What is your least aesthetic move in figure skating?

[Mathman]

No skater or skating move move is ugly. Please no pictures on this thread of individual skaters caught by the camera in awkward positions.

That said, who came up with the “splayed frog”? Is this supposed to resemble some sort of Plié exercise? Not only does the position lack esthetic appeal, but it makes my knees hurt vicariously, like trying to go squats with your feet turned out to the sides.

Some people don’t like the “A-spin.” That’s where you bend over, grab your ankles and stick your behind up in the air, forming a letter “A.”

Actually, for men that’s not so bad if they rare tall, thin and angular, and dressed all in black. Back in the day Emanuel Sandu had a good one as did Nobunari Oda, although Oda isn’t tall. But in general, no.

 

[4everchan]

I do not like the Leonova Kvalko lift position. (woman in a horizontal split) Even the best looking examples are not aesthetically pleasing to me.

 

[el henry]

Count me as one who does not like the "butt spin" (A-spin).

Unless it's Donovan Carrillo.

 

[midori green]

I can't get into all the knee slides.

 

[4everchan]

Count me as one who does not like the "butt spin" (A-spin).

Unless it's Donovan Carrillo.

Who else has a nice one that I pointed out recently... and you agreed it was at a Donovan level of excellence ? ? I think it may have been a Canadian skater... gosh... i am getting old... i cannot remember. Was it Antoine ? I just had a flash...

 

[Mathematician]

Does the jumping spin exit level count? I think most of us agree this needs to be removed.

 

[NanaPat]

Does the jumping spin exit level count? I think most of us agree this needs to be removed.

I feel similarly about the stationary lift exit from pair/dance spins.

 

[Diana Delafield]

That said, who came up with the “splayed frog”? Is this supposed to resemble some sort of Plié exercise? Not only does the position lack esthetic appeal, but it makes my knees hurt vicariously, like trying to go squats with your feet turned out to the sides.

I've been calling that (awkward, vulgar) position the "spread eagle laying an egg", but I like the name "splayed frog" better!

Some people don’t like the “A-spin.” That’s where you bend over, grab your ankles and stick your behind up in the air, forming a letter “A.”

I also really really don't like that extremely popular closing spin that I think is called a "Y spin"? (Came along after my time, so I never had any coach try to get me to do it.) Where the skater grabs their leg or boot, often with both hands, pulls their leg up in front of their face, and appears to try and bite their own kneecap while spinning. I'm waiting for someone to overdo it, fall over backwards, and sit plop on the ice as the music ends.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

I also really really don't like that extremely popular closing spin that I think is called a "Y spin"? (Came along after my time, so I never had any coach try to get me to do it.) Where the skater grabs their leg or boot, often with both hands, pulls their leg up in front of their face, and appears to try and bite their own kneecap while spinning. I'm waiting for someone to overdo it, fall over backwards, and sit plop on the ice as the music ends.

The one where the leg is grabbed in front seems to be called an I-spin (and I agree, it looks rather strained in most cases). The Y-spin is where the leg is out to the side. I think this one looks better if the leg is kept slightly lower instead of forming a full split, and one arm is free to give a nice line (e.g. Mariah Bell or Alissa Czisny).

I am not keen on catchfoot camels which aren't pulled into a nice swan or donut position, instead looking just kind of like the skater decided to stretch their quad muscles mid-spin. Sometimes from a distance it looks as though their leg is cut off below the knee.

 

[Mathman]

I axtually think it was Michelle Kwan who popularized the Y-spin (also called the champagne spin because when you spin around it forms the shape of a champagne glass). Michelle did not have a very flexible back, and some spin positions were hard for her, for instance the classic arabesque layback

 

[Anna K.]

I am not keen on catchfoot camels which aren't pulled into a nice swan or donut position, instead looking just kind of like the skater decided to stretch their quad muscles mid-spin. Sometimes from a distance it looks as though their leg is cut off below the knee.

This.
I'm calling these "footscratch spins" or "went for a bielman but stuck in the middle spins", it usually creates an unpleasantly unaccomplished impression for me.

But I can imagine that Benoit will take this and turn it into a choreographic accent with great emotional power one day. After what he did with a backflip...

I've been calling that (awkward, vulgar) position the "spread eagle laying an egg", but I like the name "splayed frog" better!

I prefer "spread eagle laying an egg". The position itself is rather common in Indian traditional dance and some martial arts so I don't see it as unaesthetic or vulgar as such (depends on choreography though) and I don't feel comfortable when calling it "splayed frog". But "spread eagle laying an egg" sounds noble!

