Sapporo Olympic Ladies Compulsory Figure

[skatefanboston]

The vilification of Schuba is simply wrong. This video shows the stunning talent she was--carriage, flow, control, grace. Her free skating wasn't bad either. It may be true she didn't express the personality, dynamism, or charisma of Lynn, but the characterization of Schuba as unable to skate is simply wrong. Maybe the scoring system needed to be changed, but the fact that no one today can control their actual skating as well as any of these three women is simply sad.

[MTVMANN]

@skatefanboston VERY well said.

[TheBob1901]

Schuba's tracings on ice look so solid, whereas Janet Lynn's certainly do not. Janet almost looked like she was wobbling at times, but not Trixie Schuba!

[RRavenclawsDiadem]

I love the sound of when the skates glides over the ice. Such a shame figures are not included in competition nowadays.

[kh3205]

At first, I thought that Schuba's figure was different from the one Lynn and Magnussen were doing. Then I realized that all three were doing the same one. Would somebody explain why Schuba was drawing such a big figure? Because the bigger, the easier? Or because she was tall? I do not recall any other tall skaters (like Kielmann, Leistner, etc) traced big gigures.

[idolfan9495]

It isn't really true that Janet (or Midori) were really bad at figures. Janet was fourth in the World at this time. It's just that Trixi was so much better. She was probably the best "figure" skater in history. I do not know enough about skating technique at the highest levels to say if figures make a difference in free skating. I do note that Janet did many turns from backwards to forward and forward to backward with ease in her free skating and didn't rely much on crossovers.

[idolfan9495]

Janet Lynn herself has lamented the loss of CFs. BTW, could Janet look any more adorable than she did in that dark blue sailor dress?

[Sephiroth9611]

I love this clip, though I am of two minds about it. Is it actually the figures or is it just the beauty of the documentary that makes them so compelling?

I think it unlikely that CF will ever again become a part of modern competitions; but given the growing popularity of sports like curling at the Winter Olympics, perhaps they have a chance of being a sport of their own. Technology can do a lot to help educate and modern TV can better display the tension. Singles, pairs, dance... figures!

[Junon999]

So that's what's Trixie Scuba looks like.... I cannot find any videos of her... I understand why she's kind of unpopular, but still.

[zenitrulit2]

They shouln't have dropped the figures! If they didn't then we wouldn't have that Flutzing problem nowadays. Cos' now we often have world and Olympic champions in Figure Skating who can't define an inside edge from an outside. . .To me personally it's nonsense!

Bring Back The Figures - Save FS!))) Well, at least on the junior level I think they should.

[TheWitchOvAgnesi]

Pardon my ignorance, but why was this dropped at the upper levels?

It's an art form.

[tthkjv1611]

That is bring back compulsory figures at the national and international levels!

[tthkjv1611]

Bring back compulsory figures. There is no grace in Ladies' Figure Skating anymore . It all about the tirple, the quad , and I think, in a few cases quintuple jumps. The stunts are great , but I feel too many young skaters are being pushed too far!

[quelita28]

I really like doing figures but in roller skates, it is so hard because you have to be totally concentrated,have the right speed and have good control of the edges of the skates but at least you trace circles in the floor,but in ice skating I don't know how you can do the figures if you can't see circles in the ice, I guess you have to know what they

look like but it's still not tracing. I never have understoood figures on ice,

but it seems interesting.

[npe1]

@quelita28 Of course you can see the tracings on the ice. The ice for figures was always clean and smooth and the 2 sharp edges of the figure blades make very clear tracings on the pristine ice. Look at the video, you can clearly see the tracings left by the blades.

[tallenuf53]

@quelita28 In ice skating, the skater created the pattern on clean ice, and then retraced it a prescribed number of times, depending on which figure was being skated. When learning figures, ice skaters used a tool called a "scribe", something like a huge compass, to etch circles into the ice. This allowed the skater to visualize how the circle looked and therefore where to skate. However, all tests and competitions were done on clean ice - no circle in the ice to be seen, & no scribes allowed.

[nondescriptnyc]

I have never seen a 5.0 in CF! There have been some strong compulsories skaters since Schuba (e.g., Poetzsch, Christofics-Binder, Ivanova, etc.), but has anyone pulled a 5.0 at Olympic-level competitions?

[mlc2005]

When people say that edging has all but disappeared, what do they mean??? U have to have great edges to do: Spins, Jumps, Spirals, foot work, etc. Comp. figures were important when the tricks were minimal. Now, it would be very very obvious if a person can't skate on an inside or outside edge. I love watching these old clips though!!!

