Gracie Gold

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

ummm do we really have to make again threads like these hwell:

From the horse's mouth. :sarcasm:

She certainly has the potential to be marketable. But she needs consistency and should probably win something other than US Nationals first.

 

[TontoK]

She comes across as personable, and she is certainly very photogenic.

America does love its ice princesses! I would imagine she has astronomical marketability if she skates to her potential.

 

[sky_fly20]

From the horse's mouth. :sarcasm:

She certainly has the potential to be marketable. But she needs consistency and should probably win something other than US Nationals first.

her threads are not about non fs related topics unlike some others there

not to be offensive but culturally, imo America still loves the blonde american sweetheart
is one of the factors Gracie is getting such huge attention from all the other famale Olympians from the united states
if Gracie will win gold in Sochi, we could see a real boost in FS awareness and popularity again in North America :yes:

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

You don't have to be blonde to be/become America's sweetheart. Just ask Gabby Douglas or Carly Patterson. In fact, none of the Fierce 5 in London were blondes, and they captured everyone's hearts.

While a win would certainly bolster figure skating's popularity, I don't see her or Wagner as a game changer. Gold hasn't dominated the field thus far (like Kwan/Cohen had done) and has yet to even win internationally (not just Worlds - anything). It's a bit cart before the horse to say even with an Olympic win Gracie will somehow cause this great shift in the landscape of American figure skating. But one can always hope.

 

[sky_fly20]

You don't have to be blonde to be/become America's sweetheart. Just ask Gabby Douglas or Carly Patterson.

While a win would certainly bolster figure skating's popularity, I don't see her or Wagner as a game changer. Gold hasn't dominated the field thus far (like Kwan/Cohen had done) and has yet to even win internationally (not just Worlds - anything). It's a bit cart before the horse to say even with an Olympic win Gracie will somehow cause this great shift in the landscape of American figure skating. But one can always hope.

Hughes wasn't dominant nor was Cohen
didnt stop them from medaling or one had even won the gold medal

 

[louisa05]

You don't have to be blonde to be/become America's sweetheart. Just ask Gabby Douglas.

While a win would certainly bolster figure skating's popularity, I don't see her or Wagner as a game changer. Gold hasn't dominated the field thus far (like Kwan/Cohen had done) and has yet to even win internationally (not just Worlds - anything). It's a bit cart before the horse to say even with an Olympic win Gracie will somehow cause this great shift in the landscape of American figure skating. But one can always hope.

Sarah did okay but was not a media darling for very long. And Michelle did better than Tara in spite of not winning and not being blonde. It is going to take a consistent career at the top to garner mainstream attention and marketing appeal. Blonde hair, blue eyes and generic good looks are not going to be enough. A one and done medal is not going to be enough, either.

I also don't know why everyone is so enamored with Gracie's looks. She is not very striking (which is different than pretty). There are 50 equally pretty girls in every high school with more than a few hundred kids. Believe me, I know. I am a substitute teacher in high schools.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Hughes wasn't dominant nor was Cohen
didnt stop them from medaling or one had even won

Cohen has 5 grand prix wins and a win at the GPF. I never said Hughes was dominant, but even she has a GP win and a World medal (and two GPF bronzes).

Gold has yet to win a GP. Heck, she has yet to win the US Classic.

 

[sky_fly20]

Cohen has 5 grand prix wins and a win at the GPF. I never said Hughes was dominant, but even she has a GP win and a World medal (and two GPF bronzes).

Gold has yet to win a GP. Heck, she has yet to win the US Classic.

yet considering that Gracie has only been senior for 2 seasons
her progress is more than good enough, her switch to Frank Caroll has boosted her confidence
a clean Gracie will be fighting with Kim Yuna for the gold medal

 

[noskates]

I think it takes more than medaling. I think the person has to have a good personality, be articulate, and at ease. Tara had none of that. Sarah...barely. Sasha didn't come off well all the time. Michelle had it all - and the medals. I think if Gracie continues to win or place she will be a media darling. I personally think she's so much better than Ashley in front of a camera. But - just my opinion.

 

[MidnightSkater]

How many more Gracie Gold threads are there going to be ?!.
I'm getting sick of the poor girl & it's not even her fault.
ENOUGH already.

 

[louisa05]

How many more Gracie Gold threads are there going to be ?!.
I'm getting sick of the poor girl & it's not even her fault.
ENOUGH already.

I kind of feel bad for her in that regard. I was sick of her before I ever saw more than a grainy youtube video of her practicing because of all the hype on the boards. It seems that all things Gracie are extremely hyperbolic. She is not just a prospect for the future; she is the savior of American skating; she is not just a good jumper, she is the greatest jumper of all time; she is not just a pretty girl, she is the most beautiful skater in history who is about to take over the world with her amazing looks and on and on.

