking and chose to do a back inside three turn to forward outside rocker - cross outside ... repeat. Simply, it's 2 turns on one foot which is then repeated on the other foot. No one could figure out the turning directions because none of them knew what a rocker was! I find that so many young skaters - the ones who've never done figures, have no clue about brackets, rockers and counters... It's so disappointing!

I say bring back figures and, like sk8m8 said, make them required for certain levels of competition.:agree:

 

[Rgirl]

I think some practice in figures could help a free skater. If not figures, they could try Compulary Dances. It's all about edging.
Joe

ITA that having a training regimen for edging is important. And I love the idea of having level X of figures being a requirement to move up to the next level.

Unfortunately, in practical terms--no patch ice, the additional boots and blades needed, and hardly any coaches teaching them anymore--I think there will have to be an invention for singles skaters to accommodate the ice, equipment, and coach problems.

I'd propose a combined system: Every skater would neet to learn a "figures program" that is the same for all skaters, depending on their level, ie, one for juveniles, one for intermediate, etc. Each figures program would enclude every basic edge move, rockers, brackets, counters, put together the way cborsky described.

Combined with this would be the Compulsory dance requirements for ice dancers. There would be a different Figures Program for each level every year, so eventually the singles skaters would learn all the Compulsory Dances.

And one more thing. When figures were taken out, it was replaced by jumps and speed. I see so many skaters with weak speed not because they lack strength, but because the don't understand how to use their edges. I was SO happy all three of the "judges" chose Matt Savoie as #1 and that Dick Button particularly cited his edges. I was applauding.

My point is a principle in training known as the SAID principle: Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. The edging and edges learned must gradually be incorporated into the back crossovers, gaining more and more speed, into jump take offs and landings, footwork, spirals, MITF, everything and as FAST as the skaters will be doing them.

So I guess I see the edging regimen as a two stage process. Learn the basics from singles skating and compulsory dances and put them into a required program every season. For seniors, I think it should be part of the competition because it's a chance to see all the skaters do the same thing--as if they're not doing that now. No music, BTW.

The second phase of training joins what the skater has learned to develop the edges into what the skater must do as part of a short and LP. Maybe part of the SP could be the Figures Program. I think the SP used to serve a purpose, ie, who can skate clean through both programs, but with the difficulty level so high and the way the COP works, it doesn't really matter where you are after the short. How many skaters during the GPS move up from 5, 6, 7 after the SP to either win or at least grab a medal.

So how about combining the SP with the EP? To move up a level, I think a plain, no music approach would work best, but as part of a competition, but the EP in with either everyone using the same beat, ie, waltz, tango, anything but polka--for Doris, lol--or else have a 2 and a half minute SP with 45 seconds of it being the EP. For the other 45 seconds, the skaters must either repeat the EP or do whatever they want. I'm kind of brainstorming as I write. Gee, can you tell.

Well, I'll call Speedy tomorrow and tell him that we've decided we're going to make the ISU do this and we're just working out the details. We'll have something ready by August, '06.

Now, how do we pick who has to sleep with Speedy so he'll do it? Can we contract out for this? You know, get a real pro?

Rgirl

 

[JOHIO2]

As good as some of these ideas are, they could only be implemented at the beginning levels in order to be fair to higher level skaters. In other words, ya gotta grow up with it for it to be fair in judging.

On the other hand, if even a very green novice fan like me, with no skating background, can tell the difference when skaters are using more difficult edge work, then those who DO know are not just complaining to complain. So, along with dance/ballet/yoga/tai chi/pilates, etc., skaters who want to get ahead should spend more time on figures/edging exercises.

 

[soogar]

I don't think skaters should be *forced* to do anything. Ironically, the new judging system is forcing skaters to focus on edging to get the high levels in footwork. This is starting to trickle down to the Basic skills series where some coaches I know have commented that they are focusing more on teaching edges because it is so important now in high level skating. Skaters are starting to dust off their scribes and are working on figures on an informal basis. My personal opinion is that figures are important, but I don't think learning to do figures perfectly (that was req'd when they competed with them) is necessary. A half an hour to an hour of edge work should suffice for most skaters. If they reinstituted figures, it would eliminate a lot of lower income skaters from the sport, as well as skaters from poorer federations. It costs a lot of money to practice figures to perfection and I don't think this is necessary to be a successful freeskater. Most of the best freeskaters weren't that great at figures anyway.