- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
They will put it where they get a bid/the best bid for it. I love Allen.
It’s totally fair for them to put it somewhere else. I can hope though.
Jump hype or soap opera: what can make the general public of the U.S. fall in love with figure skating again?
- Thread starter Anna K.
- Start date
It’s totally fair for them to put it somewhere else. I can hope though.
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2014
I talked to a lady at the USFS desk asking if she had any inkling as to where Sk Amer would be held. She laughingly said no. Probably a zillion people had already asked her. LOL.
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2014
I'd like Vegas just because of having the rink right at the hotel.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
If it’s in Vegas I won’t go but that’s ok. Vegas is not a full sized rink either.
Maybe Taylor Swift could romance a figure skater... It gave football quite a boost did it not? 
But on a more serious note,
US Americans can not have it much better I think. You have the best ice dance couple which is also super friendly and charming, wonderful ladies skaters with beautiful performances and a lot of international events. It should be easy to follow and fall in love with the sport.
Boston seemed packed most of the days as well and they did not seem to have trouble finding volunteers either.
So my question would be, what do people want if they want "more fans / love" for the sport? How do you measure how much people like something? By likes on IG, followers of skaters? Madi and Evan seem to be doing quite well there, don´t they?
With the departure of Serena in Tennis, people also claim a lot that Tennis is dead in the US, but each time I am at New York, I see so many fans and tv teams everywhere.
When I was still working in figure skating, I did a lot of interviews with athletes from NA and they were super chatty and calm. It´s not the skaters fault if the interview is bad, it´s the fault of the journalist.
Madi & Evan, Gracie, Osmond were among my favorites that I did interview. In general, if you come from Germany where most people are introverted and more cold hearted, talking to people from NA is like a different world.
I am also honest when I say, that a lot of Tik Tok content / YT shorts that I see from influencers where they talk about gossip and try to make athletes lose their comfort, are putting me more off than anything.
I don´t mind fun, like a little quiz here and there, or some interaction with fans, but athletes are not clowns or actors, they are athletes and their goal is to perform at their best and not give entertaining interviews, despite the fact that interviews can be fun without gossip or offensive questions.
In many sports, ticket prices have sky rocked. Hotel and travel expenses too, it is just very expensive to have sports as a hobby / amateur career, leave alone being a volunteer, or fan. I think it is amazing that still so many people showed up at Boston, so many still visit events and help organizing them, despite the high costs. If we now consider that NA is so big, then I would absolutely say, that you have some amazing figure skating fans in the country.
They may not be very active at forums or IG, but they show up in numbers at events.
So maybe you can enlightn me a bit about the "issue". What exactly do you think is going wrong in NA, if we talk figure skating and the "general public"? Are you asking for a new Kerrigan situation, another Serena "swallow this ball" moment? Having two GP´s each year, now Worlds and so many big sports events in general, I truly think you are blessed.
But on a more serious note,
US Americans can not have it much better I think. You have the best ice dance couple which is also super friendly and charming, wonderful ladies skaters with beautiful performances and a lot of international events. It should be easy to follow and fall in love with the sport.
Boston seemed packed most of the days as well and they did not seem to have trouble finding volunteers either.
So my question would be, what do people want if they want "more fans / love" for the sport? How do you measure how much people like something? By likes on IG, followers of skaters? Madi and Evan seem to be doing quite well there, don´t they?
With the departure of Serena in Tennis, people also claim a lot that Tennis is dead in the US, but each time I am at New York, I see so many fans and tv teams everywhere.
When I was still working in figure skating, I did a lot of interviews with athletes from NA and they were super chatty and calm. It´s not the skaters fault if the interview is bad, it´s the fault of the journalist.
Madi & Evan, Gracie, Osmond were among my favorites that I did interview. In general, if you come from Germany where most people are introverted and more cold hearted, talking to people from NA is like a different world.
I am also honest when I say, that a lot of Tik Tok content / YT shorts that I see from influencers where they talk about gossip and try to make athletes lose their comfort, are putting me more off than anything.
