The Worst People I've Sat Near at a Skating Competition.

[Moka-Ananas]

I've seen/heard quite a lot. I'm still disturbed by the drunk woman (LA 2009) who had Ingo Steur cornered at the hotel bar - telling him what's what.

Details, please!

[smurfy]

Glad to know I am not alone. I luv skating, have met many, many nice folks at events, but a few scary ones...

Skate America (Atlantic City - Sat by 2 ladies that had a US flag blanket over their legs. During competition, I realized they were not watching the ice, but were watching what was on tv up above the center rink - and when our area was on camera, they raised their flag blanket. I think they were more interested in getting on tv, than watching the skating. Also they annoyed me by bashing skaters/mention skaters weight. Fortunately, I was able to move 2 row back and met a delightful group of ladies that I have seen at subsequent events.

What is with overweight fans and their bashing of skaters weight?? I have encountered several over the years (and I am overweight too), but I HATE when folks go on about a skaters weight, when the speaker probably weights 2 or 3 times the skater and probably can not even skate forward. Any of the skaters that someone may perceive as overweight, when I have seen them up close in street cloths, they are so tiny!!!! just my rant.

[Rhianna]

Worse person I've ever sat next to? Theatregirl, hands down. She sucks.

[Theatregirl1122]

Last year at SA, Rhianna and I sat behind this crazy old lady and what appeared to be her daughter & grand-daughters. During programs, Rhianna and I would occasionally whisper to each other. Usually quick comments. So Emily Hughes skated first and I whispered to Rhianna that I thought one of her jumps looked under rotated. The old lady in front of me turned around and shushed me. Then Tugba skated next. She and her granddaughters chattered in normal speaking voices through Tugba's entire program. Then Alexe skated and botched her first two jumping passes and one of the two of us whispered something about it and the lady turned around and shushed me again. Not sure exactly what I said to her but I think it was something like "Take it down a notch, lady. You guys talked through the entire last skater!"

Apparently one must be silent as a church mouse during the Americans but when the other girls skate, it is conversation time.

[personwhoishere]

I'm so sorry for all of your horrendous experiences, but I'm thoroughly enjoying reading about them in this thread.

[Rhianna]

Not sure exactly what I said to her but I think it was something like "Take it down a notch, lady. You guys talked through the entire last skater!"

I can hear you saying exactly that in my head so I think that's what you said.

She was ridiculous, god forbid we make a brief, whispered comment that was along the lines of "poor Alexe".

[Allen]

. Not sure exactly what I said to her but I think it was something like "Take it down a notch, lady. You guys talked through the entire last skater!"

Apparently one must be silent as a church mouse during the Americans but when the other girls skate, it is conversation time.

Wow. I wish I had seen you tell her to take it down a notch, though. Oliver and I were reprimanded for speaking French to each other at Nationals. The man in front of us told us that if we wanted to speak French we should be at French nationals...to which Oliver replied, "I wish Asshole Nationals existed so I could tell you to go there ." He didn't bother us again when we spoke in French

[taf2002]

Wow. I wish I had seen you tell her to take it down a notch, though. Oliver and I were reprimanded for speaking French to each other at Nationals. The man in front of us told us that if we wanted to speak French we should be at French nationals...to which Oliver replied, "I wish Asshole Nationals existed so I could tell you to go there ." He didn't bother us again when we spoke in French

Yea Oliver!

[hirshey girl]

Wow. I wish I had seen you tell her to take it down a notch, though. Oliver and I were reprimanded for speaking French to each other at Nationals. The man in front of us told us that if we wanted to speak French we should be at French nationals...to which Oliver replied, "I wish Asshole Nationals existed so I could tell you to go there ." He didn't bother us again when we spoke in French

That was just priceless! Wish I could've seen his face.

[Debbie S]

Are they the ones that come to Liberty too, three of them?

I think only 2 of them come to Liberty, at least the past couple of years when I happened to be sitting near them. This past year, they left right after Senior Men.

My friend and I got yelled at for talking during a skating show, but we weren't actually talking during any skaters' programs. It was the very first year of that 9-11 families charity show - the one Johnny Weir's agent organizes - this was at MSG (I think all the others since have been on Long Island or CT). Anyway, during some of the non-skating 'entertainment', like some of the goofy intros the celebrity kids did, or the skating race between officers from the NYPD/NYFD/Port Authority (friend's husband is a transportation planner and at the time was trying to get a job at the Port Authority, so my friend had to root for them, lol) or during the cute kids' skating number, my friend and I said a few words to each other. And during intermission, we chatted. My friend has a hearing impairment in 1 ear and the background radio music they played during intermission didn't help, so I had to talk a bit louder than I normally would. The woman in front of us turned around and told us we were so loud and talked the whole time - uh, huh. My friend tried to explain about her hearing and the woman kept bitching. Luckily, our row had a bunch of empty seats so we just moved down for the second half. Problem solved.

I don't want to call out any posters here either , so I'll mention the people we sat near in St. Louis. We ended up way up (we asked around and it turned out all the people near us bought seats that Nov and Dec - we'd bought the previous Jan - WTF?) and around people who didn't know much about skating. They seemed to like it, but one guy kept referring to the skaters' costumes as "uniforms" and these 2 women referred to Rohene Ward as "ponytail boy" - not in a disparaging way, but it was still kind of annoying. Seated directly next to me and my mom were 2 sisters. One was from St. Louis and 1 lived somewhere else and had gotten the tix b/c her sister was a fan - sister from elsewhere knew nothing about skating, cheered loud woo-woo's for everything, included doubled and singled jumps, and concluded the scorebook was for writing down descriptions of the skaters' costumes. We learned she was a contestant on the about-to-be-aired Survivor - she was the 2nd person voted off, not surprising, lol.

