Most controversial programs | Golden Skate

Most controversial programs

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Truly one of the most controversial ice dance programs ever skated has to be this:


Duchesnay & Duchesnay (FRA) - 1988 Calgary, Ice Dancing, Free Dance

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

I remember it well. This was of course a Christopher Dean program - who else? It was brilliantly skated by the Duchesnays. Unfortunately it didn't go over well with the judges, the crowd yes. Perhaps it was too far ahead of its time. I wonder how it would be judged today. I loved the Durchesnays - they were Canadian but represented France because they felt overlooked in Canada. Probably wouldn't be the case now.
 

cruzceleste

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Wow I have never seen that program before, really intense and it made me nervous.
I’m not sure I like it and now it would probably be controversial for other reason.
 

lesnar001

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
I liked this program very much. I could see that it probably would have been very controversial back in 1988.

I didn't really follow ice dance back then, but I distinctly remember the Duchesnays at the 1992 Olympics and was quite impressed by them.
I believe that they skated to West Side Story? Was Isabelle Duchesnay married to Christopher Dean at that time?
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I liked this program very much. I could see that it probably would have been very controversial back in 1988.

I didn't really follow ice dance back then, but I distinctly remember the Duchesnays at the 1992 Olympics and was quite impressed by them.
I believe that they skated to West Side Story? Was Isabelle Duchesnay married to Christopher Dean at that time?

Ironically another great French ice dance team where one skater was significantly lacking or not as skilled as theother. But they were original;still they were up against Klimova and Ponamarenko who were amazing and the most beautiful program in Albertville. In 1988 many put down Bestmianova and Bukin but they still deserved the gold despitesome criticism that they were overly dramaatic and theatrical. Some people actually felt they were robbed that bolero was over rated and did nothave enough contrast andat times boring but their Carmen was the real winner of the battleof the Carmens (Debi Thomas versus Katarina Witt). Katrina Witt was a viginal waif next to Bestmianova's Carmen which was so vivacious and layered with complexity.
 

lyverbird1

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Dominina and Shabalin's horrible original dance for the 2009/2010 season stands out as controversial for me. Racist and offensive on every level from costumes to representation of Australian Aboriginal culture. Ugh.
 

anonymoose_au

Insert weird opinion here
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Australia
Dominina and Shabalin's horrible original dance for the 2009/2010 season stands out as controversial for me. Racist and offensive on every level from costumes to representation of Australian Aboriginal culture. Ugh.

Oh lawd yes, 8 years later and I still can't believe they did that. Did no judge say to them "That's seriously offensive...like 'cause an international incident' offensive. Please change it." And if they did and D/S didn't listen then why?!!

Moving on, I would say T/M's Candyman, admittedly I haven't followed skating closely for that long, but apart from the above I've never seen a program torn apart like that one! Of course I'm in the minority of actually enjoying the program and so am thoroughly taken aback by the visceral hate it seems to generate! Yikes!
 

Baron Vladimir

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2014
About ladies - I would say Zagitova programme is the most controversal programme of the year, cause its structure and comments it provokes. Syria Bonaly 1998 olympic programme cause back flip she included in. Katarina Witt 1994 Olympic short programme portraying man character could be consider as controversal. Laurine L. programme portraying Marilyn Monroe some found very controversal too, as Medvedeva 9/11 programme and Nicole Schott skating to Schindlers list. From juniors - Tarakanova programme about escaping from mental asylum .
 

anonymoose_au

Insert weird opinion here
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Australia
laetitia hubert 98-99 lp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yo665S1Olk

it had great choreo, though, and if anybody skated like this today, they should really rake in those IN, PE, CH, TR scores... also kudos for not opting for a war horse.

That was bizarre! Apparently she was portraying a drug addict? But you're right, lots of transitions for a late 90s program! The GBR judge really got into the Presentation, :laugh: the Hungarian judge didn't think much of Laetitia's technical ability though!
 

ragdoll

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 27, 2010
And what about this one? African dance by Krylova and Ovsiannikov:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLwSDFgBm0U

I loved this. I was lucky enough to see it live at Worlds in 1999 and it was fabulous. I think most people wanted Anissina/Peizerat to win the gold with their "Man in the iron mask" free dance - at least juding by the reactions of the audience - but I thought Krylova/Ovsiannikov were great. Then again, I often like the controversial.
 

libecha

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 4, 2018
Oh lawd yes, 8 years later and I still can't believe they did that. Did no judge say to them "That's seriously offensive...like 'cause an international incident' offensive. Please change it." And if they did and D/S didn't listen then why?!!

Moving on, I would say T/M's Candyman, admittedly I haven't followed skating closely for that long, but apart from the above I've never seen a program torn apart like that one! Of course I'm in the minority of actually enjoying the program and so am thoroughly taken aback by the visceral hate it seems to generate! Yikes!

The entire problem is the music. There is nothing wrong with the elements themselves or most of the choreography and if it were set to different music nobody would bat an eye. But the lyrics are trashy and vulgar, particularly when you have just watched the cameraman pan over all the primary school aged children in the audience during the warmup and imagine them asking their parents what “hot bothered and wet” or “panties drop” or “voulez vous coucher” mean. There’s nothing wrong with a romantic program with innuendo, but this music is a better fit for a brothel and there is nothing romantic or subtle about a brothel. Instead of romance, you feel cheap and dirty and classless because it is so in your face. And they are such a talented pair, so it’s infuriating because you know they don’t need to present themselves this way to be effective.
 

Spirals for Miles

Anna Shcherbakova is my World Champion
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2017
Alexandra Trusova, but I thought that one was well done :) of course one has one's own opinions :)
 

Lota

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
I hate to bring this program up because I like Domnina/Shabalin as a team but... what in the world were they thinking? :palmf: :hopelessness: His injury may have ruined their chance at a long victorious career, but this program ruined their legacy (I mean, that's what most people remember them for - some don't know anything about them outside of this little gem of a number).
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
I loved this. I was lucky enough to see it live at Worlds in 1999 and it was fabulous. I think most people wanted Anissina/Peizerat to win the gold with their "Man in the iron mask" free dance - at least juding by the reactions of the audience - but I thought Krylova/Ovsiannikov were great. Then again, I often like the controversial.

I love love loved it too.
 
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