Figure skating "trends" that you think will be outdated in the next few years?

[Kathy1]

The trend that I anticipate will soon become outdated is skaters using Daniil Gleikhengauz as a choreographer. If that does not happen, I at least hope judges do not award programs he has choreographed with PCS scores above 4.25.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

As for gloves, I don't get it. When I used to do a Bielmann, I never cut my hands on the skate blade. Perhaps I rotated slower, or didn't extend my leg along my back in a full split - so perhaps it's more likely at a faster speed in a more contorted position? And rinks weren't as warm and heated as many are these days. Our hands were cold during competitions and club shows! It wasn't easy but there you have it.

I can't do Biellmanns but I do other catchfoot positions and I think I only cut my finger once, just after a blade sharpening...
Could it be maybe that the level requirements mean they have to shift between positions quickly so accidents happen more easily?

I agree it's more of an aesthetic choice in many cases, since skaters wearing more classic/traditional costume never seem to wear gloves. They seem more common with theatrical/RG-inspired costumes.

Some more trends that might become dated: airbrushed illusion mesh (optimistic but not likely, based on history), La La Land (is it already old?), adult contemporary ballads for North American women (hopefully)

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Ripponing EVERY SINGLE JUMP.

 

[skatesofgold]

I hope voiceovers. I like vocals with only a few exceptions, but voiceovers are horrible, and I can’t think of an example I like.

 

[Giu]

The trend that I anticipate will soon become outdated is skaters using Daniil Gleikhengauz as a choreographer. If that does not happen, I at least hope judges do not award programs he has choreographed with PCS scores above 4.25.

Can we organise a circle of prayer so that this wish will soon come true?

 

[Laid-Back Enthusiast]

Oh I forgot to add that I wish that the "trend" to mostly ( and almost totally) call flip edge while ignoring lutz edge in elite competitions will make it's way to the lutz as well, and maybe we will see less skaters attempting a flutz and the glory of this jump executed well will be appreciated by spectators and finally justify it's base value

 

[mrrice]

Ripponing EVERY SINGLE JUMP.

I certainly hope this comes true! Either that, or the judges need to lower the tech scores for the poor "Port De Bras" positions from certain skaters. You can't just fling your arms over your head and call it a dance move.

 

[Sai Bon]

On the vocals theme, the song Hallelujah (don't care which version). I love you Riku and Ryuichi, but please, never again....

 

[lariko]

Change of costumes. I swear, there was a guy in JGP this year who came on ice, skated a circle, changed his costume… to nothing very different… and went on with his program. Like, okay, Scherbakova’s dress was fun, but please, no more.

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Given that it has been around for 20 years, I don't think it will become an outdated trend. But, we can live in hope!

ROOOOXXXXXXAAAAANNNNNEEEEE!!!!!!

Both Tango versions that we have had to suffer our way through.

By the way, there is actually a really good instrumental version of the Tango version out there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tqjm5anx24

And I would gladly sit through programmes being skated to this version.

But, no, they keep reaching for Mr. McGregor or that screeching woman.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[karne]

Vocals absolutely should have been allowed and are not going away any time soon. Something had to try and drag our sport into the 21st century.

I'm going to say these knee slides that the skaters can barely control. We've got a bunch of them this season and never was I more pleased than when Vasiljevs' was rightly called a fall last week at GP Italy. Far too many of these "slides" are out of control or barely, barely controlled and are clearly being thrown in just because the skaters think it's cool rather than for any proper reason.

 

[streams4dreams]

The trend that I anticipate will soon become outdated is skaters using Daniil Gleikhengauz as a choreographer. If that does not happen, I at least hope judges do not award programs he has choreographed with PCS scores above 4.25.

The way I see DG programs, his choreography is designed to max out the score based on the scoring rubric, so this is impossible by definition. I'd imagine he would quickly adapt if his programs started getting <~4.25 in PCS.

 

[Zora]

Vocals, full stop!

