Unpopular Opinions

[DreamSkates]

I have a fondness for sister-brother dance teams. They make me happy.

I miss the Shib Sibs.

 

[On My Own]

I heard (and truly hope it wasn't true) that YK was on a ridiculously low calorie diet in the lead up to 2014. If so, that may have been a contributing factor.

Kim Yu-na adapts to Sochi ice in 30 minutes

An official with the Korea Skating Union once had dinner with Kim Yu-na, when she was taking a trai…

www.donga.com

Ahead of competitions at the Sochi Olympics, her final stage as career athlete, Kim eats freely as she pleases, and exercises. In a recent interview, Kim even said, These days, I am losing weight perhaps due to aging, and I am trying to gain weight.

So no.

 

[nuge]

The Taschlers come ro my mind. Absolutely love them.

Don't usually like sib teams but really liking them.They're so powerful fast and dramatic! Also the other Cze team too.

 

[irenemulindwairen]

Don't usually like sib teams but really liking them.They're so powerful fast and dramatic! Also the other Cze team too.

Oh yes! The Mrazk/Mrazkova siblings.

 

[Lynn226]

I have a fondness for sister-brother dance teams. They make me happy.

I enjoyed Sinead & John Kerr when they were competing.

 

[gkelly]

It was the Duchesnays that first got me interested in ice dance.

 

[Andora]

I enjoyed Sinead & John Kerr when they were competing.

They made it hard to dislike them, to be fair.

 

[Jarrett]

Lindsay Thorngren's The Windmills of Your Mind SP last season was just okay not the second coming of Jesus. I think people have just low expectations that any choregraph makes them lose it. Am I saying the program was bad? No not at all but it wasn't a program that needs to be around for multiple seasons.

 

[Vagabond]

Lindsay Thorngren's The Windmills of Your Mind SP last season was just okay not the second coming of Jesus.

We have had more than enough Jesus programs recently, so this is probably a good thing. [/UNPOPULAR OPINION]

 

[On My Own]

Someone said "Kao Yuma Shun Olympic team" on twitter, and I need hanyu and uno to come back now, I feel like I'm going through a bad break where I messed it up severely

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Just finished watching Oly diving. There are two things they do scoring wise that would improve scoring in skating.

1. They are much harsher. For example, if you don`t quite finish an element and go in the water crooked you get a major ding. No 85, you get 45. So winner is the person who is as close to perfection on ALL the dives (elements) as possible. The winner is often 20 points ahead. The score don`t bunch around at the top with the truly remarkable getting a similar score to the very good.

2. The low/high scores are not counted. This would lessen 2 problems in skating - judges who aren`t knowledgeable enough and reputation scoring. The final score is a representative of the judging panel and not something thrown off by a weird score.

OK. Counts for nothing but I just felt like mouthing off.

 

[tony]

Just finished watching Oly diving. There are two things they do scoring wise that would improve scoring in skating.

2. The low/high scores are not counted. This would lessen 2 problems in skating - judges who aren`t knowledgeable enough and reputation scoring. The final score is a representative of the judging panel and not something thrown off by a weird score.

Tell me you don't know the rules without telling me you don't know the rules.

And to your first point, although at the mercy of three technical panelists, going "into the water crooked" would be the equivalent of a < or << in skating, which then brings down the element score massively. Diving is based on one element per round. Skating is based on many more, so it's not really an apt comparison between sports with the big scoring difference in that one element.

 

[On My Own]

1. They are much harsher. For example, if you don`t quite finish an element and go in the water crooked you get a major ding. No 85, you get 45. So winner is the person who is as close to perfection on ALL the dives (elements) as possible. The winner is often 20 points ahead. The score don`t bunch around at the top with the truly remarkable getting a similar score to the very good.

I think this is like GOE for each element in skating.

2. The low/high scores are not counted. This would lessen 2 problems in skating - judges who aren`t knowledgeable enough and reputation scoring. The final score is a representative of the judging panel and not something thrown off by a weird score.

