LEAST favorite skating move or figure or jump...

[Lulia]

There is a thread on your favorite skating moves, but what about one on the least beautiful, most ugly, all-out gross skating movement you never want to see again? :)

I dislike: Besti squats: sheesh, even the name is ugly. And it looks like a hen about to lay an egg. Not elegant at all.

Catchfoot spins(or catchfoot anything...): when I see those, I always fell like I'm watching a klutzy kid trying to impress his mother. "Look ma, what I can do!"

So, what's YOUR least favorite move?

[skaternum]

Hmmmm, I think the infamous "GynoLift" from a season or two ago should be on this list. Bleeech!

[jenlyon60]

That "butt ugly" spin that a few skaters have started doing. I don't know if it has an official name or not.

[Lucy25]

Illusion spins and that spin that Sasha does at the end of a lot of her programs (especially her SP's) where she pulls up her leg to her face. That spin is downright ugly.

[bleu]

footworks - I dunno. I think ' so here is where the skaters add something something to the program so that s/he can go to the other end of the rink and ...'

[mikey]

Skid spirals. Blech...

[StarshineXavier]

I dislike footwork with tons of stops throughout (a la Plushenko, Honda, Cohen). I don't like catchfoot spins either.

[Azlynn]

Originally posted by Lucy25
Illusion spins and that spin that Sasha does at the end of a lot of her programs (especially her SP's) where she pulls up her leg to her face. That spin is downright ugly.

I second detesting that spin... ugh. However, I like illusions.

[seahag]

What is an illusion spin? And I dislike the besti squat.

[icenut84]

Originally posted by seahag
What is an illusion spin?

An illusion spin is when the skater is in a camel position, and then their body bobs up and down like a windmill. E.g. their upper body will swoop towards the ice while their free leg rises up (so their body is still parallel), and then swoops up again while their leg goes down. If you repeat it continuously, it's an illusion spin. This is the body position during the swoop down:

http://www.aerodromes.com/Wbrook/Image144.gif

(It's not held, they swoop back up again straight away. Ideally, the swoop down and up should take one rotation to complete).

[loveskating]

There is no element or move in skating that I find ugly in and of itself...all are enormously difficult and wonderful...some do them badly, half heartedly, not well, in which case they ought to practise more before they incorporate them in their programs.

I even love the Beastie Squat spreadeagle...I loved Kulk's use of it, particularly in his 98 SP, and adored it in Michelle's Red Violin...it all depends, for me, on whether the element is expressive of the music in some fashion...in figure skating, the music is not just a background, but an expressive medium as reflected in the presentation rule that the skater must skate from within, not just do as their coach tells them, and must appropriately express the meaning of the music.

As for Sasha's side catch spin, done most often at the end of her programs, I think it is athletically MAGNIFICENT, a feat, and I love to see her do it...I always love it when a delicate, beautiful female with blockbuster presentation does something stupendous athletically...talk about "having your cake and eating it too"...no feminist alive would not be thrilled at the very idea that someone like Sasha can do the hard stuff, and better than anyone ever has. It is NOT a pretty spin, not meant to be, decidely...its meant to be athletically impressive, and it is.

The backflip is "athleticaly impressive" to many, but the back flip is 100 times easier than Sasha's side catch spin...

[seahag]

Thanks, icenut84. I have seen it, didn't know what it was called, but liked it. An illusion spin.

[Aaron W]

I absolutely despise when a dance team does a regression in their straightline/diagonal footwork sequence. I prefer to see a team continue the movement and not stop & move "backwards" which ruins the overall flow of that step sequence. This was something that really got on my nerves during the OD's from the '02 Olympic season. It's not allowed now, but it was allowed that season. I recall Belbin & Agosto, Anissina & Peizerat, and Lobacheva & Averbukh being teams that did not regress which made their OD's that much more enjoyable for me personally. On the other hand, I seem to recall Bourne & Kraatz and Fusar-Poli & Margaglio having a regression in their footwork which really annoyed me.

[Pupiczech]

Sasha's final spin, gross. Bielman spin. A bad entrance into a death spiral, like Totmianina's, butt up, looking like she is going to squat on a toilet. I also hate the Moskvina final spin that Ina/Zimmerman, B/S do.

I LOVE skid spirals. And some Besti squats are ok. However the one that Abitbol did in the death spiral was HORRID! Talk about a crotch shot.

Most of the illusion spins are ugly, but Sarah Hughes has the best I've seen.

The worst Charlotte is Rudy Galindo's.

[susan6]

Any skating move that has the skater's butt higher than his or her head is aesthetically displeasing to me. This includes Sandhu's butt-spin (whatever it is called) and Charlotte spirals.

Poorly done Biellmann spins also annoy me, although well-done Biellmanns are tolerable.

