Editorial: Stop Hating on Ice Skating | Golden Skate

Editorial: Stop Hating on Ice Skating

Tonichelle

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Jun 27, 2003
Student Editorial. Good read.

http://voice.paly.net/node/26996

When skating, you are permanently moving, in a 45 degree Fahrenheit ice chamber, and occasionally get to jump up in the air and go crashing down onto a sheet of ice that is even harder than my abs. I must admit, my track workouts are tough, but nothing compares to doing back-to-back four minute long skating programs.
 

iluvtodd

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I love it. This should be required reading for anyone who makes inane comments about males in figure skating.
 

blue dog

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Stealing this for my friends (on and offline) who think skating isn't a real sport.
 

Sylvia

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Aug 25, 2003
I assume you saw my tweeted link last night, Tonichelle? ;)

Here's a profile article on the student editorial's author, Brian Benton, from 2009: http://voice.paly.net/node/20615
Excerpt:
For now, Benton seems content skating, and still appreciates the simplicity that drew him to the sport.

"I think the main thing is that skating is artistic and athletic," Benton said. "It's one of the few sports that is."

As Benton continues his quest for success in figure skating, participating in a sport less common for males is not an issue. For Benton it is about the skills, the talent, what he brings to the ice and trying his hardest every time he steps on the ice.

"I don't think that being a male figure skater affects Brian one bit," [coach] Sebastian said. "I think he enjoys that fact that he has the abilities to be different."
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Great article!

Years ago, in the training facility for the Lake Placid (1980) Olympics, they gave several strength and endurance tests to a bunch of American male athletes, including pairs skater Randy Gardner. As I recall from a Sports Illustrated (I think) article at the time, Gardner did better than all the skiers, bobsledders, and whatnot. Moreover, though Gardner might not have been able to bench-press 400 pounds, he could lift his partner over his head while skating around—and unlike many pairs, Tai and Randy were very close in height.

I wouldn't even go see that Will Ferrell movie. Several people told me it was very funny, but I knew it would make trouble for figure skaters. If that idiot sequinned caricature is the one male figure skater most of America has ever encountered, what does anyone think that the general public will assume about skaters?
 

R.D.

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Jul 26, 2003
IMHO- The issue isn't really how "hard" it is or isn't. It's about how honest it is as a "sport". Many, many people don't respect it mainly because they think the results are fixed- i.e. the judging is crooked. And frankly, many times the sport as a whole isn't helping much by producing results that even hardcore fans struggle to understand sometimes.
 

blue dog

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IMHO- The issue isn't really how "hard" it is or isn't. It's about how honest it is as a "sport". Many, many people don't respect it mainly because they think the results are fixed- i.e. the judging is crooked. And frankly, many times the sport as a whole isn't helping much by producing results that even hardcore fans struggle to understand sometimes.

Red, I agree with you. However, much of what male skaters deal with is that people think we're not any more athletic than other athletes because some of us "look so pretty" in our programs. They also don't see the inherent danger in skating. I have friends who think ice dancing is as safe as golf, or even safer. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I'm not advocating an ubermasculine version of skating (like Skate Canada tried to promote). I think people should respect it for the sport and art that it is.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Some people don't like the idea of a judged sport at all. By definition, a judged sport means that you didn't really win, the judges just said you won.

Like boxing.
 

blue dog

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Boxing has had more than it's share of controversies including the famouslong count between Dempsey and Tunney.
In addition theirhavebeen episodes of rascism and many crooked promoters "arranging" results

Still, thefight I cited had no dispute. It ended in a knockout.

That wasn't the case when Ray fought Marvin for the middleweight title. Fight fans still argue about that result and not rearly as politely as little fights we see at GS from time to time.

Even football, basketball, and baseball have had "interesting" calls.
 

R.D.

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Jul 26, 2003
Here's the problem I have, though. I see a clear double standard.

Skaters (and many skating fans) make the case that they want skating to be respected as a sport. Ok.

