A Figure Skating Blog
Figure skating isn’t all just toe loops and twirls. Figure skaters fall. A lot. When learning a new jump or lift, they fall hundreds, even thousands of times. Most falls are harmless, but occasionally, things get ugly. Here are eight recent examples from the world of competitive figure skating (in order from bruising to downright […]
I was watching some old figure skating footage on YouTube, which is totally addictive by the way. Specifically, I was reliving Liz Manley’s free program from the ‘88 Olympics–I know, I know, I was in a rather nostalgic mood. During the performance the commentators made a rather big deal that Liz Manley was seeing a […]
A drawback to living in Malta with no TV for the next couple of months is that I’m relegated to watching skating on YouTube–and it’s not pretty. In fact, it’s so desperate that I haven’t seen Jessica Dube and Bryce Davidson’s Skate America free program yet. Someone post it please!
I’m guessing that the long program […]
Skating fans will remember French figure skater and three-time Olympian Surya Bonaly for her high-flying jumps, athleticism and flexibility. Or you may remember Bonaly for her defiant attitude at the 1994 World Championships where she believed she was robbed of a gold medal and so stood beside the podium instead of on it. She eventually […]
Gary Beacom is a true independent in figure skating. He adopted a signature style of skating that adheres to scientific principles (he's got a degree in Physics) and focuses on edges considerably more than jumps. Skate Canada (then the Canadian Figure Skating Association) certainly didn't 'get' him and considered him a rebel. Despite choosing to […]
Why won't Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen and Emanuel Sandhu retire? Okay, I can see the temptation for Sandhu to hang on for the Olympics in his hometown, but the US ladies must know that their time has come and gone, especially after what happened in Turino.
Sasha Cohen registered to compete in this year's US Figure […]
There was a lot of discussion around the fact that none of the Olympic champions would be going to Worlds in Calgary. While that fact seemed to bother a number of figure skating columnists it certainly didn’t bother me. I say bring on the next generation of skaters!
In the past I’ve found Worlds after Olympics […]
After last week’s ladies Olympic long program my adult figure skating students were inspired to work on spiral sequences and improve their turns and foot work in this week’s lesson. That’s because the quality of free skating has improved so much due to the new judging system that audiences are beginning to enjoy the […]
The women demonstrated tremendous athleticism and artistry in the short program in Turin. I had high expectations for the women’s event and so far the skaters have not disappointed.
Sadly, the same can’t be said for the men. The last two seasons have been a display of inconsistent jumping, off-ice theatrics and lack-luster performances.
While watching Emanuel […]