Flowers and ice a perilous combination | Golden Skate

Flowers and ice a perilous combination

gsk8

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Country
United-States
Jim Anderson knows a lot about figure skating. And he knows a lot about flowers. But he also knows the two don’t always mix.

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Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
I never have understood why throwing flowers or other objects on the ice has been allowed. It is a hazard. When did this practice start? You look at vids from the past and don't see this. People attending these events should be told they will not be allowed to enter the arena with them. If they bring them, they will be confiscated and given to a hospital or other charitable organization.
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I'm not sure when the tradition of fans throwing flowers onto the ice first started, but it was certainly well-established by 1979 as attested by the ending of the movie Ice Castles.
 

Butterscotch17

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
As long as the flowers are wrapped, I don't see it as a problem. I like the tradition of throwing gifts to the skaters - it shows them that the audience really appreciated their performance. Unless, the skater is blind like the girl in Ice Castles, I don't really think it is dangerous. Just make sure the ice is cleared off thoroughly before each skater, and that's that.
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
The applause tells the skater that his performance is appreciated and that's that lol. And what about the feelings of the skaters who have nothing thrown on the ice for them? There are some bad manners involved here. Send your bouquets and toys directly to the skater, so others don't feel under appreciated.
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
But won't the skaters who get less applause feel under appreciated? Should applause then be monitored too?

Ah Ice Castles. Such a wonderful guilty pleasure of a movie...
 

loopy

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
It's fun for the skater to get something thrown on the ice. For comps discouraging it, they leave the hockey netting up. I haven't seen flowers thrown, just plushies.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
I really don't see a connection between throwing things on the ice and the skaters feeling appreciated. That's like comparing apples and oranges. The little strawberries that Smuckers was handing out at the 2012 Nationals caused more delays than anything. Flowers are wrapped but not always successfully and half the time the skaters dont' know what to do with them. All the stuffed animals and what-not are just bothersome. What is a skater going to do with a couple hundred beanie babies, etc.

IMO, a standing ovation that goes on and on really tells the skater what their performance did to the audience. I think throwing stuff on the ice should be banned. When you have to sit for 10 minutes while little munchkins go all around the rink picking up stuff, hoping nothing gets missed to mess up the next skater - it beccomes sort of ridiculous.

I think skaters know when they've laid down a good skate. They get reaction from their coaches as well.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
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Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
The best Olympic Games ever was Innsbrook, 1976.

When Dorothy Hamill won the ladies title the flowers came down to the ice like rain. Back in those days, the skaters simply stood at the boards and waited for the judges' marks. She had an armload of flowers, and the little girls kept bringing more. I think there were three people with their arms full of flowers by the time she received her marks.

I still watch the video on youtube every now and then.

I remember the commentators telling the viewers that the flowers were sent to a local hospital, but in a competition shortly thereafter, some skaters stopped their routine because of flower debris left on the ice, and the tribute of choice changed to stuffed animals, which I think still go to local hospitals.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
As long as the flowers are wrapped, I don't see it as a problem. I like the tradition of throwing gifts to the skaters - it shows them that the audience really appreciated their performance. Unless, the skater is blind like the girl in Ice Castles, I don't really think it is dangerous. Just make sure the ice is cleared off thoroughly before each skater, and that's that.

I think I saw this movie and the girl goes blind and then hooks up with a hockey player and well "toe pick". Hmm I wonder if there are any teams like that now competing?
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Awwww SkaterBoy - wrong movie!!!! The hockey player and the "toe pick" chick were not Ice Castles!
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
So let's look at this flower and object throwing from a different perspective. You're in the last group on the ice in a final event. You've been backstage mentally preparing yourself for your skate. You hear the music end from the skater before you and you walk to the waiting area to go out on the ice. BUT.....it takes 5-10 minutes of standing there watching little girls and boys pick stuff up off the ice. Mind check!!!! Too much time to stand anticipating your performance. Finally you get on the ice but you see a few things still on the ice that the kiddles missed. Hmmmm - what else did they miss? Are you going to catch an edge on a flower petal or something that fell off a stuffed animal? Or a ribbon? By now the calmness you had achieved backstage is gone......................

I still think throwing things on the ice should be outlawed.
 

kittyhawk

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 9, 2013
Perhaps instead of flowers and stuffed toys on the ice, skaters can gently encourage their fans to show their appreciation by donating to the skaters' favorite charities instead? "In lieu of", that sort of thing. Though I think many fans will still insist on giving bouquets and plushies. I think applauding and cheering is still the best way to show they loved a skater's performance.
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I think I saw this movie and the girl goes blind and then hooks up with a hockey player and well "toe pick". Hmm I wonder if there are any teams like that now competing?

You're mixing movies.

Ice Castles was about a young girl from a small town who came to attention at Nationals. Her boyfriend (portrayed by Robby Benson) was a local boy who was hoping to make it big in the NHL. He didn't, but her agent got her a lot of publicity as the golden girl of the next Nationals. She started to be attracted to another guy and live the glitzy life. One night at an event, she felt lonely and went out on to the ice at Rockefeller Center and started skating. She went to do a triple jump and landed it, but there was a cable on the ice which caused her to fall and slide into a bunch of tables and chairs. She was legally blind and sent home. Her father, family friend and exboyfriend got her back and skates and back to Nationals where she skated triumphantly until she tripped on the flowers thrown out on the ice. The End.

Movie was remade recently starring Taylor Firth.


Cutting Edge stars Moira Kelly was a pairs skater who loses her partner and is teamed with a washed up hockey player. They go on to win Nationals and compete at the Olympics where they perform an amazing throw twist and declare their love as they take their final pose. 'Toe Pick' is from this movie.
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I think they tried to limit what can be thrown out on the ice to items that don't have things attached to them - i.e. the strawberries. However, my guess is the people had to buy them at the venue and cried foul over not being able to bring what they want - perhaps something that had meaning to the person or skater.

I believe most of the skaters donate the stuffed animals to local hospitals - perhaps keeping a special one (i.e. the 1st one received, maybe from the 1st National competition where the skater medalled, won gold, etc.)

I do agree that there's risk to the subsequent skaters as that little rhinestone can easily be overlooked and cause a skater to fall or stumble. However, that little object could just as easily fall off of another skater's costume. I recall watching events where the subsequent skater just skates around and will stop and pick things off of the ice or even seen a skater re-start their program after they show a judge an object on the ice.
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
Even at the practice session in London today, Yuna had to stop her Free program practice to remove something from the ice.
 
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