[neptune]

Michael Weiss' family who pour a soda on me when I was cheering for other male competitors.

What competition was this, and which member of the family poured the soda? What did you do?

[my little pony]

in Torino, the family of a US skater blocked the teensy aisle with their megalomaniacal banner and wouldnt allow anyone to pass to get to the bathroom or leave for any reason

[cruisin]

I was sitting with friends whose kids were competing at junior worlds a few years back and they were comp tickets for athletes and their families.. I was dismayed by the attitude of some of the families toward fans - especially those with matching sweaters etc., they also talked about message boards and how those 'uber' fans should 'get a life'... I was going to say nothing but couldn't help myself and reminded them that message boards were for 'fans' not family.. and those 'uber' fans are why they might get sponsors, hired for ice shows or even financial winnings at some events Having attended senior events and worked with older adolescents I'm sure some of their attitude was just based on their age and developmental stage.. Also it was typically the mom's who were perusing the message boards

It was wrong for the athlete's families to be so rude. But the message boards are not just for fans, skaters and families read/post as well. Actually, it is important for the families of skaters to read the boards, because a lot of misinformation can be corrected. It doesn't happen as much on this board, but on some boards parents of skaters and skaters will deliberately make up lies about competitors and bad mouth them. Because it is anonymous, people reading the board don't understand where it's coming from. Most skating Moms read boards just for that reason, to catch that kind of nastiness, and stop it.

[shan]

Ages ago I sat by a family of a novice pair team, who they admitted were in their last year together as she had outgrown him. They skated a programme which was simpler and slower than their less clean skating competitors and the family just could not accept why they had not placed higher. They loudly grumbled about this right up to the podium, and when all the teams got on the top step for the photo they shouted 'that's it, that's where they belong' very loudly.
I'm sure they were nice people really.

Skate America 2003, pairs long program, because the people I was near told me to be quiet when I was cheering after Petrova & Tikhonov's performance

Well good grief that's rude! I don't understand where people get their nerve from. I can't imagine giving anyone commands or directions let alone if they're strangers.

[emason]

Skate America 2003, pairs long program, because the people I was near told me to be quiet when I was cheering after Petrova & Tikhonov's performance

Must be the same person who was sitting behind me at 2003 Worlds in Washington. When Petrova and Tikhonov won the bronze medal, said person hollered out to the entire arena "Well, I guess their check cleared the judges' bank accounts".

When some poor Eastern European pair team went splat, same said person hollered out to the entire arena "You've just insulted all your Baltic ancestors".

I could go on; there was more, but you get the idea. I finally stood up, turned around and told this woman off in no uncertain terms. I got a lot of thumbs up from those sitting nearby.

[Sparks]

[QUOTE=cruisin;3007500. whole post[/QUOTE]
how do you know this?
Skating boards and "ubers" give a lot of support/$$$ to figure skating.

[Spinner]

I don't recall any specific horrifying experiences, but I'm sure with the zillions of comps I've attended I've overheard much snarking and gossip.

A standout memory, though, is meeting DaveRocks and Mr. DaveRocks at 2006 US nationals. They were SO FUN to sit with and we've attended other events together since! Truly a wonderful couple and you all should watch an event with them if you get the chance.

[Squibble]

As some day it may happen that some seating must be found,
I’ve got a little list – I’ve got a little list
Of social offenders who might well be off the grounds,
And who never would be missed - who never would be missed!
There’s the pestilential nuisances who scream for autographs –
All people who have flabby butts and irritating laughs –
All teens who are out on dates, and bore you with their chat –
All persons who in shaking hands, shake hands with you like THAT –
And all nosy folks who on spoiling TETE-A-TETES insist –
They’d none of ‘em be missed - they’d none of ‘em be missed!

I've got a little list, I've got a little list,
And they'd none of them be missed!

There’s the grumbling man who comes back every year,
And the know-it-all – I’ve got him on the list!
And the people who bring klaxons and buzz them in your ear,
They never would be missed - they never would be missed!
Then the idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone,
All skaters but this, and every country but his own;
And the lady with the belly laugh, who makes me want to cry,
And who “hasn’t ever skated, but would rather like to try”;
And that modern-day anomaly, the video diarist -
I don’t think he’d be missed – I’m SURE he’d not be missed!

I've got a little list, I've got a little list,
And they'd none of them be missed!

And that boring, talking nuisance, of whom there are hordes,
The amateur analyst – I’ve got HIM on the list!
All those Mao-ta’s, Yunabots, and trolls from other boards –
They’d none of ‘em be missed - they’d none of ‘em be missed!
And skating moms and skating dads of the terrorizing kind,
Such as – What-d’ye-call-him – Thing’em-Bob, and likewise – Never-mind,
And ‘St-‘st-‘st -- and What’s-his-name, and also – You-know-who–
(The task of filling up the blanks I’d rather leave to YOU!)
But it really doesn’t matter whom you put upon the list,
For they’d none of ‘em be missed - they’d none of ‘em be missed!

I've got a little list, I've got a little list,
And they'd none of them be missed!

[cruisin]

how do you know this?
Skating boards and "ubers" give a lot of support/$$$ to figure skating.

I don't understand your question/point.

[smarts1]

I wasn't at 2009 Worlds, but I remember some Asian ladies laughing/talking obnoxiously during Carolina's SP (during her layback) in the youtube videos.

Did anyone see this?