Special Figures

[Isk8NYC]

Figureskates -

Now that hurricane season is over, and you presumably weren't attacked by irate weather victims, thought you might like to see this page from Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_figures

I especially liked the illustration.

[Jason Graetz]

Thanks so much for posting this. I have found it very hard to find info about antique figures. If anyone else knows any other references to this please help!!!

[skateflo]

In this world of modern technology, many people seem to feel that if it is not on the internet the information is impossible to find.

There are many old skating books that have the special figures in them - I have at least 13 in my collection including one that actually has the foot directions for doing them. I had compliled and photocopied them for Lori Nichol several years ago.

If you want, I will post the authors and titles - some can still be found via the internet for used books...... You might also check any big library near you or if your state has interlibrary loan.

[Figureskates]

Thanks for posting this.

Tow years ago at Lake Placid there was an 18 year old girl who did allsorts of intricate patterns. She did a thing called a pineapple, which when done had the pattern of a pineapple.

Talk about control...this gal had it and such speed too!! (We need a jealous gremlin!)

[Skate@Delaware]

I have the History of Figure Skating book and there is a section on figures. We are trying to get figures resurrected at my rink. Even some of the young girls have requested them!!! Our resident advisor (who is 82) is always talking about them. I even have a scribe ready to roll!

[Sonic]

I have the History of Figure Skating book and there is a section on figures. We are trying to get figures resurrected at my rink. Even some of the young girls have requested them!!! Our resident advisor (who is 82) is always talking about them. I even have a scribe ready to roll!

Funnily enough, my dance coach and I were talking about this very thing on the way to the rink the other day!

When I skated the first time, unfortunately I couldn't get to the rink enough to do figures, but really wish I had.

IMHO, figures are to skating what scales are to musicians; yes, they may be boring to some but they help enmormously with technique.

S xxx

[SkatingOnClouds]

Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!
When I skated years ago we had to do an hour of figures before we were allowed to warm up to freeskate. As a 20 something I hated figures. Sooo boring. I dunno about everyone else, but I don't know anyone under 35 who actually liked doing them.

Of course now I am 47, and I was only saying the other day that I kinda miss them. I agree that they are good for technique, good for control. Oh, but they are boring. I am quite happy to do circles, just not having to perfect all sorts of turns etc and make them the be all and end all of skating.

[skateflo]

Probably the easiest old book to find that has both 'special figures' and 'school figures' is "The Art of Skating" by Irving Brokaw, c. 1926, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.

The original post of the this thread referred to 'Special Figures' which had their own competitions starting in the 1890's.

One of the major skating magazines recently had an interview with Tom Dickson who praised the speech given by Janet Lynn at this year's PSA conference where she spoke of the value of learning 'school figures.'

[manleywoman]

One of the major skating magazines recently had an interview with Tom Dickson who praised the speech given by Janet Lynn at this year's PSA conference where she spoke of the value of learning 'school figures.'
which magazine?

[skateflo]

I'm going to have to take a guess here, as I just checked all my most current mags......I think it is in the current Blades On Ice (which is available at major book store mag racks....) I just mailed my copy to a friend in NYC so that is the only recent one I don't have.

[Hannah]

8O

Wow! Some of those are incredible! I'm lucky if I can go in a straight line...

[skate_star]

I started skating just 5 years ago, and I've done figures. My skating club did not believe in figures, but my coach did, so when we had morning ice that was pretty empty, we'd work on figures. It helped a ton with my skating. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think that the reason figures were taken out of skating was because skating became a spectator sport.....and figures are, well, boring to watch. Figures help greatly with edges, and without edges, it is impossible to skate. I think that getting rid of figures has decreased the quality of skating.

[saras]

In this world of modern technology, many people seem to feel that if it is not on the internet the information is impossible to find.

There are many old skating books that have the special figures in them - I have at least 13 in my collection including one that actually has the foot directions for doing them. I had compliled and photocopied them for Lori Nichol several years ago.

If you want, I will post the authors and titles - some can still be found via the internet for used books...... You might also check any big library near you or if your state has interlibrary loan.

Please do post a list of authors/titles! I have a few in my library at home, I'll compile a list too.

