The role of fans in shaping skaters’ careers

[dorispulaski]

Another way fans have helped skaters is through direct financial support.

Check out any skater's GoFundMe and you will see contributions of fans.

Sometimes the amounts are quite large. Scott Hamilton's amateur career was partially funded by a couple, the McLoraine's.

Scott Hamilton (figure skater) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

At age 13, Hamilton began training with Pierre Brunet, a former Olympic champion. In 1976, however, he was almost forced to quit skating because the cost of training was too high and he enrolled in college.

However, Helen and Frank McLoraine stepped in to provide financial support for Hamilton to continue his training. Hamilton would later work with the McLoraines in continuing philanthropic support for figure skating.

The Brown's needed a GoFundMe to continue ice dancing.

The "waitress & truck driver" US pair, Calla Urbanski and Rocky Marval "used to get support by selling pins and such to fans at competitions.

 

[Arigato]

“Fan” is an abbreviated form of the word, “fanatic,” which has its roots in the Latin word fanaticus. In its most literal sense, fanaticus meant simply “of or belonging to the temple, a temple servant, a devotee,” but it quickly assumed more negative connotations, “of persons inspired by orgiastic rites and enthusiastic frenzy” (Oxford Latin Dictionary). As it evolved, the term “fanatic” moved from a reference to excessive forms of religious worship to any “excessive and mistaken enthusiasm,” often evoked in criticism to opposing political beliefs, and then, more generally, to madness, “such as might result from possession by a deity or demon” (Oxford English Dictionary). Its abbreviated form, “fan,” first appeared in the late nineteenth century in journalistic accounts describing fans of professional sports and popular theater, and in both cases these fans were seen as having an inappropriate attachment [...]

Source: nyupress.org

One can appreciate someone's skating but that doesn't make them a fan. I appreciate Yuzu's skating more than others and I listen to hundreds of musicians but call myself a fan of none and no one. Never have.

Toxicity abounds - whether it's in sports fandoms or kpop fandoms. And the two unfortunately collided with Yuzu. Who do you think was responsible for threatening a male skater's life on his instagram for cutting across the ice at the 2022 OLYG while Yuzu was doing a runthrough? A normal person who simply appreciates Yuzu's exceptional skill? No. They were some of Yuzu's fanatical devotees. Did I see the skater cut across the ice several times when it was actually happening? Yes. When I finally realized who it was, I simply thought of him as an obnoxious rookie who didn't understand how things work at events and it ended there. Were I a fanatic, well, I may have been over on his instagram with a bunch of crazy people threatening his life.

I don't see any of that as "protective" behavior or behavior that is supportive in any way. I found it all rather self-serving. But this is how large fandoms can move . . . like a swarm of wasps. There's too much gumdrops and roses in the thread, so I thought I'd post my own position on the topic and ending with what is most important - no, everyone here is not a fan. Thankfully.

 

[Wynter]

One can appreciate someone's skating but that doesn't make them a fan. I appreciate Yuzu's skating more than others and I listen to hundreds of musicians but call myself a fan of none and no one. Never have.

Toxicity abounds - whether it's in sports fandoms or kpop fandoms. And the two unfortunately collided with Yuzu. Who do you think was responsible for threatening a male skater's life on his instagram for cutting across the ice at the 2022 OLYG while Yuzu was doing a runthrough? A normal person who simply appreciates Yuzu's exceptional skill? No. They were some of Yuzu's fanatical devotees. Did I see the skater cut across the ice several times when it was actually happening? Yes. When I finally realized who it was, I simply thought of him as an obnoxious rookie who didn't understand how things work at events and it ended there. Were I a fanatic, well, I may have been over on his instagram with a bunch of crazy people threatening his life.

I don't see any of that as "protective" behavior or behavior that is supportive in any way. I found it all rather self-serving. But this is how large fandoms can move . . . like a swarm of wasps. There's too much gumdrops and roses in the thread, so I thought I'd post my own position on the topic and ending with what is most important - no, everyone here is not a fan. Thankfully.

You're describing a crazy fan behavior (Noun, An extremely obsessive fan of a person, group, character, or creative work, particularly one whose fixation is unhealthy or intrusive (Internet slang, sometimes derogatory)) here. Every fan group has this.