They should never have been allowed. It was much better when it was just instrumental music. Having vocals distracts too much from the skating.

I agree, but there's also another reason. While there are a few good programs with vocals, the majority are just lazy programs, skating to full length songs with little variety, just insert a spread eagle here, a spiral there and you're done with choreography. But I don't think this trend will end anytime soon.

 

[moonvine]

I like vocals but not always, and sometimes it can be cringey when a 15-year-old skates to rather 'adult' vocals. I would hope for a bit more appropriate choices on that score. I do join in with the 'anti-voiceover' crowd. I wouldn't mind one or two programmes with them, but currently there are so many of them that it really gets to you in a negative way. The same actually applies to costume changes. It was fun and unexpected when Laurine Lecavelier did it with her Grease programme, but when it became a trend it started to detract from the skating. Again, this also applies to sliding moves. I enjoy watching sliding moves but they have become quite excessive in some programmes.

It can be cringey yes. Like whenever I see a baby pairs or ice dance team skate to “Hey Big Spender” that’s very cringey to me. But it’s not the lyrics fault.

The first costume change I remember was an ice dance team (I think. May have been pairs) skating a piece about cancer and the change made sense in that context. I tried to find it via Google but couldn’t.



I LOVE rotational lifts but they’re being over used.

 

[theblade]

Given that it has been around for 20 years, I don't think it will become an outdated trend. But, we can live in hope!

ROOOOXXXXXXAAAAANNNNNEEEEE!!!!!!

Both Tango versions that we have had to suffer our way through....

But, no, they keep reaching for Mr. McGregor or that screeching woman.

CaroLiza_fan

We are of a certain vintage and didn't catch the wave of Moulin Rouge when it was in theatres. Transpotting, however, was another matter (the soundtrack in particular). So at our house it's always amusing to hear what we cannot help but imagine is Mark Renton emoting.

So, in a way, we get enough laughs over that image that the trend never ceases to amuse us. (And hearing Jose Feliciano sound like Tom Waits.)

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

@ladyjane - I'm going to reply to your post separately, as you mention a number of things that I want to comment about.

I LOVE vocals. Agree to disagree

Fair enough. We are all entitled to our own opinions. The world would be boring if we all thought the same.

I agree, but there's also another reason. While there are a few good programs with vocals, the majority are just lazy programs, skating to full length songs with little variety, just insert a spread eagle here, a spiral there and you're done with choreography. But I don't think this trend will end anytime soon.

I have made no secret that I am not technically minded. But, since the introduction of vocals, I am finding that what programmes I like and what programmes I don't like is increasingly based on whether I like the song that is being skated to or not. And that is not right. It should be based on whether I like the style of skating.

All you have to do to see this is read the comments about programmes which I post in the competition threads. For the past few years, they have prodominantly been about the music choices. With a little bit about the costumes. There is very little about the actual skating. Because I am not able to pay as much attention to the skating because my concentration is getting drawn more towards the music.

The drawbacks of being a music lover!

But, the biggest problem that has come out of the introduction of vocals is copyright claims on YouTube. Back in the days when we had just instrumental music, this was not a major problem. The only time a skating video would be zapped would be if it contained coverage from certain broadcasters who were being over-zealous in protecting their TV rights; or if it was an exhibition video. And in the case of the latter, they were getting zapped because most of them contained full songs.

So, the chaos we have been experiencing since the introduction of vocals with programme videos and competition streams getting zapped left, right, and centre, was entirely inevitable and foreseeable. And it could have been avoided if the ISU had the foresight to realise the implications that allowing vocals would have on the ability of fans to watch the sport. But, this is the ISU. They have no foresight.

Anyway, sorry for going off track. But, I needed to get that off my chest.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I like vocals but not always, and sometimes it can be cringey when a 15-year-old skates to rather 'adult' vocals. I would hope for a bit more appropriate choices on that score. I do join in with the 'anti-voiceover' crowd. I wouldn't mind one or two programmes with them, but currently there are so many of them that it really gets to you in a negative way.

