What Drew You to Online Skating Forums? | Golden Skate

What Drew You to Online Skating Forums?

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
Why did you start participating in online skating forums? What aspects do you enjoy about them? What motivates you to continue participating? Personally, I participate mostly in a few of the Fan Fests. Whoever came up with that idea for GS is a genius :) The Fan Fests are where we can be unashamedly giddy about our favorite skaters. I think my preferences on online skating forums have a lot to do with my personality. I tend to be a very happy, positive person. I don’t even hold grudges against skaters I don’t enjoy. I usually only post about things I’m happy about and tend to express disappointment in a mild way. I know many other GS posters like to discuss skating more academically and engage in reasoned argument. I’ve always been amazed that some people continue to debate competition results even years after they take place. I’m not saying stuff like that doesn’t have a place; I’m just saying it’s not what I like to do. So, are you a Fan Fest person, a debater, an academic fan, or a combination? Why do you think you have the preferences you do?
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I agree 100% about the fan fest threads. They were started on Golden Skate exactly so that like-minded folks would have a safe refuge to cheeroin their favorites without having to fend off the critics all the time. :)

I also like threads about ISU rule changes, how to design a program to maximize your points, and stuff like that.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Definitely information is number one. Best place for info about results or where competitions are. I'm not so into the fan fests as I tend to like elements more than skaters so it doesn't matter what skater does them? Though of course I have developed major fandom of skaters if they can do an element well.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
This is an interesting thread!

I like a little bit of everything on GS. My late friend Kath found this site, and I lurked for some years before joining. I signed on in time for the pre-Olympic excitement for Vancouver. I love the fan-fest aspect of the forum (being an unashamed uber of quite a few skaters), but I also enjoy the informational posts, which have taught me a lot about how to watch and evaluate skating. And, as Mathman says, it's great to read reports from people who have seen events that aren't televised. Having translations of material from other countries (text or video commentary) supplied by generous forum members is another splendid benefit of GS.
 

bebevia

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
I started lurking in all sorts of places online around 2008. I believe I Googled through to see lists of existing online blogs, formal informative/publicly established sites, forums, communities, etc. vigourously for a few days, and settled with GS. My main activity here is still lurking, though. Never knew before then that people actually regularly gathered for casual conversations about figure skating :) Not that I hold much to share, but not so lonely now that I share from others', lol.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
I agree 100% about the fan fest threads. They were started on Golden Skate exactly so that like-minded folks would have a safe refuge to cheeroin their favorites without having to fend off the critics all the time. :)

I also like threads about ISU rule changes, how to design a program to maximize your points, and stuff like that.

I love the purpose behind the Fan Fest forums... even though I very rarely venture in them. "Safe refuge" is exactly the right word. It provides superfans a place where they can root for their fav's, and hopefully keep the ubering off the main boards.

I like boards that are more unbiased, where thoughtful criticism is not shouted down, where the history of the sport is acknowledged and respected. A place where an old coot like me can say, "I've seen greatness. That's not it."

I love, love, love getting live reports. I even love reading them after the live event has taken place.
 

