What is your least aesthetic move in figure skating?

[TallyT]

OK these are things I like, not least esthetic sorry.

We are all entitled to like what we like, aesthetic or not I really believe there's a difference between that and 'satisfying' after all... or cartwheels (not many of which are well-done, graceful, or appropriate in the programs), backflips (ditto), and quite a number of people's quads would not be around.

And pretty much everything that has been mentioned in this thread, when some (though not all, I'm not quite that rose-coloured-glassed) of my skaters do it, it is by definition beautiful

 

[Mathman]

As for cartwheels, described above as "children on the playground" -- well of course they are. Where would we be without youthful exuberance. I would never tell a child, stop doing those stupid cartwheels, you unrefined low-brow. you.

On the other hand, I once saw a clip where Michelle Kwan had a (land) cartwheel contest against a gymnast. Michelle was OK. But the gymnast -- oh, my!

 

[labgoat]

This. ^^ I include in this some of the positions in lifts, which reduce the beauty and the feeling of flying.

I think Alisa Efimova's forward outside death spiral is very beautiful. She and Misha get level 4 or 3 on them ... and I've never heard a commentator even mention them, oh wait, Johnny Weir did at nationals and spoke about how it's very difficult.

Alternatively, everyone talks about Deanna and Max's FODS, and most of them mention how ugly or unattractive it is ... I concur. Even Chris in his 4CC commentary mentioned the difficulty, but said it's not something he'd rather look at. He apparently didn't see Alisa & Misha's.

ETA: here is Efimova/Mitrofanov's FS from Nationals. It's a wondrous, emotional skate to watch and their best performance of it... the winning FS. The FODS begins at 2:22, although there's a loop going into it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elmmAtJf6o0

Alisa & Misha do have beautiful death spirals. I hope now that they are National Champions that they will get recognized for them.

 

[meem]

Ok, the "splayed frog" and "spread eagle laying an egg" just took me out!

LOL

But I have to ask, are you talking about a cantilever? That's the move that annoys me the most. Anytime any skater does that, my first thought is "look at my crotch!"

Isn't this the move called the Besti Squat?

 

[dorispulaski]

Yes.

And I seem to remember one of the British commentators used to call it a cantilever spread.

 

[mrrice]

No skater or skating move move is ugly. Please no pictures on this thread of individual skaters caught by the camera in awkward positions.

That said, who came up with the “splayed frog”? Is this supposed to resemble some sort of Plié exercise? Not only does the position lack esthetic appeal, but it makes my knees hurt vicariously, like trying to go squats with your feet turned out to the sides.

Some people don’t like the “A-spin.” That’s where you bend over, grab your ankles and stick your behind up in the air, forming a letter “A.”

Actually, for men that’s not so bad if they rare tall, thin and angular, and dressed all in black. Back in the day Emanuel Sandu had a good one as did Nobunari Oda, although Oda isn’t tall. But in general, no.

Evans was the best. However, he was Dancer with great flexibility. Timmy G also tried it and not as attractive. My least favorite move was that spiral that Emily Hughes used to do. Uncle Dick said it was his least favorite position.

 

[gmyers]

Half loops are getting worse and worse looking! I rewatched lipinski half loop of 1998 and it was so pleasing! I don’t know how people are doing them now! They look so jerky there is no flow

 

[boysoprano]

I don't like dance lifts where the female has her hand on the mans boot. Guignard and Fabbri normally have at least two of them per season, one of which she crawls out of. Weaver and Poje also used to do one. Every time I see one done I think, what, does she have a foot fetish?

 

[Weathergal]

No idea what it's called but this move reminds me of a carnival ride, the Dive Bomber. It's hardly done nowadays and is a move that seems to be tossed in toward the end of a program. I don't even know how to adequately describe it. Done on one skate while the skater spins vertically a few times. Is this what you're calling a cartwheel? It sets my teeth on edge every time.

Sounds like you might be describing an illusion spin. and if so, I agree with you. I don't like them because they rarely look good.

 

[Warwick360]

A-spin, as the OP mentioned.

But personally for me, it's not bad when done with speed and in between combo, as opposed to as the ending position with almost all the speed out of it.

 

[Warwick360]

Also, throw in Biellmann. A figure so spectacular until the 2010s, has sadly become the sad generic mcnugget of figure skating for me, no matter how stretched or how sped up.

 

[noskates]

..that wretched ugly Bielmann spin.

 

[Anna K.]

