In 7 minutes, how will you convince a non-fan of FS to start appreciating it?

[Vash01]

I am not kidding. I have to give a 5-7 minute speech on Figure Skating appreciation in my Toastmasters club. I expect that most of them don't know much about figure skating, and some of them watch once every 4 years, and can't tell a lutz from a loop. Usually there are 1 or 2 exceptions in the audience, but even they don't come close to my friends on fsu.

The real purpose of the speech (from Toastmasters perspective) is to demo something, and FS is a great topic for that. In ulterior motive is to 'convert' some in the audience into potential figure skating fans.

My plan is to start with the upcoming Olympics in 2014 (quite possibly most of them don't know about this), then talk about what to look for (based on my taste, of course ), demonstrate some edges and a couple of jumps, while wearing sneakers on a floor. I will carry my skates along to show them how narrow the edges are, purpose of the toe pick, etc.

Since the time is so short, I cannot realistically spend more than 1-1:30 min on visuals using a PC & screen. So I plan on showing just a couple of clips- one of a couple of jumps, and one or two of actual skaters (my favorites, naturally ), so they have something better than me to look at.

My goal is to get at least some of them interested in watching more FS (it does take viewing practice to really appreciate it), and may be someone would even want to join fsu!

I am not going to cover the IJS because I gave a speech about it (compared it with 6.0) last year, to a different audience. It is complex enough to make a separate speech out of, but for me the task is to make my speech about FS interesting and get others interested in it.

So here is the challenge. How will YOU convert these non-fans into at least people that can appreciate figure skating?

[Aceon6]

My I suggest slo motion video of a good quad or triple axel, followed by 8-10 wipe outs all set to Flight of the Bumble Bee.

The reason to watch is when it's done well, it's incredible. When not done all so well, it's still interesting. Think skiing or auto racing.

[maatTheViking]

good luck! I have heard many great things about toastmasters, sounds awesome

I can't tell a loop from a lutz either , but it doesn't prevent me from appreciating skating.

I would focus on the blend of athleticism and art - to me that is FS main draw. To me, the fact that you CAN jump off a tiny edge and turn around in the air 3 or 4 times AND at the same time you are expected to emote the feel of the program to the audience - this is more exciting than which edge the jump was started on (at least until you get more involved in watching).

I think personally for casual fans, even though ladies is the traditional showcase, maybe focus on the men and the pairs, as the tricks are bigger and bolder.

Since you are focusing on Sochi, a different route would be to focus on Plushenko - I am not sure if you are a fan or not, and while his artistry is debatable, his longevity and twice comeback and home olympics make for a powerful story.

I do think the right approach is to look forward, rather than backwards on the history in that short amount of time

[UMBS Go Blue]

Boob tassels! Sequined illusion fabric! Wardrobe malfunctions! Wedgies! Lots of healthy derrieres!

[cbd1235]

This will be of no help to you....

But if I had to convert someone to a fan, I would probably show them a video of a Michelle Kwan long program circa 2003-2004 Nationals .

Doesn't really work for your specific situation, but good luck

[Vash01]

good luck! I have heard many great things about toastmasters, sounds awesome

I can't tell a loop from a lutz either , but it doesn't prevent me from appreciating skating.

I would focus on the blend of athleticism and art - to me that is FS main draw. To me, the fact that you CAN jump off a tiny edge and turn around in the air 3 or 4 times AND at the same time you are expected to emote the feel of the program to the audience - this is more exciting than which edge the jump was started on (at least until you get more involved in watching).

I think personally for casual fans, even though ladies is the traditional showcase, maybe focus on the men and the pairs, as the tricks are bigger and bolder.

Since you are focusing on Sochi, a different route would be to focus on Plushenko - I am not sure if you are a fan or not, and while his artistry is debatable, his longevity and twice comeback and home olympics make for a powerful story.

I do think the right approach is to look forward, rather than backwards on the history in that short amount of time

That's a great suggestion- to mention the blend of athleticism and artistry. Most people can easily see the artistry, but very few know how athletic you have to be, to be a top quality figure skater.