 

[lariko]

Pairs spins whenever it's nose to the groin and the type of death spiral when leg is bent in the air. I also don't like the look of spirals in single skating.

 

[el henry]

I axtually think it was Michelle Kwan who popularized the Y-spin (also called the champagne spin because when you spin around it forms the shape of a champagne glass). Michelle did not have a very flexible back, and some spin positions were hard for her, for instance the classic arabesque layback

I do not mind a classic champagne spin, and of course Michelle....

The contortionist positions I find jarring. It does not impress me that a teenage girl can yank her ankle to her ear or to her nose. Even on blades. If she can do that, she can probably do a lovely and long spiral, Ina Bauer or spread-eagle that would add so much more to the program.

I know, points.

 

[Arigato]

What is the name of the spin that some women do at the end of many programs where it looks like they are trying to pull on their skate with one foot in the air? It is as elegant as a chainsaw.

 

[Mathman]

The one where the leg is grabbed in front seems to be called an I-spin (and I agree, it looks rather strained in most cases).

I associate the I-spin with Sasha Cohen. Dick Button as a commentator praised Sasha's balletic grace by saying "she never hit an unattractive position un her life" But he criticized this spin because (1) holding your leg up with your hands -- no, And (2) you can't do this with a straight back, resulting in a somewhat hunched posture. (or kissing your kneecap as Diana Delefield put it. )

Sasha also was the poster girl for the "coming at you " fan spiral. " I think skaters started relying on this position when the IJS came in with an emphasis on "change of position" in a spiral sequence.

Me, I'd rather see a Brian Boitano outside spread eagle that circles the whole rink for about 30 seconds.

(@el henry sort of like the eagle circling the heavens (or at least the stadium) during the national anthem at Philadelphia Eagles games. )

 

[Flying Feijoa]

What is the name of the spin that some women do at the end of many programs where it looks like they are trying to pull on their skate with one foot in the air? It is as elegant as a chainsaw.

Sounds like the I-spin... It seems you're not alone in disliking it.

Michelle did not have a very flexible back, and some spin positions were hard for her, for instance the classic arabesque layback

I can relate (no problem doing splits but can't do a layback).
The classic ballet-inspired layback position has the leg in attitude (attitude = bent, arabesque = straight, but in any case it should be turned out), but whatever the leg position, the backbend is the defining feature. In a layback spin you have to push your hips forward to stay centred, so it uses the lumbar spine more (unlike in ballet where you stay centred over a vertical supporting leg). I know famous and grassroots female singles skaters with chronic back issues that were caused not by jumps but by spins.

To qualify my previous remark about bad catchfoots: if you're flexible enough to hit a nice position without undue strain, then you can work on improving it safely (e.g. via strengthening and mild stretching). If you just aren't built that way, I think it's better to choose an alternative level feature if possible (e.g. change-edge or upper body twist) rather than doing an unattractively executed position or forcing your body and risking injury. Everyone's body is different so they should choose spins that work best for themselves - it looks better for the audience too. Whether the judging system lets them is a different story...

 

[ladyjane]

I don't like the butt spin (or A-spin) unless you're called Donavan Carillo or Stephan Lambiel in his day.

 

[Mathman]

If you just aren't built that way...

Shizuka Arakawa could do a "look ma, no hands".I-spiral. She won the 2006 Olympics with it, along with her "I got this, what you got ?" Ina Bauer.. I have never seen anyone else who was "built that way."

 

[TallyT]

With many skaters when they jump, the way they hunch shoulders and pull their arms so tight they look like someone trying to fit into an undersize coffin. Yes, I know why - it's more efficient and gets them round more - and thankfully it's over quickly, but it's one reason why for some singles skaters, when people call their jumps 'beautiful'... for me they really, really aren't.

 

[Mathman]

With many skaters when they jump, the way they hunch shoulders and pull their arms so tight they look like someone trying to fit into an undersize coffin. Yes, I know why - it's more efficient and gets them round more - and thankfully it's over quickly, but it's one reason why for some singles skaters, when people call their jumps 'beautiful'... for me they really, really aren't.

I think it's the "never let them see you sweat" factor. The full IJS lists the bullet point "effortless" in several places. The skaters we most admire are those who can demonstrate the hardest skills while making it look as easy as falling off a log, This also applies to calm and controlled facial expression and a confident, relaxexed posture even while performing the seven labors of Hercules on the ice.