Community Chat

[SeaMaiden]

I remember watching Tara skate years ago for the gold(Tara Lipinski 1998 Nagano Olympic  ...... she was amazing as she flew and jumped on the ice  so beautiful and poetic.  Never has been anyone like her since as far as I am concerned. I enjoy her commentary now.

Here is the video of her skate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXCl7YeVQ34&feature=player_embedded

[songbird]

---

@deepwaterdotter wrote:

---

@Vivian Florimond wrote:

I was a figure skater years ago and followed the sport closely. However, after a scandal led to a complicated scoring system that affected the creativity of routines, my interest waned. Also, American women, who used to be at the top of the sport, are not the presence they used to be. If I happen to find a figure skating competition while I’m channel surfing I’ll watch but I no longer go out of my way to follow the sport.

---

The Russian training program is turning out many of the powerhouses in current ladies' competitive figure skating. 

---

I agree.  US skating team this year really very bad. Wost it has been years.  But I love to watch Russian skaters, so I watch the Grand Pre series.  And I watched the Russian chapionship/European championship on youtube ater they are put up.  

[hckynut]

---

@Vivian Florimond wrote:

I was a figure skater years ago and followed the sport closely. However, after a scandal led to a complicated scoring system that affected the creativity of routines, my interest waned. Also, American women, who used to be at the top of the sport, are not the presence they used to be. If I happen to find a figure skating competition while I’m channel surfing I’ll watch but I no longer go out of my way to follow the sport.

---

@Vivian

I know figure skating has changed and I think Scott Hamilton may have usured in more jumps and those things. Just a comment, not a criticism of Scott, as I loved watching him skate.

Hockey changes rules every year and some I think are good for the sport, for both the fans and the players. Others? Not so much. As a Referee for over 30+ years, some rules are just plain ridiculous, too many "gray/grey" areas that put too much discretion for the refs to use their judgement, thus not easy "black and white" calls. Hockey is too fast a game to make rules that put more pressure, and decisions on the "On Ice Officials". Dangerous job just being out there, believe me!

Been a NY Ranger fan since the 1960's, good or bad teams. They went 7-8 years not even making the Post Season (Playoffs), very weak teams, hut I stuck with them.

Nothing will ever change my love for ice skating, as a fan, or once again as a skater. Looking forward to Winter Games, especially the skating ones. Good if the United States has top participants, but my primary reason is to see great skating, regardless of the Country being represented. Too bad that some turmoil took away your interest in the beauty and skill it takes to be a good or a great ice skater.

hckynut(john)

[corita]

     I found the "Olympic channel" around Thanksgiving of last year.  Did not know there was such a channel.   Have watched all the Grande Prix skate events and the reruns of past Olympic skate events.   

     I love to watch the free skates of the pairs and dance skaters.  I am not liking the men's and women's events as much as in past years.  There does not seem to be as much focus on "skating skills and technique".  There is so much emphasis on jumps that many of the presentations are just steps between jumps!!!   

     While growing up,  I ice skated at an artificial rink.  I lived out of the US where it never snows or ices over. Never really got to be good, but I could do a spiral or two or a spread eagle!!  Also, it was a fun place to meet nice, young men....

[Katcat1]

@chessylady  I briefly watched it.  I don't recognize any of the skaters any more.  Gone are the days of Nancy and Tonya although the news is bringing back more of Tonya's lies that she did not plan the attack.  That woman is out of touch with reality.

[cimeranrose]

I've always enjoyed watching figure skating, especially during the 1980's and 1990's when Goordeeva and Grinkov were skating pairs - nobody could ever even come close to their artistry. I still miss them - it was such a tragedy that Grinkov died so young.

I don't really follow the sport like I used to although I like to still watch the Olympic figure skating programs. I was happy that Charlie White and Meryl Davis won gold during the last Olympics - they deserved to win for sure. Meryl is a beautiful skater.

Growing up in the northeast, skating was a fun way to be outdoors in the winter.

[LilacTree]

---

@cimeranrose wrote:

I've always enjoyed watching figure skating, especially during the 1980's and 1990's when Goordeeva and Grinkov were skating pairs - nobody could ever even come close to their artistry. I still miss them - it was such a tragedy that Grinkov died so young.