I am a huge fan of Plushenko, and IMO his artistry is not debatable at all. He owns the ice; no one has presence like him. In 2002 I 'converted' one of my coworkers into a FS fan, and she is one of the biggest fans of Plushy. For this speech, I may mention his name, how old and injured he is, and still competing. In Toastmasters they love inspirational stories.

[briancoogaert]

No speech, just Gordeeva&Grinkov 1994 Olympics LP or Exhibition to Reverie.

[giselle23]

This will be of no help to you....

But if I had to convert someone to a fan, I would probably show them a video of a Michelle Kwan long program circa 2003-2004 Nationals .

Doesn't really work for your specific situation, but good luck

You could do a short video with Michelle's footwork section to the end of her 2004 Nationals long program and the last minute or so from Shen and Zhao's Turandot from 2003 Worlds. ON the latter, you could explain how Shen was injured and didn't even think she could compete. Figure skating takes courage and heart.

[Zemgirl]

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone immediately falls under the spell of Michelle Kwan. A Michelle Kwan program would not have converted me to skating fandom.

I'd probably emphasize the athleticism and the risks involved in skating; AceOn6 was in the right direction with that, I think. The difficulty with emphasizing the uniqueness of a sport that blends athleticism and art is that a lot of people can't get past the pageantry aspects of it, and dismiss the difficulty as a result. So I'd be careful with showing anything that is primarily artistic.

Another possibility would be to show one of the famous on-ice accidents and how the skaters involved were able to return and perform beautifully. Everyone likes a good comeback...

[Vash01]

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone immediately falls under the spell of Michelle Kwan. A Michelle Kwan program would not have converted me to skating fandom.

I'd probably emphasize the athleticism and the risks involved in skating; AceOn6 was in the right direction with that, I think. The difficulty with emphasizing the uniqueness of a sport that blends athleticism and art is that a lot of people can't get past the pageantry aspects of it, and dismiss the difficulty as a result. So I'd be careful with showing anything that is primarily artistic.

Another possibility would be to show one of the famous on-ice accidents and how the skaters involved were able to return and perform beautifully. Everyone likes a good comeback...

T&M- the video is easily available. Her fall was scary (actually I used the story in one of my speeches a few years ago). My video time is going to be very limited; I will see how much I can fit in.

I agree about MK, even though I am a fan.

I believe it was MaatTheViking, and not AceOn6 that showed that direction (blend of sport and art). I appreciated inputs from both; just wanted to make sure the credit went to the right poster.

[Alixana]

Re: the athletic angle .. I seem to remember an article somewhere that listed calculated how many kms various skaters skated during their LP. I think one LP was between 5-6 km. Power, endurance and artistry on a 1-2 mm blade?

[Zemgirl]

T&M- the video is easily available. Her fall was scary (actually I used the story in one of my speeches a few years ago).

I thought of them, or Dube/Davison. Or the Zhangs in Torino; I still don't know how she got through that LP.

I believe it was MaatTheViking, and not AceOn6 that showed that direction (blend of sport and art).

I was referring to Aceon6's suggestion of showing skating elements done well and contrasting that with ones done badly (falls, specifically). I thought that was one possible idea.

[lala]

good luck! I have heard many great things about toastmasters, sounds awesome

I can't tell a loop from a lutz either , but it doesn't prevent me from appreciating skating.

I would focus on the blend of athleticism and art - to me that is FS main draw. To me, the fact that you CAN jump off a tiny edge and turn around in the air 3 or 4 times AND at the same time you are expected to emote the feel of the program to the audience - this is more exciting than which edge the jump was started on (at least until you get more involved in watching).

I think personally for casual fans, even though ladies is the traditional showcase, maybe focus on the men and the pairs, as the tricks are bigger and bolder.

Since you are focusing on Sochi, a different route would be to focus on Plushenko - I am not sure if you are a fan or not, and while his artistry is debatable, his longevity and twice comeback and home olympics make for a powerful story.