Scrufflet

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
I first started looking at look at sites when I attended SOI and would come home on a high and want to share the experience with others. There would be several reviews by the time I got home! Then the whole thing expanded and I noticed there was also a lot of info. I would not find elsewhere, thoughtful debate and discussion of different aspects of skating and a fair bit of humour.
It took me a long time before I jumped in to post as I was leery of trolls but I did so, on "safe" topics at first. Impossible to avoid trolls I've learned but others will usually leap to one's defense. Best to just let it roll. And always important to welcome new people to the forum who want to contribute positively!
I particularly love hearing from those who have expertise in technical aspects of skating. I tend to get "washed" in the emotion and flow of a program and forget what the technical aspects were. I remember watching a Kurt program and not realizing that he did no jumps in it until afterwards when someone told me.
I guess I would have to call myself an enthusiast.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Me too, Scrufflet! Often I couldn't tell you what the skater(s) did, but I can tell you that he, she, or they made the music especially lovely at that point in the program. The great thing about a board like this is that the skills are shared communally. I'm not good at analyzing the jumps, but someone else is, and that someone shares his or her expertise with me. I have no way of knowing that a YouTube video listed in Japanese is out there with the latest program from Mao, Daisuke, or Shizuka, but Deedee1 will locate it and furnish a link. I'm clueless about what Plushy said in his latest interview, but one of the Russian-speaking fans will translate for us. Being on this board is like having one's own personal research department! And it's our own discussion group, too. At this point I have literally no skate-fan buddies in face-to-face life. I'm so excited about the possibilities of the Olympic season, and there's no one to talk to about it. As someone said on another thread, a well-meaning friend might ask, "Is Michelle Kwan competing this time?" Thank goodness I can come somewhere where there are people who understand and share my obsession.
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
Me too, Scrufflet! Often I couldn't tell you what the skater(s) did, but I can tell you that he, she, or they made the music especially lovely at that point in the program. The great thing about a board like this is that the skills are shared communally. I'm not good at analyzing the jumps, but someone else is, and that someone shares his or her expertise with me. I have no way of knowing that a YouTube video listed in Japanese is out there with the latest program from Mao, Daisuke, or Shizuka, but Deedee1 will locate it and furnish a link. I'm clueless about what Plushy said in his latest interview, but one of the Russian-speaking fans will translate for us. Being on this board is like having one's own personal research department! And it's our own discussion group, too. At this point I have literally no skate-fan buddies in face-to-face life. I'm so excited about the possibilities of the Olympic season, and there's no one to talk to about it. As someone said on another thread, a well-meaning friend might ask, "Is Michelle Kwan competing this time?" Thank goodness I can come somewhere where there are people who understand and share my obsession.
I agree with all that you wrote, Olympia. Like you, I don't have any face-to-face friends who are as into skating as I am. As you said in your last sentence, "Thank goodness I can come somewhere where there are people who understand and share my obsession." :agree::biggrin:
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I found online forums when I was a teen doing a research project on Scott Hamilton. I found an awesome message board called Skate Forum. Sadly they got caught up in growing the business side of things and the forum became less fun. Right around that time Golden Skate began growing and some of my friends and I jumped ship and came to GS (when it was on ezboards). I like smaller boards where everyone knows everyone to large ones, but friendships from when GS was small keeps me here.
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
I started back in 2002 a little before and then after the Olympics. I loved that time period in skating and the skaters as well. In those days there were such heated discussions about various skaters and I must say I could hold my own then. I made friends here and have stayed. I am more mellow now and still enjoy all the posters that are so knowledgeable about skating. I love it here!!
 

Rachmaninoff

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2011
I started out on fsworld, I think, in 1998. Did the forum and the chat, both. Really, I just liked having a place to talk skating, because no one I know IRL ever understood the appeal of it. It's was just nice having a place to go where people didn't think it was nuts to keep mental lists of skaters' music and programs, or predict the top ten finishers at worlds in all four events months in advance. :p
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I started out on fsworld, I think, in 1998. Did the forum and the chat, both. Really, I just liked having a place to talk skating, because no one I know IRL ever understood the appeal of it. It's was just nice having a place to go where people didn't think it was nuts to keep mental lists of skaters' music and programs, or predict the top ten finishers at worlds in all four events months in advance. :p

wow fsworld is another blast from the past!
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
:slink: I started out with the old Skatefans list. However, I never had the guts to post there. I transitioned to GS in the old about.com days. I just wanted to talk to somebody about skating. No one I knew was interested at all.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
ah email groups were another great way to chat about figure skating. Never got into skatefans - those people were HARSH - but there was a great scott hamilton group as well as kurt browning group.
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
ah email groups were another great way to chat about figure skating. Never got into skatefans - those people were HARSH - but there was a great scott hamilton group as well as kurt browning group.

..................and Alexei Yagudin group. Actually started there before coming to GS.
 

spikydurian

Medalist
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
skatingfan, googling about my favourite skater brought me to skating forums.:) I also follow information regarding live streaming and competition details. If a thread subject is of interest to me, I will join in the discussion. I am very old and old fashioned. I believe in mutual respect. I hate trolls. :biggrin:
 
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