U.S. Ladies [#17]: Heading to Helsinki in a Handbasket

[AxelAnnie]

^^^Since NEVER!

As to Polina, as an elite athlete, I would assume when out of the country before a competition (in spite of The Cutting Edge) there would be no drinking.

And, we don't know if there was any alcohol in her drink. (Probably was). Any parent who lets their high school child go off on a Spring Break in Mexico is totally out of their mind. Much danger there for tourists.

And, really Polina? You know those pics are going to stay in the ethernet forever! (Watch Nottinghill)

 

[Willin]

@Jarrett @AxelAnnie Maybe it's only a state-by-state thing? I was certainly impressed upon before all international travel I did before age 21 with various organizations that drinking internationally was illegal. Not that most of them cared as long as there wasn't evidence of it anywhere the organizations/schools could find it.

Maybe what they meant is that it's entirely legal for places in the US to punish you for drinking underage internationally. Ie. Getting financial aid penalties from colleges, getting fired from your campus job, having scrutiny on your social media from your school, etc. Most schools don't care because it's so common.

Idk, I don't think Polina's doing anything dangerous. She's one of probably over a million US college students who go to Mexico on spring break every year with no problems beyond massive hangovers.

 

[Tinami Amori]

@Tinami Amori While technically US residents aren't allowed to drink until age 21, even internationally, no one follows that. Servers in Mexico go by their drinking age - 18 - hence why so many US college students go there for spring break.

coming from someone who drinks Vodka since 7 years old: no problem with Mexico's drinking age...... let it be 16 for all i care. But Paulina's reputation in the USA, that's another story....

 

[Chemistry66]

Mexico probably (like Europe, etc) doesnt have a 21 yr old drinking law. Im sure its 18.

It definitely is 18. I remember going to Mexico with my family when I was 15, and my stepbrother (25) and sister (18) went out to a bar close to the resort a few times.

@Tinami Amori While technically US residents aren't allowed to drink until age 21, even internationally, no one follows that. Servers in Mexico go by their drinking age - 18 - hence why so many US college students go there for spring break.

I have never seen a law that US citizens can't drink until 21 if they're abroad in a country with a drinking age lower than 21. Usually the host country's drinking age/laws apply.

@Jarrett @AxelAnnie Maybe it's only a state-by-state thing? I was certainly impressed upon before all international travel I did before age 21 with various organizations that drinking internationally was illegal. Not that most of them cared as long as there wasn't evidence of it anywhere the organizations/schools could find it.

Maybe what they meant is that it's entirely legal for places in the US to punish you for drinking underage internationally. Ie. Getting financial aid penalties from colleges, getting fired from your campus job, having scrutiny on your social media from your school, etc. Most schools don't care because it's so common.

Idk, I don't think Polina's doing anything dangerous. She's one of probably over a million US college students who go to Mexico on spring break every year with no problems beyond massive hangovers.

This is what I think is true. Business and schools and government organizations can set their own policies regarding alcohol use. For instance, most US High schools who have overseas trips have policies that their students are not allowed to drink alcohol even if they're at that country's drinking age. A lot of US colleges/universities have policies that state that their students should be sure to follow the host country's alcohol laws, and that excessive drinking could be a violation of the school's code of conduct.

As for Polina, as long as she's drinking responsibly, I have no issue with her drinking. Though we still don't know it's alcoholic - the times I've been to a Mexican resort, drink stands across the resort had both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pina coladas/strawberry daquiris.

 

[Frida80]

It's more dangerous for her to to eat from food stands on the street. Especially the seafood. I did 9 months in Mexico. A friend of mine didn't follow the rules and ate from a seafood stall. Typhus.

She's fine after treatment. The truth is it's almost impossible not to get sick in Mexico. Most times it's mild but I was one of the ones that got really sick.

But it's the off season so... I guess she'll recover before the she needs to start training.

 

[vesperholly]

According to Katrina herself (I spoke with her at Worlds in Boston last year while she was volunteering), this is NOT true. (She seemed amused by this Internet urban myth. )

For whatever reason, that's the story that was put out to the public.

 

[Vagabond]

@Tinami Amori While technically US residents aren't allowed to drink until age 21, even internationally

Where on earth did you come up with that one? Or is it just one more urban myth? Citation to authority, please.

@Chemistry66 The drinking age in Mexico is 18.

http://www.iard.org/policy-tables/minimum-legal-age-limits/

What may have happened to your family members at a resort catering to international visitors is not the same as what Mexican law actually says.

 

[Willin]

@Vagabond see this post. It was what I was always told on my international trips before I was 21.

