Modern Skating is Ugly – European Champions

[sweetskates1]

I agree with the Russians. Beauty in skating is no longer truly appreciated. It is all about the points now.

 

[meem]

I just watched the video of M&D's LP at '94 Olympics and in both throws, Artur's skates remained on the ice. The male skaters who I first noticed having a flying up leg on the throw were all of the Chinese (mainly Tong and Zhang which was odd since their partners were and are so tiny).

You have a point there, bsfan, I honestly lost interest in pairs (except for the USA) after 2002. I do like Shen & Zhao and think they should be commended for never giving up, persevering, and staying in the game while into their mid-30's. However, Shen's positions come nowhere close to someone like Elena Berezhynia & Ekaterina Gordeeva. And though S&Z's throws were HUGE, the technique was not good; Zhao's feet always left the ice when he threw Shen. This is also what cost Artur Dmietriev the gold in 1994; his technique on replay was the same as Zhao's, whereas the split screen showed the correct way to do it, that of Sergei Grinkov, feet firmly planted on the ice and the flow he still carried after throwing Katia into the air. These little things may not seem like much, but they do matter, especially when it comes time to deciding who should win ~ apples versus oranges ~ that was the famous saying at the 1994 Olympics in Pairs.

I'd rather see an element done right with perfect technique versus a harder one with imperfect technique. Hopefully the powers-that-be are reading this thread and institute some changes to bring back the beauty in skating. Jmho.

 

[Nadine]

I watched in real time with Verne Lundquist & Scott Hamilton doing the commentary for I think NBC? It's all there, packed away in my old VCR tapes, with a *split screen* showing Artur throwing Natalia versus Sergei throwing Katia, and pointing out the difference between the two.

Besides the argument over apples versus oranges, most famously Scott said "passion or perfection". And the judges chose perfection.

Btw, that was one of thee most exciting pairs final EVER! At that time I thought M&D would win, especially considering the little mistakes Sergei made (i.e. singling the double flip & the minor bobble on his 2A), but I had no problem with G&G winning because their technique was better, as well their lines glorious; like Scott said the judges went with "perfection" instead of passion.

 

[pista04]

I'd hate to go against the grain....but I love how COP has made figure skating so much more sport-like. For me, and I think the reason I fell in love with it, is that it is first and foremost a sport (I know, sorry, bringing up the sport v art debate) and that a great skater brings a clean showing....but a brilliant skater can touch you in unimaginable ways within the great skate. Skaters' opinions which show a fustration with how "ugly" or "technical" skating now is don't hold much water in my mind....if you want to make it beautiful and a show, thats for YOU to do within the completion of the elements. Alissa Czisny, Sasha Cohen, Castile/Okolski ('07 nationals LP) Davis/White have all done this exceptionally well, to point out the Americans who I watch the most.

 

[Serious Business]

I'd hate to go against the grain....but I love how COP has made figure skating so much more sport-like. For me, and I think the reason I fell in love with it, is that it is first and foremost a sport (I know, sorry, bringing up the sport v art debate) and that a great skater brings a clean showing....but a brilliant skater can touch you in unimaginable ways within the great skate. Skaters' opinions which show a fustration with how "ugly" or "technical" skating now is don't hold much water in my mind....if you want to make it beautiful and a show, thats for YOU to do within the completion of the elements. Alissa Czisny, Sasha Cohen, Castile/Okolski ('07 nationals LP) Davis/White have all done this exceptionally well, to point out the Americans who I watch the most.

There's nothing wrong with going against the grain. We need dissenting opinions in the forum or we'd just be an echo chamber of agreement. Although, I don't think you are disagreeing that much, at least with me. I don't want to do away with the COP, that's not my objection. The basics of the COP are a very sound idea, quantifying everything and giving them point values. Within the framework of the COP, anything can be rewarded. Good things, bad things. I don't like the rules that encourage bad things.

The COP allows change, and it has been changed for aesthetic purposes in the past. For instance, the woman assuming wacky positions during the death spiral is no longer a level feature. It used to be one, but led to exceptionally vile looking performances of the element. Did it make the move harder? Sure. But it was ugly enough that the ISU decided to do away with the rule. People decided that they liked the classic death spiral position, and well they should. In singles, the Biellmann position was far more ubiquitous once upon a time, used in every spin, every spiral. But the rules changed to limit using it as a level feature, so now the move is far less abused.

Complexity and difficulty should not be the priority of the COP. As Johnny Weir said (h/t to Nadine), the rules may give points to him for doing "a quadruple flip with [his] finger in [his] nose". Would that be difficult and complex? Yes, it would. But would it be a good thing for the sport, for skaters and for viewers? No, at least for those of them who aren't nose picking enthusiasts. It is fine to encourage and quantify complexity and difficulty and reward them, but if, after they've been put in practice, it turns out that they lead to ugliness and repetition rather than beauty and innovation, those rules should be done away with.

The simplification of some overly fussy areas of the COP is already happening: this is why we have the choreographed step sequence and choreographed spirals in singles, so skaters don't have to repeat footwork and contortions they're already doing in other parts of the program. At this point, it should be abundantly clear that pairs skaters are abusing the blade grab feature on lifts, and that no pair skater has managed to do the hand hold change on the death spiral without ruining at least the man's posture. It's time to ditch those rules.