Any Advice for a new Figure Skating Fan?

This documentary gives a wonderful overview of the history of the sport from the early 1900s through the 1980s..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOeI8hGsDPQ

Here's a series of videos that break down the scoring system and what the judges are suppose to be looking for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U6upUdlbkc&list=PL686vXd8x7dyXhL3QFIz_jcgYNyqYavnu

The ISU has done a great series of educational videos on PCS/components (skating skills, transitions, choreo, etc). They are very detailed and give great examples for each component. So for example, they will explain what transitions are, and show examples of skaters whose programs are good, average or poor with respect to transitions. The only problem is that in real life judges may not always seem to be following these guidelines, but I guess we can't have everything! Here's a link:

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL701076590A417C26

The ISU also did a couple of videos on jumps. I haven't had a chance to watch these yet but I'm hoping they'll be as interesting and useful as the PCS ones:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mmpHezokjN0

Also, Michael Weiss (former US champion) did a great series that can help you identify different jumps. I like it because he shows singles, doubles and triples of each jump:

http://monkeysee.com/ice-skating-how-to-perform-the-six-basic-jumps/

Finally, since you liked Hanyu, Shoma, and Jason, here are a few clips!

Hanyu: FS Grand Prix Final 2015: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WfcDb6rswWY
Shoma: SP TEB 2015: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFw3Rae0qVY
Jason: FS US Nationals 2011 (senior debut): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G94pHGvq3Fs

tjskate said:

This documentary gives a wonderful overview of the history of the sport from the early 1900s through the 1980s..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOeI8hGsDPQ

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Oh, this is a great documentary of the history of figure skating! I can't encourage you enough to look through the great performances of 1950s-1990s. :yes:

The Scale of Values http://static.isu.org/media/1003/2000-sptc-sov-and-goe-2016-2017_revised-july-14.pdf is very useful to see where the points come from. Page 2 is the one for jumps and has Base Values for the different jumps and number of revolutions. It also has the points for positive and negative GOE (Grades of Execution) which the commentators refer to all the time - page 12 has the criteria for these. That way you can see how the 'ticker' for points at the top left hand side of the screen is working.

Re finding great performances, a good way is to look at old World Championship results on Wikipedia, and you'll soon see the same names cropping up time and time again. Just find their best years and go to Youtube and you'll almost certainly their best performances, plus don't ignore skaters that don't quite win the 'big one', somebody like Sasha Cohen has qualities that you just don't find in any other skater.

Welcome to this forum, TheQuiller! Lots of great advice for you in this thread! Definitely watch the "Magic Memories on Ice" video & many of the suggested performances from poster moriel's list!

First of all don't read figure skating forums!!! You just enjoy the performances of your favorite skaters!! :agree:

Welcome, TheQuiller! Hope you will have a great time here! My advice will be make sure to watch some performances from the past! Like the top three of Worlds/Olympics. They are just as great as those today! It also gives you an impression of choreography since it is more valued and emphasised back then. You can also find some BEAUTIFUL skiing movements that are rarely seen today, like Ladies spirals sequence.

plushyfan said:

First of all don't read figure skating forums!!! You just enjoy the performances of your favorite skaters!! :agree:

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THIS is the best advice imo. Just enjoy what you like! Be careful that there are any crazy fans/haters on the Internet (mostly Youtube lol), just ignore them. You have your own preference and that is nothing wrong. Let's love the sport!

I'm quite new to figure skating as well, so thank you all for the suggestions:agree:

Welcome to figure skating fandom! Everyone appreciates and enjoys different aspects of figure skating, and that's okay. But, you asked about "a standard for comparison, or important to shaping the course of this sport" so I'll give you one.

Skating Skills = PATRICK CHAN!!!!! (Changed the sport forever in 2011 with his combination of consistent quads and superb skating skills/transitions). My favorite of his competition programs are:

2008 Nationals Long Program (age 17) - first of NINE Canadian Nationals Titles so far

2009 Worlds Short Program

2011 Nationals Long Program

2012 Nationals Short Program and Long Program

2013 Trophee Eric Bompard Short Program and Long Program

2016 Four Continents Long Program

2017 Nationals Long Program

2017 Worlds Short Program

In this video, Patrick does his long program from this season but doesn't do any of the jumps, so you can focus on his skating quality entirely.

Also check out Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Kurt Browning, Gordeeva and Grinkov (RIP Sergei), Shen and Zhao, Pang and Tong, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, all true legends. I could name skaters all day, but don't miss Peggy Fleming's Ave Maria or Mao Asada's Nocturne. Or Yuna Kim as a Bond Girl.

For basic questions and to find out where to watch competitions, check out So You Want to Watch Figure Skating. And the people on GS will answer questions, of course. Enjoy yourself!

