Champion skaters on and off the ice
- Thread starter Wildstorm
- Start date
Thanks so much for the compliments on my pictures everyone 
Another factor that comes into play when meeting skaters is how you treat them... like if you treat them like some kind of God, then it's going to be awkward and weird. When I meet skaters, the last thing we talk about is skating. I always try to talk to them like they're someone I know. Just makes the situation comfortable and personable for the both of us
Another factor that comes into play when meeting skaters is how you treat them... like if you treat them like some kind of God, then it's going to be awkward and weird. When I meet skaters, the last thing we talk about is skating. I always try to talk to them like they're someone I know. Just makes the situation comfortable and personable for the both of us
I know, when I met Scott Hamilton it was such a disaster, LOL.
I remember last year at TEB after the Ladies LP practice, Alissa Czisny was leaving the arena and me and my friends asked her to take some pictures. After kindly taking photos with all of us, a little group of japanese ladies was waiting for her with a banner. I swear that she spent like 15 minutes signing the banner, posing with it, signing pictures, etc. And she didn't lose her smile for a second.
It's funny but usually behind some of the kindest skaters there are charming parents. I met Kerrs' Dad 2 years ago and he's the funniest man ever. And this TEB I got to meet Kelly Rippon and she's absolutely lovely.
Nobunari Oda is one of my favorites skaters off-ice. 2 years ago, after his victory at TEB we found him at the hotel and asked him some pics and autographs, he had seen us chatting with Javier Fernandez before so he was repeating "I'm Javi's friend" the whole time, so cute. And this year, we saw him on Sunday morning, we thought he wouldn't be in the mood for pictures after his bad LP, but he was actually as lovely as ever, with a smile in his face, being polite and friendly.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
I feel the same way about my meeting...
and I hate the picture I have of me and Kurt, I look like such a nerd!
It was pretty bad, I got really starstruck... I was like OMG IT'S SCOTT HAMILTON. Some of my pics with skaters are terrible, I'm shocked my one with Sasha came out so well. My one with Dorothy Hamill is awful.
I've always been able to maintain my composure, even if I may be a bit anxious inside at times.
Meeting skaters has always been an interesting experience for me, because it's at that point they stop being "big skaters I watch on TV" and they start being "folks just like myself doing their thing".
Meeting skaters has always been an interesting experience for me, because it's at that point they stop being "big skaters I watch on TV" and they start being "folks just like myself doing their thing".
I'm never able to maintain my composure! I envy you, R.D. Years ago I met some skaters, and for ages I agonized about the experience. I'm sure they didn't remember me for five minutes, but for the longest time, that didn't help me see it in perspective. Maybe I'd be calmer now that I'm chronologically more mature.
As for crying, I think these skaters work so hard and stress so much that they should be able to express themselves as they see fit. The generally steady, placid Kristi Yamaguchi burst into tears when she heard her scores at the Olympics in 1992. She had fallen in the long program, and Ito had managed a triple axel. Anyone who could hold that against Kristi needs to become maybe a pro wrestling fan. Then they can watch all the contestants bellow and throw people and be sure no one will cry.
As for crying, I think these skaters work so hard and stress so much that they should be able to express themselves as they see fit. The generally steady, placid Kristi Yamaguchi burst into tears when she heard her scores at the Olympics in 1992. She had fallen in the long program, and Ito had managed a triple axel. Anyone who could hold that against Kristi needs to become maybe a pro wrestling fan. Then they can watch all the contestants bellow and throw people and be sure no one will cry.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
I don't watch that "sport" but I have seen teh ads, some of them cry when they lose/"get hurt"
though now that I think of it, I can't think of a musher who cried when they won... but they're so sleep deprived that they just have the deer in the headlights look most of the time
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2006
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I think that is in large part due to the fact that she was wildly inconsistent for many years and plus, she never won an ISU championship. She was favored to win the 1993 World Championships, only to finish 1st in the SP, 9th in the LP, and 5th overall, where she famously stated in the kiss & cry that she just wanted to die. I never saw her perform a completely error free LP skate nationally or internationally in all the years she competed. Lillehammer and Piruetten, both held on Norway Olympic ice in the '93-'94 season, was the closest she ever came, but still not totally clean. Like Sasha Cohen, she was more known as a SP skater, but she was known for tanking in the LP, even more so than Cohen did. Also, many found her style to be wooden in terms of emotion and charisma. She was like Tonia Kwiatkowski in that way. Kerrigan is known by most people for all the adversity she fought through and overcame rather than for her actual skating style and performances. Most say Kerrigan's musical interpretation and choreography lacked passion and soul and didn't appear to be natural but was rather robotic. I believe that is why she doesn't end up on most peoples' "best" lists.
