Old School Figures

[passion]

Any insights from anyone who studied them?

 

[mskater93]

What kind of insight are you looking for? This is kind of open ended. Is there a specific test you want insight into?

 

[passion]

Specifically, is figures related to free skating in anyway? I mean, say you can do a back inside rocker on patch, but when you're barrelling 40km/hr down the ice (well, maybe not that fast) can you still do it?

 

[mskater93]

Patch teaches fine motor control over turns and edges. The more you can control your turns and edges as in patch, the better your freeskating (as a total package) is and the more secure everything feels.

 

[Coach]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmSv6R7PTJg&feature=related

Advance to 4:50 min.

 

[Coach]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rBlAG867DY&NR=1

 

[Coach]

Roller skaters still compete compulsory figures...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkptgmOonBU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiWC1U7Xaaw&feature=related

 

[Coach]

Midori Ito @ 11 yrs old - as good as today's Baby Ballerinas

Midori Ito @ 11 yrs old - as good as today's Baby Ballerinas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDvM8Aynm6c&feature=related

 

[manleywoman]

Some very direct correlations (from someone who still practices figures and freestyle):

Forward loops translate directly into proper spin entries.

Checking 3turns translates directly into checking the turn entrance on a salchow, toe-loop and flip.

Checking throughout a figure translates directly into controlling your rotation (or over-rotation) into practically any freeskating move.

And just generally speaking, understanding the feel and ride of the blade, and how to gain speed from nothing and bend your knees is all critical to freeskating.

 

[Mafke]

Not to mention the fact that figures are basically very cool on their own.

If I had access to rink and coach I'd definitely try to learn some, I think being able to do (even a really crappy) paragraph double three would be awesome.

And most skaters who practice them find them rewarding for their own sake as well. Again, they're still popular in roller skating (which is not ruled by the commercial considerations that dominate figure skating).

The _way_ in which elite international figure skating dumped them seemed so crass and greedy; I think that skating lost something of its soul then.

 

[penguin girl]

Not to mention the fact that figures are basically very cool on their own.

Totally agree! If you've seen high level skaters do figures, I think it's just as cool to watch them do that as it is to watch freestyle. Personally, I loved doing "patch" when I was a teenager. And figure tests had to be way harder than mif tests--the judges are there on the ice breathing down your neck and looking at every single tracing.

 

[mskater93]

I don't know about harder to pass, but definitely more nerve wracking since they were right on top of you as you skated it (not exactly, but it certainly seemed that way). I love when I am working on a new moves test that to teach me the proper body position for the "turn moves" my coach will teach me the figure for it. I learned the brackets in the field by patching and the counters on Novice by patching. I almost can't wait to pass Novice MIF so she can teach me the rocker figures. Yes, my coach was a (test) Gold Medallist back in the 60s and just flew threw figures and can do them with her skates barely laced up.

Her best story was passing her 6th - she passed in < 2 months because it has no loops on it.

 

[manleywoman]

Her best story was passing her 6th - she passed in < 2 months because it has no loops on it.

I'm working on my 4th now (though since I'm pregnant, it may take years to pass with an infant and all). But I've been told by many that once you pass the 4th, the 5th is super easy because it's a repeat of everything you just learned.