Pros competitions?
- Thread starter gio
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- Jul 11, 2003
I doubt there are any more Pro Competitions. I saw many of them in their hay day. There was always one or two skaters that were special while the others were just having giggly fun. I stopped looking at them when I could no longer stand the childishness that was offered. I don't think any of them took results seriously.
But now that you bring it up, it would be nice to see a serious Pro Comp again and one in which the results are important. Maybe non fans will watch it for sport if it is done seriously. That could help the ratings.
But now that you bring it up, it would be nice to see a serious Pro Comp again and one in which the results are important. Maybe non fans will watch it for sport if it is done seriously. That could help the ratings.
A production company tried to revive the Pro Competitions with something called "Thin Ice" which was billed as the World Championships of men's professional skating and was going to take place as a TV reality series with six top professional men from around the world, including Kurt Browning, competing.
It was supposed to take place this Spring, but it has just been announced this week that "Thin Ice" has been postponed until next season, when it will presumably draw more interest from taking place in the Olympic season.
http://www.ifsmagazine.com/forum/
It was supposed to take place this Spring, but it has just been announced this week that "Thin Ice" has been postponed until next season, when it will presumably draw more interest from taking place in the Olympic season.
http://www.ifsmagazine.com/forum/
It seems professional figure skating rose above the previous silliness and became something of a real competition in the late eighties and early nineties, when the top skaters would no longer compete purely for the honour the ISU had offered, and gradually petered out (though it took a while) after the ISU institued prizes around 1996 or so.
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- Jul 28, 2003
It more than likely (as everything does) has to do with the economy. Figure skating is struggling these days just to stay on tv. We are lucky to even get coverage for the amateur competitions let alone pro competitions. They were fun to watch and I am sure the skaters had fun as well while it lasted. It was amazing to see the longevity of some of the skaters. Usually we don't see much of them once they leave the ranks of the amateur skating world - unless they join an ice show or something.
Thank goodness the CBC still does great coverage of the amateur competitions. CTV used to have great coverage as well and will be covering the 2010 games - I hope they are up to the standard of the CBC.
Great question!
Thank goodness the CBC still does great coverage of the amateur competitions. CTV used to have great coverage as well and will be covering the 2010 games - I hope they are up to the standard of the CBC.
Great question!
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
The ISU tried to take it over around 2000/2002 (somewhere in there) with Pro-Ams (maybe sooner, as it was, what 1998, or 99 when Yags won the World Pro?)... Pro-Ams killed pro skating if you ask me.
Battle of the Sexes was a throw away "competition" it wasn't really taken SERIOUSLY as a pro COMPETITION... Ice Wars, World Team Challenge, the Pro Grand Prix type series (there were several... grand slam being the last), were GREAT... but more and more skaters follow MK's lead and just bow out of skating once they're done competing. They can use the excuse that there's nothing there, but really there wasn't anything there when Dick Button pushed for more... and then when Scott Hamilton and Brian Boitano both broke down doors. No one seems to be willing to take the lead. -and by that no one with STAR power... I know skaters like Dan Hollander pushed for something like the grand prix a couple seasons ago... but it didn't go very far and I think it was mainly due to the fact that no really BIG/HOT ticket names were involved on a competitive level.
Battle of the Sexes was a throw away "competition" it wasn't really taken SERIOUSLY as a pro COMPETITION... Ice Wars, World Team Challenge, the Pro Grand Prix type series (there were several... grand slam being the last), were GREAT... but more and more skaters follow MK's lead and just bow out of skating once they're done competing. They can use the excuse that there's nothing there, but really there wasn't anything there when Dick Button pushed for more... and then when Scott Hamilton and Brian Boitano both broke down doors. No one seems to be willing to take the lead. -and by that no one with STAR power... I know skaters like Dan Hollander pushed for something like the grand prix a couple seasons ago... but it didn't go very far and I think it was mainly due to the fact that no really BIG/HOT ticket names were involved on a competitive level.
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- Mar 5, 2004
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I miss Ice Wars, the Masters of Figure Skating competitions, the World Pros (from Landover, MD), and the World Team Challenge. 
I didn't mind the pro/ams at all (Masters of Figure Skating, Japan Open, Canadian Open, the Ultimate Four), even though I didn't always "get" the judging. If you ask me, we were treated to lots of great performances by the pros and eligibles through these. Yes, there were some duds & embarrassments (Philippe's "George of the Jungle" in particular), but the quality performances outweighed those, IMHO.