I don't really follow the sport like I used to although I like to still watch the Olympic figure skating programs. I was happy that Charlie White and Meryl Davis won gold during the last Olympics - they deserved to win for sure. Meryl is a beautiful skater.

Growing up in the northeast, skating was a fun way to be outdoors in the winter.

---

@cimeranrose

You were watching at the same time I was.  I loved G&G also, she was so beautiful and graceful and they were so in love in RL.  I was horrified when he died on the ice . . . in a moment, he was gone.  It took a long time for her to get over that tragedy, but she did remarry another skater and I believe they have had children together.

Do you remember the "Dueling Carmens?"  I so wanted Debi Thomas to win, but Katerina Witt beat her out.  I saw KW several times in person here after she started doing all the skating shows.

Then there was Torville & Dean, who changed ice dancing forever.

But my very favorite was Michelle Kwan, who was perfect on the ice.  She never won the Olympic gold medal, but in my eyes, she was like a butterfly on the ice, had an unbelievable "spiral," the best ever.  She won five Worlds, but came up short with the silver in the Olympics that season.  I think that was the year Lipinski won the gold. 

I pretty much lost interest after those years.

[meallen616]

Always enjoy the ice skating, thanks for posting,

[cimeranrose]

@LilacTree, several years ago, I bought Ekaterina Goordeeva's  book "My Sergei" and also the DVD by the same name which Ekaterina narrated - I enjoyed reading about  their love story and watching the DVD that included several of their skating programs. I get the DVD out every once in awhile. Their love for each other was so apparent when they skated together. You're right, Ekaterina did marry a second time to Illia Kulik (I think he was a Russian Olympic figure skater). They had one daughter together and then of course Ekaterina had daughter Daria with Sergei. Daria looks so much like her father.

I also liked Michelle Kwan and felt so bad for her when she didn't win the gold medal at either of the 2 Olympics she competed in (I think it was 2). If I remember correctly, she and her long time coach Frank Carrol parted company right before the Olympics (I don't remember the details but it seemed the rumor was her dad had something to do with letting Carrol go). Michelle's dad was her coach for that Olympics and you could tell that parting with Carrol right before the Olympics affected her negatively.

I do remember the rivalry between the dueling Carmens. I wanted Debi Thomas to win too but I think Witt was the stronger one mentally and got to Thomas unfortunately.

[LilacTree]

---

@cimeranrose wrote:

@LilacTree, several years ago, I bought Ekaterina Goordeeva's  book "My Sergei" and also the DVD by the same name which Ekaterina narrated - I enjoyed reading about  their love story and watching the DVD that included several of their skating programs. I get the DVD out every once in awhile. Their love for each other was so apparent when they skated together. You're right, Ekaterina did marry a second time to Illia Kulik (I think he was a Russian Olympic figure skater). They had one daughter together and then of course Ekaterina had daughter Daria with Sergei. Daria looks so much like her father.

I also liked Michelle Kwan and felt so bad for her when she didn't win the gold medal at either of the 2 Olympics she competed in (I think it was 2). If I remember correctly, she and her long time coach Frank Carrol parted company right before the Olympics (I don't remember the details but it seemed the rumor was her dad had something to do with letting Carrol go). Michelle's dad was her coach for that Olympics and you could tell that parting with Carrol right before the Olympics affected her negatively.

I do remember the rivalry between the dueling Carmens. I wanted Debi Thomas to win too but I think Witt was the stronger one mentally and got to Thomas unfortunately.

---

@cimeranrose

Oh yes, I remember the book "Katya" wrote, "My Sergei."  I never did get to read it though.  I was glad she did find happiness again, and I do remember Ilia Kulik, very cute boy, had really cute "red cheeks."  I was happy for them both.

You're right about Witt . . . nothing could make that very strong woman nervous, IMO, LOL.  Debi did get rattled.  She ended up finishing med school and became a doctor.

I do not like this current American blonde skater (name escapes me), I have seen her a couple of times and she seems to have a really snobby attitude even though she can't touch the skaters of the past who we are talking about . . . she's just average, IMO.  She's too big, for one thing.  The little Asian girls are tiny, closer to the ice, and very graceful.  They will be hard to beat.