You Know You're a Figure Skating Fan When... | Page 28 | Golden Skate

You Know You're a Figure Skating Fan When...

sk8kirsty

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 24, 2019
When you are in PE at school and feel the need to practice your off-ice jumps instead of doing what you've been told to do
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
I posted in this thread a long time ago something like, "When you cry during a skater's program, and it's not even a clean program, just because their skating is so beautiful." Today, I'll add this variation:

When you know the backstory of what a skater is going through, so not only is the skating and/or music beautiful. but you cry because you are thinking about them as a person while they are skating. You are on a first-name basis when talking about skaters and know aspects of their journey, in skating and in their personal life. So, rather than saying something generic like, "I liked the skater from [insert country]," you say, "I enjoyed watching this skater for these exact reasons." Even just the fact that we can name several current skaters from various countries is more than most people can do.

I don't mean this in the sense of wanting to know every detail of a skater's life. I don't want that at all! (Side note: All the discussion of whether V&M are dating/should date always makes me uncomfortable; I figure it's none of my business). What I mean is, figure skating fans can care about skaters as people in a way that casual fans can't and don't. It's very special. This is true in most facets of life, actually. When we are casual about anything, we don't experience it in the same way as something we're not casual about.

There's the long explanation, but I'll sum it up with six words: Keegan Messing's 2019 Skate America Exhibition. See how, because we're not casual fans, no further explanation is required, because we all already know. We have a shorthand with each other that no one else understands.
 

sk8kirsty

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 24, 2019
I posted in this thread a long time ago something like, "When you cry during a skater's program, and it's not even a clean program, just because their skating is so beautiful." Today, I'll add this variation:

When you know the backstory of what a skater is going through, so not only is the skating and/or music beautiful. but you cry because you are thinking about them as a person while they are skating. You are on a first-name basis when talking about skaters and know aspects of their journey, in skating and in their personal life. So, rather than saying something generic like, "I liked the skater from [insert country]," you say, "I enjoyed watching this skater for these exact reasons." Even just the fact that we can name several current skaters from various countries is more than most people can do.

I don't mean this in the sense of wanting to know every detail of a skater's life. I don't want that at all! (Side note: All the discussion of whether V&M are dating/should date always makes me comfortable; I figure it's none of my business). What I mean is, figure skating fans can care about skaters as people in a way that casual fans can't and don't. It's very special. This is true in most facets of life, actually. When we are casual about anything, we don't experience it in the same way as something we're not casual about.

There's the long explanation, but I'll sum it up with six words: Keegan Messing's 2019 Skate America Exhibition. See how, because we're not casual fans, no further explanation is required, because we all already know. We have a shorthand with each other that no one else understands.
Awhh this comment itself almost made me cry! I totally agree, I'm a very emotional person and always cry in people's programmes even if it isn't perfect or clean, just if I know about the skater's history and life and then look at how far she has come : )) Keegan is a great example! Like whenever Aleksandra Golovkina goes away to competition, even if she doesn't skate clean or falls or messes something up, I always get emotional anyway [emoji28] because I am so proud of Alex for everything she has had to go through and kept going and fighting (and I'm not going to share anything about it in detail as it isn't really my place to say) but with training with Alika and being with her every day, no matter how well she skates at competition, she will always be a big sister to me and I am so proud of her no matter what : ))
I've finished my cringey emotional speech now [emoji23]
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
Awhh this comment itself almost made me cry! I totally agree, I'm a very emotional person and always cry in people's programmes even if it isn't perfect or clean, just if I know about the skater's history and life and then look at how far she has come : )) Keegan is a great example! Like whenever Aleksandra Golovkina goes away to competition, even if she doesn't skate clean or falls or messes something up, I always get emotional anyway [emoji28] because I am so proud of Alex for everything she has had to go through and kept going and fighting (and I'm not going to share anything about it in detail as it isn't really my place to say) but with training with Alika and being with her every day, no matter how well she skates at competition, she will always be a big sister to me and I am so proud of her no matter what : ))
I've finished my cringey emotional speech now [emoji23]
I don't think it's cringy at all! The forum would be very quiet indeed if we weren't emotionally involved! When I posted the first comment, I was thinking about how I felt about Patrick Chan's last Olympic LP, and today I've been thinking about Keegan's Ex. But, there are too many other examples to list. I could go on and on. If someone named a competition, skater, or skating situation at random, we could talk about how we felt without needing to be reminded of what happened. That's how deeply invested we can be in figure skating and the skaters.

How awesome that you train with Aleksandra Golovkina. :)
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Country
United-States
There's the long explanation, but I'll sum it up with six words: Keegan Messing's 2019 Skate America Exhibition. See how, because we're not casual fans, no further explanation is required, because we all already know. We have a shorthand with each other that no one else understands.

Yes. It was iconic. I will be watching it in a decade if NBC doesn’t keep blocking it.
 

Ichatdelune

Long live the Queen and her successors
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Country
South-Korea
When a student is undecided with picking a Pokémon pen to get as a prize and asks you to pick one for them, and you immediately pick the Squirtle one, without even thinking.

Also, when your friends start to just know you'll be unavailable for weekends after you announce the start of the GP circuit
 

icetug

Medalist
Joined
Apr 23, 2017
... you are walking down the streets covered with mist and fog and thinking: "Oh, everything looks like at JGP in Ljubljana in 2018"...
 

Amei

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
When you spend a week on vacation with no internet and the first thing you do is check the GP results once you get internet access....and later watching Skate America on your cellphone in the airport.
 

FlyingFeather

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 4, 2018
When you stalk the Instagram of skaters to see if they have had their baby yet (currently Meagan Duhamel) or to see pictures of their infant (what a cutie, Aljona!)
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Country
United-States
When it’s after midnight, you did not sleep at all last night because you were in too much pain but you are obsessed with figuring out which Regional Andrew Austin competed in and if he has minimum TES for Nationals.
 

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
When it’s after midnight, you did not sleep at all last night because you were in too much pain but you are obsessed with figuring out which Regional Andrew Austin competed in and if he has minimum TES for Nationals.

Oo, we got to meet him/talk to him in the concourse @ the end of this year's Nationals. Hope he does qualify for 2020 Nationals!
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Country
United-States
Oo, we got to meet him/talk to him in the concourse @ the end of this year's Nationals. Hope he does qualify for 2010 Nationals!

Me too! I had to finally admit defeat and go to sleep though.
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Country
United-States
When you're hungry, but can't cook anything because you might miss Ted's commentary on practice from Skate Canada. On practice. I have well and truly lost it.
 

Ravyn Rant

Totally 80s Dance Party!
Medalist
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
When your power company announces a possible planned shut-off to reduce wildfire risk and the first thing that comes to mind is, "I'm going to miss the free skates at Skate Canada!"
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
When you were less enthralled with the previous skating season, and just plain busy with other things, so you *gasp* didn't know when Skate America was, but your DVR remembered to record all figure skating events. Once you knew SA was happening, you came to GS and started reading the "Thoughts and Highlights" thread, and you got so excited! You then watched what was on your DVR. You got through the programs you were not enjoying by having strong hope that other programs would wow you. It happened with Keegan, Jason, Wakaba's SP, Kaori's SP and LP, Bradie's SP, and Karen's layback, so now you suddenly have the desire to start posting on GS again! True story! :biggrin:

Don't we all get through a long competition by hoping for those "wow" moments? I remember watching all the skaters in Pyeongchang and realizing again why the last two groups are the last two groups. Non-fans or casual fans watch maybe the whole last group, but we don't mind watching everyone, even though we might cringe at times during those early groups.
 
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