Mad for Skating blog

[Mad for Skating]

Four Continents pairs review is up. I will be a bit inactive on my blog for the next month or so because I am studying for my ACT test to get into college, but I will be back for Worlds!

2020 Four Continents Pairs Review: A Tale of Three Countries (Almost)

Wow. I still can’t wrap my brain around the fact that it’s already the last big event before Worlds. It feels like just yesterday, I was screaming about Wakaba Higuchi’s clean short program at Skat…

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[Spun Silver]

I missed both pairs events so thanks for the great summary. It hadn't quite hit me that Sui and Han might not be frontrunners for the OGM.

A small grammatical error which I mention only because you're studying for the ACT - in your last paragraph, "criteria" is a plural noun. If you want a singular, it's "criterion." (Similarly with phenomena (pl) and phenomenon (s), also hapax legomena (pl) and legomenon (s), should you come across that phrase.) It's a Greek thing.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I missed both pairs events so thanks for the great summary. It hadn't quite hit me that Sui and Han might not be frontrunners for the OGM.

A small grammatical error which I mention only because you're studying for the ACT - in your last paragraph, "criteria" is a plural noun. If you want a singular, it's "criterion." (Similarly with phenomena (pl) and phenomenon (s), also hapax legomena (pl) and legomenon (s), should you come across that phrase.) It's a Greek thing.

Don’t worry, I think Sui/Han are still in a great position for the OGM in 2022. They have the biggest reputation, best skills, and home ice advantage. I just think they’ll need to skate very well because Boikova/Kozlovskii are a very competitive team.

Also, thanks for pointing out my grammar error. I honestly had no idea there was a singular/plural form! I’m actually considering an English major so I really appreciate any grammar help you can offer

 

[Mad for Skating]

Very emotional post for me today. My favorite skater, Ksenia Stolbova, announced her retirement. Her courage and perseverance through setbacks inspired me to fight my own struggles with mental health, and her confidence and strength helped me become more comfortable in who I am.
I wrote an open letter to thank her for helping me through hard times and wish her the best in the future.

This is by far the most personal thing I’ve ever posted on my blog, and I would really appreciate if you all would read it. However, I must include a trigger warning for anxiety, panic attacks, and suicide - please don’t read it if it makes you uncomfortable.

How Ksenia Stolbova Saved My Life

Trigger warning: anxiety, panic attacks, suicide attempt Dear Ksenia, I was 11 years old when you came into my world through the chunky old TV in my parents’ living room. You had just turned 22, an…

madforskating.wordpress.com

 

[Spun Silver]

I wish I could give your post 100 loves. You have such a pure heart. I'm sure Ksenia will adore this post if she sees it. Please make sure she does!

 

[Mad for Skating]

I wish I could give your post 100 loves. You have such a pure heart. I'm sure Ksenia will adore this post if she sees it. Please make sure she does!

Aww, thank you so much!
I feel like I talk all the time about how I love Ksenia (and Stolbova/Klimov in general) but I never really explained why she meant so much to me. I don’t even quite know why her skating and story resonated so strongly with me, but I’m just so grateful for her.

(Don’t worry, I’ll send it to her on instagram!)

 

[Immortelle]

Thank you for sharing that with us, beautifully written as always! I’ve been in the same situation, only it was Katy Perry who saved me.
I’m happy to hear that you’re in a good place now, and I’m sure you’re going to be a success in whatever you do in life

 

[Mad for Skating]

Thank you for sharing that with us, beautifully written as always! I’ve been in the same situation, only it was Katy Perry who saved me.
I’m happy to hear that you’re in a good place now, and I’m sure you’re going to be a success in whatever you do in life

Aww, thank you so much! I just really wanted to share the story so people could understand just how much she meant to me. I'm so glad you're all right now too - I'm a Katy Perry fan too and I'm so happy she was able to help you through it!

 

[Wyliefan]

Aww, thank you so much!
I feel like I talk all the time about how I love Ksenia (and Stolbova/Klimov in general) but I never really explained why she meant so much to me. I don’t even quite know why her skating and story resonated so strongly with me, but I’m just so grateful for her.

(Don’t worry, I’ll send it to her on instagram!)

I'm sure she'll love it. It's wonderful that she was able to help you so much, just by being who she is and doing what she loves. And I'm so glad you're doing so much better now.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I'm sure she'll love it. It's wonderful that she was able to help you so much, just by being who she is and doing what she loves. And I'm so glad you're doing so much better now.

Thank you so much!
I don't quite know why she became such an idol for me, but I'm just so glad she was able to help me in some way. Don't worry, I'm doing fine now and I'm still on the way up!

 

[Mad for Skating]

Hi everyone! Since Worlds is cancelled for the coronavirus and the 2019-20 figure skating season is wrapping up a little early, I won't be writing about skating much until the beginning of next season.