[OceanbornAngel]

All the jumping beans of today's Figure Skating should have this level of control with their skates but they don't.

[Chutson353]

@OceanbornAngel I agree this clip doesn't show us what the figures looked like but we can see the balance and edge control necessary to execute a fine figure. Edges has all but disappeared - although Kim Yu Na lands with beautiful, deep edges.

[Chutson353]

Note, however, that although figures were 60% of the score the range for figures mark tended to be much lower than for the free skate - you can see at the end of this clip Trxie's highest mark was 5.0.

[npe1]

Trixie was perhaps the most extreme example of a good CF skater but an uninspiring free skater. Actually for her era she was not so bad, it's just that Janet Lynn was so outstanding. Most people today who never did figures think that good CF skaters were always poor free skaters and vice-versa. Not true - John Curry had excellent figures as well as being a great free skater and guess what - where do you think his perfect line and edges in free skating came from?

[Chutson353]

Peggy Fleming usually placed first in figures as well - Lynn was unusual in her poor CF skills - although I'm not actually sure I'd say that placing 4th and 5th in the entire world was really "poor"

[npe1]

Yes, it is interesting that prior to 1972, even though Lynn was US champion from 1969 that Julie Lynn Holmes used to beat her in Worlds because of her superior figures, therefore being the highest placed lady from the USA even though Janet Lynn beat her in US Nationals. Dorothy Hammill also used to perform well in figures as well as being a good free skater.

[soulmuzixercher]

@npe1 - I knew her name ringed a bell. Except that was her maiden name. I remember Julie teaching my friend and she's really nice. This is one nice information I didn't know before and now knowing would like to invite her to Portland's Compulsory Figures Competitions =)

[npe1]

@soulmuzixercher I'm glad you still have figure competitions. In my humble opinion compulsory figures should be brought back.

[mlc2005]

This is a great find... I remember seeing a clip of Trixi's free skating, and she truly was atrocious! Just was as bad at free skating as she was great with figures. I can see why tv audiences thought skating was a farce back then.

[MTVMANN]

This is a beautiful film in terms of quality and expression...just look at the judges eyes at 2:40!

It's fascinating to compare Janet and Trixie too.

Trixie has such speed and confidence in her figure, and Janet looks so insecure...

Trixie is probably the best FIGURE skater ever.

Also isn't it interesting that people complain that Trixie Schuba won...but then they complain that school figures are gone. You truely can't please everybody!

[SassySuzi]

Mesmerising to watch Schuba's figures. She was amazing at the figures. It wasn't her fault she mastered the area with the biggest %. She won her medal fairly based on the scoring system of the time.

[Dylvente]

Very interesting. I had always thought it was silly to have done figures as part of competition, but I'm beginning to see why they thought it was valuable.

[donbux]

They should be required to learn and pass tests but they should not be competed. It's like testing a pianist's scales at a competition. This has everything to do with learning to skate expertly but really nothing to do with actually skating. When the figures were worth the most nobody in the audience knew what was going on. The woman who won the figures that year and the gold medal wasn't a passable skater, she was a horrible skater who had no business with any medal.

[npe1]

I'm not suggesting that figures be worth the majority of a competition - no way. But I think skaters should be made to take tests like you say & have to do maybe one figure in competition worth 10 to 15% of the overall score. Beatrix Schuba was not a horrible free skater, she just was not as good as Janet Lynn or Karen Magnussen. There are vids of Trixie on youtube & for her era, technically she was not such a bad free skater. She did upto double lutz which was pretty average then.

[npe1]

And they should bring figures back. It taught us blade control. Figures are the basis of skating. Today the skaters mioght do quads and triple axels but their basic skating is poor compared to skaters of yesteryear. Even some of those great free skaters of the past who were always behind in figures support them - Robin Cousins for example.

[kev7978]

@npe1 but Ito sucks at it and yet she's a super good skater!

[npe1]

Yes but Midori had excellent basic skating as well. She understood what edges were all about and she used them - that was because she had to do figures.

[TheSienna29]

This film is beautiful. Where can i get the rest of it?

[lindafmb]

I wish there were more examples of figs on YouTube. I just started testing mine in the USFS adult track, currently working on the five Adult Silver figs. I really enjoy it.

[HattieLovesCattie]

Once they dumped the figures,it became the " Janet Lynn Rule ".Trixie's skating was so boring.

[Luukashism]

What do you mean?

[HattieLovesCattie]

The ISU dumped the " figures " coz most were bored with it and Trixie's skating was boring.She won coz she did better in the figures and back then it accounted for 60 % of the scoring.They changed it to no figures and added the short program and the LP.The ISU knew how popular Janet's skating was and that she was weak in the figures and it kept her from winning competitions.