I didn't mind the pro/ams at all (Masters of Figure Skating, Japan Open, Canadian Open, the Ultimate Four), even though I didn't always "get" the judging. If you ask me, we were treated to lots of great performances by the pros and eligibles through these. Yes, there were some duds & embarrassments (Philippe's "George of the Jungle" in particular), but the quality performances outweighed those, IMHO.ITA!!! Great performances by Kristi Yamaguchi, Kurt Browning, Brian Boitano, Yuka Sato, Denise Biellmann, Katarina Witt, Caryn Cadavy, Viktor Petrenko, Brian Orser, Scott Hamilton
Yeah, there were tons of good programs
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
The question is who will watch a ProAm or whatever? We know the fans who subscribe to Internet Skating boards will watch anything with blades on but in order to be successful, it needs more than 5,000 ardent fans. What companies would sponsor anything like a skating competition? and for how long?
The best approach to this, imo, would be for some entrepeneur to arrange for mini competitions in neighborhood skating rinks. As interest in comps grow exponentially then maybe a TV network might see something in it for themselves and give it a whirl on TV. That's the way all sports developed from sandlot to huge stadiums to TV.
We have to be upfront and admit that now, most skating fans just want to sit at home and watch even the more important non-pro competitions on TV. It ain't going to happen with Pro Skating competitions..
One other thing: TV networks are under no obligation to show any sports if they do not want to. I'm afraid skating is just not profitable.
The best approach to this, imo, would be for some entrepeneur to arrange for mini competitions in neighborhood skating rinks. As interest in comps grow exponentially then maybe a TV network might see something in it for themselves and give it a whirl on TV. That's the way all sports developed from sandlot to huge stadiums to TV.
We have to be upfront and admit that now, most skating fans just want to sit at home and watch even the more important non-pro competitions on TV. It ain't going to happen with Pro Skating competitions..
One other thing: TV networks are under no obligation to show any sports if they do not want to. I'm afraid skating is just not profitable.
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- Jun 27, 2003
and this is what Figure Skating fans seem to forget. We were spoiled during the 90s... but that was not how it always was and how it was always going to be... we're a long way from 1994...
1994, so true. US figure skating popularity took off with a knee-cap: professionalism run amuck.
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Wylie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaana
I would add Paul Wylie as a great pro with lots and lots really wonderful programmes
I especially liked his programs to the music from Apollo 13, On the Waterfront and Carmina Burana. When he was "on", there was no one better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaana
I would add Paul Wylie as a great pro with lots and lots really wonderful programmes
Absolutely!!!! :agree:
I especially liked his programs to the music from Apollo 13, On the Waterfront and Carmina Burana. When he was "on", there was no one better.
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I consider the amature competitions the meat and potatos, and the pro competitions the fluff. They're having a hard time just getting amature competitions aired now. If they can't air things GPF, they probably won't even consider those pro competitions or "cheese fests' as people on here like to call them. I love watching ANY figure skating they put on the air, but I would rather see all the amature competitions rather than the exhibition shows and pro competitions. Although I miss them too.
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- Jul 26, 2003
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I really miss the Landover competition. There were some great, great ice dance performances at that event. And in the World Challenge of Champions. Just the Torvill & Dean performance are enough to make me nostalgic. 
T&D Song of India TP 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bf4GDobUE4
T&D January Stars AP 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgxsXC5xDP8
T&D Jealousy Tango 1985 TP (Comic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV5hfrKtoME
T&D Venus AP 1985 (whence cometh the Dean quote about the void, AFAIR)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5iWFSx9wKI&feature=related
T&D 1990 Echoes of Ireland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CGHo_rhAOg
To start a professional competition, there must be at least 4 reallly top notch competitors in each discipline that are willing to forego eligible skating. That's a tall order these days. However, as skating in the eligible ranks gets less lucrative, there may be room for someone to pay people enough for a pro competitive tour again.
T&D Song of India TP 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bf4GDobUE4
T&D January Stars AP 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgxsXC5xDP8
T&D Jealousy Tango 1985 TP (Comic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV5hfrKtoME
T&D Venus AP 1985 (whence cometh the Dean quote about the void, AFAIR)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5iWFSx9wKI&feature=related
T&D 1990 Echoes of Ireland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CGHo_rhAOg
To start a professional competition, there must be at least 4 reallly top notch competitors in each discipline that are willing to forego eligible skating. That's a tall order these days. However, as skating in the eligible ranks gets less lucrative, there may be room for someone to pay people enough for a pro competitive tour again.
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