Personally, I think it is unfair to paint a everyone with the same brush due to the behavior of some, especially when you follow the statement with words like "a normal person" (meaning there are not normal ones) and "may have been" (meaning you may NOT have been). At the end of the day, how you behave on the internet (and real life) is your sole responsibility.

I also sympathize that your experience have given you such aversion on the word "fan".

Yuzu is perhaps the only person I can say I am a fan of, and he (and his fans) have given me so much positive experience in the last 7 years. Being protective or supportive to someone doesn't have to be translated as attacking the opposition; you can simply support the person's ideas. One example: Yuzu's fans support disaster recovery efforts because they know it is an important issue for him. There are many more examples other than this.

I'm not sharing the example to say that doing some "good" can cancel all the bad side of a fan. I simply want to point out that no one's perfect, let alone a (large) group of people who shares the same interest.

 

[TallyT]

Yuzu is perhaps the only person I can say I am a fan of,

I have been in various fandoms throughout the years, and watched others from the side because friends were in them. One of my own idols many years ago got thoroughly involved and took sides in a fannish war and split the fandom so badly that many people completely dumped it, his TV series and support for him (an object lesson among many for anyone who thinks our skating stars should pronounce on fan squabbles, it so often ends badly). A recent one, through really no fault of his his flippin' government got involved in a ruckus with the major international fanfic website. Nearly wrecked his career. And then there are cases like Jack Gleeson (Joffrey in GOT) whose career was derailed by fans of the show and all because he was just so good.

It's different for sport. you say? Increasingly not so. Sport after all is sold to us all as entertainment, and the stars increasingly marketed as celebrities as much as athletes (look at Ilia Malinin's stated wish to become a global Reynaldo-level celebrity). It's none of it new. It may even be none of it new in figure skating, the acoustics are just way way louder now because of social media. On the flipside, stars like Yuzuru and Yuna not only benefit from being hugely popular, they can and do use their popularity to do a lot of good for others.

The best the skaters - and we - can do is hang on to what we love about them, ignore what we can't change (because we can't, we really can never control people we don't even know) and enjoy the ride.

 

[Arigato]

You're describing a crazy fan behavior (Noun, An extremely obsessive fan of a person, group, character, or creative work, particularly one whose fixation is unhealthy or intrusive (Internet slang, sometimes derogatory) here. Every fan group has this.

Personally, I think it is unfair to paint a everyone with the same brush due to the behavior of some, especially when you follow the statement with words like "a normal person" (meaning there are not normal ones) and "may have been" (meaning you may NOT have been). At the end of the day, how you behave on the internet (and real life) is your sole responsibility.

I also sympathize that your experience have given you such aversion on the word "fan".

Yuzu is perhaps the only person I can say I am a fan of, and he (and his fans) have given me so much positive experience in the last 7 years. Being protective or supportive to someone don't have to be translated as attacking the opposition; you can simply support the person's ideas. One example: Yuzu's fans support disaster recovery efforts because they know it is an important issue for him. There are many more examples other than this.

I'm not sharing the example to say that doing some "good" can cancel all the bad side of a fan. I simply want to point out that no one's perfect, let alone a (large) group of people who shares the same interest.

You responded to a post that opens with the origin of the word "fan" as if it is somehow an assault on you and you alone. This is part of the problem. That 2022 example is one of hundreds I have witnessed where "fans" of Yuzu are concerned. Fanaticism is easy to spot. The same is true in Kpop where fanatics rush the guys in airports because they are "their biggest fans." I find it concerning that anyone would support disaster recovery efforts merely because Yuzu does. Do it on your own to help others. Leave Yuzu out of the equation. And don't tell anyone you've done it. Then it will be real.

 

[Mathman]

In modern usage I think that being a "fan" especially a spprts fan, has mellowed from it's linguistic roots. Excessive hero worship can turn.ugly. My advice (not that anyone asked for it): be a fan but don't be ugly.

 

[Arigato]

Sport after all is sold to us all as entertainment, and the stars increasingly marketed as celebrities as much as athletes (look at Ilia Malinin's stated wish to become a global Reynaldo-level celebrity). It's none of it new. It may even be none of it new in figure skating, the acoustics are just way way louder now because of social media. On the flipside, stars like Yuzuru and Yuna not only benefit from being hugely popular, they can and do use their popularity to do a lot of good for others.