It does happen in fs scoring - but actually, I don't believe it reduces anything by doing this at least in fs. Most scores, due to corridor and reputation judging, are already bunched together. So trimming the mean, I don't believe, helps in alleviating anything.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Tell me you don't know the rules without telling me you don't know the rules.

And to your first point, although at the mercy of three technical panelists, going "into the water crooked" would be the equivalent of a < or << in skating, which then brings down the element score massively. Diving is based on one element per round. Skating is based on many more, so it's not really an apt comparison between sports with the big scoring difference in that one element.

But, there are a lot of complaints here about international judges having different/uneven understandings of the rules. That`s going to continue. Looking for something to lessen the sting.

6dives = 8 elements (theoretically). What if you got next to nothing for a lazy, ugly spin? Or, unintentionally rounded turns in a step sequence. Afterall, this IS elite skating.

No Tony, I don`t think this is the best of all possible worlds.

 

[On My Own]

But, there are a lot of complaints here about international judges having different/uneven understandings of the rules. That`s going to continue. Looking for something to lessen the sting.

6dives = 8 elements (theoretically). What if you got next to nothing for a lazy, ugly spin? Or, unintentionally rounded turns in a step sequence. Afterall, this IS elite skating.

No Tony, I don`t think this is the best of all possible worlds.

That's what is theoretically being done by the tech panelists and the judges...

The problem with skating judges is largely corridor judging.

 

[On My Own]

Sakamoto has fantastic skating skills, but tbh, if she's on the track to winning 5 world titles as well as an olympic gold, it wouldn't sit well with me. Michelle has 5, without an olympic gold, Mao has 3 without an olympic gold, Yuna does have an olympic gold, but only two world titles... I don't think Sakamoto holds a candle to any of those three.

Hopefully there'll be more competition this season.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Sakamoto has fantastic skating skills, but tbh, if she's on the track to winning 5 world titles as well as an olympic gold, it wouldn't sit well with me. Michelle has 5, without an olympic gold, Mao has 3 without an olympic gold, Yuna does have an olympic gold, but only two world titles... I don't think Sakamoto holds a candle to any of those three.

Hopefully there'll be more competition this season.

Yeah, we`re seeing what we`ve always seen (let me guess, start with a 2A that ends in a long curved flow out). The Russians are gone; what direction with the sport now take? A 3a with Kostner artistry? No lady out of juniors has a regular 4. That`s a goal. Some 3-3s are pretty tough and unusual (3lz3L). Ladies has become rather boring.

 

[On My Own]

I did not think Kostner was artistic, and I guess this is the perfect thread to be saying that. (I also thought her Sochi LP was awful, when it comes to talking about that)

I also don't mean women's is boring. There are some women who skate beautifully, and they're much better than the men for me (the men who're considered "artistic" anyway). I just don't think the scoring is doing anyone any favours.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I did not think Kostner was artistic

Say what?

Did you ever see her short program from Sochi?

 

[On My Own]

Say what?

Did you ever see her short program from Sochi?

Yes?

 

[Bigbird]

I wouldn't say I like Valieva's Bolero, I much prefer Karolina Costner. In fact I much prefer Karolina to Ms. Valieva, any day of the week. I don't get the fuss about her. Yes the extensions are great, but......

 

[On My Own]

Oh. I've found myself only ever wanting to rewatch P/C's 2016 Worlds FD from their entire body of work. I think that's a brilliant, brilliant program, and also the only one that I actually feeling the need to go back to. Stunning skaters, just... turned boring, in the 2018-22 quad, for me.

 

[Bigbird]

Oh. I've found myself only ever wanting to rewatch P/C's 2016 Worlds FD from their entire body of work. I think that's a brilliant, brilliant program, and also the only one that I actually feeling the need to go back to. Stunning skaters, just... turned boring, in the 2018-22 quad, for me.