Sasha's finishing spin would not be so bad if she didn't always have that desperate, "got....to...get....this....foot....upthere" weird look on her face.

Programs with lengthy sections of toe-work 'n' posing annoy me. I can do toe-work. Elite skaters should NOT be wasting time doing things that even I can do. Same goes for handwaving 'n' two-footed skating. (Cough, cough, Plushenko, cough.)

[Lucy25]

I always love it when a delicate, beautiful female with blockbuster presentation does something stupendous athletically...talk about "having your cake and eating it too"...no feminist alive would not be thrilled at the very idea that someone like Sasha can do the hard stuff, and better than anyone ever has. It is NOT a pretty spin, not meant to be, decidely...its meant to be athletically impressive, and it is.

I don't think anyone would argue that it is an easy move. However, it is not attractive and she tends to do it at the end of a beautiful program, like her SP from 2002. This ruins the whole program, IMO. Just because a skater can do a move, doesn't mean they should do it.

I agree with the raised butts in the entry of a death spiral, and the stop and go footwork. I have also never been a fan of the split twist that pairs have to do. It just looks clumsy and awkward no matter who is doing it.

[sk8ing is lyfe]

I love sasha's spin because it is athletic...(I am NOT a sasha fan though!!!) I think the ugliest move is spread eagles, which arent...
People who are trying to learn them. When their knees are slightly bent, and their butts stick out... It just looks so awkward!!!!EWWWW

[Canadian Chick]

I hate Shoot the Ducks, Illusion Spins, bad death spiral entrances and badly done spirals.

[skatingvision]

I actually like Sasha's I spin. I absolutely hate Illusions spins, they are extremely ugly. Also, Sarah's Y-Spin is hideous. It's extremely ugly. That position she gets is torture to the eyes.

[Berry Bear]

(1) Besti squats look a little obscene, especially for the ladies IMO. 8O

(2) Ugly entrances and rotations in a death spiral (position of the bum) :??

(3) Uneven splits when doing split double/triple twists. Some female pair partners are fond of doing lopsided splits, and it spoils the overall aesthetic feel of an exciting split twist. :(

[Gaela]

no feminist alive would not be thrilled at the very idea that someone like Sasha can do the hard stuff, and better than anyone ever has.

Although Sasha does some magnificant stuff in truth some feminists alive are most thrilled when Sasha splats, because they dislike the baby ballerina ideal she represents. :D

[Alexeiskate]

Some skaters have quirky preparation that they do before entering jumps that are quite distracting. e.g. Liashanko's entrance for the toe and flip.

[icyboid]

Originally posted by susan6
Any skating move that has the skater's butt higher than his or her head is aesthetically displeasing to me. This includes Sandhu's butt-spin (whatever it is called) and Charlotte spirals.

Poorly done Biellmann spins also annoy me, although well-done Biellmanns are tolerable.


ITA, especially Sandhu's butt-ugly butt spin...although I like Charlotte spirals if the execution is smooth and not jarring.

Besti squats are the ugly stepsisters of the much more pleasing spreadeagle.

[viennese]

(A bad entrance into a death spiral, like Totmianina's, butt up, looking like she is going to squat on a toilet.)

this had me laughing. something about the butt-out death spiral entry reminds me of dogs doing their business.

[GreekGoddess85]

I love Sasha's I spin
I do not like Y spins

[Skatingsarah]

HOLD UP!

FIRST OF ALL
The Sasha spin is awesome, there is nothing more beautiful and more athletic and as for the look on her face, you try to look relaxed when you bending you body to meet you face. It really isnt all that easy! How can you call that UGLY! Shes the only women in the competition that is competing that move so call it UNIQUE not UGLY! I mean Sasha is about flexibility and the spin is very well done and she gains speed when she does it. How many people do you now can life there leg above their head and hold it there for 15 seconds and gain speed! Yes the Answer is not many!... Case closed...
-Sarah

[ceceB]

I always liked Saaha's spin. Whenever someone watches her with me they always say "wow" to it. Even my dad.

I agree with those of you who dislike illusion spins though. I always find they look sloppy.

[Lulia]

Thank for answering to my thread!

I have some q's about your answers:

What is : - A gynolift?
- A skid spiral?
- A Shoot the Duck?

[Alexeiskate]

A skid spiral is when a skater changes from a back outside backward spiral into a forward inside spiral on the same leg while maintaining the spiral position throughout the transition. The skating leg will leave a skid mark on the ice and you will see ice shaving flying off the ice during the transition.

A shoot the duck, aka the 'Mike Pike' ;), is a low sit spin position without the spin. The skater glides forward while assuming the low sit spin position with the free leg usually extended straight out from the body.

I have no idea what a gynolift is. Perhaps it's when the male skater lifts his partners from the crotch area?