"I am not a celebrity, I am just an athlete." Yuzu corrected a journalist on camera. Were it not for Yuzu's older sister who skated and him wanting to up the ante on her when he was a kid, he would have gone after his first love - baseball. His love is sport. Not celebrity. As for the other guy you mentioned? Let him chase celebrity. I feel sorry for people like that. Always have.

 

[Wynter]

You responded to a post that opens with the origin of the word "fan" as if it is somehow an assault on you and you alone. This is part of the problem. That 2022 example is one of hundreds I have witnessed where "fans" of Yuzu are concerned. Fanaticism is easy to spot. The same is true in Kpop where fanatics rush the guys in airports because they are "their biggest fans." I find it concerning that anyone would support disaster recovery efforts merely because Yuzu does. Do it on your own to help others. Leave Yuzu out of the equation. And don't tell anyone you've done it. Then it will be real.

If I took your post as personal assault I would be pointing out bad behaviors from other skaters' fan (I have seen lots of those too). However, I didn't since I have long come to an understanding that I cannot control others' behavior.

Now, I don’t think you can dismiss Yuzu’s role as a catalyst for disaster recovery awareness. He knows people are watching him, which is why he joined NTV as a special anchor and visited disaster-affected areas. On the other hand, regular people have limited time and resources, so we have to set priorities in how we allocate them. In my case, my donations tend to go closer to home. With Yuzu as a catalyst, however, support were also coming from faraway places.

People in Ofunato, Japan (the area affected by flood last year and wildfire this year) said they are grateful for Hanyu fans support. I see no reason to scream at those fans because they give support only because of Yuzu. Support is support, especially for those in need.

At the end of the day, I think that it will be better for all of us if we consider 'fans' as a fellow human being, without a superiority complex. Prejudice rarely leads to anything good.

 

[Magill]

I find it concerning that anyone would support disaster recovery efforts merely because Yuzu does. Do it on your own to help others. Leave Yuzu out of the equation. And don't tell anyone you've done it. Then it will be real.

I bet survivors benefiting from this support would fiercely disagree.
I have seen numerous and heartfelt messages from them thanking Yuzuru and his fans for support, especially international fans whose support Japanese earthquakes and flood victims always find especially touching. I saw such messages from Japanese NGOs which thank Yuzuru domestic and international fans for financial support every year for years now. And I find their opinions way more important and relevant,.
Yuzuru also thanked everyone on their and his own behalf expressing his gratitude and, yes, pride, in his fans, and many times. Have you ever heard him speaking about it? His opinion on the subject involving him directly is also way more relevant to me. If he did not want to be "a part of this equation", he would never go public appealing to his fans for support in the first place. He would not get involved in public charity activities himself. And he would not have to suffer similarly wise comments that his charity actions are just for fame and PR. A survivor himself hearing such comments from some internet wisdom bearers, phew.
Support is real when it is helping those in need, everything else is just noise. And criticising people because they extended real support for supposedly "wrong" reasons to whoever's liking is what I find way more concerning that any reason they could possibly have.
And I say it as someone who was involved in humanitarian support for decades now, who visited places unimaginable to most, talked to victims and collected funds to put them to good use. I can say I know what I am talking about.

And here's from Yuzuru himself on the very matter.

 

[TallyT]

Another way fans have helped skaters is through direct financial support.

And didn't Patrick Chan get support from the Chinese-Canadian community when he was competitive?

In some ways, it's sad that they need it (though this is true for the vast majority of sports when you think of it), but it is easier to reach a large number of people these days even though like so many things these days, even this depends on the skaters' individual appeal for audiences, even more than their actual skill.

 

[surimi]

I find it concerning that anyone would support disaster recovery efforts merely because Yuzu does.

See, I view the same thing differently: I find it nice when people are inspired by role models. And I like it when a famous person acts as a good role model for others.

 

[Arigato]

I see no reason to scream

Then don't. No one else is.

I find it nice when people are inspired by role models. And I like it when a famous person acts as a good role model for others.

I find it nice when anyone inspires others, no matter who they are.

 

[surimi]

I find it nice when anyone inspires others, no matter who they are

So do I. Unlike less known people though, famous people can reach masses. I kind of anticipated this kind of response from you, so I'm respectfully bowing out now.

 

[Arigato]

Support is real when it is helping those in need

That's right. And no one needs to be patted on the back for doing it.

 

[Magill]

That's right. And no one needs to be patted on the back for doing it.

