2013 4CC's Mens FS | Page 19 | Golden Skate

2013 4CC's Mens FS

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Every once in a while the question comes up as to what constitutes manly skating versus girly skating.

Figures = macho skating. Man imposing his will on nature, carving his initials into the virgin ice.

Free skating = girly skating. Displaying your body to secure the favor of the rich and powerful audience.

(I read that in Culture on Ice by Ellen Kestnbaum, my favorite figure skating book.)

That's an odd but interesting take. Initials that are pretty much the same as every other man? I would hardly consider figures as "macho skating" or free skating as "girly skating". If we're using gender norms, if anything it's figures that require delicacy and restraint and attention to detail (which women tend to be more associated with) and free skating requires strength, endurance, showcasing difficulty, and power (which men tend to be more associated with).

As far as examples of skaters who could do quads but lack edge quality, go down the list of skaters who completed quads at last year's Worlds and you'll be sure to see some who have landed quads but lack refinement in their edges and skating skills. Past quad jumpers who immediately come to mind are Chengjiang Li, Tim Goebel and maybe Elvis Stojko. As far as what I said earlier, I was saying technique is not the main variable holding back skaters from trying higher quads, but physics probably is. I wasn't saying that you don't need technique to do quads, since obviously it's the opposite.
 
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