ANd if you're up for sending out a copy of the packet you compiled for Lori Nichol...please contact me! Sara
(saraterry@gmail DOt com)

[skateflo]

Sara - I'll send you a private email. The books are english and some are international.

Brokaw's book still has the best of both, so I would advise you see if you can find a copy.

Sorry I can't photocopy the drawings for you at this time.

[Jason Graetz]

It's true...figures are incredibly boring...and even more boring to watch. The reason they are gone is definately economic. You'll never see it on television...so it will never bring in money. This definately ends up costing the skaters more. After having a lesson, a skater would be left to practice and progress on their own. This would improve their core skating. Today you need more coach guidance in order to gain the same skills. Unfortunately field moves don't replace figures in the same way.

It's great to hear that some are still trying to keep them going. The payoff in skill is worth it.

Thanks for all the great posts on this topic. Really good information about all the publications.

[Isk8NYC]

It's true...figures are incredibly boring...and even more boring to watch.I don't find {creating}them to be boring, although hours of practice on any one thing can be unbearable. To watch them being done for more than 15 minutes is boring, I agree. However, many skaters today would benefit from studying the position and posture. Those vary from figure to figure.

However, I LOVE to look at the beautiful patterns laid on the pristine ice once they're done. Most specially, the creative patterns. I remember one ISI figures competition where a girl "drew" the Flag on the ice. (She's now a coach in NJ.) It would be a great "tour" for the spectators if you laid out runners between the completed patterns so the fans could see what the judges see.

[manleywoman]

I don't find them boring either. I find it a challnege to try to perfect my technique each step of the way.

[Isk8NYC]

No offense intended, Manleywoman.

Mr. Graetz is probably more interested in TV ratings since he is part of the Extreme Ice Skating / Ice Tricks movement. Not that there's anything wrong with juggling flaming batons while skating ... ;) Given our demographics, it's amazing his organization is even interested in these forums. (Of course, it does inflate their search engine "hits.")

It's true...figures are incredibly boring...and even more boring to watch. The reason they are gone is definately economic. You'll never see it on television...so it will never bring in money. This definately ends up costing the skaters more. After having a lesson, a skater would be left to practice and progress on their own. This would improve their core skating. Today you need more coach guidance in order to gain the same skills. Unfortunately field moves don't replace figures in the same way.

[Jason Graetz]

No offense intended, Manleywoman.

Mr. Graetz is probably more interested in TV ratings since he is part of the Extreme Ice Skating / Ice Tricks movement. Not that there's anything wrong with juggling flaming batons while skating ... ;) Given our demographics, it's amazing his organization is even interested in these forums. (Of course, it does inflate their search engine "hits.")


I am actually very interested in figures and could care less about television ratings.

I find it sad that figures have practically disappeared completely. Antique figures are facinating to me. I did figures for 11 years. I was never really good at it. I only passed half of my fourth. I used to enjoy writing my name on one foot. That's why I think this thread is great...and positive. I also requested in a private message to one of the members that they send me the publication list they mentioned.

I never mentioned anything about my site in this thread....but thanks. For the record...I'm not solely interested in juggling on ice.

[Isk8NYC]

I wasn't being snarky, I was explaining why I DO believe you're more concerned about TV ratings than the other people on this site. That wasn't meant as a slight -- I have absolutely no concerns about TV ratings, other than how it impacts my being able to view skating events. You're in a different situation than most of us here who aren't professional show skaters. (FWIW, I loved the Lion in the Wizard of Oz.)

I do wish your joining this board hadn't meant so many posts of the same press release, but you've been well-behaved, I must say.
We mods have enough work already with the spammers posting lonely hearts, cell phone, and porn ads.

Anyway, back to the original poster (Oh, it was ME!)

Next time the skaters on this site are killing time on the ice, stalling off working on whatever you're SUPPOSED to be doing, ice-doodle a cute figure and tell us about it. (Or, post a picture!)

[Isk8NYC]

I used to enjoy writing my name on one foot.Script or print? PICTURES! WE WANT PICTURES!

