I have thought to start about this topic already for a long time. Yesterday I found and watched a video clip about Dr Virtanen in which he told about his career. It is in Finnish and probably geoblocked, because it is on national TV's website, so I don't add a link.
Finland is ice hockey country, as many of you know. FS is an expensive hobby, so that's rules out some people who would otherwise be interested. But those who could afford, how would they became more interested in Figure skating? Valtter told in that clip that when ice hockey juniors have been watching him skating, they have started to applause every time he had fallen. He has not been bullied very much at school, but ice hockey juniors have been worst. Ironic, but he was asked to be a team doctor for the Ice hockey team, JYP, the team in Jyväskylä, where he works now and after thinking he had said yes - he has also other places where he drives around and works as doctor. He told that he has no problem with that JYP team, he just tells he is now going to FS competition and it is ok for the team members.
Finland has had "pojat jäällä" which means "boys on ice" tour, where retired male skaters promote FS in different towns in Finland. Some results can be seen, because net weekend's nationals both juniors and seniors men have more participants than in years, if there will be no many WDs.
My point is, how could men's - also pairs and dance - FS get more valuation, the valuation it deserves, in small federations? Bulling maybe one thing boys dare not to start it, even if they were interested and can afford it. In Finland, where are about 300 Ice rinks and even many small communities have a rink of their own, during winter time there are hundreds of outdoor rinks. But parents want their sons to be next Teemu Selänne or Patrik Laine and put the boys more rather to an ice hockey team than to a figure skating team.
Finland is ice hockey country, as many of you know. FS is an expensive hobby, so that's rules out some people who would otherwise be interested. But those who could afford, how would they became more interested in Figure skating? Valtter told in that clip that when ice hockey juniors have been watching him skating, they have started to applause every time he had fallen. He has not been bullied very much at school, but ice hockey juniors have been worst. Ironic, but he was asked to be a team doctor for the Ice hockey team, JYP, the team in Jyväskylä, where he works now and after thinking he had said yes - he has also other places where he drives around and works as doctor. He told that he has no problem with that JYP team, he just tells he is now going to FS competition and it is ok for the team members.
Finland has had "pojat jäällä" which means "boys on ice" tour, where retired male skaters promote FS in different towns in Finland. Some results can be seen, because net weekend's nationals both juniors and seniors men have more participants than in years, if there will be no many WDs.
My point is, how could men's - also pairs and dance - FS get more valuation, the valuation it deserves, in small federations? Bulling maybe one thing boys dare not to start it, even if they were interested and can afford it. In Finland, where are about 300 Ice rinks and even many small communities have a rink of their own, during winter time there are hundreds of outdoor rinks. But parents want their sons to be next Teemu Selänne or Patrik Laine and put the boys more rather to an ice hockey team than to a figure skating team.