The Longevity of Figure Skating Fans | Page 2 | Golden Skate

The Longevity of Figure Skating Fans

Joined
Jan 22, 2004
At some point near the end of each Olympic cycle, the thought crosses my mind that “maybe I won’t get so emotionally invested in figure skating over the next four years.” This thought especially comes if I know it’s likely that skaters I particularly enjoy will be retiring from competition soon.

This is the best part! Old skaters that we've seen way too much of clearing out so we get to see some new faces. :)

So, for us diehards, what is it about figure skating itself (as opposed to just Skater X or Skater Y) that keeps us constantly coming back for more?

Sometimes I get invested in certain skaters more but in general a skater is only as good as their last program/performance, IMO. I have never understood fandom and never will.

It's the sport itself that's amazing. The fact that it's so complex and that it has so many aspects to it.
 

Ilvskating

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
The longevity of the fandom for figure skating is largely dependent upon the perpetuity of cyber-culture discourse, flame wars. What makes you think why Mao and Yuna is still skating for god's sake, with the latter being already an Olympic gold medalist? - For their respective (and respectful) fans, that's why!

Oh my God, I can't wait for the coming eight years of Lipnitskaya vs. Radionova! It's gonna be wonderful.

I have the impression that Yuna wanted to be in the Olympic Committee as an athlete representative. To do so she has to be active within certain length of period of time. I forgot the detail but it was reported some time ago.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
I've been following figure skating since the late 50's (and yes, I'm dating myself by stating that) It was difficult then because you didn't get to see much - only read about it. I think what kept me going in the later years was getting attached to people like Kurt Browning and Gordeeva and Grinkov, to name a few and those wonderful days when we had great TV coverage without having to buy a sports package. Having SOI and the World Champion tours just made it all the better because you could actually see some of these skaters in person that before you only saw on TV.

There are times when I hate the internet because it allows people to be anonymous and tee off on anybody they want to - without responsibility for their comments. On the other hand, there are wonderful YouTubes where you can go back and look at classic performances, live streaming, etc. And I do enjoy some of the insider stuff that gets posted.

What does bother me, however, are the fans who literally worship their favorite skater to almost a fault - offset by the fans that criticize everything down to a skater's hairdo. Neither polarized opinions are very entertaining after awhile. But for longevity, there always seems to be someone up and coming that attracts my attention and makes me want to see what their future will hold in the sport.
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
It's the sport itself that's amazing. The fact that it's so complex and that it has so many aspects to it.

I share this sentiment completely.

The reason I like skating more than other sports is the complexity and the tensions between contradictory aspects.

Well, and it's just fun to do it, as well, even at a much lower level.
 

spikydurian

Medalist
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
I've been following figure skating since the late 50's (and yes, I'm dating myself by stating that) It was difficult then because you didn't get to see much - only read about it. I think what kept me going in the later years was getting attached to people like Kurt Browning and Gordeeva and Grinkov, to name a few and those wonderful days when we had great TV coverage without having to buy a sports package. Having SOI and the World Champion tours just made it all the better because you could actually see some of these skaters in person that before you only saw on TV.

There are times when I hate the internet because it allows people to be anonymous and tee off on anybody they want to - without responsibility for their comments. On the other hand, there are wonderful YouTubes where you can go back and look at classic performances, live streaming, etc. And I do enjoy some of the insider stuff that gets posted.

What does bother me, however, are the fans who literally worship their favorite skater to almost a fault - offset by the fans that criticize everything down to a skater's hairdo. Neither polarized opinions are very entertaining after awhile. But for longevity, there always seems to be someone up and coming that attracts my attention and makes me want to see what their future will hold in the sport.
Thanks noskates. You said it all for me.;)
 

Pepe Nero

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
Thanks for this thread, skatingfan4ever. This is the sort of thread I think is really interesting.

After rooting for Tonya Harding, I learned not to get too caught up in the fate of any specific skater.

Ha! That's exactly when I got caught up in figure skating, and started identifying with particular figure skaters, my moods shifting with their successes and failures. :)

I love figure skating because I like to cry.

I can relate to this. There's something about the drama of figure skating that draws me in. Most other sports seem to provide an opportunity for athletes to recover (within a single competition) from a small mistake and win the gold medal they've spent their life training for and have long been predicted to win. Figure skating is unforgiving, however. This can be terrible, but the potential tragedy of it always sucks me in. Having written this, I feel like a terrible person. :)

One other thing that occurs to me, upon reflection, is that I like figure skating, among sports, because it is one of few sports one can enjoy without too much obnoxious masculine posturing, the likes of Elvis Stojko notwithstanding. One of the reasons lay folk complain that figure skating is not a sport is that (at least in North America) figure skating is considered feminine. Figure skating's (culturally imputed) femininity is one of the reasons I think it is one of the best sports.
 