[blue111moon]

Personally, I don't fingures boring to do or to watch. (Although it does get very cold, just watching. :)) To me there is something really beautiful about seeing a talented skater tracing an elegant figure on clear ice. And since figures have never (at least in the 40 something years that I've been watching skating on TV) been televised, it's tough to say how dropping them directly impacted ratings.
I do know that I'd watch a figure event before I'd sit through a poker tournament or arm-wrestling but that's just me. :)

Again speaking personally, I find field moves way more boring than figures. And I've noticed a lot more people at my end of the ice watching me go around in circles than there are watching the kids (mostly their own) doing field moves. In fact, when we got off the ice a week or two ago, I heard one of the mothers ask her child if she wouldn't like to try "those circle things" for a while rather than keep falling on her jumps all the time. Kid said no, but hey, someone's paying attention. :)

[Isk8NYC]

I remember watching the Olympics TV coverage where they showed Robin Cousins and Dorothy Hamill doing their figures competition sections. There was a "color" piece on Dorothy's big glasses - her coach didn't want them to create blind spots when she was executing a figure, so they were oversized.

I watched because I was a big fan, everyone else wandered off because they were bored. I can understand people being bored watching the tracings from a distance.

I still like my Tracings Tours idea where people can walk on the ice and gawk at the completed figures.

[manleywoman]

Skateflo, I'd love that list of books too. I have some books, but would love to see more.

[saras]

the one with the best pictures of Special Figures is a book commemorating the first 50 years of the Cambridge Skating Club (Massachussets) - published in 1948 I believe. They had a test structure apparently that included some of the fancier figures (grapevines and the like - stuff NOT on the USFSA standard figures track).

I have a collection of books with figures in them - but most cover the standard track figures.

I *adore* working on figures. I passed my 3rd test last summer - I'm working on my 4th test now (and the Adult Gold figures test), and may yet pass them some day. But then, I even liked them when I skated in high school - I got through my Juv test at that point. When I came back to skating twenty-some-odd years later, I took the USFSA Adult Figures tests (Bronze and Silver) to get back to where I was before, and then picked up at the 3rd test.

Sara

[skateflo]

Sara,
I tried to email you the book list, but the email came back......

So since others are interested, I will post the books I used for 'Special Figures.' If anyone has Alice Berman's "Skater's Edge Sourcebook, Vol 2" it has a fabulous biblio section that you could get more details than what I am about to list (author, title, date of publication:)

Adams - 'Skating' Rev. Ed 1892
ISU of A - 'Internatinal Skaters Handbook' ?1911
Monier-Williams - 'Figure Skating Simple & Combined, Vol II
Benson - 'English Figure Skating' 1908
Revel - 'Das Eissport Buch' 1928
Brokaw - 'The Art of Skating' 1926
Meagher - 'Guide to Artistic Skating' 1919
Brokaw - 'The Art of Skating' (Spalding red cover)
George Browne - 'The Handbook of Figure Skating for use on Ice' 1910
George Brown - Cambridge Skating Club
George Helfrich - Berliner Schlittschub Club

As you can see most of these books are about 90-100 years old now. Some of the more famous special figures have appeared in various books over the decades as part of 'skating history.' The only 'modern' skater that I ever heard of doing 'special figures' was Gary Beacom.....

The argument continues over the value of doing school figures versus MIF. Sadly, as time passes, many coaches are no longer teaching that were raised on figures and could pass them on to their students. The current PSA magazine has the full text of Janet Lynn's speach at their conference, that Tom Dickson so highly referred to recently.

[saras]

Sara,
I tried to email you the book list, but the email came back......

<snip>

As you can see most of these books are about 90-100 years old now. Some of the more famous special figures have appeared in various books over the decades as part of 'skating history.' The only 'modern' skater that I ever heard of doing 'special figures' was Gary Beacom.....



Weird re the email Flo - I sent you a PM ;)

Jennifer Robinson did a maltese cross at the start of a program within the last few years - I'll have to look at the video I have to see what competition it was for -

Thanks for the list!

Sara

[Jason Graetz]

I still mess around sometimes with writing my name...in script of course...the trick is to do the whole thing in one shot on one foot. The creative part is figuring out which transitions are best for each letter...loops, three turns, brackets, ect. I'll try and get a pic posted...