- Joined
- Jan 27, 2014
Would you say that certain skaters have an overall "masculine" or "feminine" style? Would you say that some skaters are able to, if you will, add a "masculine" or "feminine" flavour to certain programmes, when appropriate? What makes a style/program "masculine" or "feminine" in your eyes?
I started thinking about this yesterday when I was watching Joshi Helgesson's SP at Lombardia. I've also lately been watching some videos of skaters that I had 'missed' when I had a long break (1997-2010 basically) from watching FS; Laura Lepistö, Brian Joubert, Stéphane Lambiel etc etc.
I'm attracted to some male skaters who appear to have almost exclusively masculine qualities (ex. Elvis Stojko wuzrobbed 4eva!) as well as female skaters who appear to me to be feminine through and through (ex. Brooklee Han). And obviously some skaters that I like fall somewhere in the middle (Yuna Kim)
But I found it curious that I seem to most enjoy female skaters who have "masculine" styles or qualities, and conversely, male skaters who have "feminine" styles or qualities. What's that about? (She asks herself)
It's so difficult to put to words why one finds one performance/style feminine and another masculine. There are so many factors that contribute to the impression.
To me, a female skater comes across as having masculine qualities if they have some or all of these qualities (compared to other female skaters in an event):
- Considerably better speed and ice coverage (ex. Wakaba Higuchi)
- "Attack", which to me is speed into elements, no hesitation (Gracie Gold, Higuchi)
- Really, really High, explosive jumps with both speed and ice coverage and/or with extras, such as Rippon arms (Vivian Le)
- Unusual spins (no Biellmans, rarer layback positions)
- Extroverted charisma, which to me is the skater clearly projecting outside, performing to the audience, as opposed to being in their own world (Akiko Suzuki, Valentina Marchei)
- Performance, as above but with added blatant flirting with the audience (Ashley Wagner, Joshi Helgesson)
To me, a male skater comes across as having feminine qualities if they have some or all of these qualities (compared to other male skaters in an event):
- Innate musicality, movement to the music that gives a dancer-like impression (ex. Jason Brown)
- Ballet-esque extension down to toes and fingertips (as above)
- Slower speed (not necessarily slow across the ice but body movements etc. can give an impression of "carefulness", if you will) (Joshua Farris)
- Less frantic, ie. finishing movements fully before moving on to next element/transition (Yuzuru Hanyu)
- Arm variations in jumps and on landing (Adam Rippon, Alexander Petrov respectively)
- Unusual spin positions (layback, Biellman) (Rippon, Brown, Hanyu, Martinez)
- "Lyrical" movements, such as arms on landing, spirals, paying attention to arms during cross-overs etc.
- Introverted charisma, when a skater's performance appears contemplative rather than playing to the audience or hamming it up (Joshua Farris)
- Well expressed joy in skating, such as a genuine smile here and there or at the end at least, not letting their steely focus show outside so that it looks like they're passing kidney stones.
PS. Please let's keep references to any individual's sexuality, or really sexuality at all, out of this thread as such comments are prone to becoming flame-warlike.
I started thinking about this yesterday when I was watching Joshi Helgesson's SP at Lombardia. I've also lately been watching some videos of skaters that I had 'missed' when I had a long break (1997-2010 basically) from watching FS; Laura Lepistö, Brian Joubert, Stéphane Lambiel etc etc.
I'm attracted to some male skaters who appear to have almost exclusively masculine qualities (ex. Elvis Stojko wuzrobbed 4eva!) as well as female skaters who appear to me to be feminine through and through (ex. Brooklee Han). And obviously some skaters that I like fall somewhere in the middle (Yuna Kim)
But I found it curious that I seem to most enjoy female skaters who have "masculine" styles or qualities, and conversely, male skaters who have "feminine" styles or qualities. What's that about? (She asks herself)
It's so difficult to put to words why one finds one performance/style feminine and another masculine. There are so many factors that contribute to the impression.
To me, a female skater comes across as having masculine qualities if they have some or all of these qualities (compared to other female skaters in an event):
- Considerably better speed and ice coverage (ex. Wakaba Higuchi)
- "Attack", which to me is speed into elements, no hesitation (Gracie Gold, Higuchi)
- Really, really High, explosive jumps with both speed and ice coverage and/or with extras, such as Rippon arms (Vivian Le)
- Unusual spins (no Biellmans, rarer layback positions)
- Extroverted charisma, which to me is the skater clearly projecting outside, performing to the audience, as opposed to being in their own world (Akiko Suzuki, Valentina Marchei)
- Performance, as above but with added blatant flirting with the audience (Ashley Wagner, Joshi Helgesson)
To me, a male skater comes across as having feminine qualities if they have some or all of these qualities (compared to other male skaters in an event):
- Innate musicality, movement to the music that gives a dancer-like impression (ex. Jason Brown)
- Ballet-esque extension down to toes and fingertips (as above)
- Slower speed (not necessarily slow across the ice but body movements etc. can give an impression of "carefulness", if you will) (Joshua Farris)
- Less frantic, ie. finishing movements fully before moving on to next element/transition (Yuzuru Hanyu)
- Arm variations in jumps and on landing (Adam Rippon, Alexander Petrov respectively)
- Unusual spin positions (layback, Biellman) (Rippon, Brown, Hanyu, Martinez)
- "Lyrical" movements, such as arms on landing, spirals, paying attention to arms during cross-overs etc.
- Introverted charisma, when a skater's performance appears contemplative rather than playing to the audience or hamming it up (Joshua Farris)
- Well expressed joy in skating, such as a genuine smile here and there or at the end at least, not letting their steely focus show outside so that it looks like they're passing kidney stones.
PS. Please let's keep references to any individual's sexuality, or really sexuality at all, out of this thread as such comments are prone to becoming flame-warlike.