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
I've been watching Olympic Figure Skating since 1968, but really starting following the sport avidly since 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Watching the Battle of the Brians, G&G, & Midori Ito did it for me, and got me totally hooked on the sport. Now we try to follow everything - Olympic eligible/pro. We do miss the glory days of more complete coverage from ABC/ESPN (96/97, for example, when we could see the top 2 flights of men from worlds). We have been lucky enough to attend COI from 1988 until it's demise, and SOI since 1993, several Skate Americas (2003, 2005, 2007 - Reading, PA, Atlantic City, NJ), US Nationals in Phila. - 1998, Cleveland - 2009, Greensboro - 2011, San Jose - 2012, Boston in January 2014, & 2003 Worlds. The Liberty Summer Competition is in our area, so we always try to go to that as well. So, we have been extremely lucky to have had many opportunities to see live skating, get to watch the up & comers as well as the established skaters.

Re: the skating boards, I appreciate it when people are respectful of each skater's talent, and hate to see anyone ripped to shreds, which does happen @ some boards. I do wonder if the anonymity of the internet makes those who resorting to putting down certain skaters has something to do with it. I would hope that they wouldn't behave that way towards a skater in person (but I wish they would refrain from that kind of behavior on the internet as well).
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
This is the best part! Old skaters that we've seen way too much of clearing out so we get to see some new faces. :)

It's the sport itself that's amazing. The fact that it's so complex and that it has so many aspects to it.
This is what I'm discovering as the years go by. I'm discovering that I actually enjoy the sport itself, regardless of the particular skaters or scoring system involved. At first, I thought IJS could never be as great to watch as 6.0. but then skaters like Patrick, Dai, YuNa, Mao, Carolina, Akiko, etc came along and made IJS beautiful to watch. It's always fun to see skaters grow and develop over time. When new faces come on the scene, they often have a youthful exuberance that is contagious. I love to see skaters succeed. Their excitement gets me excited!

This is such a happy, positive thread. Thanks for all the wonderful posts so far. Keep them coming! :) Pepe Nero, you're welcome. I also find these types of threads very interesting.
 

Jaana

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
Finland
I started to watch figure skating in early sixties and got really interested in men´s skating because of John Curry in early seventies. It is the the sport of figure skating that really I love, lots of favourites have appeared and gone and new ones have arrived on the ice, but the sport goes on... Figure skating forums I started to read in 1996 and to follow skating competition reviews as I got my computer for that reason (had seen at work what wonderful things a computer can offer for a figure skating fan).
 

Tippi1963

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 9, 2013
I wish I had started this thread because I ask myself the same question at the start of every new season.

My interest began in the early 70s, particularly the 1972 Olympics. As a non-athletic type, I was dazzled by what the skaters could do on that thin blade, just as I was by gymnasts. Also back then it was easier to keep up with the sport since so much of it was broadcast on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and such. Now I struggle to find scraps of news on the Internet and in forums like this, which, of course pales in comparison to seeing the actual skating competitions.

Michelle Kwan kept me interested until 2006, then Alissa Czisny captured my attention, both because she is an exquisite skater (if not competitor) and because she is from Bowling Green, Ohio where I completed my undergraduate degree. I want to see the “hometown girl” succeed.

I’m assuming Alissa will retire from skating after this season, and after the Sochi games, I’m retiring from it too. It just all seems to have lost its punch and sparkle, I’m tired of the “one season wonders”, I don’t get to watch it anymore, and I’m over the nastiness that crops up on the forums, so it’ll be a natural, gradual withdraw. * sigh *
 

RobinA

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
I've been a fan since 1968. I've remained so because I simply like to watch figure skating. Back in the day, Wide World of Sports. More recently there was a time when there was a lot of skating on TV and I watched every minute of it. I started actually going to skating comps in 1995, Nationals in Providence, RI. Been going when they are within driving distance ever since.

I was a Michelle fan, but sort of looked forward to after-Michelle because then I could watch without worrying, much like the OP. As happens in life - be careful what you wish for. Post-Michelle came COP, which I despise and has greatly reduced my enjoyment of the sport. Then came the relative disappearance of figure skating from TV. I haven't watched Worlds in two years.

I'm watching this year on Sundays and I'm going to Nats in Boston. I will probably go to Worlds in Boston. After that I can't say. Attending events isn't as fun as it used to be, what with all the security, specifically not being allowed to bring food into the arena - a pure money grab in my opinion, and the ever increasing price of tickets. The ticket price is right on the edge of what I am willing to pay. Upon my arrival in Reading one year I got kicked out of my reserved hotel at a Skate America and moved to a junky hotel. This left a very bad taste in my mouth. The one hit wonders do not help either, nor do the formulaic programs that have become a big part of skating from some formerly creative national programs.

It all adds up. I still love figure skating, but maybe not the figure skating that exists today. I will be giving it until Worlds in Boston, but if I can't regain my interest it may be time for me and figure skating to go our separate ways.
 
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