American vs European Skating

This is what I came up with in response to a query on the Skatefans mailing list about what I and Chris and Nicky meant when we made a comment about the American style of skating as opposed to the European style of skating.

The initial quote in italics is not mine, it's from a poster on Skatefans whose name I don't have (sorry!)

They were reshowing the short of Brian Joubert and said that he skates more American than French. They went on to elaborate that they were used to innovative skating from the French but this was "more classical, but very, very strong in jumps." I don't know if that means "American skating" is more classical but with strong jumps, or just more classical

I put my thinking hat on, but it's hard to quantify what I mean, and what they mean. Mind you, I still tried. The above post is something along the right lines, but it's more a conceptual thing, more of how things look....this is what I came up with....

I've been wracking my brains trying to think of what I'd reply to this - because you see the thing is, left to my own devices, I know what I mean, but putting it into words is difficult. Mostly because I'm dealing in generalities and there are exceptions to everything that I'm about to say.

I know, because I've checked the reviews, that I wrote about Tiffany Ann Sfikas in the short program that you could see the American in her style, and that that's what Chris said as well. If I had to pin down the elements of American style that I see in her, I'd point out that she's quite solid technically, splats in the free notwithstanding. Also, and this is where it starts getting subjective and not a little biased, she's got a very American look about her. By which I mean, she's got a nice costume on (American ladies can have some costume disasters, yes, but by and large, they're mostly pretty presentable. The most horrendous costumes, as I see them, generally come from Europeans) And by nice, I pretty much mean something that you don't look at and say "Oh good grief, what the hell is that?" Something classic and elegant that won't date. Also, American ladies are usually impeccably turned out - hair, makeup, the whole deal. And again, while a great deal of European ladies are the same, I feel that Americans tend to look more sophisticated, I suppose is the word. Maybe when you get to the upper echelons of the sport, they're all like that, but when you look at some of the lower ranked European ladies, they do lack the sophistication of the similarly lower ranked American ladies. Another thing that I noticed about Tiffany Ann is the extension of her free leg, her spirals, her carriage etc. Again, it's a generalisation, but I think along the lines of Nancy Kerrigan and Nicole Bobek and Michelle Kwan and Tonia Kwiatkowski and the way that they carry themselves on the ice, and I see that in Tiffany Ann also.

When it comes to the men, I'd say that American men are more traditional, while European men tend to push the envelope a little more. Having sat through the programs of 16 European men tonight, they're more likely to have a theme in the program - we had someone who was a jester, Lambiel was a circus theme, think of Philippe and all his stuff. I think, and feel free to correct me, that you don't often find that from an American skater. It's a different emphasis. And the costume thing mentioned on the ladies is another thing for the men.again, while there are some disasters, some different choices, you're more likely, I find, to get an "Oh my goodness" on the costume front from the Europeans. Like Dmitrenko dressing as a plant, like the guy who looked like he had a mouse dangling from his costumes.

Cosmetic differences aside, I think that when I see an American skater, I expect to see something very well put together, quite traditional. I know what I expect and that's by and large what to get. Technique, very strong. You're less likely to get surprises. Europeans, more avant garde, more unpredictable.sometimes technique suffers.

I don't know how to explain it, except to say that it's something that I can just see, and just feel. If that makes no sense, it's half past midnight and I need my bed!