I don´t mind fun, like a little quiz here and there, or some interaction with fans, but athletes are not clowns or actors, they are athletes and their goal is to perform at their best and not give entertaining interviews, despite the fact that interviews can be fun without gossip or offensive questions.
In many sports, ticket prices have sky rocked. Hotel and travel expenses too, it is just very expensive to have sports as a hobby / amateur career, leave alone being a volunteer, or fan. I think it is amazing that still so many people showed up at Boston, so many still visit events and help organizing them, despite the high costs. If we now consider that NA is so big, then I would absolutely say, that you have some amazing figure skating fans in the country.
They may not be very active at forums or IG, but they show up in numbers at events.
So maybe you can enlightn me a bit about the "issue". What exactly do you think is going wrong in NA, if we talk figure skating and the "general public"? Are you asking for a new Kerrigan situation, another Serena "swallow this ball" moment? Having two GP´s each year, now Worlds and so many big sports events in general, I truly think you are blessed.
The issue is not with the skaters in the US. We have great skaters and great champions. It's the lasting visibility. If you win three gold medals in the World Championships and thrill the massive, sold-out crowd, but then all video evidence is deleted within 14 days, did it even happen? If a tree falls...
Thankfully, YouTube is not the be-all video source anymore. Fans are coming in from TikTok, instagram, even another site, but keeping it up on YouTube would help a lot.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
Where does the hockey team play??? That surely is a big enough rink.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2011
Has Skate America ever been in San Jose, CA? I would love for it to be there!
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
You need more than just good skaters. Longevity. A brand, a personality that the public and I mean a large part of the public resonate with. Kwan did hat. Even Cohen. But now we are a bit generic with Amber, Isabeau, Bradie and Alysa. Some good rivalries help. I am not sure what the public reallly wants. With the internet things are very different. the rise of entertaining x sports. It doesn't help that in North America Canada right now is in a drought in singles skating. The loss of skating showws and pro ams all make for a less visible sport.tMaybe Taylor Swift could romance a figure skater... It gave football quite a boost did it not?
But on a more serious note,
US Americans can not have it much better I think. You have the best ice dance couple which is also super friendly and charming, wonderful ladies skaters with beautiful performances and a lot of international events. It should be easy to follow and fall in love with the sport.
Boston seemed packed most of the days as well and they did not seem to have trouble finding volunteers either.
So my question would be, what do people want if they want "more fans / love" for the sport? How do you measure how much people like something? By likes on IG, followers of skaters? Madi and Evan seem to be doing quite well there, don´t they?
With the departure of Serena in Tennis, people also claim a lot that Tennis is dead in the US, but each time I am at New York, I see so many fans and tv teams everywhere.
When I was still working in figure skating, I did a lot of interviews with athletes from NA and they were super chatty and calm. It´s not the skaters fault if the interview is bad, it´s the fault of the journalist.
Madi & Evan, Gracie, Osmond were among my favorites that I did interview. In general, if you come from Germany where most people are introverted and more cold hearted, talking to people from NA is like a different world.
I am also honest when I say, that a lot of Tik Tok content / YT shorts that I see from influencers where they talk about gossip and try to make athletes lose their comfort, are putting me more off than anything.
I don´t mind fun, like a little quiz here and there, or some interaction with fans, but athletes are not clowns or actors, they are athletes and their goal is to perform at their best and not give entertaining interviews, despite the fact that interviews can be fun without gossip or offensive questions.
In many sports, ticket prices have sky rocked. Hotel and travel expenses too, it is just very expensive to have sports as a hobby / amateur career, leave alone being a volunteer, or fan. I think it is amazing that still so many people showed up at Boston, so many still visit events and help organizing them, despite the high costs. If we now consider that NA is so big, then I would absolutely say, that you have some amazing figure skating fans in the country.
They may not be very active at forums or IG, but they show up in numbers at events.
So maybe you can enlightn me a bit about the "issue". What exactly do you think is going wrong in NA, if we talk figure skating and the "general public"? Are you asking for a new Kerrigan situation, another Serena "swallow this ball" moment? Having two GP´s each year, now Worlds and so many big sports events in general, I truly think you are blessed.
