Skaters' Least Favorite Elements -- article by Sarah & Drew

[aftershocks]

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120626&content_id=33953484&vkey=ice_news

An interesting article up on Ice Network today that I didn't see posted here yet.

Makes me dislike IJS even more to hear several skaters (including Jeremy Abbott) say they now hate spins, but used to love them.

Per Jeremy: I used to love [spinning], but not the way the rules continue to change ... It's now to the point this season where the ISU has taken away so many spin variations that Adam Rippon and I have exactly identical spins.

:confused: Why ISU? Why??? Meddling with skaters' fp elements really makes it more difficult to craft creative balanced programs. Such a shame the sport seems to be run by morons, or clueless kitchen helpers. Too many cooks in the kitchen makes for a disastrous dinner and yucky dessert that can't be distinguished as either pie or cake -- just some middling version of both.

Of course Jeremy's and Dai's programs last season were the two best choreographed among the men. But their programs (and those of other skaters) may even have been that much better had the skaters and their choreographers been allowed to have more freedom with their elements.

From the article, I think Alex Johnson makes a good point in suggesting that skaters be allowed to make at least one of their spins "a choreographed spin" with no restrictive requirements.

[Sylvia]

Actually the article is by Sarah Brannen alone. ;)


"Well, my least favorite pairs element would absolutely be the death spiral, or as we like to refer to it, 'The spiral of DEATH,' " Gretchen Donlan said.
...
"I'm going to go with the time between Gretchen landing a throw and having to catch up to her for the next element in the program!" he [Andrew Speroff] said. "It kills me, but I think Gretchen enjoys the chase a little too much."
:lol:

[LilJen]

Jeremy and Adam need to do a pairs program with SBS spins! :lol:

Andrew Speroff's response:

"I'm going to go with the time between Gretchen landing a throw and having to catch up to her for the next element in the program!" he said. "It kills me, but I think Gretchen enjoys the chase a little too much."
Love it.

[Wyliefan]

Yeah, that was cute. :) Good piece.

[aftershocks]

Actually the article is by Sarah Brannen alone. ;)
...

Thanks Sylvia. I didn't notice that. I thought Sarah & Drew went together like ... pie and cake. ;) Maybe Drew's on vacation or auditioning for a new pairs partner?

Donlan and Speroff are too cute, and so enjoyable to watch. I must go and check out their Nationals fp once again :encore: Now I'll be viewing with unique insight when they perform throws and the dreaded "spiral of Death."

[misskarne]

I agree with Jeremy. A lot of the spins are now being done the same by different skaters. And the number of catch-foot variations the men are doing now to get levels is getting out of control. It's all right for flexible beasts like Jason, who I swear is made of rubber, but looking at some of the positions other skaters hit, you have to wonder how much damage is being done to their backs.

There are two things the ISU ruined bigtime with the IJS - spins, and footwork.


As for you Jason, you can dislike the 3S all you want. As long as you keep doing it out of that back hop-jump thing, I will love it! :lol:

(Although it's always good to hear that even the top guys dislike the sal as much as I do! :lol:)

[Marco]

The overall impact of Abbott's programs is certainly ruined by that thing he called a flying upright spin :scream:

[aftershocks]

^^ In the article, Jeremy spoke about having to do a broken leg sit spin in his flying sit. He didn't mention anything about a "flying upright." He did have a standing spin this past season with his arms over his head (don't recall the official name), but he seemed to have trouble with maintaining speed and centering on it. I wondered why he kept this particular spin (which didn't seem to suit him) in his program. Now I know -- IJS rules re spin variations, and the need for points-gathering.

[Skittl1321]

I feel much more validated in my hatred of the loop now that I know that an elite skater will admit to hating them so much that he even hates singles.