You have no idea what they need unless you ask them. Each one of them, because they might have different needs. Different between them, and different from yours.
In my experience, most people actually do like feeling appreciated even if gaining appreciation is not the reason of their actions.
But even if they do not need it, they deserve it. And not a pat on the back, but a proper gassho, and a heartfelt arigato.

 

[Anna K.]

In modern usage I think that being a "fan" especially a spprts fan, has mellowed from it's linguistic roots.

I would put it differently. I'd say that fan culture has spread so far and wide in the modern world and has so many different forms and types that it has mellowed in some clusters while it has radicalized in others. It varies from sport to sport (or whatever may have a fandom), from country to country, and from philosophy to philosophy. In example, there is "hooligan" soccer fan culture in England that requires serious police work to be curbed and there is "roligan" soccer fan culture in Denmark that celebrates peaceful enjoyment of the game. Accordingly, the word "fan"may have negative connotation as well as positive depending on the context. Or, it may simply refer to personal liking, i.e. "he is a great big fan of pizza Margherita with double cheese"

 

[Mathman]

I would put it differently. I'd say that fan culture has spread so far and wide in the modern world and has so many different forms and types that it has mellowed in some clusters while it has radicalized in others. It varies from sport to sport (or whatever may have a fandom), from country to country, and from philosophy to philosophy. In example, there is "hooligan" soccer fan culture in England that requires serious police work to be curbed and there is "roligan" soccer fan culture in Denmark that celebrates peaceful enjoyment of the game. Accordingly, the word "fan"may have negative connotation as well as positive depending on the context. Or, it may simply refer to personal liking, i.e. "he is a great big fan of pizza Margherita with double cheese"

I do think though, that the word "fan" standing alone has by and large abandoned its position on the good-bad spectrum. If you want it to have the same coloring as "fanatic" you have to throw in some deliberate modifiers like hooligan, crazy, excessive, berserk, Philadelphia Eagles, etc.

If you are a fan of the Beatles, that implies nothing except that you are old. But if you suffered from Beatlemania, well, no one likes a maniac. Jack the Ripper was a maniac.

On the other hand, in my time I have been a proud Cohenhead (cone-head) -- that is, a fan of Sasha Cohen -- as well as a Maosketeer -- a fan of Mao Asada. In act, I admit to being a Miki-Maosketeeer, throwing Miki Ando into the mix.

 

[Anna K.]

I do think though, that the word "fan" standing alone has by and large abandoned its position on the good-bad spectrum. If you want it to have the same coloring as "fanatic" you have to throw in some deliberate modifiers

In fact, there is a specific word "stan" (from a popular song with the same name about a fan who committed suicide) to describe an obsessed fan/acting like an obsessed fan. It may be not known widely, but it stuck within the cluster of bilingual Latvians (Latvian&English speakers) because it sounds surprisingly similar to the Latvian verb "stenēt" ("to groan", mostly from excessive effort or pleasure). As you can imagine, it easily produced bilingual pun material which took it rather far from the sad origin of the word. It was a bit of a trend on Latvian Twitter (back when it was Twitter and a good place to communicate) and, up to this day, it's not unusual to meet bilingual Latvians who say "stan" rather than "fan" or use the word in some funny or extravagant manner, i.e., a college student referring to himself as a "Ludwig Wittgenstein stan"

 

[Mathman]

^ How very interesting. I love this board. I learn something new (in this case something about the Latvian language) every time I come here.

The original meaning of "Stan" was actually, I believe, quite dark. A "stalker fan" suggests someone so far around the bend that he has fantasies of abducting or assaulting the object of his affection, sort of like, "If I can't have you nobody can."

So I looked up to see if there was such a term specifically for figure skaters. Google AI overview informed me that "Skater Stlalker" meant a "back camel spin with a back handspring." (?) Presumably the skater must "stalk" the move the wayTodd Eldredge used to stalk the triple Axel.

Then it went on to mention the "stalker skate," a species of fish, and to give references to the 1991 arrest of a pchychopath who was convicted of aggressively and dangerously stalking Katarina Witt.

Added in proof: By the way, I too was a huge Wittgenstein fan back in those halcyon days of my misspent youth.

 

[Arigato]

In my experience, most people actually do like feeling appreciated

Did you ask all of them? A bit of a double standard there.