In the meantime, I've decided to launch a new series on my blog: Belle's Ramblings. I want to talk about issues I am passionate about, like mental health, feminism, and fighting discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. I'll also put up some fun posts, like my favorite songs of the year and movies that have had a lasting impact on me.

My first post is about my relationship with body image. When I'm struggling, I personally find reading other people's recovery stories to be very uplifting and motivational. I put a trigger warning on it just because I'll be discussing weight and food. While it's not about skating, I wanted to share it here because I've always felt self-conscious about it and I'm finally ready to talk about it.

Belle’s Rambling #1: Dear Body

Trigger warnings: disordered eating, food, weight Throughout the past few years, I’ve dealt with a lot of insecurity about my body, which has led to some bad habits I’m still struggling…

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[Mad for Skating]

I wrote a follow-up to my most recent post about body acceptance. It’s been a rollercoaster week, but I’ve learned many tips and tricks that have helped me deal with it. Once again, this post discusses weight, food, and body image, so be careful.

Belle’s Rambling #2: 5 Steps I’ve Taken Towards Body Acceptance This Week

Trigger warnings: weight, food, body image It’s only been a week since I opened up about my struggles with weight, but my perspective on the situation has gone through so many drastic changes in th…

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[Mad for Skating]

In light of Tara Reade’s story, the fate of the upcoming US presidential election has taken an unsettling turn. Here’s my take on it.

Trigger warning: mentions of sexual assault

Belle’s Rambling #3: Between a Red Shark and a Blue Wolf

Trigger warning: sexual assault The United States of America is royally messed up. Since November 2016, I feel like I’ve been living in some kind of dystopian novel. I, like all my fellow Am…

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[barbarafan]

In light of Tara Reade’s story, the fate of the upcoming US presidential election has taken an unsettling turn. Here’s my take on it.

Trigger warning: mentions of sexual assault

Belle’s Rambling #3: Between a Red Shark and a Blue Wolf

Trigger warning: sexual assault The United States of America is royally messed up. Since November 2016, I feel like I’ve been living in some kind of dystopian novel. I, like all my fellow Am…

madforskating.wordpress.com

I think you need to do a bit more research.

Evidence Casts Doubt on Tara Reade’s Sexual Assault Allegations of Joe Biden

Alexandra Tara Reade’s accusations of sexual assault against Joe Biden appear very questionable once the story is fully investigated.

medium.com

 

[Mad for Skating]

I think you need to do a bit more research.

Evidence Casts Doubt on Tara Reade’s Sexual Assault Allegations of Joe Biden

Alexandra Tara Reade’s accusations of sexual assault against Joe Biden appear very questionable once the story is fully investigated.

medium.com

I have taken the time to read the article. There are definitely some details that don’t seem to match up; however, this doesn’t mean that everything she said is untrue. If she was really making up this story to sabotage Biden’s campaign, I think she would have done it sooner. Also, sexual assault can be very traumatic to a person’s mental health and can cause them to incorrectly remember details of a situation. She may have suffered from Stockholm syndrome, in which the brain sees an abuser as a friend in order to shield itself from trauma.

Even if her story is not true, this isn’t the first time Biden has been accused of sexual misconduct.

This article gives some backstory: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/20...ce-agent-protect-women-weinstein-level-stuff/

This twitter thread shows a series of very uncomfortable interactions between Biden and young women (including several underage girls):

Twitter

My goal isn’t to vilify Biden. I do still believe he would be an improvement from Trump. At the same time, there’s sufficient evidence to indicate that he is guilty of some misconduct.

This is just my opinion and I’d prefer not to discuss politics in this thread, but if you want to continue this conversation, please send me a PM.

Stay safe.

 

[Teamgracie]

But why did you post this if you didn’t want to discuss politics? That just doesn’t make sense. You posted the blog so you need to be willing to get a response to it.
I hope it isn’t true because our only hope is to get the idiot out of the WH! Biden seems like a nice person, maybe a little out of touch sometimes but he doesn’t seem like a dirt bag. But obviously none of us can know the real truth. I just don’t get the point of your posting this?

 

[Mad for Skating]

But why did you post this if you didn’t want to discuss politics? That just doesn’t make sense. You posted the blog so you need to be willing to get a response to it.
I hope it isn’t true because our only hope is to get the idiot out of the WH! Biden seems like a nice person, maybe a little out of touch sometimes but he doesn’t seem like a dirt bag. But obviously none of us can know the real truth. I just don’t get the point of your posting this?

