Should Skating Keep the Short Program?

[SeaniBu]

Replacing the short with an "artistic program" would be nice.

"Replacing?" That changes everything. I guess I missed something, apologies. That I could agree with. Just not getting rid of anything.:agree: Like I say, I want more.

 

[heyang]

would really like it if they have QRs that they were televised too. So if it is an issue of what is televised I would say the LP is the most important to show but I would hate to see them get rid of any.

The couple of times they have showed QR's on TV, I've found them to be a snooze. One year, the skaters all did their LP. Another year, they could not do the same program for QR and LP - so, most of them did the previous year's LP for the QR. Anyway, the performance quality doesn't seem to be in the QR - it might be the early hour or that there's no audience. Anyway, if the same program is done in QR and LP, there's no significant broadcast value.

We already don't always see the SP - I do recall there being some years where the pairs SP has not been aired.

 

[JonnyCoop]

In dance, my problem is that in the free dance I can't really tell what kind of dance -- if any -- the team is supposed to be performing. To me, it would be cool if they would show some clips from the compulsories -- this is what the Ravensburg waltz is, this is a quickstep.

See, this is why I watched "Dancing With The Stars" its first season. Granted, not all the compolsury dances have an actual ballroom counterpart, but I was curious as to what the dances were all about.

 

[janka]

I love short programs (it's easier to count the jumps ).
I love even qualifying rounds, the more skating the better

Figure skating is so much more tha just sport, hope that isu won't make it only about sport and kicking out the short would be just that.

 

[sk8addict]

yes!! The short programs are my favorite!! They are the sprints, no time to take breaks. The longs are more like running the mile, you have to pace yourself. Plus I think it is good to have required elements.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

yes!! The short programs are my favorite!! They are the sprints, no time to take breaks. The longs are more like running the mile, you have to pace yourself. Plus I think it is good to have required elements.

It's a sport and why not have everyone do the same routine?

 

[Nigel]

No, it's not a "real sport." It's real sport AND real performance art. Keep the long program for what it is -- a chance for our marvelous athletes to do as many jumps, spins and footwork as they can cram into 4 minutes -- and replace the short program with an "artistic" program.

The relevance of the SP vs the LP is still a good measure of a skater's ability to perform technical vs artistic programs. As many posters have pointed out, there are many skaters who do well at the SP, others who excel at the freeskate. But it is the rare skater who rises above the technical requirements and/or the artistry and can put together two consistent programs. How often have we watched a skater put a good SP out there, but we know that they just don't have the focus to skate a clean LP. There has to be some technical performance measure, aside from the CoP, and required elements of the SP are the best option to this point.

And, a note...there are not an unlimited number of jump passes in the LP.....Under the CoP, there are a specific number of jump boxes in the LP that a skater can perform, regardless of level of the skater.

 

[JonnyCoop]

It's a sport and why not have everyone do the same routine?

Do you mean just in the short, just in the long, or both?? It would be rather interesting to have that happen in the short, rather like the compolsuries at a gymnastics meet. From a SPORT point of view, that would make sense. From an AUDIENCE HAVING TO WATCH THIS point of view, it would get pretty dang tedious pretty fast, especially if there's like 43 skaters in the competition. The reason I didn't attend the compolsury dance competition at the 2001 Worlds, despite having all-event tickets, was because I was not going to sit through 3 hours of the same routine over and over and over again. I can't be the only one who thinks this.