Trends of the season

[el henry]

I like his ending, it fits the choreography, plus he does not touch the boards.
Some of the skaters are touching the boards in front of the judges, that should be banned or at least a -1.

Thanks, I had not seen that, touching the boards seems awkward. I know that some ice dance programs have touching the boards in other places, which I am "meh" about.

That's why it so hard for me to see a trend when I really only follow one discipline intently

 

[TallyT]

I admit, I cringed, and yes, Kevin's is one of the ones I thought was pretty damn insulting (unconsciously, I know) to the paying audience who basically he turned his back on for that Big Gesture. No, he's not the only one and no, I don't expect anyone else to agree. Looked great on video maybe.

The only consolation is that if it gets too stale too quickly, the judges may start marking people down for it.

 

[DancingCactus]

Honestly? It looked like Kevin's final pose was supposed to be threatening and shocking and who better to threaten than the judges? It would have been weirder if that pose was directed at the audience...

 

[RobinA]

In: Men's deep V-necklines, women's catsuits in pairs especially SP.
Out and hopefully forever: tanos.

I used to love tanos before everybody started doing them. Now it looks more refreshing NOT to do it.

 

[withwings]

There is a strange and unpleasant trend to award fake medals; not gold or silver, just fake nothing. IMO it is ... humiliating for the skaters who has been working so hard.

 

[withwings]

I do not like this new trend of deep V-necklines in men's skating costumes. Though, it is only my opinion.

 

[TallyT]

There is a strange and unpleasant trend to award fake medals; not gold or silver, just fake nothing. IMO it is ... humiliating for the skaters who has been working so hard.

I don't understand it at all, but it is not a good look for rewards in high-level sport makes it look cost-cuttingly cheap. I guess it's a fad?

I do not like this new trend of deep V-necklines in men's skating costumes. Though, it is only my opinion.

Now this, I will admit, very much depends on the manly throat and chest the V-neck is displaying. Yes, I can be that shallow

I do like the trend to catsuits, although not when it gives the women the excuse to bore in basic black too.

 

[TallyT]

Honestly? It looked like Kevin's final pose was supposed to be threatening and shocking and who better to threaten than the judges? It would have been weirder if that pose was directed at the audience...

Kevin is about as threatening and shocking as... well, let's just say he ain't. And if a pose excludes the audience, it should be scrapped. And I did say I didn't expect anyone to agree

 

[el henry]

Having attended small comps where the judges were on the other side of the rink, I didn't see one skater facing our side (where the entire audience was seated) with the ending pose. Some were in the middle of the rink with a spin, or whatever, but that was hardly including the audience. Hands outstretched, heads under arms, heads and hand on the ice, they are still all meant for the judges. I can hardly blame a skater for that.

ETA: I don't find that it is in the middle of the rink, rather than closer to the judge's stands, to include or exclude the audience. Depending of course, on what the skater is trying to convey or if it is a coherent part of the program. And the skater's ability, or not, to include the audience no matter where he is.

And I found Kévin's ending pose, quite shocking, in a good way. And fierce. As opposed to the endless parade over the years of mid ice head tucks or heads thrown back, or arms thrown akimbo (always facing the judges) some of which are wonderful, some of which, well... That assessment will always depend on the person watching

 

[el henry]

There is a strange and unpleasant trend to award fake medals; not gold or silver, just fake nothing. IMO it is ... humiliating for the skaters who has been working so hard.

Cheap looking "medals" have been around since at least 2017. The plastic blue star of the GP France comes to mind.

It's a shame for the skaters, but sadly, not a trend limited to this year.

 

[withwings]

Cheap looking "medals" have been around since at least 2017. The plastic blue star of the GP France comes to mind.

It's a shame for the skaters, but sadly, not a trend limited to this year.

Yes, it is exactly what meant, thank you.

 

[TallyT]

And I found Kévin's ending pose, quite shocking, in a good way. And fierce.

I admit, I could be singularly hard to impress in this - fan of Lord Murderface, remember

 

[el henry]

I admit, I could be singularly hard to impress in this - fan of Lord Murderface, remember

We can't all find the same things impressive, maybe I'm easily frightened. But now I need to ask: who or what is Lord Murderface? Or is there a joke I am not getting, which is completely possible.

 

[streams4dreams]

(always facing the judges)

Pretty out of context, but I just had a flashback to Mariah Bell (I think!) once messing up her final spin to *not* face the judges. Of course, she just laughed it off, and hopped back to face them, so it ended up being a memorable quirky and cute ending

 

[TallyT]

We can't all find the same things impressive, maybe I'm easily frightened. But now I need to ask: who or what is Lord Murderface? Or is there a joke I am not getting, which is completely possible.

Oh sorry, Yuzuru. For someone so beautiful, he has a gift for spectacularly demonic are-you-so-sure-looks-can't-kill stares, so that is one of his (affectionate!) titles.

 

[TT_Fin]

You who have been chatting with me on competition topics maybe already noticed I like when men have different coloured pants than black. I have seen many of them wearing blue pants this season. It is nice colour. Also some bling bling or patterns to black ones make it look totally different and also those, I think, are more.

 

[4everchan]

You who have been chatting with me on competition topics maybe already noticed I like when men have different coloured pants than black. I have seen many of them wearing blue pants this season. It is nice colour. Also some bling blind or patterns to black ones make it look totally different and also those, I think, are more.

I love gray pants.. like Paul Poirier

I hope this won't be a trend this season but pairs moving on/splitting seems to start to be happening a bit too much in the last few weeks.

 

[icewhite]

Oh sorry, Yuzuru. For someone so beautiful, he has a gift for spectacularly demonic are-you-so-sure-looks-can't-kill stares, so that is one of his (affectionate!) titles.

Come on Tally, you are a extreme fan of Yuzu and he would get every single title from you.
Not to take away from the wonderful Yuzu, but is it necessary to "take away" from other skaters because you love Yuzuru so much?

I can understand that Kevin's end pose isn't everybody's cup of tea and that especially at Skate America he was too close to the boards for some. For me it was on the limit. But his last minute definitely had some real fierce power and that final pose was sudden, intense and powerful and insofar definitely scary as far as it's possible to look scary when you are 1,60m and people know you are performing for the scores.

 

[TallyT]

Come on Tally, you are a extreme fan of Yuzu and he would get every single title from you.
Not to take away from the wonderful Yuzu, but is it necessary to "take away" from other skaters because you love Yuzuru so much?

I can understand that Kevin's end pose isn't everybody's cup of tea and that especially at Skate America he was too close to the boards for some. For me it was on the limit. But his last minute definitely had some real fierce power and that final pose was sudden, intense and powerful and insofar definitely scary as far as it's possible to look scary when you are 1,60m and people know you are performing for the scores.

Take it any way you like. I didn't introduce the posing posturing to the thread, and I still don't like it, and I think it is already stale and overused.

(And we wonder why audiences are staying away...)

 

[4everchan]

Kévin at SKAM = fierce for sure in the final pose and moves leading to it.