Why do you watch figure skating?

[fanboy]

Initially, it was like whoah, pretty people and pretty music! Then, I became fascinated about the physics but I've largely given that up now because I think I can't work out how the rotation motion works (and I suspect it's impossible without detailed biomechanic research). These days, I watch it more like usual sport: I try to recognize all elements and guess the points. Speaking of which, if you want to make it a yet bigger sport, you should make the scoring somehow more transparent - i.e., easier to distinguish a good program and a bad program. (I know that it's a lot to ask. The artistic impression may suffer if you start to simplify the sport.)

I'm not a skater myself, but the temptation is there. Maybe one day I'll try Learn to Skate or a similar curriculum...

 

[noskates]

I watch figure skating- and have for more years than I'm going to divulge - because it combines athleticism with beauty and grace. It's entertaining at best and poignant at it's worst. I enjoy most of the music (except Roxanne and Carmen) the costumes and the pure fun of watching men and women do something they love. The competition between nations, the pomp and circumstance and the joy of rooting for your favorites. The sport is changing like all things do and sometimes I'm steeped in "what used to be!" I don't like the emphasis on quads at the expense of presentation - although that's evolving somewhat. I don't like some of the ridiculous things skaters are doing to earn points but end up disrupting an otherwise nice program. I do like the point system better than the 6.0 era because it provides a more flexible and determined way to judge a skater. For example, what constituted the difference between a 5.9 program and a 6.0 program? Never understood that. What I do find terribly upsetting is the fact that figure skating has been downgraded in the media and it's a challenge every week to figure out where you can watch a competition.

 

[Jhar55]

Started watching in 1968, watching Peggy Flemming win Olympic Gold Medal. Watched for the graceful beauty learned to love classical music from skating.

 

[Mathematician]

Cause at its best its the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life

 

[Ngaio]

Its beautiful! I got hooked by Torville and Dean at the Olympics. I am amazed at what the athletes can do while looking like it's effortless.

 

[sadya]

I was 16 in 1994, saw the skating competitions of the Winter Olympics and never stopped watching since. I loved the jumps and the spirals at first, the grace when interpreting the music and sometimes the costumes. Later as I learnt more about the sport I learnt to appreciate other aspects as well. I can't skate myself. So I think it's extra amazing what these athletes show.

 

[iluvtodd]

I'm amazed @ the athleticism of the sport, but I also love the beauty & grace of it. Music is such a big part of it, too!

 

[fanboy]

I watch figure skating- and have for more years than I'm going to divulge - because it combines athleticism with beauty and grace. It's entertaining at best and poignant at it's worst. I enjoy most of the music (except Roxanne and Carmen) the costumes and the pure fun of watching men and women do something they love. The competition between nations, the pomp and circumstance and the joy of rooting for your favorites. The sport is changing like all things do and sometimes I'm steeped in "what used to be!" I don't like the emphasis on quads at the expense of presentation - although that's evolving somewhat. I don't like some of the ridiculous things skaters are doing to earn points but end up disrupting an otherwise nice program. I do like the point system better than the 6.0 era because it provides a more flexible and determined way to judge a skater. For example, what constituted the difference between a 5.9 program and a 6.0 program? Never understood that. What I do find terribly upsetting is the fact that figure skating has been downgraded in the media and it's a challenge every week to figure out where you can watch a competition.

Well, I guess it's difficult to distinguish the very, very best skaters without the quads? I didn't watch this stuff in the 6.0 era, but I had a similar feeling about some of the GP and World's programs last winter. I mean, the last few skaters were exactly as good to my eye, but then there was a 20-point difference or so in the free program's score. I guess it's about all those minute details I don't know to appreciate. It would be superb if they could make these differences more visible somehow: The audience would know instantly that now this person is scoring really, really well. (Oh well, there's the technical elements' score on the screen, but I mean that it would be superb if you could tell it by plain eye.)

As one final remark, I feel sorry for skaters who fall frequently. I think it's suboptimal that athletes try programs that are honestly beyond their skills. Potentially, you could solve this by making the fall penalties more severe. In an extreme version, you could disqualify anybody who falls, say, more than twice (or once?). I don't know how this would change the sport, though.