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
Boston may very well help, yes. I'm cautious because firstly, that was Worlds the biggest thing ISU and the competitive sport has to offer the world outside the Olys so if it didn't sell well... well. Secondly there were extra factors - the publicity given to Legacy on Ice and its success just beforehand, and the flood of goodwill from the tragedy centred on skaters from the area - that gave Boston a big emotional and therefore ticket-buying/media boost and then (and no I am not going to get into home scoring issues please) the US took three of the four medals. Including the all important women.
All of which sure can't hurt (unlike the even worse joke than usual Ari Z awards). However, try casting minds back to Skate America 24 and all the empty seats in that not very large rink, and perhaps people will agree that we really have to wait and see what this year's SKAM is like, if that goodwill momentum translates in the future.
Thank you,
so you would like to have a dedicated magazine or tv show, that features figure skating all year, plus an archive that is accessible online? Kind of like what the IOC does?
I have to say, I fully agree with that demand, I would also enjoy a library a lot and some kind of monthly magazine that sums things up. I had to skip some events and there is no way to catch up on them.
That being said, most formats in other sports that have come up with additional content like "couch interviews", Tik Tok videos and so on have not convinced me at all. Quite often, an influencer of sorts or very poor hosts, are ruining it for me. That´s what I mean with "clown show".
Thank you,
I hear this a lot in tennis and I feel this is a very US American approach, that I can´t share much to be honest. For me having a goat in sports, is kind of turning me off, while having underdogs and unpredicted champions truly makes my day.
When I work in sports, I often find the interaction with the "lesser known" athletes, much more interesting to be fair. Madi and Evan are an exception, also Gracie was, but quite often if you put someone on a podest, then you will only be disappointed when you meet him / her.
Rivalries can push a product I agree, but don´t we have that already? Sure, we don´t have the 90s or early 2000s, where at times two skaters were going toe to toe, but I still think we have a lot of skaters that fight for the same medals these days. Maybe not always the gold, but there are two more to claim, plus the important spots for Qualification.
I also have to say, that I am very into a skaters development, like can she master a certain element, can she hit the levels, can she improve her expression / interpretation and so on. I find that truly fascinating, even if they just fight themselves in that moment, but it´s a rivalry too of sorts.
Last but not least and I apologize for the long reply, I find Amber and Isabeau truly great as a personality, I will never forget how Amber could not leave the ice rink years ago, because some cable guy did wire the ice rink door, we had such a laugh at this moment and Isa just looks so stunning in all her outfits. Maybe if people would interact more with skaters in that way, they would also become more attached to them?
Ofc. I agree with you totally, not everyone has that chance and quite often the interaction comes from the results and the TV screen, so ya, it can be difficult to feel something, but was it so different with Michelle back then? But ya, I see where you are coming from, thanks for explaining!
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
Too early to say that about Alysa, at least (and she has a great story for the press!) and anyway, some of the biggest 'celebrities' worldwide are generic with a capital blahhy G (and that has always been the way, look at TV stars of the past). The thing is, longevity at the very top is a thing of the past, been and gone and probably isn't coming back at least for the women.
I take it you mean online magazines (preferably that can be downloaded for safekeeping)? Japan does still have a good number of print magazines, I know because I buy some (and they can be best sellers too, I know because I've missed out on some), but I don't know if Russia does and I don't know if any other country could sustain them.
In Germany we have a print magazine as well, but they also publish at the internet now, as it was hardly having an audience, despite the olympic gold medal and great skaters. For most print magazines, reaching an audience is hard since the internet took over. A friend who is the editor in chief once told me "people just like to consume things for free" and I think he is very much right with that. If you consider how much time and effort goes into these things, having just a few hundred people buying it, is a big let down to be honest.
Print magazines are kind of oldschool, but I enjoy them, France does have Patinage, they did some stuff about Liza Tuktamysheva back in the days, I think it was found in 1986.
But besides print which I guess, is not sustainable anymore, what I would love to have is somekind of weekly or monthly TV show, maybe on the CBC, BBC; NBC ... where knowledgable people talk about the sport. These things exist for football, NBA, NHL, so ya, I would like to have something like that in figure skating too.