Welcome to the wonderful world of figure skating!!! Although I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I have been an addicted fan for more than a decade (since 1993 to be exact, but I have been following the sport since 1984.) My advice is to just browse around and watch whatever you come across without much/any preconception fed from others. Eveyrone's taste is different, and also what one looks for in the sport. I for example, most of my favourites are not concidered as top contenders, while many of the top skaters (while I appreciate their technical expertise) fail to give me the same emotions. The current scene should be quite easy to follow, but I also suggest taking a good look at the former generations, from 00's and 90's. Their styles are quite different from the mainstream of today, but there are so many qualities to be enjoyed from the yesteryears.
One thing to remember, while you will surely find the skaters you prefer, and the skaters you like less... ALL the skaters have extraordinary talent of their own and amount of work and effort they put in to acheive what they have is beyond imagination. So even those skaters who you fail to feel the adoration, they fully deserve your respect. :agree:
Enjoy as you discover this wonderful world of figure skating!!!

For anyone having difficulty discerning the types of jumps, which the original poster probably doesn't have, I think there is no better video than this to clear people's idea of what jump is which...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu81i6vufWA

Thanks, everyone! I'm honestly floored by how much fantastic help everyone here has offered! I would have thanked you all earlier, but with all the amazing programs and skaters I've been recommended, I've just been in this haze of blissful figure skate binging every moment I've had free time.

Seriously, thank you all so much. Your love and appreciation for figure skating definitely shows, and it's definitely a thrilling feeling for new fans like me to see so much enthusiasm and expertise in this fan base. I've found so many threads filled with intense discussion, detailed analysis, and positivity! The fact that there's no end to the amount of content for me to go through - whether it be actual competition programs, ice shows, or fan-generated content in the form of analysis, debates, and fan fest threads - it's all making me super glad I decided to join in, and sad that I've been missing out on all the fun before now!

There are some great examples here that I've enjoyed watching. My favorite jump video(s) would be the Michael Weiss ones whjch I know were already mentioned. I like to see the single, double, triple of each jump.

Welcome to the excitement of figure skating. I hope you can make it to 2018 Nats in San Jose. There is nothing quite like seeing it live!

Pairs:
Gordeeva & Grinkov-1988 free & many, many other programs, especially the professional ones
Mishkuteniok & Dimitriev-1992 Olympic FS, 1994 Olympic SP
Shen & Zhao-2003 Worlds Free skate, 2003-2004 GPF Free skate, 2010 Olympic SP

Men:
John Curry
Scott Hamilton-Oh, watch the professional ones. That's where he changed the sport.
Brian Boitano vs. Brian Orser in 1988
Yagudin vs. Plushenko 2000 Worlds, 2001 Worlds, 2002 Olympics

Dance:
Torvill & Dean 1984 Olympic SD & FD
Klimova & Ponomarenko 1992 Olympic FD
Grishuk & Platov 1994 Europeans FD, 1997 Europeans SP, 1998 Olympic FD

Ladies:
Dorothy Hamill
Peggy Fleming
Katarina Witt-THE Carmen 1988 Olympics FD & I Am What I Am exhibition 1998 Olympics
Kristi Yamaguchi-1992 U.S. Nationals FP, THE Malaguena
Michelle Kwan
Sasha Cohen-U.S. Nationals 2000, 2006 Olympic SP, exhibition Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake Skate Canada
Mao Asada-Chopin

TheQuiller said:

Thanks, everyone! I'm honestly floored by how much fantastic help everyone here has offered! I would have thanked you all earlier, but with all the amazing programs and skaters I've been recommended, I've just been in this haze of blissful figure skate binging every moment I've had free time.

Seriously, thank you all so much. Your love and appreciation for figure skating definitely shows, and it's definitely a thrilling feeling for new fans like me to see so much enthusiasm and expertise in this fan base. I've found so many threads filled with intense discussion, detailed analysis, and positivity! The fact that there's no end to the amount of content for me to go through - whether it be actual competition programs, ice shows, or fan-generated content in the form of analysis, debates, and fan fest threads - it's all making me super glad I decided to join in, and sad that I've been missing out on all the fun before now!

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Welcome TheQuiller! :agree: New figure skating fans are becoming rare so we're all excited

my advice:
- try to watch with good, unbiased (by country) commentary to get an idea of what good skating is considered to be. British Eurosport commentary is pretty unbiased and a great for the start. CBC has good quality commentary when Kurt is commenting, but they have a huge bias towards Canadian skaters. I don't recommend NBC though, since the commentary is not only American centric (which would be totally fine) but often unnecessary negative and also lack in quality and they often say things, that are just wrong.
- try to go to a local rink and skate. around a little, doing some crossovers and maybe some lessons for beginner's figure skating. This way, you will learn the difference of the jumps by doing, which is a lot easier to remember, than trying to find out by just watching.
- Keep your heart locked and don't fall in love with a figure skater from a small federation (only exception is that the skater is extra-extra-ordinarily good) It'll eventually break your heart:sad21:
- Watch youtube videos :agree: Here're some that I recommend:
-- Sasha Cohen had great spins (centered, fast, great positions) and was always on point of the music. She's also very easy on the eyes and easy to enjoy for new figure skating fans:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGxNhDJyhj8
-- For jumps I recommend Yuna Kim and Kaetlyn Osmond who both have superb jumping technique:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh-850kqJoE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u-whIAu0xs
-- for great step sequences, there's Mao Asada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjnChWXVteA

The current men's field is INCREDIBLE and really exciting as we have so many different talents.
Here's the whole last last group at worlds if you want to rewatch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MduJ7zirIJY
- First up is Hanyu, the reigning Olympic champion who skates a both technically as well as artistically demanding program. His skating skill are top notch, his transitions quite difficult, his jumping technique a A+.
- second is Nathan Chen from the US, who is a rookie but has more quads than anyone else. He has solid posture because of his ballet training, but is skating a little stiff at his first world championships. His skating skills are not on par with Hanyu and he has a lot less 'Programm' a lot more 'preparing for the jumps'
- third comes Boyang. He's just as Nathan a rookie and is jumping the most difficult jump combination there is at the moment - the quad lutz-tripleToe! Especially his quad lutz has the greatest quality, even though it's the most difficult solo jump right now. Boyang also lacks in the skating skills department, but he is a natural showman. (check out his spiderman-sp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAcXsO2W2e0
- the forth is Patrick Chan. He has the best skating skills out there and very complex choreography. His forte is the PCS department, though he also jumps a quad toe.
- then comes Shoma Uno who has great skating skills and musicality too. He is jumping quad too, but his jumping technique is not as excellent, as Hanyu, Boyang or Nathan's, thus his jumps look a little different then their's. His musical presentation though is on point, especially at this world's.
- last but not least is Javier Fernandez. He brings the charisma and screaming (not always teenage) girls. He doesn't have the best skating skills or the best jumping technique or the hardest jumps, but he is very good at all of these and combined with his charisma, one cannot not love him.

This commentator gives a lot of information while commenting on the programs:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcE5M7F2b-Z3kdusx0Ga_FA

If you live near a big skating club, they usually have annual shows for their members to strut their stuff. To me, this is outstanding (and cheap) entertainment. Many of the skaters, even at the intermediate and novice levels are really good, plus there are group numbers at all levels that show off interesting skating choreography. When the competitive adult skaters participate, that is an extra bonus. :yes:

TheQuiller said:

Thanks, everyone! I'm honestly floored by how much fantastic help everyone here has offered! I would have thanked you all earlier, but with all the amazing programs and skaters I've been recommended, I've just been in this haze of blissful figure skate binging every moment I've had free time.

Seriously, thank you all so much. Your love and appreciation for figure skating definitely shows, and it's definitely a thrilling feeling for new fans like me to see so much enthusiasm and expertise in this fan base. I've found so many threads filled with intense discussion, detailed analysis, and positivity! The fact that there's no end to the amount of content for me to go through - whether it be actual competition programs, ice shows, or fan-generated content in the form of analysis, debates, and fan fest threads - it's all making me super glad I decided to join in, and sad that I've been missing out on all the fun before now!

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I am glad you appreciate our responses. In my previous post, I deliberately avoided mentioning exhibition programs, but many Exhibitions are lovely as well. It's nice to see skaters skating without the pressure and constraints of competition. Here’s a few from Patrick Chan:

Fun - Don't Worry Be Happy; Moondance; I Need a Dollar; Steppin' Out

Serious - Yesterday; Time to Say Goodbye; Best of Me; Esqualo

Shout-out to Jeff Buttle for doing a sublime Ex with no jumps at 2016 Canadian Nationals.

Any of Michelle Kwan’s Exs are golden! :yes: East of Eden; Dante’s Prayer; Fields of Gold; Mulan; Pocahontas. For comparison, here’s Pocahontas by a pair team (check out the lifts!). Another must-see Ex is Vocalise by Gordeeva and Grinkov. And if you really want to cry, watch Katia’s tribute to Sergei soon after his death (her first time skating alone).

I promise I’m done listing programs now. But there are so many more!

I found it really helpful to watch full competitions, both with and without commentary. The Vancouver Olympics are on youtube both the entire field of each event (without commentary) and the top flights (with commentary). I got into skating with ice dance and the year I got into it I had surgery and was on bedrest for 6 weeks. I watched the ice dance programs a couple of times and learned a lot. Unfortunately Sochi footage is much more limited. I keep hoping someday more will be posted. Other competitions (many of them) the top flights will be available on youtube with commentary.