2023 Skate America Women's Short Program

[Mathematician]

It's time to ding Loena for a costume violation imo. Or at the very least have a quiet word to her after the tournament as to not cause public embarrassment, and tell her you will be dinged if you wear that costume again.

Last year was borderline as well, but this new one she's practically not wearing anything from behind. It's not suitable for this competition.

The essence of her look is banal by western standards. Where are you from bro?

 

[tabsy]

Just caught up...good event, strict scoring in the first group

Stand-out performance for me, hands down, was Amber. Loved it pleased for Loena but didn't love the program.

Favourite comment was the below

Chris explaining that you can’t do a single Axel in the short as though they’re welcomed in the long

 

[hermine17]

My darling Mone! I was so happy to see her skate with such confidence! She was scored harshly, I thought.

 

[FlossieH]

I think there may be cultural differences in how Loena's performance is being perceived, and the way it is communicating to some audience may differ from what she intended. Here, the way she was acting in that bit by the boards is what someone would do in a nightclub when they had drunk a lot of alcohol and wanted to pull someone so that they could get laid - which is purely about making the female body as desirable as possible as a sexual object for males. I realise that this may not be what she intended, but it is how it came across and I really did feel uncomfortable watching it. Someone further up the thread has described it well when they noted that the "look how sexy I am" message stood out above anything else and detracted from her skating. I want her amazing skating to be the thing that stands out in her programmes, not how sexually attractive/desirable she can make her body. As others have noted, there are wider issues here around how male and female bodies are treated and perceived in the sport. These probably need to be brought into the open more - at the moment it's a bit of a taboo subject. (And yes, some of the male V necks were a bit low yesterday - or this morning for those of us in Europe - and the same goes for one of the Canadian ice dance couples last year where the nipples were visible). It tends often to only be female bodies which get sexualised in figure skating and I do feel that this devalues women because they start to get equated with what their body looks like in a way which the male skaters don't.

 

[throw_triple_flip]

I like it when a skater has the confidence to show off right in front of the judges like Loena Hendrickx did.

 

[rain]

I think her costume is perfectly fine tho and I'm rooting for her today.

Thank goodness! I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one. I barely noticed anything about her costume — thought it wasn't that atypical.

 

[Skating91]

The essence of her look is banal by western standards. Where are you from bro?

In the west

 

[Skating91]

I think there may be cultural differences in how Loena's performance is being perceived, and the way it is communicating to some audience may differ from what she intended. Here, the way she was acting in that bit by the boards is what someone would do in a nightclub when they had drunk a lot of alcohol and wanted to pull someone so that they could get laid - which is purely about making the female body as desirable as possible as a sexual object for males. I realise that this may not be what she intended, but it is how it came across and I really did feel uncomfortable watching it. Someone further up the thread has described it well when they noted that the "look how sexy I am" message stood out above anything else and detracted from her skating. I want her amazing skating to be the thing that stands out in her programmes, not how sexually attractive/desirable she can make her body. As others have noted, there are wider issues here around how male and female bodies are treated and perceived in the sport. These probably need to be brought into the open more - at the moment it's a bit of a taboo subject. (And yes, some of the male V necks were a bit low yesterday - or this morning for those of us in Europe - and the same goes for one of the Canadian ice dance couples last year where the nipples were visible). It tends often to only be female bodies which get sexualised in figure skating and I do feel that this devalues women because they start to get equated with what their body looks like in a way which the male skaters don't.

If she wants flirt or engage with the judges it is all good, but why does it require so little clothing? Women don't need to show skin to be sensual, seductive or flirtatious. The same flirtation with the judges can be achieved with a more standard costume. The standard costumes often leave very little to the imagination with short skirts and skin tight material anyway. That is fine though because you don't want loose material interfering with the performance. The goal is not to excite or arouse. It might look flattering to some of the skaters, but that is not the overriding the goal. They want to be judged by their skating and don't attempt to detract from their skating performance.

However, this is an attempt to go out on the ice with the absolute minimal amount of material covering the body and for what? She skated a great program, why define herself as the woman who goes out on the ice wearing the least amount of clothing in history. Is that what she wants her career to be remembered for? She seems like a sweet, humble, smart young woman but might end up being remembered as the girl that wears practically nothing on the ice, I don't know hoping to go viral on Youtube.

It's her choice. I have to say, her body does look magnificent. Incredible figure, and the full body tan looks great. Lot of days in the tanning salon. Well done. She got a bunch of guys around the world like me to admire her body. If she wanted that kind of attention there are easier ways of going about it than dedicating the past 15-20 years of her life everyday to figure skating and enduring all kinds of difficulties.

However, she looks in great form she will be overwhelming favourite to win Europeans and the gold that has eluded her will be deserved.

 

[snowflake]

Thank you Amber for making women’s skating more exciting
for me to watch!

 

[moonvine]

Just checked out the replays. Amber was the best skater there.