Ofc. Gracie Gold would be my name for that show, if we talk about hosting or Kwan / Cohen, but I get the feeling that no network is willing to set something up like this. Some time ago, I discovered a superbowl newschannel, unbelievable what sells and what doesn´t.
I once wanted to podcast a FS related show, I did commentate FS before locally, so ya, but it´s so much time that goes into it and ya, kudos to those that run podcasts and stuff, I just wish the focus would be more on the actual skating and less the gossip.
1) I would like a Netflix-style documentary. USFSA should have had a documentary filming this season, highlighting their unique skaters in each episode, with the final episode culminating with Boston Worlds and ending with the three American gold medals. They should then have had that airing going into the Olympics next year. This is what US Track did with "Sprint" before their extremely successful 2024 Paris Olympics.
2) Yes, we need a video archive. It could be subscription-based in the way that Tennis TV or F1 TV does it. Have short highlight videos of programs for free on YouTube or wherever and then have the full programs with fee access on an ISU website. Call it Skating TV or whatever.
3) Monthly magazine? No one reads magazines anymore. Maybe you mean some type of recap video. ISU already puts up short "movies" and winner interviews from the big events. That's not bad. It'd be nice to know what was going on for the smaller events too, like the Challenger series. CBC does some season recap shows with skaters (Asher Hill) as hosts.
4) Most of the fan podcasts for figure skating are pretty amateur-ish with thinly veiled biases, which is so annoying. TikTok is mostly about posting fan edits and sometimes they have the full programs up too, and young people get introduced into skating that way.
5) Small sports absolutely need GOATs to bring wider attention to them. I also usually get into sports because of the crazy things that the GOATs are doing, like Tiger Woods, Rafael Nadal, Mondo Duplantis. These legends can bring attention to their sport as a whole because of what they have done. I still feel Tiger's impact on golf 20 years later. GOATs can have rivals too even if they win a lot, and so it's still compelling.
6) I think the men have more successfully branded themselves with unique personalities and identities than the women. Just being nice and looking pretty (which most figure skating athletes already are!) isn't that compelling in and of itself.
I agree you. Wonder why Jason is so beloved? It is because he has been around long enough that everyone know who he is and to value his skating. Nathan Chen no matter his great accomplishments was only for a single Olympic quad barely long enough for people to even know he was but not enough time to breakthrough to mainstream consciousness and that after he had won the OGM in Bejing he basically retired except for shows did not help matters. You need to have at least 2 Olympics quads to gain enough of a following to really break though. Ilia may have that chance he is only 20 years old and about to go to the Olympics for the first time next season and if he wins and stays in the Olympic eligible for another quad or two then people will start tune in to see if Ilia csn win another OGM and that how you create buzz and Ilia has a fairly charming personality and is not hard on the eyes and has extraordinary abilities so people will want to cheer him on even if they don't usually watch skating. The fact that skating careers have been so short has been one of skating major problems. How you sre supposed to root for someone if have no idea who these people are. That was the major problem in Ladies Event until the Russians got banned thete seemed to be a new girl every year like an assembly line. Nobody wanted to watch that happening, now maybe with women like Alyssa who is only 19 years old if she stays though at least 2030 then maybe she could break through too. One major factor that could cause American skaters to stay longer is that in 2034 Olympics are going to be in Salt Lake City. A lot of skaters would love to end their careers on home ice and that fact might encourage Ilia, Alyssa, and others to hold on a little longer to have that chance to do so. That means longer careers and more time for fans to enjoy them before they take their final bows.
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- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I do mot think that there has been much change in the arc of famous American skaters over the years. If we look at the careers of the ,most successful, best-known and most fondly remembered men and ladies in U.S. figure skating history:
Peggy Fleming. Two Olympics, 6th in 1964, 1st in 1968,,3 world championships 1966-1968, retired in 1968.
Dorothy Hamill. One Olympics, 1st in 1976, world championship in 1976, retired in 1976.
