Ladies' Compulsory Figures, Part 1 of 2 - 1988 Calgary, Figure Skating

[GilBatesLovesyou]

This rivals the excitement of golf.

[TheCopper05]

I wish that they would put the figures back into skating. Along with the 6.0 markings. Today's skating emphasizes jumping, but not great or even beautiful skating.

[cleicsioluek]

I just realized that I was doing school figures for about 7 years straight..... it was all about the edges and crossovers... but heres the thing with me: I have to think for like... 10 seconds before telling you if its an outside or inside edge... I just don't know which one was which and still don't really know them

[Dylvente]

Very interesting background on something I knew little about. By the time I became interested in skating, the figures were gone. But if I had been around when they were still in place I'm sure I would have hated the change. I can see their value, although I don't know that their absence from the competition itself hurt the sport.

[Luukashist]

I wish they hadn't taken figures away, cuz I've never done them, but I would LOVE to do them! I did some basic figures at a clinic the other day with an older coach and they were so fun!

[burgundyyears]

How tedious.

[mrparts]

LOL what a ridiculous competition.

[faeryquene]

RIP Kira. :(

[faeryquene]

They need to bring back compulsory figures-some skaters still need to learn how to SKATE! :)

[Luukashist]

@faeryquene I'm a skater and I really wish I could learn figures! One of my coaches is one of the old skaters who did figures and would be willing to teach me, but my dad won't pay for extra lessons for them... makes me sad :(

[faeryquene]

@Luukashist It's great that you're willing. :)

[sk8victorious]

@faeryquene they have them but not widely... there are also moves in the field tests..... and i HATE them

[faeryquene]

Right-and since they were removed we got the spectacular skating skills the likes of Surya Bonaly, Rachael Flatt, and even Sasha Cohen. ALL skaters with not so strong edging could have benefited from compulsory figures-at least in the lower levels.

[vistaprime]

you do have a point, but look at Katya G, Borne and Kraatz, Yuka Sato all had strong edges, still the best edges in skating to me was Paul Wylie and he did have to suffer through compulsory figures, so you do have point. So did some on my list in their early years too. But sill perhaps it should be done at sectionals or something, just silly to see it a the nationals and olympic level.

[CoCoNuTsiopatHic]

Scott Hamilton is a fine one to talk about the ISU not caring as long as they can have a "cocktail party" as he puts it considering how much has been said about his self-serving choices when he held a position of such prominence in the business of professional figure skating in the 90s...

[faeryquene]

ITA about Hamilton. He has annoyed me no end for years.

While watching this I was thinking they should have used 'black' ice like in the movies to make it easier to see those darn figures!

[premierrules]

I find these fascinating. Probably being in the audience all day would be incredibly monotonous but I was amazed at the complexity of figures. Sad really that they were fazed out after 1990 but I really enjoyed this video.

[koolaidnhemlock]

thanks for sharing -!