I’m posting it because there have been accusations of sexual assault made against him and the media isn’t talking about it. False accusations do happen, but they’re rare in comparison to the amount of true reports. I’m not saying Biden is guilty, but there’s a good chance that he might be.
Even so, I would still rather see Biden win the election than Trump because Biden’s policies are more in line with my personal political beliefs. However, I don’t want to appear like I’m ignoring the accusations against him.
If you’d like to continue this conversation, please send me a PM. Take care.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Belle’s Rambling #4: my experience with “Christians for Trump”

Belle’s Rambling #4: Why “Christians for Trump” is an Oxymoron

Trigger warning: mentions of homophobia, transphobia, racism, and sexual assault I grew up in a Christian Republican household. My parents were Bush supporters, and the three things my dad ever com…

madforskating.wordpress.com

 

[Mad for Skating]

I wrote an opinion piece on how US foreign policy during the Cold War affected Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign:

Belle’s Rambling #5: How the Truman Doctrine and the Cold War Destroyed Bernie Sanders’ Presidential Bid

Last week, Bernie Sanders announced the end to his presidential campaign. Joe Biden has continued winning states in the Democratic primaries, and it seems very likely that the 2020 election will be…

madforskating.wordpress.com

 

[Mad for Skating]

I am excited to announce that my latest blog post is part of a collaboration with @ldec from the excellent blog Frozen in Time. She is commemorating some of the best performances on home ice from the 2010s and asked me to contribute two pieces: one on Julia Lipnitskaya and one on Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov. This post revisits their amazing performances at the 2014 Olympics.

Memories of Sochi

I am excited to announce that this blog post is part of a collaboration with Claudia from the amazing blog Frozen in Time. She’s looking back on some amazing performances in the skater’s home count…

madforskating.wordpress.com

 

[Mad for Skating]

While the 2019-20 figure skating season came to an abrupt and unexpected end, it’s always a good time to discuss the fashion in this sport, so I’ve assembled a list of the best costumes from this season:

My Favorite Figure Skating Costumes from the 2019-20 Season

The 2019-20 figure skating season has been a whirlwind of surprises, excitement, and drama. The cancellation of Worlds made the year feel a bit incomplete to me, and I’m not sure how long it will b…

madforskating.wordpress.com

 

[starrynight]

My favourite costumes were Madison Chock’s Free Dance snake dress and Zagitova’s Cleopatra dress.

I liked Sui/Han’s FS costumes from 2019 worlds best for their free skate.

 

[Spun Silver]

While the 2019-20 figure skating season came to an abrupt and unexpected end, it’s always a good time to discuss the fashion in this sport, so I’ve assembled a list of the best costumes from this season:

My Favorite Figure Skating Costumes from the 2019-20 Season

The 2019-20 figure skating season has been a whirlwind of surprises, excitement, and drama. The cancellation of Worlds made the year feel a bit incomplete to me, and I’m not sure how long it will b…

madforskating.wordpress.com

Haha, you're such a good writer. Papadakis and Cizeron looked like they walked out of a Jane Fonda video - too true. I never remember most costumes and I don't know how anyone can talk about them without repeating themselves but you pulled it off. Are you planning to be a journalist? You're a natural. I wouldn't even bother with college. Just go get a cool job.

 

[Immortelle]

Lubov’s costume was one of my favourites too, so beautiful with a retro feel from the high neck and long sleeves. Another one that I loved that didn’t make your list was Lilah Fear’s free dance costume

 

[starrynight]

What I would love to read is interviews and/or articles about costume designers.

I read an excellent interview with Olga Ryabenko who makes costumes for Sambo 70 skaters. So interesting to read about how designers combine the athletic requirements for a costume with the fashion aspects.

Ryabenko’s Instagram is interesting to follow:https://instagram.com/ryabenko_olga21?igshid=19ibqigx3iepc

 

[Mad for Skating]

My favourite costumes were Madison Chock’s Free Dance snake dress and Zagitova’s Cleopatra dress.

I liked Sui/Han’s FS costumes from 2019 worlds best for their free skate.

Excellent choices!
I loved Sui/Han’s costumes from Worlds too - they’re always one of the best-dressed pairs out there

Haha, you're such a good writer. Papadakis and Cizeron looked like they walked out of a Jane Fonda video - too true. I never remember most costumes and I don't know how anyone can talk about them without repeating themselves but you pulled it off. Are you planning to be a journalist? You're a natural. I wouldn't even bother with college. Just go get a cool job.

Thank you so much! Journalism is one of my favorite hobbies and I wouldn’t mind getting a job in the field at all. However, I still want to pursue a college degree just to ensure more career options (in case, heaven forbid, I were to become a journalist and lose my job). Also, it’s my dream to study abroad But I am definitely considering a journalism major!

Lubov’s costume was one of my favourites too, so beautiful with a retro feel from the high neck and long sleeves. Another one that I loved that didn’t make your list was Lilah Fear’s free dance costume

Lubov always has such lovely dresses! It reminded me of the great costumes from the 1980s and 1990s.
OMG, how did I forget Lilah Fear’s Vogue dress? It was so stunning! Thank you for reminding me - I knew I was probably going to forget something

What I would love to read is interviews and/or articles about costume designers.