Agree!!!

 

[moonvine]

How do you add pictures like that??

Also I wonder if Loena's URs were called with such a huge score, hers were the most obvious to me. I think her costume is perfectly fine tho and I'm rooting for her today.

You have to be a paid member to add them directly. Otherwise you can put them on IG or Twitter and link to them.

 

[Axel Rose]

I was surprised they gave Loena a UR yet didn’t for Isabeau

 

[Mathematician]

In the west

Rough, I feel for you bro. Its getting crazy over here, Isn't it? Art is becoming... something foreign which gives me a poor feeling.

 

[taikwan]

Lorena had beautiful jumps - arms overhead lengthens the body and makes those jumps cleaner and more quickly rotated. Her costume, for me who has seen college gymnasts with far more rear exposure, was not offensive but the entire interaction with the judges is in no way appropriate nor cool. I'm hoping someone comes up with a penalty for this kind of "choreo" because it is manipulative and much more offensive than a scanty costume.

 

[withwings]

If she wants flirt or engage with the judges it is all good, but why does it require so little clothing? Women don't need to show skin to be sensual, seductive or flirtatious. The same flirtation with the judges can be achieved with a more standard costume. The standard costumes often leave very little to the imagination with short skirts and skin tight material anyway. That is fine though because you don't want loose material interfering with the performance. The goal is not to excite or arouse. It might look flattering to some of the skaters, but that is not the overriding the goal. They want to be judged by their skating and don't attempt to detract from their skating performance.

However, this is an attempt to go out on the ice with the absolute minimal amount of material covering the body and for what? She skated a great program, why define herself as the woman who goes out on the ice wearing the least amount of clothing in history. Is that what she wants her career to be remembered for? She seems like a sweet, humble, smart young woman but might end up being remembered as the girl that wears practically nothing on the ice, I don't know hoping to go viral on Youtube.

It's her choice. I have to say, her body does look magnificent. Incredible figure, and the full body tan looks great. Lot of days in the tanning salon. Well done. She got a bunch of guys around the world like me to admire her body. If she wanted that kind of attention there are easier ways of going about it than dedicating the past 15-20 years of her life everyday to figure skating and enduring all kinds of difficulties.

However, she looks in great form she will be overwhelming favourite to win Europeans and the gold that has eluded her will be deserved.

Costume was just fine. It is not about costume. It is about choreography.

 

[lilimum]

Unfortunately I don*t like Loenas programs this season but this is my personal opinion and has nothing to to with the quality of her performances. And when I saw the dress from the SP I thought - wow, she is trusting in this tiny strings holding her dress ? But that*s all. Every skater should wear what he/she fels well in with no impact on the performance. Some are so self-confident to wear a dress like Loena others feel better when they wear longleg leotards (some german gymnasts started to wear leotards with log legs, because they did't feel well knowing some idiots take unpropriate photos). I personally prefer to see real skin rahter than this ugly skin-coloured fabrics and fake cutouts, at the end this type of dresses also suggest naked skin, so the "sexiness factor" is the same.

 

[viennaskater]

You actually raised a good point for a different reason. Even if a male skater would like to wear a very small swimming trunks, he cannot because the ISU rules specifically stated that "Men must wear full length trousers and must not wear tights."
Why do ISU rules allow female skaters to wear minimal dresses while mandating the men to wear trousers? Go figure.

Apparently I read that the no-tights rule for men is to prevent visible bulge. But, what's wrong with visible bulges!? Ballet dancers wear tights with bulges all the time and no one have any issues with it On the other hand judges don't mind (or want!?) to see women's legs in tights?

(also, Vladimir Litvintsev's wore ballet-esque tights for his Nutcracker free, and I definitely saw a bit of bulge. Glad he didn't get penalized for that)

This is a very interesting point about male skaters not being allowed to wear tights, but male ballet dancers do and no one cares.

I wonder if male skaters would LIKE to wear tights?

 

[lileychristie]

This is a very interesting point about male skaters not being allowed to wear tights, but male ballet dancers do and no one cares.

I wonder if male skaters would LIKE to wear tights?

Mr. Litvintsev sure would

Jokes aside, I'm sure there are one or two male skaters who would like to wear tights - especially those with ballet background.
And, once one male skater wears tights confidently and pulls it off, it will inspire more men and boys to wear it as well.

ISU should really get rid of this unnecessary dress code and make the rules the same for men and women.

 

[icewhite]

I think the real reason they are not allowed to wear tights, short pants or skirts isn't fear they will look too sexualized per se, but homophobia or fear of a certain backlash / that figure skating is not regarded as "male" enough.

 

[lilimum]

Perhaps it has something to do what nations are strong in a sport. In artistic roller skating many men are wearing tights. Some of them look like ballettt dancer e.g. https://www.instagram.com/guilleskateroficial/ (I llike his spins so much) - nobody cares