You Know You're a Figure Skating Fan When...

[Amei]

When you are planning early morning wake up times to watch the oddball times of competitions for the Olympics.

*I'm so glad that my company is permanently remote (cuts down their overhead) because I will be able to take a power nap for my lunch break. As it is right now I'm going to be waking up at like 4am for some of some of the broadcasts

 

[sadya]

You know you're an aging figure skating fan when you remember that in your younger days you used to get up in the middle of the night or very early to watch skating competitions (back when they were still regularly aired), and still get through your day studying while taking care of 2 small children. And now in your 40s, you just wait until they're uploaded on YT or fsvids.net and you stay away from spoilers until you've watched them there, after first getting your full baby or beauty sleep (depends on who you ask).

You know you're an aging figure skating fan when the idea of asking autographs to skaters or watching people who will probably die if they don't get a chance to at least shake the hand of their favourite skaters seems ridiculous, you wonder if you should also ask the people of the bread, veggies and nivea companies for an autograph since they've all had so much impact on your daily life.

You know you're a life long fan when even after decades you still enjoy watching both programs from the past and from the present. Sometimes I'll rewatch a few programs thinking I will spend a few minutes of watching skating and then continue with the rest of my day, and I'll still end up watching skating for at least an hour. I get tired of even my favourite songs after a while, but not my favourite skating programs.

You know you're a skating fan when even in your 40s you'll have discussions even with children and teens about skating topics. (Usually they bore me, unless they like books or keep quiet. No just joking. No I'm serious. Or maybe not.)

 

[Ladskater]

You spend a rainy Sunday watching the Canadian FS Nationals Novice and Juniors events on your computer

 

[elbkup]

You think of figure skating in tandem with the sad state of affairs in Ukraine..

 

[moonvine]

You know you're an aging figure skating fan when the idea of asking autographs to skaters or watching people who will probably die if they don't get a chance to at least shake the hand of their favourite skaters seems ridiculous, you wonder if you should also ask the people of the bread, veggies and nivea companies for an autograph since they've all had so much impact on your daily life.

Glad to hear I am not aging. I'm still chasing autographs and probably will be forever. Although the young lady SCREECHING in my ear "I'm dead" at Greensboro Nationals was a bit much. Honey you aren't dead, you just got Nathan Chen's autograph. Your lungs are VERY healthy.

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

...when you watch an episode of "The Chase", and there is a question about what civilisation a particular god belonged to. And you work it out from the giveaway combination of letters at the end of the name. And the Chaser (Mark Labbett) gives an explanation that is exactly your process of thinking.

But, it is only then that you realise that a young up-and-coming figure skater has that same combination of letters as their first name. And then you remember that the said skater's Dad is from the country where that civilisation was based.

I had never made the connection before. And now that I have, I am kicking myself for not realising sooner.

That said, when they are on their own rather than at the end of a longer word, that combination of letters does actually sound convincing as a name from a certain language from a different continent...

And the skater's biggest fan on here just happens to speak the language I was thinking of.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[ladyjane]

When you have to stay at home for a certain reason and all you do is look up figure skating competitions....

 

[lariko]

…when you get really enthused that your kid needs to write an essay about a sport. Like, one of the topics they want covered are the rules and scoring. I am wondering if I should cover Zayak’s rule or if the life is too short, and a simple 10 pages on the scoring will suffice.

 

[moonvine]

When you’re watching a different sport and there’s a really good performance and you wonder where the stuffies are..

 

[Ladskater]

You wake up at 3 am and then start watching a FS competition on your iphone...

 

[skatedreamer]

When you have 3 or 4 separate tabs open for GS threads…

 

[yuumagical]

Glad to hear I am not aging. I'm still chasing autographs and probably will be forever. Although the young lady SCREECHING in my ear "I'm dead" at Greensboro Nationals was a bit much. Honey you aren't dead, you just got Nathan Chen's autograph. Your lungs are VERY healthy.

Hehe, I felt the same way after I obtained Nathan's autograph at Skate America 2019. Though I didn't react by screaming; I merely collapsed on the pathway just outside of the Orleans Hotel for a few moments once I was safely out of his view.

Moonvine, I genuinely hope that I will keep on chasing autographs even when I am as old as you.

 

[moonvine]

Hehe, I felt the same way after I obtained Nathan's autograph at Skate America 2019. Though I didn't react by screaming; I merely collapsed on the pathway just outside of the Orleans Hotel for a few moments once I was safely out of his view.

Moonvine, I genuinely hope that I will keep on chasing autographs even when I am as old as you.

Well at least you were quiet about it.

