- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
Then why get rid of figures? Why all the bother about music and expressiveness? Why do people carry on about posture and airplane arms? I see your point, but maybe it's a bit overstated?
"Correct" in skating is usually defined primarily by what the blades are doing on the ice. If you want to look at the basics of skating, you need to look below the skater's foot.
What the body does to get the blades to achieve the desired edges, etc., may have a preferred form, but part of what puts the "free" in free skating is the fact that so many variations are possible.
Some moves (e.g., spin and spiral positions) may have minimum requirements for body position to meet the definition. The best skaters performers of any given move will go well beyond the minimum. The worst will fail to achieve even that and won't get credit for the element at all, or will get negative GOE.
Even with spins and spirals, it's possible to have excellent "form" or body line and still deserve negative GOE or no credit because of what the blade was (or wasn't) doing on the ice.
Or vice versa.
Then why get rid of figures? Why all the bother about music and expressiveness? Why do people carry on about posture and airplane arms? I see your point, but maybe it's a bit overstated?
This is a little off the main point, but one thing to consider is whether a skater will be in demand for shows, exhibitions, and tours, either during or after her competitive career is over. In that case, pleasing the audience becomes the whole objective.I agree with your points. My mom with no experience or particular interest in FS still comments on whose spirals are most beautiful (her vote goes to mao asada). My dad with even less interest in any dances also comments that there is something strange about Yukari's jumps and he is kind of puzzled whenever he sees her skate.
I agree with your points. My mom with no experience or particular interest in FS still comments on whose spirals are most beautiful (her vote goes to mao asada). My dad with even less interest in any dances also comments that there is something strange about Yukari's jumps and he is kind of puzzled whenever he sees her skate.
This is so true. The camera always follows the skater and can give the appearance of fast, medium, and slow. When one is in the Arena, one actually sees the speed utilized. I never realized how fast Yuka Sato was until I saw her LIVE.This may be a bit off topic but TV usually emphasize ony the position because cameras follow the skater. It is hard to feel the speed of spirals on TV which I think could have more (or equally good) visual impact if seen live. Non-experts may not recognize the edge, though.
Zhang does have a high toe-off kick but then so did Sarah Hughese and she won the Olympics,
I only skated as a low level skater when I was younger and no expert at all., So let me only talk about (2) What you want to see.
Wrap. To me, Yukari's wrapped triples tend to look as if it were one revolution less. It's not like other skaters' jumps looking short of 1/4 or 1/2 less. I also know that Yukari DO often underrotate. But even when she fully rotates, it just gives me an impression as if it were one revolution less. Perhaps this is because I am no expert.
Yet I still feel sure that all of my ex-coaches would say that it would be a wrong technique to do. Lots of commentators, ama skaters, and fans complain about the wrap. I do not quite understand why it is not considered "wrong" by definition.
High kick. this is again perhaps because of me not being an expert, but Zhang's high kick and strongly twisted preparation give me an impression as if her jumps prerotated more than other skaters. Even if not, her high kick gives me an impression that that technique is bad because that is a very different technique from what my coaches would say. I understand that it may not necessarily "wrong" by definition. Yet, it gives me an impression that it is a "bad/weak" technique.
Attitude. I think the attitude position beautiful and all of my coaches told me that it was the right position. Besides, it was not difficult for me to do at all. I just wonder, is it difficult if you are not flexible?
In any case, so many top skaters do not do that position. I do not think that they cannot do. But perhaps their coaches did not tell them that they should. So I thought that some coaches might consider it fine not to have the attitude position and that it might be a matter of preference or something. Unlike the high kick and wrap, it does not necessarily give me an impression that it is a "wrong" technique. But it does look an inferior position to me because my coaches were against it.
Let me add bad posture and a lack of stretch, leg turn-out, and toe point (esp. in spirals).
I understand that by definition it is not "wrong" not to have them. Yet, it bothers me really a lot perhaps not only because my skating coaches were picky about these, but also because I practice ballet where these are considered to be very "wrong." When I go and see performing arts, any dancer has good postures. It feels to me kind of bizarre that skaters can pass as elite skaters without these.
While that is true enough i think there is a world of difference between Hughes's high kick pick in technique which was just that and Zhang's technique which is practically a spiral position before the pick in - the right hip completely closed - boot a quarter turn in and simultaneously out to the side, and the heavily counter rotated body position. Hughes's jumps may have kicked high to pick in but Zhang's jumps are truly ugly and only highlight the poor technique throughout the jumps.
Ant
Great website, L.A.D. It must be written by someone so knowledgeable about FS.Joe:
Here is a link that will show Scott Hamilton executing a textbook Lutz. Notice his takeoff - his opposite skating knee is well bent allowing his toe pick to "vault" him high in the air but not exagerated in the "high kick toe takeoff" as you describe.
http://oasis.dit.upm.es/~jantonio/personal/patinaje/index.htm
Click on Jump/Lutz - Scott Hamilton
I hope this helps.