The Shibutanis thread | Page 2 | Golden Skate

The Shibutanis thread

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Are the Shibs the first "Asian" (ethnic) team that ever won an ice-dance medal at the World championship?

That looks to be the case unless there's some deep Asian background from the other skaters we don't know about.
 

Binthere

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 28, 2008
Are the Shibs the first "Asian" (ethnic) team that ever won an ice-dance medal at the World championship?

Yes. They are the first ice dancers ever of Asian descent to win medals at Championship events. This includes their Junior World silver, Four Continents silver, and bronze at Worlds. Now they have become the first to win a Grand Prix title in ice dance. :thumbsup:

Maia and Alex have already had a positive impact on the sport in Asia in such a short period of time. In the Chinese and Taiwanese press, when they are mentioned, journalists seem amazed that athletes so young could have achieved so much in a sport for which there has been no Asian tradition. One article emphasized how confident and poised they were on ice, yet how gracious, and humble they were in person. Some may prefer the "divas", excuse-makers, and what not, but I find Maia and Alex to be a breath of fresh air.

It is ironically a backhanded compliment to “the Shibs” that there are “Shibs Haters” as a skater has to be successful and relevant enough, in order to induce such an “honor.” Personally, I try not to dismiss skaters on such one-dimensional criteria such as “oh they’re siblings, so they can’t possibly do this or that to my liking.” Call me strange, but I prefer to watch the actual skating.

To me the relationship Maia and Alex show as brother and sister, comes across as warm, fun and genuine. It is one that I can relate to and enjoy. What I hope for when I watch skating, is variety and range. In an athletic competition, I look for athletic excellence. It is not enough that the couple looks “so hot” together that I am willing to let my eyes overlook weak skating, slow spins and unsteady lifts.

I DO enjoy beautifully portrayed romantic ice dance programs as well, but every skater does not need to fit this mold and I don't think the sport would have much going for it if that was the only profile deemed worthy of competitive success. The true dance world seems so much further evolved in this way than the ice dance world.

I was dumbfounded reading the thread after the Cup of China short dance where people seemed so quick to write them off. The speculation about whether Maia and Alex should break up and/or change countries like some other athletes have done just for the sake of achievement only revealed to me how little people truly “understand how athletes and careers actually develop. It is a continuous work in progress and not every step is paved with gold.

I expect the very best skaters to win some and lose some, to nail some programs and have some programs need work. I expect athletes will grow as performers and people. That, to me, is part of the joy of being a fan of skating. The way Michele Kwan grew up before our eyes, is the way I envision Maia and Alex progressing over the years to come.

To me, narrow minded and dismissive comments only serve to reveal the shortcomings of people unable to look beyond their own prejudices and tastes. I can only shudder to imagine what skating chat boards would have looked like when Debi Thomas was breaking barriers and achieving the “firsts” that she earned as an African American athlete.

Whether “the Shibs” are ones favorites or not, whether their programs are to ones taste or not, I would hope that “true” fans would at least recognize the positives of having fresh non-traditional faces in the sport. Beyond admiring Maia and Alex for their pioneering achievements, I think they have the kind of “complete package” on and off the ice to be a positive force, helping to widen the appeal of this sport which is at risk of rapidly fading from existence.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Yes. They are the first ice dancers ever of Asian descent to win medals at Championship events. This includes their Junior World silver, Four Continents silver, and bronze at Worlds. Now they have become the first to win a Grand Prix title in ice dance. :thumbsup:

Maia and Alex have already had a positive impact on the sport in Asia in such a short period of time. In the Chinese and Taiwanese press, when they are mentioned, journalists seem amazed that athletes so young could have achieved so much in a sport for which there has been no Asian tradition. One article emphasized how confident and poised they were on ice, yet how gracious, and humble they were in person. Some may prefer the "divas", excuse-makers, and what not, but I find Maia and Alex to be a breath of fresh air.

It is ironically a backhanded compliment to “the Shibs” that there are “Shibs Haters” as a skater has to be successful and relevant enough, in order to induce such an “honor.” Personally, I try not to dismiss skaters on such one-dimensional criteria such as “oh they’re siblings, so they can’t possibly do this or that to my liking.” Call me strange, but I prefer to watch the actual skating.

To me the relationship Maia and Alex show as brother and sister, comes across as warm, fun and genuine. It is one that I can relate to and enjoy. What I hope for when I watch skating, is variety and range. In an athletic competition, I look for athletic excellence. It is not enough that the couple looks “so hot” together that I am willing to let my eyes overlook weak skating, slow spins and unsteady lifts.

I DO enjoy beautifully portrayed romantic ice dance programs as well, but every skater does not need to fit this mold and I don't think the sport would have much going for it if that was the only profile deemed worthy of competitive success. The true dance world seems so much further evolved in this way than the ice dance world.

I was dumbfounded reading the thread after the Cup of China short dance where people seemed so quick to write them off. The speculation about whether Maia and Alex should break up and/or change countries like some other athletes have done just for the sake of achievement only revealed to me how little people truly “understand how athletes and careers actually develop. It is a continuous work in progress and not every step is paved with gold.

I expect the very best skaters to win some and lose some, to nail some programs and have some programs need work. I expect athletes will grow as performers and people. That, to me, is part of the joy of being a fan of skating. The way Michele Kwan grew up before our eyes, is the way I envision Maia and Alex progressing over the years to come.

To me, narrow minded and dismissive comments only serve to reveal the shortcomings of people unable to look beyond their own prejudices and tastes. I can only shudder to imagine what skating chat boards would have looked like when Debi Thomas was breaking barriers and achieving the “firsts” that she earned as an African American athlete.

Whether “the Shibs” are ones favorites or not, whether their programs are to ones taste or not, I would hope that “true” fans would at least recognize the positives of having fresh non-traditional faces in the sport. Beyond admiring Maia and Alex for their pioneering achievements, I think they have the kind of “complete package” on and off the ice to be a positive force, helping to widen the appeal of this sport which is at risk of rapidly fading from existence.

I couldn't have said it better! :thumbsup:

Anyway, I find your point about their influence on the popularity of Ice Dance in Asia quite interesting. It's kind of like Michelle Kwan having a great influence on skaters like Yuna Kim. They seem to be so well-regarded in Japan and the Japanese skaters seem to get along with them so well, in particular Taka Kozuka.

I too love who they are as people as much as I love them as ice dancers and that is what ultimately makes me a fan. Just something basic like posting photos from every competition, really shows how engaging they are with their fans. And i absolutely love the synergy they have as brother and sister. It's definitely a relationship of mutual respect and I think it's a key to their success. Alex's comment that Maia is a "30 year old trapped in a 17 year old's body" is probably his way of complimenting her on her maturity and acknowledging that she's not just the "little sister."
 
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