[kayskate]

IMO, any move can be impressive if done well. I may not personally like the move, but I respect someone who can perform an athletic feat. Sasha's final spin is an example. Probably the ugliest moves in skating (IMO) are Plushenko's Beillmann and Slutskaya's change-foot Beillmann. I don't like these spins b/c they rarely look really well performed. I especially dislike when a skater allows the free leg to "snap" out of a catch foot position whether in a spin or spiral. It looks sloppy and out of control.

Kay

[supersk8er]

Originally posted by susan6
Any skating move that has the skater's butt higher than his or her head is aesthetically displeasing to me. This includes Sandhu's butt-spin (whatever it is called) and Charlotte spirals.



I TOTALLY agree! That spin he does drives me nuts!! It's so freakin' ugly!!

[x_peacegirl_x]

hahaha that IS an ugly spin! i hate doing triple lutz's. and i hate watching when jamie and david do that thing that is going to be a split twist but they stop it and turn it into a lift. it just bothers me and i don't know why.

[skaternum]

Originally posted by Lulia
What is : - A gynolift?

A lift that emphasizes in some way the lady's ... uh ... genital area. Chait and Sakhnovsky had one a couple of years ago that actually looked like she was getting a pelvic exam. I could be a little more graphic but I won't. It was quite icky. Bourne & Kraatz had one of their own recently. And some pairs have had them too. Bleeech!!!

[supersk8er]

Well, from the way the "gyno-lift" sounds, I'm pretty sure I don't like it either...

[yogurtslinger]

Originally posted by loveskating

As for Sasha's side catch spin, done most often at the end of her programs, I think it is athletically MAGNIFICENT, a feat, and I love to see her do it...I always love it when a delicate, beautiful female with blockbuster presentation does something stupendous athletically...talk about "having your cake and eating it too"

...no feminist alive would not be thrilled at the very idea that someone like Sasha can do the hard stuff, and better than anyone ever has. It is NOT a pretty spin, not meant to be, decidely...its meant to be athletically impressive, and it is.


Oh come on... there's something vaguely unsettling about associating athletic prowess with ugly/ungraceful/brusque (perhaps masculine?) moves.

Many of the "prettier" moves (eg layback spin) are just as hard, if not harder than moves which *look* as if they take a tremendous amount of strength to pull off.

[skatingvision]

.I always love it when a delicate, beautiful female with blockbuster presentation does something stupendous athletically...talk about "having your cake and eating it too"

First of all, I wouldn't say Sasha has "blockbuster" presentation as in some catagories, she is defecient "ie: ice coverage". But i do agree that her "I" spin is very hard. I think the fact that she can do that is %50 natural felxibilty, %50 hard work. Also, the fact that she does it at the end is pretty amazing. But why must she always end with the exact same to spins!!! (combo and forward scratch).

I thought of more ugly moves. Ludmilla Nelidina! Hmmmm........

[icyboid]

I forgot: Irina's hybrid Bielmann/donut-on-a-stick. It looks like a half-a**ed version of either one of those spins.

[loveskating]

Originally posted by yogurtslinger
Oh come on... there's something vaguely unsettling about associating athletic prowess with ugly/ungraceful/brusque (perhaps masculine?) moves.

Many of the "prettier" moves (eg layback spin) are just as hard, if not harder than moves which *look* as if they take a tremendous amount of strength to pull off.

Oh, not at all...first of all, its not an issue of mere strength, and also I don't think Sasha's side catch spin is "ugly"; second, I think it is enormously difficult, and reflects a huge amount of work on her part; third I agree, the classic (as opposed to the dog leg) layback is just as hard as Sasha's side catch spin, which is possibly why so very few skaters these days have a classic layback.

My point was that it is not meant to be the kind of merely "pretty" side catch spin that we mostly see...it is meant to be and to be seen as an athletic feat, and it is. Its a high quality, fast, usually well centered spin of great athletic difficulty...and I love seeing a "whole package" skater like Sasha do the more difficult things, but that goes for Sasha's Russian Split, her front catch spin, her layback, and her spirals, all of which I consider either the best I've ever seen or among the best I've ever seen.

[loveskating]

Originally posted by Gaela
Although Sasha does some magnificant stuff in truth some feminists alive are most thrilled when Sasha splats, because they dislike the baby ballerina ideal she represents. :D

IMHO its not so nice to hope that any skater splats...or to be delighted when any skater splats.

The thought is a mental whacking, the way I see it...and how awful we all would think it if they stood up and cheered when a skater fell, yet if they were truly honest, that is precisely what they should do.

BTW, I don't see Sasha as a "baby ballerina" but if I did, what's wrong with that? Absolutley nothing. Ballet dancers are among the most athletic people in the world...thus it is no accident that many other athletes cross-train in ballet, including football players.

For one thing, ballet dancers move well...they are never stiff.