But when the skaters in turn are treated like "real" athletes in the press, and are held accountable when they mess up, etc...people throw up their hands. Can't have it both ways folks.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Speaking of the Rumble in the Jungle...Yes, it was a knockout, but a very strange 8-count knockout. (Foreman was up at the count of 8 but the referee called the fight.) Plus, the ropes on the ring had been deliberately loosened so that Zaire's popular favorite Ali could lean way back on the ropes and Foreman couldn't reach his head. In no other ring in the world would the "rope-a-dope" have worked. :thumbsdown:
 

Tonichelle

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I wouldn't even go see that Will Ferrell movie. Several people told me it was very funny, but I knew it would make trouble for figure skaters. If that idiot sequinned caricature is the one male figure skater most of America has ever encountered, what does anyone think that the general public will assume about skaters?

It was tongue in cheek, and a lot of well known American skaters were involved with it. To take any Will Ferrell movie seriously does a gross injustice to entertainment.

However, that movie wasn't funny, it was just stupid. So you haven't missed much.
 

antmanb

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Feb 5, 2004
IMHO- The issue isn't really how "hard" it is or isn't. It's about how honest it is as a "sport". Many, many people don't respect it mainly because they think the results are fixed- i.e. the judging is crooked. And frankly, many times the sport as a whole isn't helping much by producing results that even hardcore fans struggle to understand sometimes.

Do many, many people really not respect the sport because they think the results are fixed? Or is it about the actual endeavours on the ice including the sparkles and dance element? Unless you have broadened your horizons recently, you yourself only watch ladies skating and have certain issues with men skating, or don't feel comfortable watching. I don't think that's because you think the results are fixed, but i could be wrong ;)
 

R.D.

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Do many, many people really not respect the sport because they think the results are fixed? Or is it about the actual endeavours on the ice including the sparkles and dance element?

Honestly, I think both are a factor. But once people start to get the impression that results are pre-determined, you've got problems- MAJOR problems.

You're correct in saying I only follow the ladies discipline. But to use that fact to assume I "have certain issues" with men skating? If that were the case, I wouldn't have even bothered to attend Stars on Ice. If you read my reviews of the shows, you'd be aware that I enjoyed many of the male performances as much as, or occasionally even more than, many of the female ones.
 
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antmanb

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Feb 5, 2004
Honestly, I think both are a factor. But once people start to get the impression that results are pre-determined, you've got problems- MAJOR problems.

I think you are right and both perceptions are a problem, I just seem to hear the pre determined result argument less than the dance/sparkles/girls sport arguments.

You're correct in saying I only follow the ladies discipline. But to use that fact to assume I "have certain issues" with men skating? If that were the case, I wouldn't have even bothered to attend Stars on Ice. If you read my reviews of the shows, you'd be aware that I enjoyed many of the male performances as much as, or occasionally even more than, many of the female ones.

Sorry i haven't read your reviews of SOI, I have limited interest in show skating and since SOI is never coming to side of the world I tend to skip those posts. I just recalled discussions (probably years ago now ;)) where I remember being intrigued by your reasons for not watching men skate and, not meaning to put words in your mouth, but the impression was that it was uncomfotable, or some other permutation of it somehow not being "right" that men skate. Apologies if i'm mis-remembering. I know the conversation was before you attended SOI.
 

blue dog

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Speaking of Blades of Glory--the film actually poked fun at the whole "sport vs. art", and consequently, "masculine vs. non-masculine" dichotomies in skating. As annoying as Will Ferrell can be, the end message could be interpreted as skating is more than the sum of its parts. We can welcome skaters who have a more masculine style, just as readily as we can welcome those with a non-masculine style. Also, I don't think that masculine automatically equals more athletic, or non-masculine as more artistic. Kurt Browning to me exudes masculinity in many of his performances, and he is certainly artistic. Irina Slutskaya is certainly non-masculine yet athletic.
 

Tonichelle

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Kurt Browning to me exudes masculinity in many of his performances, and he is certainly artistic.

and he didn't get that way over night. It took him till 93 before his artistry is what set him apart. Before then it was just how he could laydown the athletics.
 
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