How do we make skating popular again?

[DickButtonFan]

Does the sport need another Michelle Kwan? Another rivalry Kwan vs. Lipinski? Drama like the Nancy Tonya scandal or a change in the scoring system?

[caseyedwards]

It just needs a great American lady skater. Someone who not only wins the nationial title but also a world title. Not this recent scenario of girls winning the national title and then bombing at worlds while another skater does a lot better than them overall.

[Jenna]

It just needs a great American lady skater. Someone who not only wins the nationial title but also a world title. Not this recent scenario of girls winning the national title and then bombing at worlds while another skater does a lot better than them overall.

I agree. I'm not sure if Mirai is "the one" yet, but I think she might be getting there. Lots of personality that can engage TV viewers is one of her greatest assets.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Sex tape.

[igniculus]

Define "we". Skating is HUGE in some countries. Or are you only speaking about the US?

[bardtoob]

We need to eliminate all those other media options.

[DickButtonFan]

Define "we". Skating is HUGE in some countries. Or are you only speaking about the US?

I guess I mean the USA but this can also apply to any country where skating has died out.

[iarispiralllyof]

we need a new michelle kwan. a star the public can embrace. a scandal wouldn't hurt. in addition to trying to increase the presence of figure skating on tv, also consider the other outlets people now go to for entertainment.

besides that, figure skating officials in general need to move forward. the small legion of devoted skating fans have created communities online and uploaded endless youtube videos, helping to expose many classic (and current) programs to the masses that would've otherwise been forgotten. despite the many forums that do exist and skaters' official websites, skating unions' official sites, so on so forth, in general I feel like fs is still very behind in this department.

as civil rights progresses and public opinion sways (the general public in the days of rudy galindo is very different from today's general public) figure skating's officials seem to be going backwards rather than forwards, alienating existing fans as well as not tapping into an extensive potential fan-base of urban young men and women.

all this and more

[DickButtonFan]

Sex tape.

Lol like this idea. The right person needs to do it tho, is there a Kim k in skating?... Haha

[iarispiralllyof]

tanith belbin has the looks

an evan/johnny sex tape would make my brain implode

[Simone411]

It already looks pretty popular to me if figure skating in all countries is included. At least it looks popular according to the membership view count at the bottom of our FSU board.

[MikiAndoFan#1]

Sex tape.

[Screenie]

fewer rules so that it can be interesting again. (many, many fewer rules....)

[Ozzisk8tr]

Make the short dance have to be performed nude, ladies long now has to have a straight line pom pom segment, Pairs skating can incorporate the use of a pole or a table. Would these work?

[DickButtonFan]

Make the short dance have to be performed nude, ladies long now has to have a straight line pom pom segment, Pairs skating can incorporate the use of a pole or a table. Would these work?

Can't believe no one else thought of it til now really.

[DBZ]

an evan/johnny sex tape would make my brain implode

Oh god. Now that would just about do it, I think. It might not last, but it would definitely put skating back in the headlines. Incidentally, in a weird way it would explain a lot about their longstanding animosity for each other. Love scorned anyone?

[Kwantumleap]

How do we make skating popular again?

Get a compelling competition going on. Some faces and personalities that stand out would also help.

[attyfan]

Does the sport need another Michelle Kwan? Another rivalry Kwan vs. Lipinski? Drama like the Nancy Tonya scandal or a change in the scoring system?

All of the above -- but I think something dramatic needs to be done to restore some confidence in the judges. A change in the system won't work because people think that the judges are corrupt -- with corrupt judges, any system won't wok. Maybe, a "whack-a-judge" contest when judges are found to be unfair?

[falling_dance]

Weir/Lysacek vs. McElroy/Michaels in Blades of Glory II.

[neptune]

How do we make skating popular again? Simple. At the conclusion of every ISU event, feature mud wrestling by Nancy and Tonya. Trust me--ratings will go through the roof.