Aww. Loved that one, but my all time faves are Find Me, Sunday Afternoon, Tango, Paso Doble. Can you blame them though? The judges seemed prejudiced to accept a particular style. But these I can watch on repeat, not to mention their Power Over Me Gala. Sigh.

 

[Andora]

Yeah, we`re seeing what we`ve always seen (let me guess, start with a 2A that ends in a long curved flow out). The Russians are gone; what direction with the sport now take? A 3a with Kostner artistry? No lady out of juniors has a regular 4. That`s a goal. Some 3-3s are pretty tough and unusual (3lz3L). Ladies has become rather boring.

Hardly. Ladies was boring AF with pre-rotated (and ugly) quads and, honestly, not a decent 3A to be found. Russians brought small, ugly skating and I didn't bother watching the discipline. I don't watch juniors, why were we forced to watch it in ladies skating?

That doesn't mean I think Sakamoto is on the level of Kwan, but she's definitely been the best, most consistent ladies' skater of the bunch. She's not been unbeatable at all - if ladies skating is boring now, it's hardly on her.

But the russians coming back will destroy what's left of the sport. God, give me Irina Slutskaya over anything out of Eteri's stable.

I did not think Kostner was artistic, and I guess this is the perfect thread to be saying that.

I think her perceived artistry is overblown, possibly because her style was so different from her contemporaries. (Tall, an adult, etc)
I technically enjoyed Sotnikova's FP in 2014 more than Kostner's, but that's just a matter of taste. I know Carolina was more artistic.

 

[On My Own]

Aww. Loved that one, but my all time faves are Find Me, Sunday Afternoon, Tango, Paso Doble. Can you blame them though? The judges seemed prejudiced to accept a particular style. But these I can watch on repeat, not to mention their Power Over Me Gala. Sigh.

I mean I don't bother with rewatching anyone else's FDs at all from the 2014-22 period, if it helps?

 

[On My Own]

I think her perceived artistry is overblown, possibly because her style was so different from her contemporaries. (Tall, an adult, etc)

I thought she was considered more artistic than Mao, which I didn't really agree with. She was much too close to Yuna on PCS much of the time, too, for me.

Again it's just opinions, and unpopular ones at that, so that's what I think. Kostner when she was younger was very sloppy with her body movement, and while she had very nice edge work even when young, she had little control over her skating because of the speed. All these aspects improved, but her issues didn't vanish, for me.

Although, to your point, I do agree her artistry came off much better when placed next to the Russian girls, so probably people remember her more fondly for it.

 

[Fiero425]

I did not think Kostner was artistic, and I guess this is the perfect thread to be saying that. (I also thought her Sochi LP was awful, when it comes to talking about that)

I also don't mean women's is boring. There are some women who skate beautifully, and they're much better than the men for me (the men who're considered "artistic" anyway). I just don't think the scoring is doing anyone any favours.

Poor Carolina was thrown to the wolves so early; putting so much pressure on her as a teenager to do well in Turin back in '06! She was never very artistic w/ her speed of skate & jumps keeping her in the running for medals! As long as Russia isn't participating, it's like "Baseball" before being re-integrated in the 50's!

 

[Bigbird]

I'm still waiting for a new V/M or P/C to wow me. I don't see that team yet. Are there any prospects that have caught your eye? Will ice dance judging ever make sense? Legit question here.

 

[irenemulindwairen]

I'm still waiting for a new V/M or P/C to wow me. I don't see that team yet. Are there any prospects that have caught your eye? Will ice dance judging ever make sense? Legit question here.

Lajoie and Lagha come to mind.

 

[Wyliefan]

Both Neset/Markelov and Aboian/Veselukhin are very young still, but I think have the potential to get there. And Grimm/Savitskiy are another team to keep an eye on; they're so entirely themselves that they'll never fit the mold of V/M or P/C or anyone else, but they're creating a pretty special mold of their own.