What’s missing from modern figure skating?

[Diana Delafield]

Rena Inoue & John Baldwin Jr.
2006 Olympics SP
A really nice throw triple Axel

I checked their Wikipedia entries out of curiosity as to how long his career lasted, as it seemed at the time as if he'd been competing forever (1987 to 2000 in singles and then another decade or so in pairs). The entries repeated several times that they were the first to complete a throw triple Axel in international competition, which obviously was wrong. Nevertheless they did do it beautifully. Always a rather overlooked pair in spite of winning quite a few medals of all colours in the US and internationally. They never seemed to catch the public's attention as much as some others who came and went during those years.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Wait. Did they do only do a double twist? Edit...everyone did a double so i guess triples were not allowed.. weird

Not only were double twists common, earlier in my era the girl was *supposed* to touch his shoulders neatly on the landing and you lost points if you didn't. The reverse of today's no-hands landings. IIRC, the point was to show that they were still aligned with each other at the end and she hadn't drifted to one side in the air, either because she'd done a bit of air travel or, as the pairs men used to joke: "I didn't throw up straight".

 

[ladyjane]

Rena Inoue & John Baldwin Jr.
2006 Olympics SP
A really nice throw triple Axel

Thanks! It is very nice. I think they were the first (and only?) ones to do a landed throw 3A at the OG, definitely not the first to do a throw 3A as such. I am not surprised media mixed that up a bit.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

True artistry and diverse choices in music. I'm sick of the 90% of the same music being rotated around the sport every year like it's the only thing you can skate to. Also, too many jumps.

 

[nat01]

Is it possible to see one more live performance from Scott Hamilton?

Is it possible to see one more live performance from Scott Hamilton?

I agree, bring back the older performers shows leadership in our sport.....the sport needs more involvement with enthusiasm promoting more support with entertainers that where on the ice.

 

[TallyT]

I agree, bring back the older performers shows leadership in our sport.....the sport needs more involvement with enthusiasm promoting more support with entertainers that where on the ice.

How would this go though - are we talking shows (they are already there?), or as administrators, or in veteran competitions (which I think was covered in another recent thread)?

 

[Ladskater]

What's missing? Well I'm a former figure skater and going back in time to the days of my favourite skater, Karen Magnussen I would say edge quality is missing. Karen Magnussen could do a magnificent Ina Bauer right into a double axel. She also had one of the best spirals. Of course, Kurt Browning is one of the best skaters when it comes to edge control. He is my favourite male skater of all time. Back in the day skaters had to do figures and learning how to use edges carried over into their free skating. I find many of today's skaters rush from one element to the next. I'm not a quad fan, at least not to the extent that the program becomes all about the quad. I like a balance of spins, jumps and footwork.

 

[soccerjc77]

The spiral sequence. If it comes back, it would make me so happy !

 

[Zora]

The spiral sequence. If it comes back, it would make me so happy !

I wait for the day one skater chooses to do a long spiral and the audience goes crazy and then every skater recognizes the audience loves it and the next season everyone's doing it. Like with the cartwheels.

 

[4everchan]

The spiral sequence. If it comes back, it would make me so happy !

this is another example of rule change that went wrong.

I am fine removing spiral sequences because some were just awful to watch. But instead of removing them completely the rules could have been specific in allowing them OR something else. You can do a spiral sequence or a choreographic sequence or a choreographic, not-leveled step sequence... That way, skaters would have been able to choose from 3 options and the new rule would have been better than the strict one they made instead. I can see how some skaters who are great with spirals may decide to do something else one year, because the program requires a choreo sequence instead.

Brief, and that's the main problem with the ISU rule changes is that they come often from a good intention but the lack of vision in writing them create a new problematic situation. Just like the no backloading rule... Writing it strictly now means that everyone has the same layout. No more variety, only predictability...

 

[gsk8]

The spiral sequence. If it comes back, it would make me so happy !

Thanks for this! These were moments that fans and the audience "waited" for in the past! I miss those very much!

 

[nat01]

Thanks for this! These were moments that fans and the audience "waited" for in the past! I miss those very much!

I've never seen a mascot on the ice wouldn't be nice to watch a performance from a team of mascots...sort of like a favorite character on ice.

 

[AuroraCherry]

When you watch women's skating from the mid 90s to around 2006, i noticed there is a big difference in how the skaters carry themselves. Back then, many skaters at the top had something regal about them, like true queens skating on the ice, regardless of how their performance went. Shizuka Arakawa comes to mind, but even some of the russian skaters presented themselves in a much more elegant way.

