Ever watch skating with someone who has NO CLUE?

[Olympia]

To boot, this girl skated for 7 years growing up. It's been quite enlightening and also kind of fun watching her get into it.

Sometimes actually having a skill isn't correlated with knowledge of the field. I never took piano lessons, but I always knew a lot more about music than many of my friends who studied an instrument. That's because they spent their "music time" practicing pieces or preparing for recitals, while I listened to classical music on the radio or in recordings for hours on end. They learned only the repertoire they played, while I learned whatever was out there. So in conversations about music, I always know things they don't--but they can read music, and I can't.

Besides, maybe your friend stopped paying attention to the skating world after she stopped skating. It happens. I used to know all the tennis players when I watched more devotedly, but since Sampras and Agassi retired, I sound completly ignorant. Every time there's a big competition, I have to be tutored.

I'm generally the only skating fan in my vicinity. That's why I'm so glad to have this forum! An inexhaustible supply of people who are as crazed as I am about how great the ice dance finals were, or are ready to wax lyrical about skaters who haven't stepped onto the ice in ten years. Or who are happy to mark events like John Curry's birthday without saying "Who?" (September 9, in case you were searching your brain for that. And Rodnina is September 12. Don't ask why I remember those. It's a mystery.)

 

[Layfan]

Sometimes actually having a skill isn't correlated with knowledge of the field. I never took piano lessons, but I always knew a lot more about music than many of my friends who studied an instrument. That's because they spent their "music time" practicing pieces or preparing for recitals, while I listened to classical music on the radio or in recordings for hours on end. They learned only the repertoire they played, while I learned whatever was out there. So in conversations about music, I always know things they don't--but they can read music, and I can't.

Besides, maybe your friend stopped paying attention to the skating world after she stopped skating. It happens. I used to know all the tennis players when I watched more devotedly, but since Sampras and Agassi retired, I sound completly ignorant. Every time there's a big competition, I have to be tutored.

I'm generally the only skating fan in my vicinity. That's why I'm so glad to have this forum! An inexhaustible supply of people who are as crazed as I am about how great the ice dance finals were, or are ready to wax lyrical about skaters who haven't stepped onto the ice in ten years. Or who are happy to mark events like John Curry's birthday without saying "Who?" (September 9, in case you were searching your brain for that. And Rodnina is September 12. Don't ask why I remember those. It's a mystery.)

Yes, I know what you mean. I don't know a single person who follows ice skating the way I do or even close. Still, I'm grateful at least one friend is now watching with me and I appreciate her and try not to get too frustrated that she knows who Johnny Weir is but didn't know that Evan was his biggest rival for a long time or that Evan was at the last Olympics along with Weir.:sheesh:

 

[Bennett]

My father never fails to comment that Johnny looks like a girl and that Yukari's jumps look strange. Kind of annoying to me.

 

[demarinis5]

My brother who lives out of state came to visit recently and he knows like everyone else in my family that I am a huge figure skating fan. We were having dinner and he said I saw a clip of your favorite skater on the news, Michelle Yamaguchi. I said which one Michelle or Kristi. He said the one who went to the Olympics. I said OK they both did, and then he said the one who won Gold. (I'm thinking he is talking about Kristi) He continued on and said it was a short piece on Michelle's graduate school studies and her trip to Korea as an public envoy for the US. I just scratched my head and changed the subject. lol

 

[Layfan]

My father never fails to comment that Johnny looks like a girl and that Yukari's jumps look strange. Kind of annoying to me.

The last time I remember my dad watching figure skating was when Kristi Yamaguchi won the Olympics. For some reason, I remember him saying after an interview that she wasn't very articulate "but I guess she doesn't have to be." Course Kristie was only 19 years old or something at the time.
Anyway, better than my husband who says he only like watching figure skating "when they fall" course, he's only trying to annoy me .

 

[seniorita]

yes and especially men competition it is hilarious! for example they see someone doing 3 turns in the air or a sit spin and do wow, until they have seen a couple of first groups and realise that this is the norm. Then they get dissapointed , dont get who wins, they all do the same stuff.
In ladies the comments vary depending on the dress and the spins. And in pairs it is the wow factor of the lifts, wow like "I m visiting the cirque" way
When someone falls it is the end of the world.

 

[NatachaHatawa]

yes and especially men competition it is hilarious! for example they see someone doing 3 turns in the air or a sit spin and do wow, until they have seen a couple of first groups and realise that this is the norm. Then they get dissapointed , dont get who wins, they all do the same stuff.
In ladies the comments vary depending on the dress and the spins. And in pairs it is the wow factor of the lifts, wow like "I m visiting the cirqus" way
When someone falls it is the end of the world.