[Luukashism]

Oh, I see. Thanks for explaining that.

[falconer87]

They actually had all 3 at one time, short program, long program and figures. At that point, figures were only 20% of the score.

[HattieLovesCattie]

I do remember all three but was it like for one year only??

[falconer87]

It was for at least 10 years.

[HattieLovesCattie]

Wow,that long??Would that be from 1973 to 1983?I was watching a lot of skating then and just don't remember it.

[falconer87]

It was longer than that. It was in the 1992 Olympics that the last figure was skated in competition. They had all 3, short, long and figures, up until then.

[HattieLovesCattie]

I guess I forgot coz they never showed the figures on TV much.I do remember them showing them with Brian Boitano in 1988.I do remember Scott H doing them on blue ice also for the viewers.

[bardtoob]

Incorrect. The compulsory figure, technical program, freeskate format was in place from the 1972-73 season to the 1989-90 season and the last compulsory figures in international competition were skated at the 1990 World Championships.

[nondescriptnyc]

SP: 72/73 to 87/88

Original Program: 88/89 to 91/92

Technical Program: 92/93 and 93/94

Back to SP: 94/95 to presdent

--

>bardtoob says: Incorrect. The compulsory figure, technical program, freeskate format was in place from the 1972-73 season to the 1989-90 season...

[bardtoob]

Thanks.

I always preferred the term "Technical Program" to "Short Program" and

"Original Program" because it was supposed to be the program that measured quality between programs that were similarly constructed.

[nolaughingmatter]

Wonderful clip, thanks for posting!

Trixie had masterful precision + control over figures. Janet's temerity in figures showed. Trixie was as good, if not better, in figures as Janet was in the free skating. Every era has its own set of rules for the game. Today, a bad spinner +jumper wouldn't be considered, while a superb talent in figures wouldn't get you anywhere. Their talents juxtaposed each that led to an end of an era. Skaters today should be tested a small % in figures.

[mhughes72]

The compulsories were a fascinating element of the sport, but Trixi Schuba's winning the gold medal on the strength of her traced circles changed the future of the sport forever-of necessity. Schuba's long program in Sapporo was painful to behold and set women's skating back 10 years. Although it took over 20 years to come to fruition, that gold medal was the death knell for the loops, rockers, and paragraph threes that had been the sport's foundation. Mary Grace Cullen-Hughes, Wakefield RI

[eyeskater1]

No what I meant was me commenting on her hair might not be relevant to skating...I think she has cute hair.

[eyeskater1]

This is hardly relevant to the skating, but I love Janet's hair.

[firmingitup]

It is completely relevant. This is how *figure* skating got its name--from the compulsory school figures that skaters had to trace in the ice to demonstrate control and skill.

[whattheheeck]

Ok.. What is this? Why are they doing this? I don't get it, what's the point?

[eyeskater1]

Then you don't know figure skating...this is old footage of school figures which were later done away with.

[okhan001]

beautiful, thank you!

[HeidiHoStenquist]

That was filmed really well for compulsory figures! I enjoyed this; it showed the massive amount of tension between the skaters and judges. The amount of skills needed to do this makes me kinda sad they didnt keep figures around.

[firmingitup]

If I were a skater, I'd be far more scared of this than the short program or free skate.

[Chutson353]

@HeidiHoStenquist I agree what a privilege to see the artistry of Trixie Schuba and the figures that changed the face of figure skating forever

[Sileeee56]

Sooooo beautiful! Thanks a lot for posting!

[formersk8ter]

This is incredible! Thanks for posting it. Do you possibly have Trixi Schuba's '72 Olympic freeskate? I've been wanting to see that for years!

Thanks either way.

[barkingtree88]

You really can see the difference in the two. It's interesting that more credit was given to somebody who could draw larger, better circles on the ice rather than somebody who could perform an amazing free skating number.

[KahnBB6]

This is a clip from Masahiro Shinoda's Sapporo '72 documentary. Where did you get this? I don't care where I have to buy it-- I have been trying to find this film on DVD since last year!

[tinymavy]

Janet looked very uncomfortable doing figures compared to the other girl.

[bardtoob]

When looking at Trixie's clearly defined tracings and solid posture over her blades, there is not a doubt in my mind that Trixie knew exactly where her blades was going at any given moment.

[brinababy87]

where did you get this?

the sound effects don't really seem to match what's going on.

[bardtoob]

I gasped when I saw this. This is some of the most important footage in skating history.

[k9henrydog]

me too!!!