Now, since around a decade, women's figure skating is more of a competition on who comes over the most casual, bubbly and quirky, it's a contest that screams "look how cute i am!". Even in Ice dance the women had something much more diva-like to them. So to answer the question, for me what is missing currently in figure skating are the queens.

 

[gkelly]

I am fine removing spiral sequences because some were just awful to watch. But instead of removing them completely the rules could have been specific in allowing them OR something else. You can do a spiral sequence or a choreographic sequence or a choreographic, not-leveled step sequence...

A spiral sequence would completely fulfill the requirements for a choreographic sequence. So the requirement has been removed, but the option has never been removed. Skaters just don't choose to do them.

It wouldn't work to have an option to do either a leveled element or an unleveled/choreographic element. In that case everyone would choose the choreo element so they don't have to worry about doing stuff just for levels.

Unless, of course, the leveled elements were worth more even if you don't achieve level 4.

Another option could be to have a choice of multiple different types of leveled elements. E.g., a leveled spiral sequence similar to what we saw in the 00s, a leveled field moves sequence (which could include spirals), a leveled low-revolution jump sequence, a leveled edge-and-turn element with different requirements from the current leveled step sequence (for seniors where leveled steps are still required in the FS). Or give the option of doing two leveled step sequences if you don't want to do one of the other types of elements.

Having lots of options for types of leveled elements and also for types of features that earn levels would give skaters more options and give audiences more variety in what we see as different skaters choose different options. I've been wanting this almost since the beginning of IJS.

But it would put a lot more burden on the tech panels to call dozens of different potential features across the different elements.

Instead the ISU is giving skaters freedom to do "choreographic" elements instead of leveled elements. There's lots of freedom there. But skaters aren't always creative in how they use the opportunity.

That way, skaters would have been able to choose from 3 options and the new rule would have been better than the strict one they made instead. I can see how some skaters who are great with spirals may decide to do something else one year, because the program requires a choreo sequence instead.

Brief, and that's the main problem with the ISU rule changes is that they come often from a good intention but the lack of vision in writing them create a new problematic situation. Just like the no backloading rule... Writing it strictly now means that everyone has the same layout. No more variety, only predictability...

 

[4everchan]

A spiral sequence would completely fulfill the requirements for a choreographic sequence. So the requirement has been removed, but the option has never been removed. Skaters just don't choose to do them.

It wouldn't work to have an option to do either a leveled element or an unleveled/choreographic element. In that case everyone would choose the choreo element so they don't have to worry about doing stuff just for levels.

Unless, of course, the leveled elements were worth more even if you don't achieve level 4.

Another option could be to have a choice of multiple different types of leveled elements. E.g., a leveled spiral sequence similar to what we saw in the 00s, a leveled field moves sequence (which could include spirals), a leveled low-revolution jump sequence, a leveled edge-and-turn element with different requirements from the current leveled step sequence (for seniors where leveled steps are still required in the FS). Or give the option of doing two leveled step sequences if you don't want to do one of the other types of elements.

Having lots of options for types of leveled elements and also for types of features that earn levels would give skaters more options and give audiences more variety in what we see as different skaters choose different options. I've been wanting this almost since the beginning of IJS.

But it would put a lot more burden on the tech panels to call dozens of different potential features across the different elements.

Instead the ISU is giving skaters freedom to do "choreographic" elements instead of leveled elements. There's lots of freedom there. But skaters aren't always creative in how they use the opportun

ity.

I meant it like in ice dance where they can pick from various chor options

 

[Zora]

One thing I think it's definitely missing these days is acting on ice. Most skaters just skate their programs in a highly concentrated way and just go through the movements. I remember Carolina Kostner once said during a German broadcast, that they used to work so much on expressions, perfecting every moment, but there's no time for that if you've got to work on quads and everything (she said it in a nice way after a quad-heavy program, why you can't expect skaters to be able to do everything at the same time).

Think of Yuna Kim, Alexei Yagudin, Sasha Cohen, Daisuke Takahashi. They were also actors/actresses on ice. As much as I love Kaori Sakamoto, she often just went through the movements in the first 2/3 of her program as well.

Samodelkina had such a nice short program last season, where she stayed in character, had very characteristic moves for the program, made eye contact, had great expression. That program reminded me a lot why I fell in love with figure skating.

 

[gsk8]

If you had to convince a new fan that modern skating isn't missing anything, which current skater or program would you show them?

 

[4everchan]

Adam, Yuma, Kaori.

 

[DancingCactus]

Adam, P and P, Sascha Selevko, the Japanese women, Junwhan.

 

[Arriba627]

What's missing? Amazing circular steps like this.