It's time to draw the curtains on my time with figure skating. Anyone joining me?

[RobinA]

Right or wrong, the competition in Sochi just reiterated the fact that in order to be a fan of this sport is to accept that judging is politically driven/motivated. As it stands, I can't do this anymore... I can't continue to poor my efforts into supporting skaters who I know may never achieve their dreams because of opaque judging.

It was always thus. At least since I started watching skating - 1968. Used to be even more blatant back in the "eastern bloc" days when we knew what judges gave what scores. If you don't have tolerance for a certain amount of this you can't be a fan or a skater.

Personally, I am considering giving it a rest because I don't enjoy skating as much under CoP for a variety of reasons. None of them having to do with the honesty of the judging. I haven't decided yet. Worlds in Boston may be my last attended event due to the price/enjoyment ratio, but again, I hope to be convinced otherwise. I have so loved going to events in the past that I hate to give that up.

 

[RobinA]

Wow. That's quite the graph. And I'm sure Julia would have scored higher if she'd gone clean. I feel bad for Kaetlyn and the Japanese girls

Interesting graph, but I think you could make a lot of arguments based on that. First is that, Gee, the Russians know how to peak at the right time. There's no question in my mind that Adelina improved immensely over the course of the season, based solely on what my eyes tell me. As did Julia. I would like to see a similar graph for other Olympic years, although CoP probably hasn't been around long enough to make it meaningful.

 

[RobinA]

Bluebonnet, I refer you back to an earlier post of mine: Figure skating, to keep its fans - and financial support - needs to fix the very clear problems that still exist in judging even under CoP. Figure skating WILL miss all the fans who leave as a result of this latest controversy. Don't you think it does already? Don't you remember the days when the skating shows were so popular and opened up lots of opportunities to top amateurs once they retired? Who can have a post amateur skating career nowadays like Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Katerina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi? Answer -- no one. Why? Lots of reasons, but one is the complexity and lack of transparency of the CoP and another is the crap judging that happens from time to time as it did in Sochi.

I don't get how you can blame the lack of pro careers on the judging. I see it as a combination of the fact that most of the top skaters these days are too injured to skate once they retire and the fact that the skating shows priced themselves out of existence while showing less and less quality skating.

 

[kwanatic]

I have been a devoted Yuna fan for 8 years, yet I choose to stick around. I'll just learn not to get so emotionally attached to a single skater, especially if he/she comes from a country without a strong federation to back her up. Being a Yuna fan has been one of the most emotionally exhausting experiences of my life.

Still, sometimes one does feel rewarded. You know, all those special moments. At the end of her FS I was literally in tears. I just couldn't believe she'd done it again, delivering a perfect program in such a pressure-cooker situation. I stood in awe, I still do. Although the results were devastating, I feel all that emotional investment had not been in vain. If someday another gem like her comes along, why, I just might get hooked up all over again, and come running back to this forum for a bit of fangirling.

It took me about a season to mourn the loss of my Kween. But thanks to Mao and Yu-Na I started watching again.

I will say this...I enjoy skating a lot more now than I did when Michelle was competing. Back then I was watching for Michelle and Michelle alone. I was 100% emotionally invested in her and it made watching competitions exhausting. The outcome of the events dictated my mood for several days on end. I was traumatized after Nagano and SLC, and when she pulled out of Torino I was depressed for three days straight.

Once I started watching again at the end of the 2007-2008 season, I realized how refreshing it is to watch skating without obsessing over the result. I still get nervous for competitions but I have favorites instead of one skater my life depends on. It makes watching so much easier. I can cheer on half a dozen skaters and not be depressed about the results b/c 9 times out of 10 one of my favorites is going to win. The scoring is an issue but in the last few seasons I've moved beyond allowing a score or result to kill my enjoyment of the skating. It's liberating!

I'd advise you to try it. Also, I'd advise everyone to follow the junior circuit as well. It's so fun to see these skaters when they're just coming in and watch them progress, grow and mature over the years. I've been watching Adelina, Kanako, Julia, Gracie and Zijun since they were competing on the junior level. All of them have grown and matured and are now Olympians! I'm excited to watch them continue to grow and develop over these next years and I'm also excited about the newer girls coming in: Elena Radionova, Karen Chen, Alexandra Prokolova...I'm sure even more will emerge on the JGP next year.

The judging is corrupt, has always been corrupt and will always be corrupt...if you love the sport you just have to find a way to enjoy the skating without getting caught up in the results.

 

[verysmuchso]

It took me about a season to mourn the loss of my Kween. But thanks to Mao and Yu-Na I started watching again.

I will say this...I enjoy skating a lot more now than I did when Michelle was competing. Back then I was watching for Michelle and Michelle alone. I was 100% emotionally invested in her and it made watching competitions exhausting. The outcome of the events dictated my mood for several days on end. I was traumatized after Nagano and SLC, and when she pulled out of Torino I was depressed for three days straight.

Once I started watching again at the end of the 2007-2008 season, I realized how refreshing it is to watch skating without obsessing over the result. I still get nervous for competitions but I have favorites instead of one skater my life depends on. It makes watching so much easier. I can cheer on half a dozen skaters and not be depressed about the results b/c 9 times out of 10 one of my favorites is going to win. The scoring is an issue but in the last few seasons I've moved beyond allowing a score or result to kill my enjoyment of the skating. It's liberating!

I'd advise you to try it. Also, I'd advise everyone to follow the junior circuit as well. It's so fun to see these skaters when they're just coming in and watch them progress, grow and mature over the years. I've been watching Adelina, Kanako, Julia, Gracie and Zijun since they were competing on the junior level. All of them have grown and matured and are now Olympians! I'm excited to watch them continue to grow and develop over these next years and I'm also excited about the newer girls coming in: Elena Radionova, Karen Chen, Alexandra Prokolova...I'm sure even more will emerge on the JGP next year.

The judging is corrupt, has always been corrupt and will always be corrupt...if you love the sport you just have to find a way to enjoy the skating without getting caught up in the results.

A bunch of masochists? !! Skaters and fans included.

 

[kwanatic]

A bunch of masochists? !! Skaters and fans included.

Sucks, don't it? I kept asking myself why I continue to watch but I finally found my reason: I love the sport. I hate the bias/politicking/lowballing/over-scoring/subjectiveness of it but that's just the way it is. I enjoy the skating, the performances, the moments...that's why I continue to watch. The scoring will continue to puzzle me and piss me off...I've just learned to take it all in stride.

 

[Mafke]

Accept the performances for what they are. Ignore the results.

 

[kwanatic]

Accept the performances for what they are. Ignore the results.

In a nutshell. :yes: