It is not to belittle her jobs, effort or sacrifices, It's really admirable to work and train at the same time, but the article says the cost for skating is about 80,000 dollars/year, and she earned 9dlls/hr in that kind of regular jobs, I think the main sources come from places like the competition prize, shows, the fundations and the saving count for college that skylark mentioned.
Intriguing characters of skating
- Thread starter Skater Boy
- Start date
It is not to belittle her jobs, effort or sacrifices, It's really admirable to work and train at the same time, but the article says the cost for skating is about 80,000 dollars/year, and she earned 9dlls/hr in that kind of regular jobs, I think the main sources come from places like the competition prize, shows, the fundations and the saving count for college that skylark mentioned.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
I agree...Being a professional athlete is a hard life. For all the success stories, there must be a thousand skaters who did not see their dreams come true. We have all seen promising Juniors appear like comets and then flame out as seniors. It's a tough and risky life to become a skater. It's expensive and until you get to the very top....There is very little, if any, money available for a young athlete.
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
- Country
-
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
I really have to agree that the money required for skating probably did come from shows or grants. The money from a job like that would have been only enough for utilities, gas in the tank, etc. For all we know, she may possibly also have had credit cards pushed all the way to the limit. I think had she not won nationals in 2012, we would have seen the last of her. It would have been impossible to continue without that boost that comes from a Championship title like that.
At any rate, I think it's an extremely impressive story, and will always cheer her on!
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
I really have to agree that the money required for skating probably did come from shows or grants. The money from a job like that would have been only enough for utilities, gas in the tank, etc. For all we know, she may possibly also have had credit cards pushed all the way to the limit. I think had she not won nationals in 2012, we would have seen the last of her. It would have been impossible to continue without that boost that comes from a Championship title like that.
At any rate, I think it's an extremely impressive story, and will always cheer her on!
Do they not give out checks for GP events anymore? Remember when they used to pay the skaters for winning a GP? Here's Maria Butyrskaya winning Trophee Lalique in 1998. She won 30,000 dollars for her win and that was 20 years ago. Dang, I'm old. :disapp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn_MuupfX-8
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
I think it's safe to say that that prize money has NOT risen with inflation. (The opposite, actually).
http://www.isu.org/en/single-and-pa...te-in-isu-grand-prix-of-figure-skating-201617
TBH I think even Ashley would counter any notion of her being 'graceful' as a skater. She has built this persona on a foundation of grit, pride and bombast. She's not graceful by any means, nor is she a lady. Those would be Kiira Korpi or Alissa Csizny, Mao and Kim, Kostner, and Kwan. No, Wagner is more Spartan than that. It's not a bad thing at all, in fact its impressive and glamorous.
Man, there is so much drama in figure skating. And this is only about 1/3 of the list
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
- Country
-
Actually, there's a lot less drama than people want to believe. At least in the current skating world.
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
Ouch! Any prize money is always a nice thing, but the fact that the amounts are decreasing is pretty sad.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Country
-
This I agree with wholeheartedly.:agree: When Ashley skated her SP to Spartacus, one of the B.Esp. guys remarked that very few female skaters can live up and skate up to the power of that music, but Ashley does it in spectacular fashion.
Perhaps you're thinking of Ashley's overall skating demeanor, which is not (thankfully!) like the other skaters you mentioned: Asada, Kostner, Csizny, etc. I agree that Glamorous and Powerful describe her much better; I think she'd be happy with that.
I also agree with desertskates that Ashley skates gracefully in her own way, at various moments when that's called for by the music and drama of the particular program. It's her specific movements that are graceful ... not a definition of her.
At the end of her Making of La La Land feature, Ashley says
"I'm not the most talented athlete, I'm not technically the best jumper or the fastest spinner, not the prettiest skater. And I've had so many people tell me that I don't deserve this, or I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't have made it this far, but this was my dream.... The lyrics, 'here's to the ones who dream' ... it's kind of my way of telling everybody if you believe in something and you're passionate about it, and you're crazy and you're foolish, never stop being crazy and foolish, because I'm here, today ...."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u5Q1Xok1y4
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
That last paragraph was great. It really does capture my feelings about Ashley. I've only seen her live once in 2011 and though she didn't win, she had a quality that I really admired. I will admit that I never thought she'd be a medalist at Worlds, especially this late into her career. At the time, I thought 2012 would be her peak...She proved me wrong and is truly the Diva of the US Ladies.
The only thing that irks me every now and again is Ashley's usual diatribe about how real the struggle is. It's great and it's fine, but you know what? That was so 2016. The psychology of Ashley Wagner is both interesting and tedious. You've made it this far and she's shown that she can achieve her goals even if it is in the late summer of her career- but at some point she needs to stop that talk and just own it. It sounds too literal, saccharine and on the nose. La La Land isn't the most cerebral choice, but to talk about the choice on that level of understanding undersells her capacity to choose good music to skate to. She's come this far, she hasn't been the almost girl in years- just move on and do greater things that don't need explaining.
I am tired about her age speech. But if she mention all this all the time, she must be traumatized about it, so, it is not so easy like just move on. And at the same time, this can work as a motivation to believe that people underestimate you.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Country
-
That's rather harsh. IMHO.
She still struggles with the opposition to her even continuing. That signifies to me that ..... it hurts. And people still haven't stopped saying she shouldn't be where she is, if GS forum is any indication.
I don't see her words as a diatribe, I see them as her working through her feelings and her desire. To some, maybe she shouldn't do it so publicly. To others, that's part of what is so admirable about her, that in an arena where so many give the usual pc answers, she speaks her mind and her heart.
What I love about her choice of "Here's to the ones who Dream" is that she hopes to encourage people in all walks of life to keep on being crazy and foolish about their dreams, if they believe in them.
ETA: But what you said are your opinions, and I'm not discounting that. You're entitled to them. I'm willing to agree to disagree.
Oh I totally agree- it's a great motivation and its obviously the fuel to her fire. Look at Mariah Carey- after a few lousy performances in recent months, a lot of people are questioning whether she should keep going or not. Her reaction? She'll do whatever the hell she wants. Its a sense of ownership to the fact that she has achieved many milestones and that she has nothing else to prove. Forgot her words? Mic fumbling? Doesn't matter- she's done it all. Go listen to the records.
Ashley needs to be on the same track, as lousy as that example might be, because regardless of whether or not she has achieved her goals of an OGM or whatever, IMO- she should just go do and know that she's done all she can. She doesn't owe the federation anything, she doesn't owe her fans anything apart from putting out satisfying performances that feed her athletic soul.
It is a harsh analysis (I am a Virgo lol) and it is through the same lenses that I view my all time goddess Asada. It is that same fuel that sometimes overcomes Ashley's ability to lay it out all, because when she comes up short, the cycle begins all over again. Plus taking the mantle for skating at a certain age is a bit of a tall order. She's an inspiring person ABSOLUTELY. She just needs to just do and put the sound bytes to rest. Actions speak louder than words after all.
I wish her all the best of course. God knows I would always choose to watch anything she does over anything half the field of ladies put out on the ice.
Peace out!
Ashley needs to be on the same track, as lousy as that example might be, because regardless of whether or not she has achieved her goals of an OGM or whatever, IMO- she should just go do and know that she's done all she can. She doesn't owe the federation anything, she doesn't owe her fans anything apart from putting out satisfying performances that feed her athletic soul.
It is a harsh analysis (I am a Virgo lol) and it is through the same lenses that I view my all time goddess Asada. It is that same fuel that sometimes overcomes Ashley's ability to lay it out all, because when she comes up short, the cycle begins all over again. Plus taking the mantle for skating at a certain age is a bit of a tall order. She's an inspiring person ABSOLUTELY. She just needs to just do and put the sound bytes to rest. Actions speak louder than words after all.
I wish her all the best of course. God knows I would always choose to watch anything she does over anything half the field of ladies put out on the ice.
Peace out!
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Country
-
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
eace:
Regarding Ashley's comments about her age. I don't think it's about her.. I think she is probably being asked about her age by the press. Maria Butyrskaya was asked the question.. " How much longer do you think you can keep skating" I think Michelle was asked the same thing after she missed the world podium in 2005. Most of you know that I danced for as long as my body would let me because I loved it. Maybe some of these "Older" skaters do it for love. Personally, I don't think they should step aside for the younger generation until they're good and ready to end their careers. Look at Leonova......She won her lone world medal in 2012 and she's still plugging away. I don't know how old Carolina is but she's no spring chicken and she still skates like a champion......
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
I was a lot younger back in 1999-2002, but it amazes how OLD I thought Maria Butyrskaya was (I think her whole look contributed to it in that she made herself look like a WOMAN on purpose) and how Kwan was treated as really old at 21.