I guess there is stuff I don't like, but its not any particular element...its bad carriage I dislike most, and no attention at all to line. Next, I am bored by those who skate with a lot of positions on two feet. At the same time, lots of stroke, stroke, even if well done on solid edges, and then move the arms gracefully, hit a stiff, pretty position just bores me. I'm not very impressed by skaters who don't have any innovative or spectacular elements, who are really just competent.

[Skatingsarah]

Originally posted by yogurtslinger
Oh come on... there's something vaguely unsettling about associating athletic prowess with ugly/ungraceful/brusque (perhaps masculine?) moves.

Many of the "prettier" moves (eg layback spin) are just as hard, if not harder than moves which *look* as if they take a tremendous amount of strength to pull off.

First of all Sasha Cohen...... Masculine Hello, if lifting a LEG above you head is masculine I think you need to fix your priorities because I can sure name more girls that can do it in comparparison to men! And you talk about pretty moves like the layback.. Check out Sasha Cohen's! Its breathtaking its not like shes going out on and only focusing on flexibility shes getting the other elements done too. Plus if you can do it HIGHLIGHT it! Theres no point in having all this talent and not showcasing it in a program! Infact that is what makes her so great!
-Sarah

[Sydney]

Originally posted by sk8ing is lyfe
I love sasha's spin because it is athletic...(I am NOT a sasha fan though!!!) I think the ugliest move is spread eagles, which arent...
People who are trying to learn them. When their knees are slightly bent, and their butts stick out... It just looks so awkward!!!!EWWWW

Yes, I completely agree with the butt eagle!

A well-executed spread eagle is beautiful to watch (Boitano, Chouinard, etc.) but a butt eagle looks really cheesy.

However, I do like illusion spins and yes, the sasha spin. Very impressive.

[yogurtslinger]

Originally posted by Skatingsarah
First of all Sasha Cohen...... Masculine Hello, if lifting a LEG above you head is masculine I think you need to fix your priorities because I can sure name more girls that can do it in comparparison to men! And you talk about pretty moves like the layback.. Check out Sasha Cohen's! Its breathtaking its not like shes going out on and only focusing on flexibility shes getting the other elements done too. Plus if you can do it HIGHLIGHT it! Theres no point in having all this talent and not showcasing it in a program! Infact that is what makes her so great!
-Sarah

Okay, someone's not reading my whole post.

My point was-- why does a move have to *look* hard to be considered an athletic feat? I didn't understand why loveskating saw Sasha's willingness to do such "unpretty" moves as something to be praised or applauded. I.e... why is it a good thing that Sasha does moves that are "not supposed to look pretty" (e.g. moves that are *ugly*)?

loveskating commented:
"...no feminist alive would not be thrilled at the very idea that someone like Sasha can do the hard stuff, and better than anyone ever has."

There seems to be an implied message here that "unpretty" moves which overtly show physical strain are somehow a step forward for women, for female athletes. I apologize if I'm misunderstanding the point of the "feminist" reference.

Imo, this buys into the "masculine approach"-- or to put it more simply, the macho type of athlete who tries to display his strength, his speed as overtly as possible. I wasn't saying that Sasha holding her leg up was necessarily masculine-- I was referring to the "nature" of the move, which, like loveskating commented, is meant to be an athletic feat, a show of strength, rather than a move done for its pure aesthetic appeal.

In contrast, what's traditionally been considered the "feminine approach" is trying to make difficult athletic feats *look* easy. Ballet is all about this idea of making moves which take extraordinary strength and control look effortless.

Feminists should be "just as proud" of athletes who try to make what they do look easy, as athletes who make it a point to make what they do look as difficult as possible. To praise Sasha's willingness to do these overtly showy, "unpretty" moves as some kind of step forward for female athletes, seems to buy into the masculine approach. I'm being kind of nitpicky, but does anyone see what I'm trying to say? Where, along the way, did we get the idea that athletes which follow the "masculine approach" are somehow better than athletes which follow the "feminine aesthetic"?

[Lulia]

Whoa whoa! When I started this thread, I just wanted you to tell me what movements you thought, IYHM, were ugly. My point was not to bring you to compare the relative merits of each spin or spiral, and especially not to discuss whether Sasha Cohen's spins are feminine or not!
Please don't fight! Peace! :D

[skatingvision]

More ugly elements. Sarah's spirals. I cringe at her disgusting bent leg, which is just laziness in my eyes.

[mary]

Originally posted by Azlynn
I second detesting that spin... ugh. However, I like illusions. I believe Sasha's spin where she pulls her leg straight up to her nose is called and "eggbeater". I think it's cool looking and shows great flexibility

[ceceB]

I also hate illusion spins. Basically because they're never well centered, they usually look sloppy.

I also hate Ina and Zimmerman's squating spread eagle thing.