Ok, stupid question maybe, but what does leg extension have to do with skating skills per se? Does it have an effect on balance or blade angle or is this just about aesthetics?
Personally G/F bore me to death and I think their lifts aren't that great, but I also don't like the Rocky program. I love the idea of it, but not the actual choreo and music cuts. The boxing moves are cool, I find the rope jumping funny but I hate the break in the program with the push-up and the but wiggling. So really, I feel Lewis and Lilah shouldn't have won but I also didn't want the Italians to win. lol
I also still don't understand the Lithuanians and her dress is hideous in both programs.
I liked the Finns better last year. Liked Loicia and Theo a lot. But their RD costumes were also terrible....
Why doesn't anyone but Piper and Paul get the 80s right at all in terms of costumes?
I'm going to do my best explaining this as much as possible, but from a coaching perspective I find this much easier to demonstrate. In my opinion Extension, from a push, directly relates to both kneebend and pushing. The kneebend link is difficult for me to explain, the pushing is easier. I'll try explain both as best as possible.
Either way, not a stupid question. I wouldn't realise this if I didn't learn it as a skater.
Weirdly enough, leg extension is both connected to kneebend, body tension and balance. If proper tension is maintained within the leg line, then an increase in ankle bend usually produces the extension, and then pressure in the back dictates the height. In terms of balance, to lift the leg off the ice in a low knee position you need to do one of three things: Put pressure in back or glutes, tilt forwards (like a see-saw), or relax the leg line. 1) Pressure in back or glutes is ideal. There is however a limit, and at some point you will need to tilt forwards in lowest positions (see guillame cizeron). relaxing the leg line, to me, shows weakness in the skating as they can't maintain kneebend whilst keeping the pressure in back and tension in the legs.
It is also directly related to the push. When you push down into the ice, you don't want to necessarily lift the leg sharply. the leg needs to push into the ice, and if it never extends from the push, you do lose power. The final extension gives you power from the push. Note, that you do not need to extend every push you do from the ice or into the ice, and in some cases it's undesirable. But if you can never extend the leg fully, you never get maximum power conversion from a push. This is one area Cizeron really excelled at (he also excelled at flow and one movement into another, but his extension and kneebend is what gave him so much effortless power).
I love this video of Papadakis and cizeron, as throughout you can closely see his feet and extension on every push, (which unhelpfully is not the case on most grand prix or competition videos):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ZainLBa58
Of course in that program there are three or four he doesn't extend on (for choreo purposes), but to get the power he always uses his extension.
In terms of other points, Piper and Paul get it right with costumes - apart from one caveat: the costumes don't match each other, so that part looks a little jarring. In terms of Loicia and Theo, they had completely different music at the start of the year, but kept the costumes - so this may have an impact on their costumes being bad. They might not have the financial resources to purchase new costumes in such a short time period for their new program. I like their originality with their music choice though.
I like the Finn's programs even more than last year, but the technical this year is really letting them down.
www.goldenskate.com