 

[Vagabond]

@Vagabond see this post. It was what I was always told on my international trips before I was 21.

Don't believe everything you're told. Especially when it comes to (1) the law and (2) Katrina Hacker.

The 21st Amendment makes this a matter of state law, but Congress passed a law that made federal funding for highway project contingent on states' raising the age to 21, and every state complied.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The drinking age in NJ was 18 when I was in high school, and it was raised following right behind me. I read that the Federal government threatened to withhold highway funds from states that didn't raise the age.

I don't remember anyone in Western Europe or Scandinavia giving a rat's ass about college students drinking unless specific students were behaving badly. But the same was true if adults were behaving badly.

 

[VGThuy]

As far as I know, there are no laws that says Americans under 21 can't drink abroad if the laws of the places they are visiting allow them to drink legally. Heck, there isn't any federal drinking age minimum as it is all up to individual states that were strong armed to up it to 21 through pressure and federal funding (inspired by orgs like MADD and auto insurance companies that want to minimize the percentage of auto accidents by drunk drivers). Individual orgs and colleges that sponsor trips abroad where students represent those orgs or colleges can have their own individual codes of conduct but it's not U.S. law. There are other U.S. statutes that can be used to apply to Americans abroad such as those involving sex tourism but there aren't any alcohol consumption laws that extend beyond the individual U.S. States.

 

[Chemistry66]

Where on earth did you come up with that one? Or is it just one more urban myth? Citation to authority, please.

@Chemistry66 The drinking age in Mexico is 18.

http://www.iard.org/policy-tables/minimum-legal-age-limits/

What may have happened to your family members at a resort catering to international visitors is not the same as what Mexican law actually says.

Yes, I know it is 18. I've looked it up. I was using that as an example. My mom wouldn't have let my sister go out to drink if she wasn't above the legal limit for the country. I just didn't cite an actual page, my mistake.

 

[Willin]

Whatever the case is, Polina going on spring break isn't anything abnormal or otherwise stupid. It just suggests she's taking a break from training to enjoy college like any other college student.
I bet she'll come back because Nationals is in her home town, even if she's not going as intense as say, Ashley/Gracie/Mariah/Mirai, who post lots of skating instagrams/progress on social media. Maybe it'll be good for Polina to take a break and refocus once the school year's over.

 

[tony]

So US figure skating news today consists of arguing about drinking ages in foreign countries, not knowing of the 'Not Today, Satan' Rupaul's Drag Race reference and trying to turn it into something extremely religious, and a pseudo-journalist determining that the majority of the team is lazy for doing exhibition shows instead of training for events that start in 6 months.

What a wonderful sport indeed.

 

[Sylvia]

And rehashing Worlds assignments from 2008!

For whatever reason, that's the story that was put out to the public.

Hacker declining 2008 Worlds was posted online as hearsay information that turned out to be inaccurate. Here is the link/relevant excerpt/direct quote from a 2008 4CC article recap that I found in the Archives here: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080216&content_id=44003&vkey=ice_news

Katrina Hacker was the top-ranked American in sixth place. She turned in a clean long program with five triples.
"I think doing every jump clean [was the best part of the program]," Hacker said. "That's the first time I've done that. I think it was a good way to end. I didn't make the world team, but I did get to come to Four Continents, and it's been great. I never ever could have imagined this. At the beginning of the season, I just wanted to build on each competition and see what happened."

 

[Chemistry66]

So US figure skating news today consists of arguing about drinking ages in foreign countries, not knowing of the 'Not Today, Satan' Rupaul's Drag Race reference and trying to turn it into something extremely religious, and a pseudo-journalist determining that the majority of the team is lazy for doing exhibition shows instead of training for events that start in 6 months.

What a wonderful sport indeed.

Offseasons are weird.

 

[VGThuy]

So US figure skating news today consists of arguing about drinking ages in foreign countries, not knowing of the 'Not Today, Satan' Rupaul's Drag Race reference and trying to turn it into something extremely religious, and a pseudo-journalist determining that the majority of the team is lazy for doing exhibition shows instead of training for events that start in 6 months.

What a wonderful sport indeed.

I don't think it's reflective of the sport itself, but rather bored fans who can't think of anything better to talk about. My brother and fiancé told me stupider conversations are happening about football, basketball, and baseball players. I guess the dumber the conversations the more popular the sport because at least people are talking about it. Like is anyone talking about luge players touring habits interfering with their Olympic prep? Maybe they are.

 

[Coco]

Who would win a head to head competition: a tiger or a shark?

