International Fans

[roundboypete]

(/ woop shoobi / doowop, / woop shoobi / doowop)...

I want a sip of that wine!

 

[Tonichelle]

I'd like to see someone skate to John Lennon's Imagine. Has anyone skated to it? That would be cool...John's Imagine seems relevant to this thread.

several times over... it's almost overused anymore...

Jenny Kirk, Katt Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Johnny Weir... those are the first names I can come up with...

 

[Metapour]

several times over... it's almost overused anymore...

Jenny Kirk, Katt Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Johnny Weir... those are the first names I can come up with...

Thanks. I have ignored figure skating for a long time, more than a decade. I have no clue on who's who and who did what. Witt and Yamaguchi are the ones I could remember, and I have no clue on the other ones.

 

[dollee]

Jenny Kirk, Katt Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Johnny Weir... those are the first names I can come up with...

I like John Lennon's 'Imagine', 'woman', 'love'. I'll find out some vedeos you mentioned. Thank you.

 

[iluvtodd]

Jenny Kirk, Katt Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Johnny Weir... those are the first names I can come up with...

Just for the record, Todd skated to it too, back in the early 1990's (Tour of World & Olympic Champions, now known as COI).

 

[rain]

I actually enjoy some of the nationalistic aspects of skating — it gives one a team to cheer for, so to speak. And I'm Canadian.

That doesn't however, mean that I don't like and talk (sometimes extensively) about skaters from other countries that are my favs. In some disciplines, like ladies, where Canada hasn't had a medalist since Liz Manley in the eighties, obviously I'm cheering for somebody else, of some other nationality to win.

As for fans not appreciating skaters from other countries, I just remember the the tidal wave of Japanese fans who rushed down the isles to the ice with hundreds of bouquets for Yagudin when he won his world title there after his Olympic gold. I've never seen such a crazy rush for the ice.

I think it's perfectly natural that not everybody knows about every junior and low-ranked senior skater from every nation. The Americans just happen to be at the top of the junior heap in ladies right now, so they're getting the attention. Before that it was Yu-Na Kim and Mao Asada. Before them it was Miki Ando and her quad.

As for skaters themselves being forced to be nationalistic? I don't buy it. I've heard tons of interviews with skaters where they've said they greatly admired both fellow competitors and skaters of the past from other nations.

As for Lysacek not having a reasonable chance for a world medal..... yeah, actually he did have a pretty reasonable chance. He was the bronze medalist for the last two years and had upped the ante technically. Nobody knew what Lambiel was going to look like. Joubert, Takahashi and Oda were other favorites, but it was pretty wide open.

 

[cygnus]

Full coverage of Figure Skating does not exist on any network. Golf, of coure, will get full coverage and then some in overtime.

Joe

Ah Joe. You must move up to Canada and subscribe to CBC Country Canada. We got FULL coverage of last year's worlds (Including the zamboni breaks!) live -which meant 4 in the morning in some cases. Commentary was adequate, if dull, but we saw every skater in every discipline (except maybe the Qualis and CDs?) Then CBC had evening coverage as usual of the final flights, with better commentary.

Eurosport isn't bad, but it only covers Euros and Worlds, I believe. But they do show most of the skaters, at least.

I don't know if CBCCC will do it again next year, but then I will be at worlds live in Sweden, so it doesn't matter to me. But I hope it continues.

 

[gio]

Eurosport isn't bad, but it only covers Euros and Worlds, I believe. But they do show most of the skaters, at least.

This season they showed also 4Cs and Oberstdorf gala, but no GP!

 

[Metapour]

Looks like people are hard pressed to find a TV channel to watch figure skating. If that is the case, it does not bode well for the future of the sport. I will tell you I am the few who recently came back for the sport after a long hiatus, and I hope many more follow, but I don't bet on it. Is figure skating becoming a dying breed or what?

 

[gio]

Is figure skating becoming a dying breed or what?

It depends on the place! In some places FS is declining in others ascending!

 

[Wrlmy]

Then again, it all goes back to discussion of nationalism. FS is blooming in Asia because a string of great skaters came to the scene only a few years ago. OTH, FS looks like it's declining in the US since Kwan and Cohen stopped competing. The only thing is that we don't have "the star" right now. I'm pretty sure Joubert, Daisuke, Mao, Yu-na, and Carolina, and etc. enjoy star status in their own nations though.

 

[calica]

Partly yes and partly not.
It is true that in Asia grows because now they have strong skaters but also because the televisions are interesed in those same skaters.
This is not only that they are nationalistic is that probably now they have opportunity to see skating of continued form.
In my country something similar happened with the driving, before nobody saw it because there did no exist tv that were broadcasting it. A spanish won and the television was interested for this sport. Now it is very popular and though the people continue supporting the spanish, also they like it others
In the skating it is easier than you please several skaters because there are diverse styles, but if they do not broadcast it you cannot enjoy any.