Kristi Yamaguchi. One Olympics,1st in 1992, world championship 191 and 1992, retired in 1992.
Scott Hamilton, two Olympics, 5th in 1980, 1st in 1984, 4 world championships 1981-1984, retired in 1984
Brian Boitano. 5th at 1984 Olympics, 1st at 1988 Olympics, won world championships 1986 and 1988, retired in 1988. Attempted a comeback in 1994, but finished 6th.
Nathan Chen. Two olympics, 5th in 2018. 1st in 2022, world championships 2018, 2019, 2021. retired 2022.
All have similar arcs, (Hamill's and Yamaguchi's competitive careers were briefer). All made millions from their skating, even Nathan. I think we have to look for other factors to explain the precipitous decline in the popularity of the sport in the U.S. since 2000.
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One major change though is that pro skating that used to exist is basically dead with few exceptions. That means that a skater has to stay active in the competive skating much long than in the past. In the old days a skater with an OGM could turn Pro and sign million dollar contracts for TV specials and professional ice shows. Those opportunities no longer exist in any meaningful way so skaters who want to make a living at skating have stay longer in the Olympic eligible ranks to do so. Jason who is still skating at 30 years old is not as rare as it used to be. In the old days he would have turned pro and probably made money doing so but because that pathway has closed so he still skating competitively to pay the bills. Nathan Chen just went back to school and all but retired and outside of of a few shows he hasn't skated since. That the Olympic Gold Medalist did not think it was worth the effort to even try to fix his hip issue to try again says volumes about the sport and the direction it is going. Ilia might be one to change things a bit because he doesn't want to follow the rules that have been laid out for skaters, he wants to transform the sport and bring in a whole new audience to skating and skating really needs reset and Ilia might be able to do it. I want skating to relevant again and popular again and we need to do something different for that to happen.
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
Nathan Chen was in the elite group of skaters for 6 years right from his senior debut (2016-2022) and was totally expected by public and press to blow away the competition at the 2018 Olys, the gold was "in his pocket" and the hype from NBC then was something I don't think any of the current crop can dream of, it wasn't repeated in 2022 and no matter what Malinin's agent thinks, very much doubtful in 2026 (none of the current forerunners in any country in any discipline are likely to be Yuna Kim or Mao Asada or the Russian wunderkind express, live with it). Malinin may have massive plans for everyone else to follow, but can we wait until/if he actually has the public's attention let alone adulation and therefore chops to enforce it?
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- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I agree that they are up against it. I am afraid that no matter what Ilia accomplishes skating-wise, if nobody cares, then nobody cares.
Michelle Kwan was one of a tiny handful of U.S figure skating stars throughout history that grabbed the attention of the public, and in 2000 she was at her absolute peak. That was not enough to prevent the start of the slide in public enthusiasm for the sport.
As for Nathan Chen, not only was he hyped as much as the market would bear during his senior career, but even back in his novice days the USFSA and its allies were beating the dum about their future champion. He didn't disappoint... but he didn't save figure skating in the U.S. either.
Actually, I am OK with all this. Public taste in sports and entertainment comes and goes, rises and falls, shifts here and there.
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- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
Hey. I'm in a country where it will never be more than a flicker of mild curiosity at best, and I manage quite happily. We are so lucky to live in a time when even if streams and videos and whatnot are like chasing butterflies all over the internet, we still have them and someone like me, someone like anyone, can watch so much.I agree that they are up against it. I am afraid that no matter what Ilia accomplishes skating-wise, if nobody cares, then nobody cares.
Michelle Kwan was one of a tiny handful of U.S figure skating stars throughout history that grabbed the attention of the public, and in 2000 she was at her absolute peak. That was not enough to prevent the start of the slide in public enthusiasm for the sport.
As for Nathan Chen, not only was he hyped as much as the market would bear during his senior career, but even back in his novice days the USFSA and its allies were beating the dum about their future champion. He didn't disappoint... but he didn't save figure skating in the U.S. either.
Actually, I am OK with all this. Public taste in sports and entertainment comes and goes, rises and falls, shifts here and there.