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- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
I met several skaters at the meet and greet after the Crystal Skate event, which was in June of 2009 in Boxborough, MA. The M&G was in a tent that had been set up outside the rink. The stars of the show were seated at this long table where fans could file past and, well, meet and greet them. People would offer them stuff to sign; skates, pieces of paper, programs, sweat pants, photos, things I couldn’t identify. Lots of pictures were taken and hands were shaken. There were about a dozen skaters. Among the better known were Brittney Rizo, Marissa and Simon, Caroline, and Yasmin Siraj.
After most of the fans had filed past, the skaters got up to eat dinner, which was served buffet style – except for Caroline. She was buried in fans. It seems like everyone wanted her to sign something. After she got up from the table, more fans wanted pictures taken with her. And after each shot, they had to show her the picture, discuss it, then take another one. This went on for quite some time.
Her dinner must have been cold by the time she got to it. Regardless, she showed nothing but appreciation and courtesy to all of her fans. ( To be fair, so did all the other skaters. ) Maybe she’s not a celebrity anymore, but that doesn’t detract from how she conducted herself when she was.
After most of the fans had filed past, the skaters got up to eat dinner, which was served buffet style – except for Caroline. She was buried in fans. It seems like everyone wanted her to sign something. After she got up from the table, more fans wanted pictures taken with her. And after each shot, they had to show her the picture, discuss it, then take another one. This went on for quite some time.
Her dinner must have been cold by the time she got to it. Regardless, she showed nothing but appreciation and courtesy to all of her fans. ( To be fair, so did all the other skaters. ) Maybe she’s not a celebrity anymore, but that doesn’t detract from how she conducted herself when she was.
^ she never was...well, maybe at that event she could pass for one! Doesn't surprise me though, back in 2009 Zhang would have been the biggest name of those you listed by a longshot.
ETA:
Yeah...actually I kinda know the feeling you're talking about. I'm the type who doesn't like to show emotions in front of people so I tend to internalize any excitement or anxiety I may have.
ETA:
Yeah...actually I kinda know the feeling you're talking about. I'm the type who doesn't like to show emotions in front of people so I tend to internalize any excitement or anxiety I may have.
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Lucky you, R.D. I seem to be a walking telegraph machine, especially when I'm anxious about something. It's better nowadays, thank goodness. But I don't know how I'd be if, say, I ran into Yuka Sato or Kurt Browning on the street somewhere, or even at a scheduled meet and greet. I wouldn't shriek or anything, but I'd just start talking faster than a scratch spin, or stumble over my words, or something. Oddly enough, the one time I actually had to interview a skater by phone for something I was working on, I managed to remain calm. Well, it was work, so maybe my brain was more orderly about it. Also, the skater was very young.
Lovely to hear that story about Caroline Zhang, by the way, PolymerBob. I always hope that Caroline will somehow revive, partly because of accounts like these.
Lovely to hear that story about Caroline Zhang, by the way, PolymerBob. I always hope that Caroline will somehow revive, partly because of accounts like these.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
A few years ago, I was reading notes on the the Michelle Kwan fan page. One poster wrote a report about meeting her at a Michelin Tire factory where she had just signed an endorsement deal. According to the post, as soon as Michelle walked into the room, the poster shouted out at the top of her lungs, "YOU'RE MY QUEEN !!!!"