I'm not sure if this counts as unaesthetic move, it's rather a separate topic... That's armography

I usually pay extra attention to skaters' arms and I have a list of moves that ruin the aesthetic impression I get from the program - mainly because they woke up a critic in me and, instead of enjoying the program, I start ticking the boxes:
"windmill arms" and "paddle arms", refers to the respective choreographic moves;
"propeller arms", when a skater swings the arms around overly energetic and "airplane arms", when he/she skates around with extended straight arms for most part of the program;
"forgotten" and "unfinished" arms when one or both arms hang pointlessly between choreographic moves or elements, there belong also "forgotten/unfinished palms" and "forgotten/unfinished fingers";
"broomstick arms" when skaters' arms stay stiff and straightened for most of the time;
"deformed arms" when arms are disproportionally or awkwardly bent;
"out-of sync arms" refers to moves/gestures being out of sync with the music;
"out-of-line arms" refers to arms not creating a meaningful line with the rest of the body:
"generic gestures" - needs no description I guess

Having said that, a charismatic skater can have all these flaws and still create a pleasant overall impression. Although sometimes I experience a great desire to say a word to their choreographer

 

[Diana Delafield]

I'm not sure if this counts as unaesthetic move, it's rather a separate topic... That's armography

I usually pay extra attention to skaters' arms and I have a list of moves that ruin the aesthetic impression I get from the program - mainly because they woke up a critic in me and, instead of enjoying the program, I start ticking the boxes:
"windmill arms" and "paddle arms", refers to the respective choreographic moves;
"propeller arms", when a skater swings the arms around overly energetic, and "airplane arms", when he/she skater around with straight arms extended;
"forgotten" and "unfinished" arms when one or both arms hang pointlessly between choreographic moves or elements, there belong also "forgotten/unfinished palms" and "forgotten/unfinished fingers";
"broomstick arms" when skaters' arms stay stiff and straightened for most of the time;
"deformed arms" when arms are disproportionally or awkwardly bent in a supposed choreographic move;
"out-of sync arms" refers to moves/gestures being out of sync with the music;
"out-of-line arms" refers to arms not creating a meaningful line with the rest of the body:
"generic gestures" - needs no description I guess

Having said that, a charismatic skater can have all these flaws and still create a pleasant overall impression. Although sometimes I experience a great desire to say a word to their choreographer

A long time ago, I had a chance to have a few guest lessons with Ellen Burka at the Cricket Club in Toronto. One thing I remember was that she had a pet peeve about a popular arm movement she called "hanging out the washing". Done only by ladies, they would reach down to about knee height and swoosh their arms languidly up with limp hands above their heads and over, as if they were draping something on a clothesline. I haven't seen that much of late, but almost everyone (except for Burka's pupils) did it then at least once in a program.

 

[meem]

A long time ago, I had a chance to have a few guest lessons with Ellen Burka at the Cricket Club in Toronto. One thing I remember was that she had a pet peeve about a popular arm movement she called "hanging out the washing". Done only by ladies, they would reach down to about knee height and swoosh their arms languidly up with limp hands above their heads and over, as if they were draping something on a clothesline. I haven't seen that much of late, but almost everyone (except for Burka's pupils) did it then at least once in a program.

Dick Button's phrase was "hanging laundry". He couldn't stand all the arms flying up & down throughout a skater's program (me too). Lori Nichol knew what to do with a skater's arms & hands. They helped interpret the music & were never a distraction.

 

[TallyT]

A long time ago, I had a chance to have a few guest lessons with Ellen Burka at the Cricket Club in Toronto. One thing I remember was that she had a pet peeve about a popular arm movement she called "hanging out the washing". Done only by ladies, they would reach down to about knee height and swoosh their arms languidly up with limp hands above their heads and over, as if they were draping something on a clothesline. I haven't seen that much of late, but almost everyone (except for Burka's pupils) did it then at least once in a program.

Oh yes, that's one of the 'die away air' moves that makes me giggle uncontrollably...

 

[skylark]

I'm not sure if this counts as unaesthetic move, it's rather a separate topic... That's armography
....

Having said that, a charismatic skater can have all these flaws and still create a pleasant overall impression. Although sometimes I experience a great desire to say a word to their choreographer

Gracie Gold's "broken arm" spin. It never failed to take me into critic mode and out of "what I love" mode.

It was obviously a variation on the broken leg spin, which could look good or not good depending on how the skater did it.

 

[Mathman]

I think Toller Cranston had the definitive broken leg spin. I had mixed feeling about it. I appreciated the avant guarde angles, but classic positions seem more graceful to me.

 

[mrrice]

I'm over I-spins. They might be an impressive exhibition of your flexibility, but unless you're Arakawa Shizuka, it just doesn't look elegant.

I also hate the contortionist camel and sit spin position some men (well, mostly one) perform. Just because your body can do it, doesn't mean you should do it, because you like you're trying to stuff your toes into your mouth.

It's not a "move" but I also can't stand the "reaching down to briefly touch the ice" thing, as well as ugly, slow illusions.

I'm a hater today, but it's better than having to cope with the German election results.

I agree about I spins. Sasha Cohen had a good one and she was able to point. These skater who let their foot flex just look awful. The other is that Spiral that Emily Hughes used to do. She would bend her supporting leg and then extend the other. My problem was her posture and back position. Uncle Dick called it his least favorite position.

 

[el henry]

I think Toller Cranston had the definitive broken leg spin. I had mixed feeling about it. I appreciated the avant guarde angles, but classic positions seem more graceful to me.

Of course I adored Toller's broken leg sit spin,but to me it was beautiful because it was definitively Toller.

And Mrs. Burka was his coach, so no flimsy flinging your arms just to fling your arms. (he did of course have amazing arm positions, but nothing that looked languid )