I'm very excited to (hopefully) get Max Aaron's autograph at Ice Dreams..if he makes that show, and all goes well. I don't think I NEED anyone else's autograph, although I purchased a Pride flag to fly for Tim Leduc and he was not there, and then I did not get to go to Nationals, so it hasn't been flown for him yet. It would be nice to get his autograph on it. I did get Adam's autograph and I was so excited I can't even tell you. I have been wanting his autograph for awhile. Actually I don't have most of these skaters autographs yet. (The ones who will be at Ice Dreams) So that should be exciting. Rohene Ward! He is friends with me on IG (I don't know why).

 

[Trusova4Ever]

... when you can read foreign skaters' name in Japanese

Or Russian, I know Alexandra Trusova, Anna Shcherbakova, Aliona Kostornaia, Maiia Kromykh, Daria Usacheva, Tatyana Tarasova, Alina Zagitova, Evegnia Medvedeva, etc. And can guess a few more based on how I remember the Cyrillic characters and have picked out a few words from Russian commentary like "difficult", "jump", "Quad", "Clean", "Well done" etc.

 

[Trusova4Ever]

You buy the tissue holder of your favourite skater.

You try jumps when nobody is watching you.

You secretely check new posts at work.

OMW!! Ha Ha Yes!! This is so true, and I have lowkey messed up my ankles getting the proper outside edge on Lutz and using pure toe take off + 0 degrees pre-rotation. I have landed all the doubles excluding 2S and have landed or fallen on some underrotated off ice 2A's. And I constantly check up on sports.ru multiple times a day.

 

[Trusova4Ever]

When you remember a skate by one of the 3A you liked and then you go rooting around YT to find it, eventually going to Channel 1 Russia's youtube channel and then subsequently fall through the recommended video rabbit hole and 4 hours later you are watching some obscure, up and coming novice or junior Russian skater, competing in one of Russia's seemingly identical domestic events and then ultimately decided to stop after a few groups or you find your faves and start predicting future champions. (BTW Eteri has some very flexible boys with quads and decent PCS coming up in the novice ranks but one left her for Sokolovskaya).

 

[iluvtodd]

Moonvine, do you wave your flags @ home (when you can't be @ a competition & you're watching the TV coverage)? That's what we do during each competition of the skating season.

Max is a sweetie. The first time we got to talk to him "up close & personal" was @ Ice Works, in Aston, PA (it had to be the summer of 2012 when he debuted his West Side Story free skate program).

 

[moonvine]

Moonvine, do you wave your flags @ home (when you can't be @ a competition & you're watching the TV coverage)? That's what we do during each competition of the skating season.

Max is a sweetie. The first time we got to talk to him "up close & personal" was @ Ice Works, in Aston, PA (it had to be the summer of 2012 when he debuted his West Side Story free skate program).

I did get to see Max skate at Kansas City Nationals. I didn't get to meet him. I didn't know about FOFS breakfast at that time and you can't usually meet the guys due to the competition schedule. So provided he is there I will get his autograph I hope. I know the Stars on Ice tour is giving people who register and pay for the VIP some item presigned by each skater and you have to keep 6 feet away from them. No thank you, if I see Keegan I am not staying 6 feet away.

 

[lariko]

When you remember a skate by one of the 3A you liked and then you go rooting around YT to find it, eventually going to Channel 1 Russia's youtube channel and then subsequently fall through the recommended video rabbit hole and 4 hours later you are watching some obscure, up and coming novice or junior Russian skater, competing in one of Russia's seemingly identical domestic events and then ultimately decided to stop after a few groups or you find your faves and start predicting future champions. (BTW Eteri has some very flexible boys with quads and decent PCS coming up in the novice ranks but one left her for Sokolovskaya).

Yeah, Kolesnikov.

When you wonder if this opening paragraph on rules for that essay you are writing is too cheeky, then realize that the teacher would give up on reading long before getting there…

The most basic rule of figure skating is that one really doesn’t need to know the rules to enjoy the competition. In fact, largely ignoring them might even be helpful. However, to partake in a lively discussion that traditionally takes place before, during and long after each competition (we are talking decades here)—who won, who didn’t win and what the judges got wrong about it—some awareness of the rules is essential.

 

[skatedreamer]

Yeah, Kolesnikov.

When you wonder if this opening paragraph on rules for that essay you are writing is too cheeky, then realize that the teacher would give up on reading long before getting there…

The most basic rule of figure skating is that one really doesn’t need to know the rules to enjoy the competition. In fact, largely ignoring them might even be helpful. However, to partake in a lively discussion that traditionally takes place before, during and long after each competition (we are talking decades here)—who won, who didn’t win and what the judges got wrong about it—some awareness of the rules is essential.

If "cheeky" means the bits in bold, IMO those are the best parts!