Apart from the first three words (obviously), I agree with most of what you are saying.

As you know, I am not a fan of having vocals at all. But, voiceovers really take the biscuit. How are you supposed to artistically interpret somebody just talking?

JAAAAACCCCCKKKKK!!!!

That said, there was a programme I saw at the Ice Challenge yesterday that had a voiceover at the start. But, it was setting the scene, explaining that the programme was set in Narnia. And I did find that useful, as I wouldn't have worked that out, as the music from the Narnia films is not as instantly recognisable as music from other films.

The same actually applies to costume changes. It was fun and unexpected when Laurine Lecavelier did it with her Grease programme, but when it became a trend it started to detract from the skating.

Like vocal music, costume changes should have stayed in exhibition programmes. The purpose of exhibition programmes is to entertain the audience, and costume changes are an effective way of doing that. I loved the costume change that Adelina Sotnikova did in her "Welcome To Burlesque" exhibition programme. And the costume change that Anna Pogorilaya did in her "Rise Like A Phoenix" exhibition programme is one of the all-time iconic figure skating moments.

But, with competition programmes, there are different priorities. Scoring points. And, although a costume change can get the audience going, it doesn't really do much to add to your points tally.

Like you, I loved Laurine's "Grease" programme. And the costume change in it. BUT, she'd have been better doing like Adelina - having two programmes using music from the same film, and keeping the costume change for just the exhibition programme.

Again, this also applies to sliding moves. I enjoy watching sliding moves but they have become quite excessive in some programmes.

This is a trend I definitely want to see become outdated. Choreographic slides and rolling about on the ice should never have been allowed in competition programmes. It is becoming so hard now to tell the difference between choreography and a fall or a hand down. And, as a result, it is becoming a lot easier to cover up a fall or a hand down and pass it off as choreography.

That is not right. It was so much better back in the days when, if your body touched the ice at all, it would bring about a penalty of some sort (the severity depending on whether it was a fall or a hand down). It made everything simpler to understand for everybody. And made it so much harder to bend the rules.

No, keep these fancy things for the exhibition programmes.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[4everchan]

bad judging? ok.. who am i kidding?

 

[kolyadafan2002]

On the topic of vocals, just want to add that without them we would have missed out on some amazing programs like Patrick Chans beatles sp.
Things I hope will be outdated:
- Rippon on every jump (although unlikely unlikely be outdated if skaters continue to be unable to control their axis without it)
- being lost in a rainbow. Yes, Kevin had a masterpiece. But I've heard it from maybe 8 different skaters.
- copying famous skaters at a junior level. I don't mean taking inspiration, I mean using same cut of music with same costume.
- "q" - get rid of this tech panel call please. Its impossible to tell if a jump is perfectly on the quarter, depending on who the skater is they will get clean, q, or under. Such an arbitrary call.
- having very little one foot skating in a program.
- GOE given purely based on landing without taking into account takeoff, height, rotation axis, edge.(looking at the 4Lz GOE from the sp Boyang Jin).
- arms that make no sense to the music but are just there for no reason.
- schindlers list.
- mishin interchangeable step sequences.

Yeah...

 

[labgoat]

But, the biggest problem that has come out of the introduction of vocals is copyright claims on YouTube. Back in the days when we had just instrumental music, this was not a major problem. The only time a skating video would be zapped would be if it contained coverage from certain broadcasters who were being over-zealous in protecting their TV rights; or if it was an exhibition video. And in the case of the latter, they were getting zapped because most of them contained full songs.

So, the chaos we have been experiencing since the introduction of vocals with programme videos and competition streams getting zapped left, right, and centre, was entirely inevitable and foreseeable. And it could have been avoided if the ISU had the foresight to realise the implications that allowing vocals would have on the ability of fans to watch the sport. But, this is the ISU. They have no foresight.

Absolutely!