How much interest can Alysa Liu revive in figure skating in the US?

[NanaPat]

And sure some may go watch her, but what's the guarantee any of those people will be retained even after one competition let alone after retirement?

I agree with this post. No guarantees. Maybe some new permanent U.S. fans will be recruited, maybe not.

Still, it's fun while it lasts. I'm not complaining.

Some fans of figure skating have the same complaints about Hanyu. I'm not the biggest Hanyu fan, because his skating was so up and down; great when he was "on", meh for me when he wasn't (mainly due to repeated injuries). But I appreciate the effect he had on viewership, event attendance and the associated tourism. Canada was a beneficiary of this because he attended many competitions in Canada.

If Alyssa's popularity can spark some of the "Hanyu effect", I'm all for it. I just hope she continues skating through the next Olympics, even if she has to take a break (a la Patrick Chan) or scale back on total competitions (a la Jason Brown). Or could she go for two more Olympics with suitable career management. If so, bring it on!

 

[Arigato]

I think that is all an act, she withdrew from World's so she can . . .

Hang out with NIKE.

Alysa Liu is Winning on Her Own Terms

The gold medal–winning figure skater — and sport icon for authenticity — reflects on pressure, success and learning to trust her own path.

about.nike.com

And be their new IT GIRL.

Alysa Liu Debuts New Moon Shoe Colorway and Models Air Liquid Max in New Nike Campaign

Alysa Liu is on top of the world, and she's getting the star treatment from Nike. Check here for images from Alysa Liu's Nike campaign.

www.soleretriever.com

 

[Mathman]

I don't know about anyone else, but I am learning way, way, way more than I ever knew (or wanted to know)? about fashion lingo.what with Alysa's colorways and capsule drops.

 

[Skating91]

If Alyssa's popularity can spark some of the "Hanyu effect", I'm all for it. I just hope she continues skating through the next Olympics, even if she has to take a break (a la Patrick Chan) or scale back on total competitions (a la Jason Brown). Or could she go for two more Olympics with suitable career management. If so, bring it on!

Hanyu as a performer was unrivalled. Sublime skating skills and artistry, complex choreography, quads as well.

Whereas I think Liu doesn't really excel at any particular technical aspect, except maybe her spins. It's more about the vibe right, she's the anti-skater, supposedly does it her own way, not remembered for technical precision and excellence as with Hanyu. One is an anti-skater who will be most remembered for the vibe not for the technical aspects of the performances, one is the epitome of figure skating who you can rewatch over and over for his technical mastery.

For Liu to endure like Hanyu and fill arenas, she would have to bring that Hanyu wow effect with each performance. She's still young and has time to improve her craft, and she probably doesn't want to be typecast as the skater who supposedly doesn't care about any of the results, just does it as kind of a hobby to express herself. It becomes a bit of a trap, a little suffocating to not express other emotions like getting sad or angry because you put in a lot of work and lost.

 

[Anna K.]

^ Just wait, gaming is yet to come.
The scheduled release date of the custom Alysa Liu character in Fortnite game is October 4.
(I deliberately avoided any associated lingo.)

 

[R.D.]

I think that is all an act, she withdrew from World's so she can go into the offseason as Olympic champion rather than let Sakamoto/Glenn beat her at World's and take the shine off that gold. Good thinking, but it does contradict the notion that Liu does this for the love of skating, for the joy, for the connection with fans.

Also, there's nothing wrong with something being an act, some skaters portray themselves as smiling and giggling everything is funny, others are the sensitive artist, Madison Chock is always unflappable with a big smile nothing out of place. It's all acting. Liu's act is that none of this matters to her she just wants to have fun doing what she loves (until this year's world championships anyway), and it's a really good act because everyone thinks it's real.

There's nothing wrong with pulling out World's after winning the Olympics, most of these ultra-competitive skaters do it especially if it's a bit of a lucky gold like with Shaidorov. It will never happen again where the Japanese mess up and Malinin has a meltdown they will talk about forever in figure skating, and Shaidorov knows it. Liu did lose to Glenn at their nationals so would fear a clean Glenn, Sakamoto shot an own goal by not putting a single toe loop onto her jump she won't do that again. I think Liu knows she could easily be off the podium if Nakai holds it together as well.

Good thinking. Keep that psychological edge, don't give Sakamoto the opportunity or satisfaction of putting things right at the world championships. Bask in that feeling of being the WINNER for another 12 months. Who doesn't love winning? It hurts a lot to lose, it hurts the ego to know someone is better, even more so for these ultra-competitive athletes who dedicate their lives to this, watch what they eat, deprive themselves of so much just to win a medal. It's a level of competitiveness most of us will never understand.

Is it all an act? Perhaps, can’t rule it out…you never really know these days. A very good one, if it is…

I never believed top-level skaters especially back in the day when they’d always say, “I just want to skate my best”. It just seemed like a bit of a cop out to me, plus, their actions would often indicate otherwise.

Personally, I think a more likely reason for her pulling out is just being swept up in the whirlwind that is the post-Olympic media circuit. Any hopes that her life was going to return to normal and she could get back to business distraction-free likely went out the window. No way she was going to have the time to truly buckle down and train/prepare. I think it may be dawning on Team Liu that things are never going to be quite the same for her again so a new approach will likely be required if she is to continue. The evidence is clear in this thread…

 

[yfan1]

I would not, for instance, see much point in advising Mikhail Shaidorov, "Hey guy, all you have to do is become Yuzuru Hanyu and your fortune is made!"

But we aren't talking about personal fortune I'm sorry this thread is just confusing.