 

[Skater Boy]

She has the potential to be a huge star based on she already is well spoken, beautiful, withotu any apparent physical, mental or reputation scars. What she doesn't have is an OGM and we do not have much personality shown - at least charisma to surpass or go outside the box of the figure skating community and uber fans. She needs a personality that reaches out beyond to those who know nothing about skating like apparently Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming did or at least more like them. Another pretty blonde is not enough. You need the medal and character.

 

[Mathman]

not to be offensive but culturally, imo America still loves the blonde american sweetheart
is one of the factors Gracie is getting such huge attention from all the other famale Olympians from the united states

I don't knpw about the blonde thing. Here are the four most popular U.S. ice princesses of all time.

Peggy Fleming imgc.artprintimages.com/images/art-...l-for-figure-skating_i-G-27-2781-5BSTD00Z.jpg

Dorothy Hamill http://0.tqn.com/d/figureskating/1/5/2/g/-/-/hamillskates.jpg

Kristii Yamaguchi http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__CT3HJT5Xb4/TI7WMckexKI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/tnZbI9g07w8/s1600/kristiyamaguchi.jpeg

Michelle Kwan. (Michelle tries the Sicilian Defense against the champion of the Kaimykia republic, but is about to blunder with 2. a6?) http://www.kalmykia.eu/images/michelle-kwan.jpg

Not a blond among them. (Although Dorothy’s and especially Peggy’s hair is lighter -- or at least redder -- now than when they were skating. )

 

[MidnightSkater]

I kind of feel bad for her in that regard. I was sick of her before I ever saw more than a grainy youtube video of her practicing because of all the hype on the boards. It seems that all things Gracie are extremely hyperbolic. She is not just a prospect for the future; she is the savior of American skating; she is not just a good jumper, she is the greatest jumper of all time; she is not just a pretty girl, she is the most beautiful skater in history who is about to take over the world with her amazing looks and on and on.

If I were Gracie's mother I would be seriously worried about some of the people on here.
It's one thing to love & admire a skater but some of these posts on this & other threads border on obsession.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I kind of feel bad for her in that regard. I was sick of her before I ever saw more than a grainy youtube video of her practicing because of all the hype on the boards. It seems that all things Gracie are extremely hyperbolic. She is not just a prospect for the future; she is the savior of American skating; she is not just a good jumper, she is the greatest jumper of all time; she is not just a pretty girl, she is the most beautiful skater in history who is about to take over the world with her amazing looks and on and on.

I think it's only a select few people who are going nuts with the hype and expectations. I hope they'll go kindly on her if she doesn't meet their expectations, not that I expect them to.

 

[Robeye]

I kind of feel bad for her in that regard. I was sick of her before I ever saw more than a grainy youtube video of her practicing because of all the hype on the boards. It seems that all things Gracie are extremely hyperbolic. She is not just a prospect for the future; she is the savior of American skating; she is not just a good jumper, she is the greatest jumper of all time; she is not just a pretty girl, she is the most beautiful skater in history who is about to take over the world with her amazing looks and on and on.

Skating fans have amazingly short memories. They are repeating the hyperventilation surrounding Gracie six months ago.

I have always tipped Gracie as a potential champion in the long term, but I have never believed in putting such short term pressure on relatively young/untested skaters. Gracie's recent history of having the world at her feet, only to be ignominiously chased out of town barely one step ahead of the hot tar and goosefeathers following a couple of disappointing skates, gives me further pause.

Let the girl show what she can show before we let our imaginations gallop towards Gracie's golden future. In America, we don't mind athletes who strut, or even talk trash, but they've got to back up the BS, first.

 

[Becki]

I can tell sky is a HUGEEEEEE Gracie fan. S/he the only one who thinks it's "Gracie's Gold to Lose" LOL

 

[Barb]

Well, Gracie doesn´t have her own forum yet as Mao, Michelle and Yuna. And I think that Mirai would be more marketable if we are talking about charisma, personality and she is pretty too, (I know she won´t be because at first place she is not in the olympic team). But it is incredible for me that she is not doing so good and almost everyone in each figure skating forum like her at least and it is not only in this nationals, always since she was a kid she was loved everywhere.
Whatever, Gracie needs win several GOLD medals against INTERNATIONAL competitors to be popular like Sasha or Tara.

 

[Mathman]

Well, Gracie doesn´t have her own forum yet as Mao, Michelle and Yuna.

That's an interesting point.There used to be fan forums all over the net for many skaters. This doesn't seem so popular any more. Besides Yuna, Mao, and Plushenko, are there any dedicated fan forums left? (The Michelle Kwan Forum is still in business, but since Michelle has retired from skating it is down to a handful of die-hards now.)

 

[Barb]

That's an interesting point.There used to be fan forums all over the net for many skaters. This doesn't seem so popular any more. Besides Yuna, Mao, and Plushenko, are there any dedicated fan forums left? (The Michelle Kwan Forum is still in business, but since Michelle has retired from skating it is down to a handful of die-hards now.)

Daisuke has his forum, not too many people there, but enough :yes:.