Has Figure Skating Lost Its Soul?

[Primorskaya]

Thanks gkelly for your precisions, I actually believed IJS and anonymous judging were part of the same package!

One thing I'll never get is why a speedskater would also rule what happens in FS. Apart from the fact they both happen on ice, there is nothing in common between these two sports, and while I don't want to cast aspersions on the noble activity of speedskating, anyone coming from that background wouldn't be a natural at understanding what makes FS tick...

[gkelly]

One thing I'll never get is why a speedskater would also rule what happens in FS. Apart from the fact they both happen on ice, there is nothing in common between these two sports, and while I don't want to cast aspersions on the noble activity of speedskating, anyone coming from that background wouldn't be a natural at understanding what makes FS tick...

Well, that goes back to the origins of the ISU as the governing body for both speedskating and figure skating (which was still in the process of becoming an organized competitive sport) in the late 19th century. In some countries the national governing bodies also combine speedskating and figure skating, and in some cases other ice sports as well, so it would be difficult to reorganize the international governing structure to give speedskating and figure skating two separate organizations. It probably would benefit figure skating to do so, though, if possible.

Over the 20th century, sometimes the president of the ISU came from speedskating, sometimes from figure skating. The current president seems to be very intent on imposing his will on both sports, including the one he doesn't understand from the inside.

[sk8er1964]

That is compounded by the COP encouraging more transitions than good skating choreo really wants and overly (and sometimes unattractively) busy jump entrances. The sheer clutter of content has led to the use of music that just drones along with no real highlights or climaxes because it is easier to skate to, hiding timing problems. So we are often left with skaters moving through way too much action with vague background music, rather than really moving to or interpreting music.

Thanks for putting into words one of my issues with skating now.

[peibeck]

Thanks for putting into words one of my issues with skating now.

Seconded!! I was trying to make this same point earlier, but Susan M said it much better in her entire post. And it's not like I entirely dislike CoP; I think there is a lot which is good about it.

For example, I think they made a good choice in adding the choreographed sequence in the singles this season, for example, with an across the board base level. I would not object if they did this one of the spinning passes as well (which they could then vary from season to season: upright, camel, combo, etc.)

[Marco]

I wish they would do the same to step sequence - just award a base level, but allow really huge, triple jump equivalent GOEs for +2s and +3s if there is speed, flow, quickness, intricacy, variety and musicality. I hate checkbox step sequence that take a minute and a half to complete.

It might not even be a bad idea to extend to spins - just allow 1 feature at most on each foot (i.e. just base level or level 1, or level 2 as well for change foot spins), but let GOEs make the difference. I hate that all the spins are pretty much the same now.

[leapfrogonice]

I think what this article reflects is that Witt is getting to the age where one tends to get nostalgic and often that makes people think things were so much better before than they are now.

I would tend to agree. Plus the evil part of the sport's soul - the politics, back room deals, money exchanging hands for results etc - has never left the building and remains deeply entrenched.