- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
Oh these youngin's......Who is Starr Andrews? Is she from the US?
State of U.S. Ladies' skating 2016-17
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
Oh these youngin's......Who is Starr Andrews? Is she from the US?
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2010
Yes, that's why I posted about her Golden Bear scores in this thread.
She's a US Junior who was added to the ISP late in the game (too late for JGP)
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
She's an African-American skater (worth mentioning because black girls in skating are rare and representation matters! :agree
whose routine to "Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith (Will Smith's daughter) went viral a few years back. She's now a junior; oh, how time flies! More recent short program: https://youtu.be/dcH6LaZ8JuY
Viral routine: https://youtu.be/QBxpjtcBAG8
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
She's an African-American skater (worth mentioning because black girls in skating are rare and representation matters! :agree
More recent short program: https://youtu.be/dcH6LaZ8JuY
Viral routine: https://youtu.be/QBxpjtcBAG8
I would LOVE to see Starr Andrews skate to this song by Deniece Williams. It's a very emotional piece called "Black Butterfly" and may be a bit too mature for her now but, I danced to it once as an exhibition for a concert and it really made an impact on the crowd. Have a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I87wCxykxyE
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2016
She's an African-American skater (worth mentioning because black girls in skating are rare and representation matters! :agree
More recent short program: https://youtu.be/dcH6LaZ8JuY
Viral routine: https://youtu.be/QBxpjtcBAG8
Why does it matter how someone looks like? Americans are always so obsessed with these shallow things, some people are more/less tanned than others, thanks to the sun and genes, why is this such a big deal?
So much drama because of some pigments. No wonder there is so much tension and hate
topic:
Last edited:
Why does it matter how someone looks like? Americans are always so obsessed with these shallow things, some people are more/less tanned than others, thanks to the sun and genes, why is this such a big deal?
So much drama because of some pigments. No wonder there is so much tension and hate
I think the point aftertherain was trying to make was that there is less racial diversity and it is nice to see representation. She didn't say that is it required and it wasn't brought up as a point of tension. In fact, I think it is super cute that she is still skating right now after going viral so many years ago. She is an American skater so it is relevant to this topic. Your post interpreting her post as being obsessed with shallow things is the most
topic:
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
Why does it matter how someone looks like? Americans are always so obsessed with these shallow things, some people are more/less tanned than others, thanks to the sun and genes, why is this such a big deal?
So much drama because of some pigments. No wonder there is so much tension and hate
Oh dear
....because inclusion matters maybe, and growing the sport by having an inclusive and diverse skating community is a good thing, don't ya think?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2014
Something I find ironic is how those who are so quick to dismiss Mirai after her poor outing at Skate Canada are the same people who are hopping on the "Mariah Bell for the world team!" bandwagon after her excellent showing Skate America. One good outing doesn't turn a skater into the next messiah, just like one bad outing doesn't mean it's time for that skater to quit.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
Why does it matter how someone looks like? Americans are always so obsessed with these shallow things, some people are more/less tanned than others, thanks to the sun and genes, why is this such a big deal?
So much drama because of some pigments. No wonder there is so much tension and hate
If you don't know anything about US history and racial/identity politics, you probably shouldn't even be commenting. God forbid we should be happy to see an African-American girl pursuing skating successfully when, historically, African-Americans have been explicitly and/or implicitly excluded from the sport. "So much drama because of some pigments." It's actually way more complicated and awful than that considering the white supremacy that has dominated American/Western society for hundreds of years.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2014
I'm waiting for the American media to name Starr Andrews as the next ice princess. I can hear Terry Gannon now: "A Starr in the making" :disapp::hopelessness: :ddevil:
Ohh my god you are right. Imagine all the horrible puns if Gracie and her were on the Olympic team together. "Will Gold be golden or will she be defeated by a rising Starr?" The commenting could quickly devolve into a bloody nursery rhyme.
I think i might have to start calling her "Andrews" our of spite now... which sucks as I like the name Starr.
Last edited:
I'm waiting for the American media to name Starr Andrews as the next ice princess. I can hear Terry Gannon now: "A Starr in the making" :disapp::hopelessness: :ddevil:
Oh the price of having a noun for a given or surname. I don't even want to think of the one they'd give to Mariah.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2014
Oh the price of having a noun for a given or surname. I don't even want to think of the one they'd give to Mariah.
"Or will Mariah be the Bell(e) of the Ball!"
Yep... and this is the ear worm of the day thanks to your comment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URAqnM1PP5E
Last edited:
Oh the price of having a noun for a given or surname. I don't even want to think of the one they'd give to Mariah.
"For whom does the Bell toll?" (when she snags a world team spot at Nationals)
"Saved by the Bell!" (when she guarantees 3 spots for next year during Worlds)
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2014
.... maybe we should stop giving them ideas.
Or maybe we should just create the drinking game and be done with it.
And as a reminder... you don't have to drink liquor to enjoy drinking games. Take a shot of a milkshake instead or do it as a "cookie game" and eat a cookie each time, rather than having a drink. Drinking game is just a name... you can consume whatever you want.
Or maybe we should just create the drinking game and be done with it.
And as a reminder... you don't have to drink liquor to enjoy drinking games. Take a shot of a milkshake instead or do it as a "cookie game" and eat a cookie each time, rather than having a drink. Drinking game is just a name... you can consume whatever you want.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
Following Mariah's SP at Nationals, prepare yourselves to hear Terry Say, "We're Back and Mariah Bell Was Great" then the camera pans over to Tara and Johnny who are singing this....................
arty:"Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L1h48up0XI
Last edited:
Why does it matter how someone looks like? ... some people are more/less tanned than others, thanks to the sun and genes, why is this such a big deal?
