Right brain/Left brain in figure skating enjoyment?

[skylark]

I was reading a thread and musing over the fact of some members having stated their figure skating preferences. Some enjoy the men's competitions the most. Some enjoy pairs the most ... and so forth.

I'm about 85% right brained and 15% left brained. Pairs are my favorite ... because I love the feeling and the imaginating of flight. I'm up there with the pairs girls when they fly, float, and keep their limbs and positions beautiful and artistic. Just as much, I love the interaction of the partners with each other on the ice, with the music and audience. My second favorite discipline is the women. I'm all about grace and again, the illusion of flight. I tend to like the women for their expression of emotion.

Anyone with thoughts? I think there might be balanced fans too ... equally right-brained and left-brained. What are your preferences and what do you relate them to?

 

[Dr. Jenn]

The whole idea of being "left brained" or "right brained" is a myth. Please see the following articles for more information:

Are There Really Right-Brained and Left-Brained People? | Britannica

Is it true that logical people are left-brained and creative people are right-brained?

www.britannica.com

https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2013/12/02/248089436/the-truth-about-the-left-brain-right-brain-relationship

There Is No Left Brain/Right Brain Divide | TIME.com

You are hardly alone if you believe that humanity is divided into two great camps: the left-brain and the right-brain thinkers — those who are logical and analytical vs. those who are intuitive and creative. For years, an industry of books, tests and videos has flourished on this concept.

ideas.time.com

An Evaluation of the Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain Hypothesis with Resting State Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Lateralized brain regions subserve functions such as language and visuospatial processing. It has been conjectured that individuals may be left-brain dominant or right-brain dominant based on personality and cognitive style, but neuroimaging data has not provided clear evidence whether such...

journals.plos.org

 

[Mathman]

Anyone with thoughts? I

I have to say that there is one thing which hinders my enjoyment of pairs skating – it just looks so dangerous! Don’t drop her, don’t drop her, don’t drop her! Don’t get behind him, don’t get behind him, don’t get behind him! Move farther apart on those side-by-side camel spins!

As for emotional involvement, my favorite part of a performance is the last ten seconds, when it suddenly hits the skater – I DID IT!!! I hit everything I planned, everything I trained, everything I had in me!

 

[Diana Delafield]

I have to say that there is one thing which hinders my enjoyment of pairs skating – it just looks so dangerous! Don’t drop her, don’t drop her, don’t drop her! Don’t get behind him, don’t get behind him, don’t get behind him! Move farther apart on those side-by-side camel spins!

As for emotional involvement, my favorite part of a performance is the last ten seconds, when it suddenly hits the skater – I DID IT!!! I hit everything I planned, everything I trained, everything I had in me!

But the danger is why it's so much fun! I've been a pairs girl since I was 15 and that was so long ago I have no films of my early efforts because cell phones and handheld video cameras hadn't even been invented. But I'm still doing it, because I'm still an adrenaline junkie . The technical content is toned down to doubles, for instance, but the thrill is still there.

I don't, as was imagined in an earlier post, think about doing something beautifully unless it's a simple connecting move like a spiral. For the aerial stuff, my concentration is on doing it correctly. The beauty will take care of itself if the back is arched, the head is up and the shoulders down, the arms and legs are stretched to their fullest extent and beyond, the supporting joints like the elbows are locked. My brain is constantly running up and down my body, analyzing, checking on the technique of every muscle, because if the technique is correct, the beauty of the line will be there without me having to think about it. If the technique is off -- well, losing your front teeth is cute at 6, but not at 60.

But it's kind of you to worry on behalf of the pairs skaters. They don't. Much. (Or if they do, they shouldn't be in pairs and will soon give up.) I will grant you the sbs camel spins. Ever since I saw Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison, the 2010 Canadian pairs champions, collide doing that, and Jessica ended up on the ice in a pool of blood because Bryce had drifted too close and sliced across her beautiful face just below her eyes (it's on YouTube somewhere with Underhill and Martini commenting in horror), I have sacrificed imaginary points in practice sessions by staying well away from partners in that one. But not in anything else. The biggest asset for a successful pair is emotional. Trust each other.

 

[ladyjane]

I don't know about left or right brain things, but I am always excited by clockwise jumps, mirror pairs and twist lifts. Especially high ones (like the one by Aljona and Bruno in 2018).

In the singles category I prefer men, because they usually are menning or as @CaroLiza_fan would say: the chaos category combined with slippery ice.
...

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I don't know about left or right brain things, but I am always excited by clockwise jumps, mirror pairs and twist lifts. Especially high ones (like the one by Aljona and Bruno in 2018).

In the singles category I prefer men, because they usually are menning or as @CaroLiza_fan would say: the chaos category combined with slippery ice.
...

Thanks for the credit @ladyjane , but I'm afraid that I'm not guilty of being the originator of the term "the chaos category". I just heard it, picked it up and ran with it, because I liked it (and because it is so accurate! )

I can't actually remember who it was coined it. My gut feeling is that it was @elektra blue , but I have a habit of crediting things to her and then her coming along and saying it was actually somebody else.

Anyway, what an interesting idea for a topic of discussion! Thank you for starting it @skylark. I look forward to reading what people have to say.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[labgoat]

But I'm still doing it, because I'm still an adrenaline junkie

If Alyssa Liu, a self proclaimed adrenaline junkie as well, does not medal at U.S. Nationals then I would love to see her consider pairs.

 

[elektra blue]

Thanks for the credit @ladyjane , but I'm afraid that I'm not guilty of being the originator of the term "the chaos category". I just heard it, picked it up and ran with it, because I liked it (and because it is so accurate! )

I can't actually remember who it was coined it. My gut feeling is that it was @elektra blue , but I have a habit of crediting things to her and then her coming along and saying it was actually somebody else.

Anyway, what an interesting idea for a topic of discussion! Thank you for starting it @skylark. I look forward to reading what people have to say.

CaroLiza_fan

i think it wasn't me are you sure you didn't do it? (or maybe it's true, i did it, but my memory is bad so i totally forgot about it)

 

[Anna K.]

Men, as @CaroLiza_fan would say: the chaos category combined with slippery ice.

This is a genius description

Sadly, I have another era memories in my head where it is "the creative performance category" and I'm still struggling to come in terms with what it has become, but... every entertainment has a beauty of its own

Myself, I migrate from category to category depending on what I find interesting to follow in given period of time. Right now, it's women, junior and senior, because I am curious to see how the cards are shifting after the age limit change.
Also, the competitive programs are becoming less interesting recently but at the same many interesting shows emerge; so I am paying more attention to the pro skating developments.
But everything can change quickly. Maybe the next season I'll follow another category or categories, who knows?

 

[noskates]

I just love figure skating!!!