I do think the right approach is to look forward, rather than backwards on the history in that short amount of time

My friend! I must answer to you!

At the age of 16, Plushenko was the youngest male skater to ever receive a perfect score of 6.0. He received a total of seventy five 6.0s before the new Code of Points judging system was introduced, most of them were presentation marks!
And these are facts, not individual opinion

Do you think Michelle Kwan isn't artistry? Plushenko has more 6.0 like Kwan. He has innate artistry! I recommend you began to watch Plushy's programs on Youtube since 1998... maybe you will be surprised..

[spikydurian]

Depends on the likes of your target audience. If they are largely female and like performance arts, showing them vids which emphasize the artistic aspects may impressed them. However, they are largely male and lean to male sports, vids emphasizing the technical difficulties and aspects may be better choice. Maybe, best to bring them to live competitions.
All the best in your speech, Vash01.

[giselle23]

Re: the athletic angle .. I seem to remember an article somewhere that listed calculated how many kms various skaters skated during their LP. I think one LP was between 5-6 km. Power, endurance and artistry on a 1-2 mm blade?

How about one of Kurt Browning's amazing footwork sequences?

[professordeb]

Oh God, here we go again.

IMO, having a video of Plushenko to try and encourage someone to get figure skating would not be the best or only avenue. I get that he has a presence on the ice but for me (and others, I believe) it comes across only when seeing him in person. On video, too much of that persona and presence gets lost. However, if you want to use him as part of history and comebacks, that would be a good idea.

Depending upon in which country you are speaking, I would try and relate some of what you are speaking to a skater who has competed or is still competing for your country.

[Shyjosie]

The task you are facing is quite challenging, if you're right when suggesting that most of your audience doesn't know anything about FS. But we need to know a little more about your listeners, I think, to get an idea of the situation.
Bringing your skates along and let them touch the boot, the blade and have something "real" there is a great idea, IMO.
As it was said here before, it depends on the structure of the audience which skaters will be most appreciated. Are there male and female listeners? Have some examples of famous skaters, males as females, with names most people can rely to without being experts (I live in Germany, and a safe name is Katharine Witt, for example, everybody knows her).
If the 2014 Olympics are an important topic in your speech, you could indeed give a short outline of Plushenko's life and career, and show a clip of his most spectacular jumps.
Do your listeners know what the Kiss'n'Cry is? If time allows an additional clip, show three or four famous scenes from the K'n'C, which would work best with your favourite skaters (the audience notices if you're somehow feeling for a skater or not).
Just my weird ideas.... I actually have no idea what the toastmasters club is.... But I can well relate to the situation of presenting somthing to people knowing that they are little to zero interested in it. When I (have to) listen to a speech, the best and safest method to get - and keep! - me interested is real enthusiasm and joy while speaking to me. You are an FS enthusiast, as I get it, and this should be the best precondition to get your audience intrigued. I wish you all the best!

[AliasJohnDoe]

In 7 minutes?!?!? .....The only way I can think of is to show them Joubert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioC8ZVsTsLk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxYY2TQNwi8

[gkelly]

If you have the capability to edit video, I think that even if you're only going to show 30-90 seconds of video it would be best to show short clips of several different skaters with different styles performing different kinds of skills. That increases the chances that at least a few seconds of what you show will capture the interest of each viewer, even if they're not all interested in the same things.

Plus, one of the most interesting things about figure skating to me is the variety of skills. So by showing more different aspects of the sport, you'll also have the potential to attract people for whom variety is a plus.

If you just choose one person's favorite skater, even if it's your own favorite and you can talk enthusiastically about the performance, you risk boring viewers for whom that skater's strengths would be the least interesting thing about the sport.

[TheGirlCanSkate]

What about stories of skaters you know and how skating changed their lives? All ages, sizes, and passions. I'd ask your rink if they would offer a free pass or b1g1 pass(depending on the size of the audience) and you could give them at the end of your talk.