 

[noskates]

I absolutely agree that penalties for falls should carry stronger penalties. It irks me to see someone win a competition when they've fallen a few times. But - I've given up questioning the judging system. It is what it is. As long as humans are doing the judging it will always be circumspect. At least with the point system they have more flexibility.

 

[Mathman]

To me, figure skating is a refuge, a safe harbor, a place where I can go where everyone is not looking for a fight all the time.

It's like the song from the musical Chorus Line: Everything is beautiful at the ballet.

 

[fanboy]

I absolutely agree that penalties for falls should carry stronger penalties. It irks me to see someone win a competition when they've fallen a few times. But - I've given up questioning the judging system. It is what it is. As long as humans are doing the judging it will always be circumspect. At least with the point system they have more flexibility.

I wouldn't exactly use the word 'irk', but I do feel kind of sorry and I ask, do we as the audience push athletes towards painful failures. A little bit on the same line is the eating disorder issue which has been discussed elsewhere on this board.

 

[Anna K.]

Oh well, there's the technical elements' score on the screen, but I mean that it would be superb if you could tell it by plain eye.

There is nothing that another person can do for you. You need mileage as a viewer. That's all. If a day will come when you'll catch yourself thinking: "Gosh, I've been watching figure skating so much recently that I'm already spotting toeloop entries" then you'll be ready for the next level

 

[ladyjane]

I've been watching Figure skating since the early 80's and I really love it. I am not really a competitive person myself, so I don't worry too much about the scoring even if the tec box does help comprehension. I recognise certain jumps, even have a favourite one to watch (the loop whether single, double, triple or the quad version), but I love spirals, step sequences and choreographic elements as well. Not so much the spins, but that's mostly due to not seeing any wonderful ones anymore (the Stephan Lambiel or Lucinda Ruh spins were fantastic). I do love the side-by-side spins in a pairs SP, although I don't like the fact that contorting postures get more points than synchronicity. but that's probably my bad.

In ID it still is difficult to understand the scoring though, even if I know that twizzels out of synch will cost you points (and rightly so). However, a good ID manages to move me, although I also like dynamic ones. In men I like to watch the 'lesser Gods' who are just beautiful skaters (and sometimes not even Quadsters) too. Jason Brown is a firm favourite of mine, and so are the French skaters who tend to put surprises into their programmes (they're very innovative in all disciplines by the way).

 

[Weathergal]

I've been watching Figure skating since the early 80's and I really love it. I am not really a competitive person myself, so I don't worry too much about the scoring even if the tec box does help comprehension. I recognise certain jumps, even have a favourite one to watch (the loop whether single, double, triple or the quad version), but I love spirals, step sequences and choreographic elements as well. Not so much the spins, but that's mostly due to not seeing any wonderful ones anymore (the Stephan Lambiel or Lucinda Ruh spins were fantastic). I do love the side-by-side spins in a pairs SP, although I don't like the fact that contorting postures get more points than synchronicity. but that's probably my bad.

In ID it still is difficult to understand the scoring though, even if I know that twizzels out of synch will cost you points (and rightly so). However, a good ID manages to move me, although I also like dynamic ones. In men I like to watch the 'lesser Gods' who are just beautiful skaters (and sometimes not even Quadsters) too. Jason Brown is a firm favourite of mine, and so are the French skaters who tend to put surprises into their programmes (they're very innovative in all disciplines by the way).

We have VERY similar likes - good taste, of course.

 

[NanaPat]

I recognise certain jumps, even have a favourite one to watch (the loop whether single, double, triple or the quad version)

It's my favorite too. Just not the "half" version. Thank goodness they changed the name to Euler so it can't mix in with the beautiful ones!

 

[Princessroja]

I'm a dance teacher and freelance performer so although I love the arts, it's hard to watch without getting really analytical about a performance. Skating is enough like dance that I can transfer some of my knowledge and enjoyment over, while being different enough that it doesn't send me into work mode.