 

[hockeyfan228]

]Since TV is driven by the sponsors who are driven by the ratings, I believe that the media has done market research to justify their programming of figure skating. Unfortunately for the serious fans of the Sport, we get the barest minimum of coverage except for Senior Ladies, and a sprinkling of other divisions particularly if an American might win. International events are hard to come by if they are not held in the US. I don't see any change in this attitude in the near future, and forget about Junior Championships.

I left the issue on the plane earlier today, but I was reading the latest Soap Opera Digest, and a popular actor with a prominent story line on one of the soaps said that the demographics for soap operas are women, and that's why women are at the center of the story lines, and that it's not about the men.

I think that's pretty true, with the exception during the adventure story-lines, like with Stefano de Mera on Days of Our Lives, or the extremely silly "Cassadines Try to Freeze the World" storyline on General Hospital from the early 80's. But even then, there's always an obsession with a female character, and/or domestication after the world is saved.

Seems to work the same way with US figure skating demographics.

 

[Mathman]

Seems to work the same way with US figure skating demographics.

I really don't see how it could be otherwise, as long as there is a "second mark." As much as I hate to be sexist, men looking pretty does not follow the same entertainment tradition as ladies looking pretty.

Actually, though, it doesn't really offend me that figure skating, at least in the U.S., is regarded as a "womens' sport, but they let men do it, too." There are certainly dozens of sports that are the other way around.

One thing that is strange about the U.S. is that it is the only country in the world where soccer is a "women's sport." Everywhere else, male soccer stars are though of as hunky athletes (despite all the flopping and whining for penalties).

In the U.S., the big stars are Mia Hamm, Brandy "Sports Bra" Chastain, Julie Foudy and that bunch, while at the grass root level, it's suburban soccer moms driving their daughters to practice in their minivans.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I think if Mens, Pairs, and Dance, got more solid publicity it may bring them up to at least the level of the Ladies in interest foreveryone. All these years, and only in america did the public only accept Sonia Henie.

At present, it's not just a 'little girls' sport, it is also a 'girlie sport' which eliminates any red blooded American men to care about who wins except family of the skaters. American men are very much image conscious. Maybe a ban on sequines and rhinestones would help. Costumes really do nothing for me and the judges. I want combo quads!

Apparently in other cultures, that doesn't exist and we find a lot enthusiasm for the sport in all its disciplines. It could be less expensive if I went to a Canadian Hotel for a week of Worlds and watched it on TV and who cares what hour of the morning..

Joe

 

[gio]

One thing that is strange about the U.S. is that it is the only country in the world where soccer is a "women's sport." Everywhere else, male soccer stars are though of as hunky athletes (despite all the flopping and whining for penalties).

In the U.S., the big stars are Mia Hamm, Brandy "Sports Bra" Chastain, Julie Foudy and that bunch, while at the grass root level, it's suburban soccer moms driving their daughters to practice in their minivans.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

It's incredible how different people are! Here in Europe soccer is a "super macho" sport, meanwhile in the US it is a "girlie" sport!

This confirms that calling a sport "manly" or "womanly" it just hasn't any sense, because it depends on how the cultures perceive it!

 

[cygnus]

Apparently in other cultures, that doesn't exist and we find a lot enthusiasm for the sport in all its disciplines. It could be less expensive if I went to a Canadian Hotel for a week of Worlds and watched it on TV and who cares what hour of the morning..

Joe

Does that mean you aren't coming to Sweden this year?

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Does that mean you aren't coming to Sweden this year?

Of course not. I'll be in Gothenberg regardless what the press says, regardless if the second mark exists only for women, regardless if the Men look pretty, regardless if their are cheating judges, regardless if interest in figure skating is declining, regardless if couples divorce, regardless that I will not be rooting for just Americans,

I like Figure Skating Competitions. I just don't sit back on the sofa and watch. I go to see it LIVE.

Hope to see you there Joan or in Quebec.

Joe

 

[Mathman]

^ All figure skating need is a million more fans like you, Joe. They wouldn't have to worry about telvision ratings or anything else. :agree:

 

[BravesSkateFan]

I think a lot of the so-called "nationalism" in the US comes from TV coverage. In the US we get American skaters, and then a few top skaters from other countries. I know in a lot of European Countries entire competitions are aired. T]This gives fans exposure to more skaters. If all I see is American skaters and a handful of non-americans I'm going to be more likely to be a fan of the American skaters.
So I don't think its so much Nationalism as it is lack of exposure

I always found Canadians to be the most nationalistic when it comes to figure skating (But IMO Nationalism isn't a bad thing)