I read an excellent interview with Olga Ryabenko who makes costumes for Sambo 70 skaters. So interesting to read about how designers combine the athletic requirements for a costume with the fashion aspects.

Ryabenko’s Instagram is interesting to follow:https://instagram.com/ryabenko_olga21?igshid=19ibqigx3iepc

That’s so cool! I’ve always thought costume design is one of the best parts of figure skating. It’s so interesting to see what the designers create!
My favorite costume designers to follow on Instagram are Lisa McKinnon https://instagram.com/lisamckinnon90210?igshid=tq3nyx3d8d72 and Maria Evstigneeva https://instagram.com/that_s_mariaevstigneeva?igshid=mnwxc4sl67qa

 

[Mad for Skating]

Hi everyone!
It’s Pride Month, so I wrote a blog post about homophobia in figure skating, how the underlying culture of heteronormativity in the sport has a negative effect on gay skaters, and how we can make the world of figure skating a safer space for LGBTQ+ athletes. Please read, comment, and share!

The Culture of Heteronormativity in Figure Skating

Growing up, I was always told that figure skating was a pretty gay sport. We had Adam Rippon and Eric Radford bringing glory to the rainbow flag in PyeongChang, Johnny Weir chatting away in the com…

madforskating.wordpress.com

 

[starrynight]

The issue is that skating is an entertainment performance as well as a sport.

If it was a regular sport, whoever ran the fastest or won the match would just win. But skating is such a peculiar beast in that it is also basically entertainment too.

I think with entertainment, it has to be acknowledged that people are often way more 'basic b$%ches' than they care to admit. There's a reason why so many people love Tessa & Scott and why they are often the entry point into the sport for a lot of fans (they do the mainstream sex appeal better than anyone ever). Sex sells - particularly in the mainstream (it's why all leading actors are attractive). And in an art form where there is no genres, it does gravitate to the safe and the mainstream and acts as a mirror to society.

I think skating can be a bit like a world of cinema where all there was to choose from was Hollywood blockbusters - no indy films, no niche sci-fi, no foreign films etc.

But the more people get into the sport, the more horizons broaden and more developed tastes get. Get in deep enough and you find yourself admiring a neon yellow dress with arm streamers from the 2002 Olympic original dance. Get in deep enough and you'll also find skaters that appeal to your individual tastes.

Which is an interesting thought. Those ice dance costumes were so wacky, it does illustrate the ability for skating to create a bubble away from the 'rest of the world'.

 

[Mad for Skating]

The issue is that skating is an entertainment performance as well as a sport.

If it was a regular sport, whoever ran the fastest or won the match would just win. But skating is such a peculiar beast in that it is also basically entertainment too.

I think with entertainment, it has to be acknowledged that people are often way more 'basic b$%ches' than they care to admit. There's a reason why so many people love Tessa & Scott and why they are often the entry point into the sport for a lot of fans (they do the mainstream sex appeal better than anyone ever). Sex sells - particularly in the mainstream (it's why all leading actors are attractive). And in an art form where there is no genres, it does gravitate to the safe and the mainstream and acts as a mirror to society.

I think skating can be a bit like a world of cinema where all there was to choose from was Hollywood blockbusters - no indy films, no niche sci-fi, no foreign films etc.

But the more people get into the sport, the more horizons broaden and more developed tastes get. Get in deep enough and you find yourself admiring a neon yellow dress with arm streamers from the 2002 Olympic original dance. Get in deep enough and you'll also find skaters that appeal to your individual tastes.

Which is an interesting thought. Those ice dance costumes were so wacky, it does illustrate the ability for skating to create a bubble away from the 'rest of the world'.

This is such an interesting perspective on the topic! Thank you for sharing!

I definitely agree with your points; I feel like much of the sport is still stuck in the same old themes. For example, I feel like many female skaters are cast as either “Disney princess” or “femme fatale”, but there’s little room for androgyny. I think this will change with time, but we have a long way to go, in my opinion.

I want to clarify that I don’t mind sexy programs for pairs and ice dancers - for example, Virtue/Moir’s Carmen is genius. As you said, sex sells, and steamy programs can be stunning if the couple has the right chemistry. I just don’t like when platonic couples are forced to do sexy programs, especially if one or both of the partners is gay. To me, this is an unfortunate result of a much bigger issue (heteronormativity in society as a whole), but that’s a conversation for another day.

I hope the sport will encourage more innovation beyond the standard boundaries so we can see more unique programs on the international stage.

 

[Immortelle]

Great read! It made me think of the discarded 1991 FD by the Duchesnays, that was choreographed by Christopher Dean. The concept was intriguing but it didn’t come across well in performance. I think there have been successful attempts at releasing ice dance from gender-based roles more recently, as you said.