To paraphrase Mr. Scott on Star Trek, "Maybe you should rephrase that."
To paraphrase Mr. Scott on Star Trek, "Maybe you should rephrase that."
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I believe that would be Maxxis Tires.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...10sdtqcRw2vwNGiU60MFhzPGU5bGBBlduvT3vp1jYX_pw
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...10sdtqcRw2vwNGiU60MFhzPGU5bGBBlduvT3vp1jYX_pw
Most (if not all) of you have heard of the expression "Never meet your heroes". Now, in this case the term "hero" might be used loosely, but...I'd be curious to know your thoughts.
I know some people here are real die-hard fans of certain skaters, and getting the opportunity to meet said skater may not ALWAYS be a wonderful thing because a) the opportunity for getting too caught up in the moment to speak clearly and the embarrassment of not being able to be yourself and b) the reality check that is often imposed upon the meeting, that they are people just like you, they probably meet a lot of fans and your comments don't mean as much to them as you'd hoped.
For those who HAVE met their favorite skaters in the past, do you think the term applies? Or for those who HAVEN'T met their favorite skater yet, if given the opportunity to meet him/her, would you do it, keeping the above in mind?
I know some people here are real die-hard fans of certain skaters, and getting the opportunity to meet said skater may not ALWAYS be a wonderful thing because a) the opportunity for getting too caught up in the moment to speak clearly and the embarrassment of not being able to be yourself and b) the reality check that is often imposed upon the meeting, that they are people just like you, they probably meet a lot of fans and your comments don't mean as much to them as you'd hoped.
For those who HAVE met their favorite skaters in the past, do you think the term applies? Or for those who HAVEN'T met their favorite skater yet, if given the opportunity to meet him/her, would you do it, keeping the above in mind?
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
RD - I would say to be cautious. I met my childhood idol, Scott Hamilton, in 2008... two years after I met Kurt Browning... Kurt exceeded every expectation (he was my #2 favorite by just a hair - no pun intended) he didn't just meet his placement on the pedestal, he exceeded it. Whereas Scott was not as open and friendly - grantedd, as I posted earlier, we picked the wrong time to pester him, but over all Kurt went above and beyond the M&G that he was at.
I've actually not seen too many "bad" moments with fans by skaters, but I am sure they exist. I think you just have to go in knowing that theya re real people who are allowed to have a crap day - especially if this isn't a meet and greet but a chance meeting in a hall way... like when I ran into Matt Savoie in 2006 in the luggage pick up at teh hotel. He was shocked that he was recognized and very shyly said thank you to my congratulations on making the olympic team and then he excused himself. *shrugs*
I've actually not seen too many "bad" moments with fans by skaters, but I am sure they exist. I think you just have to go in knowing that theya re real people who are allowed to have a crap day - especially if this isn't a meet and greet but a chance meeting in a hall way... like when I ran into Matt Savoie in 2006 in the luggage pick up at teh hotel. He was shocked that he was recognized and very shyly said thank you to my congratulations on making the olympic team and then he excused himself. *shrugs*
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
I've never met a skater, but I did once meet one of my favorite poets when he signed books after a reading. I said to him, "I've been reading you since I was 14 years old." I thought he would be pleased, but his reaction was something like, "Oh." I wished I hadn't said anything! In retrospect, maybe the idea that his poems appealed to a teenager was offensive. Who knows? Anyway, the encounter certainly didn't add to my appreciation of his work!
I also met both a cherished opera singer and an adored ballet dancer, and in both cases was completely and totally dumbstruck. In the second case it was especially mortifying as I was attempting to interview him for publication!
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No wonder that nowadays I avoid such encounters and just focus on what they put out in public!
I also met both a cherished opera singer and an adored ballet dancer, and in both cases was completely and totally dumbstruck. In the second case it was especially mortifying as I was attempting to interview him for publication!
: No wonder that nowadays I avoid such encounters and just focus on what they put out in public!