The scheduled release date of the custom Alysa Liu character in Fortnite game is October 4.

I don't feel we should expect Fortnite players to take up figure skating as viewers or as a sport, but that's me.

 

[Sjs5572]

I think that is all an act, she withdrew from World's so she can go into the offseason as Olympic champion rather than let Sakamoto/Glenn beat her at World's and take the shine off that gold. Good thinking, but it does contradict the notion that Liu does this for the love of skating, for the joy, for the connection with fans.

Also, there's nothing wrong with something being an act, some skaters portray themselves as smiling and giggling everything is funny, others are the sensitive artist, Madison Chock is always unflappable with a big smile nothing out of place. It's all acting. Liu's act is that none of this matters to her she just wants to have fun doing what she loves (until this year's world championships anyway), and it's a really good act because everyone thinks it's real.

There's nothing wrong with pulling out World's after winning the Olympics, most of these ultra-competitive skaters do it especially if it's a bit of a lucky gold like with Shaidorov. It will never happen again where the Japanese mess up and Malinin has a meltdown they will talk about forever in figure skating, and Shaidorov knows it. Liu did lose to Glenn at their nationals so would fear a clean Glenn, Sakamoto shot an own goal by not putting a single toe loop onto her jump she won't do that again. I think Liu knows she could easily be off the podium if Nakai holds it together as well.

Good thinking. Keep that psychological edge, don't give Sakamoto the opportunity or satisfaction of putting things right at the world championships. Bask in that feeling of being the WINNER for another 12 months. Who doesn't love winning? It hurts a lot to lose, it hurts the ego to know someone is better, even more so for these ultra-competitive athletes who dedicate their lives to this, watch what they eat, deprive themselves of so much just to win a medal. It's a level of competitiveness most of us will never understand.

Google Image Result for https://media.tenor.com/PxUs9MgoiTUAAAAM/no-shake-my-head.gif

 

[Mathman]

But we aren't talking about personal fortune I'm sorry this thread is just confusing.

It is. Still, I don't think it is useful to look for a one-size-efits-all blueprint that applies to every skater, every time, every country's cultural affinities.

I don't feel we should expect Fortnite players to take up figure skating as viewers or as a sport, but that's me.

That's what is so exciting about all this. I have just barely heard of "Fortnite." But I'm already a skating fan, so it doesn't matter what I have or haven't heard of. The Alysa phenomenon is taking off before my very eyes, heading... ?

 

[yfan1]

That's what is so exciting about all this. I have just barely heard of "Fortnite." But I'm already a skating fan, so it doesn't matter what I have or haven't heard of. The Alysa phenomenon is taking off before my very eyes, heading... ?

This is the average fortnite player.



I know we all should never say never, but still, I feel somewhat secure in saying he and others like him will never be skating or watching skating.

Send their little sis or daughter, sure. Maybe. If their eyes shift from the screen to what's happening around them.

 

[el henry]

At the risk of beating a dead horse: (where is that emoji? )

No one thought that young women who loved Taylor Swift would actually watch and care about football. They are not the stereotypical demographic (then again, neither am I) But they do and they have, for three years now. Will some or most of them stop when Travis Kelce retires? Probably. Will all of them? No. And it's the ones who stay that matter to the NFL. Any increase is a good increase.

Can Alysa do the same for skating, no matter the platform? Could be. I'm having fun watching in the meantime.

 

[Anna K.]

The new Nike 'Alysa Liu" clothing line is actually menswear.

Just saying.

 

[Arigato]

The new Nike 'Alysa Liu" clothing line is actually menswear.

Just saying.

Define " menswear. "

 

[Anna K.]

Define " menswear. "

Google it.

 

[Arigato]

I don't feel Japanese male gamers are the types who go watch skating either. And given their reputation, I wouldn't want them to.

Bigoted
/ˈbiɡədəd/

1. prejudiced against or antagonistic toward a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular group.


I didn't realize a particular group of people had to pass a litmus test to watch skating.

 

[Arigato]

Google it.

Define menswear. You made the claim. Google didn't.

 

[Anna K.]

Define menswear. You made the claim. Google didn't.

menswear
/ˈmɛnzwɛː/
noun
1 clothes for men.


Happy now?

 

[Mathman]

What is everyone getting so pugilistic about?

The question of the thread is, do you think that Alysa's sudden burst of fame will translate into increased popularity of figure skating in the U.S.

There are two possible answers, both well represented on the thread.

1. No, I don't think so. And

2. It's possible. I hope so.

Neither of these is controversial or bellicose, it seems to me.

 

[Arigato]

If you don't like it, sue Nike who made them for men and sell them to men.

Let's do it your way. I used Google.

Based on search results from March 2026, Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu has not launched a business selling her own line of menswear, but she has become heavily involved in fashion and streetwear collaborations.

Recent highlights regarding her fashion involvement include:

• Nike Partnership: Liu is a Nike brand ambassador and is featured in campaigns for new apparel drops and footwear, including streetwear-focused collections.
• Thrifting & Customization: She has gone viral for her "alt fashion" style, which includes modifying thrifted men’s pants for a proper fit.
• Streetwear Style: Liu has been featured wearing and styling unisex or menswear-influenced street style, such as cargo shorts, dark tailoring, and hoodies.
• Apparel Drop: She is associated with a new apparel release featuring graphic T-shirts and hoodies.

I don't think any of that means Nike is making clothing for men and selling it to men using Alysa's name and image. Far from it.

 

[Arigato]

And now back to our regularly scheduled program that isn't just about counting beans.