 

[AxelAnnie]

@Jarrett @AxelAnnie Maybe it's only a state-by-state thing? I was certainly impressed upon before all international travel I did before age 21 with various organizations that drinking internationally was illegal. Not that most of them cared as long as there wasn't evidence of it anywhere the organizations/schools could find it.

Maybe what they meant is that it's entirely legal for places in the US to punish you for drinking underage internationally. Ie. Getting financial aid penalties from colleges, getting fired from your campus job, having scrutiny on your social media from your school, etc. Most schools don't care because it's so common.

Idk, I don't think Polina's doing anything dangerous. She's one of probably over a million US college students who go to Mexico on spring break every year with no problems beyond massive hangovers.

May I just say two words

. NATALIE HALLOWAY.

 

[berthesghost]

Who would win a head to head competition: a tiger or a shark?

The shark has gorgeous line and flow but that's so 6.0. The tiger gets cop bonus points every time it swats its tail above its head, making it unbeatable.

 

[skatingguy]

So US figure skating news today consists of arguing about drinking ages in foreign countries, not knowing of the 'Not Today, Satan' Rupaul's Drag Race reference and trying to turn it into something extremely religious, and a pseudo-journalist determining that the majority of the team is lazy for doing exhibition shows instead of training for events that start in 6 months.

What a wonderful sport indeed.

Welcome to the off season.

 

[Xela M]

May I just say two words

. NATALIE HALLOWAY.

I don't think that was in Mexico...

 

[Fiero425]

That was actually 2008, 3 were too young, and Meissner got named because Katrina Hacker was a "nobody" in the minds of USFS compared to Kimmie and who had no senior international medals. And what happened to those girls? Growth spurts, being taught lousy jump technique to just get the triples around and then getting hammered when the IJS took over. Or in the case of Flatt, simply just not being a great package.

There were a few I really liked and seemed to be as talented as any; NNN, Bea Liang, & "The Pearl" (Carolina Zhang)! The Pearl obvious had a horrible growth spurt, but the others probably just beat their bodies to HELL much too early in their development! What happened to that rule about juniors not even attempting all those triples? Silly how we seem to beat our skaters into the US ice while Japan has reserves in the wings!

 

[AxelAnnie]

I don't think that was in Mexico...

True. Different country same danger. On top of that Mexico is a dangerous place for both Mexicans and tourists.

 

[SkateSand]

True. Different country same danger. On top of that Mexico is a dangerous place for both Mexicans and tourists.

There are plenty of perfectly safe places in Mexico for Americans to travel to - like Los Cabos, where Polina went. I've been going there every two or three years for the past twenty-five years and have never gotten sick or felt unsafe at any time. The only difficulty was side-stepping the time share promoters.

 

[Sylvia]

Post-Worlds, Nick McCarvel hosted Ice Talk Ep. 28: Karen Chen (first 25 minutes) http://web.icenetwork.com/fans/icetalk
U.S. champion Karen Chen talked to icenetwork about dealing with the pressure of competing at the pre-Olympic year world championships and the impact mentor Kristi Yamaguchi has had on her skating.

 

[thvu]

What a wonderful sport indeed.

Don't pretend that fans of other sports aren't as bored and petty. You've been around FSU for awhile, so why act like this isn't the norm? Why act like this isn't the norm of sports fandom in general?

 

[tony]

Don't pretend that fans of other sports aren't as bored and petty. You've been around FSU for awhile, so why act like this isn't the norm? Why act like this isn't the norm of sports fandom in general?

It was definitely intended in a much lighter manner than you read it. I've been over some of the latest... heated.. discussions. Janny.

ETA- I just noticed that in a few days, I've been a member of the 'new' FSU for 16 years

 

[Wyliefan]

And rehashing Worlds assignments from 2008!

Hacker declining 2008 Worlds was posted online as hearsay information that turned out to be inaccurate. Here is the link/relevant excerpt/direct quote from a 2008 4CC article recap that I found in the Archives here: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080216&content_id=44003&vkey=ice_news

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I remember Kimmie being chosen over Katrina that year. There was some fuss over it, but I think the majority were okay with the pick.

 

[el henry]

So US figure skating news today consists of arguing about drinking ages in foreign countries, not knowing of the 'Not Today, Satan' Rupaul's Drag Race reference and trying to turn it into something extremely religious, and a pseudo-journalist determining that the majority of the team is lazy for doing exhibition shows instead of training for events that start in 6 months.

What a wonderful sport indeed.

We are bored.

I would make one adjustment: evidently, RuPaul's Drag Race made popular and re-purposes a phrase I had previously only heard in church. 40 years ago, which I'm pretty certain is before RuPaul's

So from religious phrase to RuPaul's to religious phrase. Sounds about right