That is exactly it! Plus people who don't have a clue about figure skating are more impressed by esthetics than proper artistry.

When I listen to some tv commentry I really feel as if I'm sitting with someone who doesn't have a clue!

 

[antmanb]

My partner sometimes watches with me and he is clueless about skating but sometimes comes out with some really great observations.

He also makes me laugh because he really feels for the skaters when they fall.

The thing that makes me is that it is a pet peeve of his when the crowd start clapping along to the music. He hates it in any circumstances "you're supposed to listen to the music not have to listen unco-ordinated people misclapping along" are his thoughts! Even when i tell him the skaters will appreciate the support, he doesn't agree.

Ant

 

[seniorita]

He hates it in any circumstances "you're supposed to listen to the music not have to listen unco-ordinated people misclapping along" are his thoughts!

he should have sit with me then, cause I scream like :Go Romanenkov, clap during upbeat songs, had a whistle and a cheerleader stuff, and did all the appropriate girl scream at the appropriate skaters. With inappropriate commentsI didnt have a bell like lambiel fans and I wish i had to complete my collection!

I must have been annoying.Thanx god i was sat between friends and not strangers.

Although myself, I hate when they clap after every jump or spin or something. It ruins me the fluidity of the program. I wait the program to finish first.

 

[Tonichelle]

Anyway, better than my husband who says he only like watching figure skating "when they fall" course, he's only trying to annoy me .

sounds like one of my supervisors at work... but, again, it's just to get a rise out of me. I downplay it and then he says he admires what it takes to get wehre they are, guys and girls.


I guess I'm lucky, my dad is a fan of the sport... has been since Dorothy Hamill, he can "quote stats" on most of the players past and present and is actually better at explaining/identifying the technical than I can... he hasn't quite mastered teh CoP, though, and that frustrates him.

 

[FlattFan]

My parents only watched Michelle Kwan at Nationals and at the Olympics. When she stopped competing, they didn't even care for the 2006 Olympics.

This year, I tried to get them to watch the Grand Prix series and AT&T nationals.

They are impressed by Ashley, Sasha's SP, Mirai, and Rachael.

They thought Mirai should have won :banging: but also said, "wasn't she the one getting all the downgrades earlier this year? Looks like they downgraded her again" after she got 2nd place.

 

[prettykeys]

My parents usually save their comments for the appearances of the skaters (positive or negative .) The other night, my mom was watching the US Nationals and ventured to say that Rachael Flatt's jumping looked very "secure" (so I guess she at least has an eye for that.)

I practically have to force my boyfriends to watch, though. And if they won't, then I ignore them and watch by myself.

 

[Tinymavy15]

I watch it with my mom sometimes, who is getting better, but she always mixes the skaters up and gets the names wrong. She won't even try to differentiate the jumps and yes, she gets mixed up between pairs and dance sometimes.

But inspite of that, the skaters have to be REALLY good to impress her.

 

[BigJohn]

When I was in university, I somehow got a bunch of my friends to watch ice dance.

There was one girl in the group, the rest was mostly heavy-metal/grunge-enthousiast-French-Canadian-beer-loving-pot-smoking-hockey-players. (don't judge me, i did not play hockey)

The first time, most were giggling at the music and the outfits. Then I told them to shut up watch the freaking skates. They suddenly went very quiet. Then one said something like "so that's why it's in the Olympics."

 

[aftertherain]

Then I told them to shut up watch the freaking skates. They suddenly went very quiet. Then one said something like "so that's why it's in the Olympics."

WIN! Ahahaha. Good job.:agree:

 

[Layfan]

I watch it with my mom sometimes, who is getting better, but she always mixes the skaters up and gets the names wrong. She won't even try to differentiate the jumps and yes, she gets mixed up between pairs and dance sometimes.

But inspite of that, the skaters have to be REALLY good to impress her.

Who impresses her? Anybody lately?

 

[Buttercup]

I have a friend who occasionally watches with me, and while she can appreciate certain moves (esp. pairs lifts), she's mostly concerned with which of the guys are good looking.

I made my mom watch skating a couple of times and she really liked Jeremy Abbott; said you could tell he'd been a dancer.

 

[MissCleo]

My brother was just annoying me during the FD at Canadian nationals, he kept bouncing around and asking me "are they good?" randomly. To get him to stop, I told him to leave until tessa and scott came on tv. Needless to say he was pretty impressed, especially with their first lift, not so much with the goose though. Anyway, the next week during US Nationals, in the middle of meryl/charlie's FD, I hear him yell " Are they good". He was watching the FD in his room! Mind you, this is a seventeen year old who can spend a whole day playing shoot em up video games.