(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Figure skating

            During this time of uncertainty, turmoil and waiting for the next sex scandal to break, many people will be focusing their attention to Nagano, Japan, where athletes have gathered for the Winter Olympics. Since most of us have Southern backgrounds, the Winter Olympics are entertaining to us because we get to see people in extremely cold settings move at lightning speed. The closest some of us come to that is trying to take a shower in university housing before the hot water runs out.
             Americans traditionally don't do well in the Winter Olympics. That's because Americans don't like to get out in the cold. Which would you rather do: Go out and practice speed skating in subfreezing temperatures until your thighs got as big as a trailer park hairdo or sit in front of your TV in a daze watching yet another Andy Griffith rerun.
             Still, there are a couple of things at the Nagano games that will grab our attention. Crazy individuals racing down a mountain on pieces of wood the size of Kate Moss. Burly guys with no teeth and sticks knocking the crap out of people. Even though Knoxville lost its hockey team last season, we do have a couple of similar organizations in the area. One is the UT hockey club.
             The one thing that seems to attract the attention of most Americans during the Winter Olympics is figure skating. Maybe it's because of the combination of artistry and athleticism. Maybe it's because people who enjoy figure skating have no life.
             You see, my friends, figure skating is not a sport.
             To be a sport, the competition must have an objective and, to put it in Southern lingo, "skatin purty" is not an objective. An objective must be something like getting from one place to another before everyone else, putting a ball in a basket or wearing ugly clothes and hitting a little white ball across a huge cow pasture with various sticks until it goes into a hole.
             Figure skating has none of this. It's people dressed up in costumes you normally see at school dance recitals gliding across ice.


Essays Related to Figure skating

1. Tonya Harding, Ice Skating and Controversy

... socially acceptable for women , that is, "female" sports which avoid contact, and instead display grace, and focus on aesthetic (rather than athletic) exhibition, such as gymnastics, swimming, and figure skating. Traditional "male" sports tend to be those which require strength and power, such as football, boxing, and hockey.2 The apologetic functions to affirm femininity in the face of the absence ... modest costumes, chemical-free hair and good teeth are rewarded." Time (Carlson, 1994) ["[Kerrigan] is lovely to look at, with a lean musculature, sculpted features..." Time (Duffy, 1994b)...

  • Word Count: 2976
  • Approx Pages: 12
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding

Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding in the World of Figure Skating Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan were both world-class figure skating champions, who rose to the top out of very humble circumstances. Both were widely admired for their skill and accomplishments, ... not the best of the best and different aspects of her family life were all taken on a rocky road. Nancy started in the sport of figure skating a little before Tonya did. In the beginning, Nancys parents struggled to pay the ways for her talent, whereas Tonya actually received more financial help. ... which said "I would not choose ...

  • Word Count: 917
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Controversy on Ice

... City, Utah, history was made. Through the bullying of one country for its own fame and fortune, the misjudged competition of couples figure skating led to the pride and glory of another. Russian figure skaters Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze performed very well on the night of the final free-skate, but the Canadian duo Jamie Sal& ... unreliable authorities, their choice in this case was for the best. The purpose of this bibliography is to provide information on the recent events involved in the figure skating scandal by summarizing three articles over the issues at stake. These a...

  • Word Count: 454
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Has Bibliography

4. Thin Build Athletes and Eating Disorders

Athletes who participate in "thin-build" sports - gymnastics, dance, figure skating and long distance running - are at a greater risk of developing eating disorders than their "rowdy" sport counterparts. Since athletes are known ... of a starved athlete. Athletes in thin build sports are psychologically at risk for developing eating disorders (reference). First and foremost athletes in sports such as figure skating, dance and gymnastics begin training at a young age. Often these children train away from their parents and left to the mercy of coaches and harsh ... family members, hence puttin...

  • Word Count: 2558
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

5. The Bird Man

... tail-edge so sharp it was capable of slicing paper . We goofed around on it. He took me to an alley and let me roll around. I couldn't figure out how to turn since he didn't use the board any more he gave it to" Tony (26-27). Skateboarding a little more every week, him and his ... time they had gotten to oasis to rent pads 4 other sweaty, stinky skaters had had the pads already. But none of this mattered to him because he was skating oasis. "I would have worn a diaper on my head if those were the rules" Tony once said (29). In the fifth grade Tony's mom piled a bunch ... one for amature...

  • Word Count: 1767
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

6. RollerBlade

... the product. Instead of selling direct, Rollerblade funneled sales through sporting goods retailers. In 1986, the company redefined and expanded the In-line skating market to include general fitness, recreational seekers, as well as cross-training athletes from other sports. This effort increased sales dramatically because instead ... of focusing in on just an ice skating supplement people could use the skates on a daily basis and it caught on in a big way. Factors that contributed to the Olson's success: ... was Scott Olson because he was determined that his product was a fantastic ou...

  • Word Count: 893
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Name

... , or even senators, presidents, and religious persons. Kristi Yamaguchi shares my first name, with a different variation of spelling. Kristi Yamaguchi is a world famous figure skater and an idol of mine. I ice skate as a hobby but have always wanted to become a professional skater. Kristi Yamaguchi is graceful and elegant with ... to watch Kristi Yamaguchi skate every time she is on the television, and have even had the privilege of going to one of her ice skating shows. Kristi takes her skating very seriously: "When I look back on it, I worked incredibly hard for a little kid," Yamaguchi...

  • Word Count: 1103
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Chapter summaries of Catcher in the Rye

... tumor operation in order to justify his leaving Pencey early before Christmas vacation. Chapter 9 In chapter nine Holden reaches Penn station and feels like calling someone. He is unable to figure out who he would like to call since his brother D.B. is in Hollywood; his little sister Phoebe is probably asleep; he doesn't really feel like calling Jane Gallagher and another ... the show. He was what Holden called a "phony Ivy league guy". After that Sally feels like going ice-skating so she can enjoy herself in the cute little skirt girls are given when they go ice-skating. Since they wer...

  • Word Count: 4033
  • Approx Pages: 16
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Snowboarding Vs. Skiing

... that use a slightly stiffer boot than the normal cross-country ski. Moguls are those nice bumps that you always see skiers catching air off of. Ballet is kind of the figure skating of skiing. Aerials are when skiers launch off a short ski jump and perform multiple spins and somersaults in the air. Nordic ski events include cross-country, ski jumping, and biathlon ... hiking type boots which are loosely attached to the ski by a front binding only. There are two styles of cross-country skiing; classical and skating. The classical style involves the skier pushing with a back and forth moti...

  • Word Count: 2202
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question