So much drama because of some pigments. No wonder there is so much tension and hate
:hap36: If I could like this a million times I would...alas, if only it were the prevailing thought in the real world
hwell:___________
Honestly, if I've learned anything here over the past decade, skatefans do two things best:
1) Hype
2) Doom & Gloom
It's where the fun is, right?
What would the forums be without these two ingredients 
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
Why does it matter how someone looks like? Americans are always so obsessed with these shallow things, some people are more/less tanned than others, thanks to the sun and genes, why is this such a big deal?
So much drama because of some pigments. No wonder there is so much tension and hate
I think these are excellent questions that you asked, Biellmann. Though, I'm a little confused as to why you mentally filed my post as a "negative." I did not say anything negative or inflammatory about Ms. Andrews, and I stand by this.
Since you unfortunately missed the point of my post, here is a simplified explanation. I explicitly stated in my post that "representation matters," and in the U.S. I've found that it really does; that you readily dismissed my previous post as "shallow" is really quite disappointing, but not unexpected. Some recent examples of "representation matters" are Simone Biles and Simone Manuel, both of whom are African-American women who excel in sports where there aren't very many black athletes. It is no secret that the media propelled these two athletes in the spotlight during U.S. Olympic coverage.
As someone who is fairly active on social media, I saw an incredible influx of posts and tweets from black men and women about how happy and how proud they were to see someone who looked like them, not just on the medal stand, but at the very top of it. There were numerous posts from black men and women describing how the young ones in the family had stars in their eyes and big grins on their faces from seeing someone that looked like them excelling on television because to them, that meant that they could do it too. The same thing happened with Laurie Hernandez and Latin-Americans, and the same thing happened when Ms. Andrews's "Whip My Hair" routine went viral. I remember seeing so many people (black men and women included) say comment positively and encouragingly. I thought all of those were amazing posts to see and read, and took them as positives. So think about what that might mean if Ms. Andrews's were to ever make it to the top of the U.S. senior podium, won't you? As for your questions, I think lyndichee, Osmond4Gold, and andromache did a great job briefly providing answers.
The title of this thread is "State of U.S. Ladies' Skating," which I take to mean, well, the state of U.S. Ladies' skating. It is not off-topic to mention the lack of diversity in the senior (and possibly the lower) ranks at the moment, because it is the way things are in the United States. Just because what I'm implying makes you uncomfortable doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a place in this thread, and I personally feel that it is unfortunate that you let your own prejudices and questions cloud your eyes when reading my post.
:hap36: If I could like this a million times I would...alas, if only it were the prevailing thought in the real world
___________
Honestly, if I've learned anything here over the past decade, skatefans do two things best:
1) Hype
2) Doom & Gloom
It's where the fun is, right?
Biellmann, I can forgive easily, but you, R.D.? Coming from a fellow American, this is really disappointing. There are reasons why there is "so much drama because of some pigments," and one only needs to look back in U.S. (and World) History to see the reasons for that "drama" and why "there is so much tension and hate." I'm not angry, not by a long-shot, but for you to readily dismiss this as mere skating drama makes me quite...dumbfounded.
But alas, someone will probably miss the point (again) and say I'm stirring up drama or some cowdung like that.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
I can only imagine what that program would look like! What kind of exhibition? Pretty neat and glad to hear that it made an impact on the crowd!!!
I'm waiting for the American media to name Starr Andrews as the next ice princess. I can hear Terry Gannon now: "A Starr in the making" :disapp::hopelessness: :ddevil:
Oh gosh. I can just imagine (and cringe) how cheesy those would all be!!! "A Starr is Born," "A Starr Shoots Across the Galaxy"...
Oh, believe me, there are already skating-related drinking games out there!
Last edited:
- Joined
- May 19, 2011
In the long history of US skating there has only been one African-American skater who had any kind of success at the elite level: Debbie Thomas. She was a two-time national champ, the 1986 World Champ (3-time World medalist) and the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist. But this was all the way back in the 1980s.
There have been a few who have made it to the international senior level. Does anyone remember Andrea Gardiner? She was the 1997 junior national champ and she placed 3rd at Nebelhorn in 2000. And Kristine Musademba had a very strong JGP career but only competed at the senior level for one year before retiring.
In US skating Caucasian and Asian-American skaters are represented but there are no elite level African-American skaters and there hasn't been one for close to 30 years. Having more diversity can drive a more diverse audience to the sport. The success of athletes like Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles, Serena Williams and Misty Copeland inspire young African-American girls (as well as girls of other ethnicities) to go out for these different sports. People who usually wouldn't tune in to watch a gymnastics competition or a tennis match or buy tickets to a ballet are now excited to watch and attend.
Diversity opens up doors and brings in a larger pool of talent as well as a bigger audience. I would truly love (and sincerely hope) to see more diversity in figure skating (African-American, Hispanic-American, Indian-American, etc.). I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Starr.:hap85:
There have been a few who have made it to the international senior level. Does anyone remember Andrea Gardiner? She was the 1997 junior national champ and she placed 3rd at Nebelhorn in 2000. And Kristine Musademba had a very strong JGP career but only competed at the senior level for one year before retiring.
In US skating Caucasian and Asian-American skaters are represented but there are no elite level African-American skaters and there hasn't been one for close to 30 years. Having more diversity can drive a more diverse audience to the sport. The success of athletes like Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles, Serena Williams and Misty Copeland inspire young African-American girls (as well as girls of other ethnicities) to go out for these different sports. People who usually wouldn't tune in to watch a gymnastics competition or a tennis match or buy tickets to a ballet are now excited to watch and attend.
Diversity opens up doors and brings in a larger pool of talent as well as a bigger audience. I would truly love (and sincerely hope) to see more diversity in figure skating (African-American, Hispanic-American, Indian-American, etc.). I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Starr.:hap85:
Last edited:
