Althouse: "I’m criticized as flamboyant, arrogant and melodramatic... I try to live my life touching extremes."

January 26, 2015

"I’m criticized as flamboyant, arrogant and melodramatic... I try to live my life touching extremes."

Said Toller Cranston — "the Rudolf Nureyev of figure skating" — who has died of a heart attack at the age of 65.

Here's his free skate at the 1976 Olympics:

35 comments:

Quaestor said...: I've always had difficultly thinking of figure skating (or ice dancing, whatever) as sport.; 1/26/15, 11:57 AM
Curious George said...: Fabulous. Just fabulous.; 1/26/15, 11:59 AM
Quaestor said...: If ice dancing is an Olympic sport, why not competitive sculpting?; 1/26/15, 12:07 PM
Tank said...: Quaestor said...

I've always had difficultly thinking of figure skating (or ice dancing, whatever) as sport.

How about snow boarding sports where judging is involved?

Any "sport" with judging gets a little weird (JMHO). I'm not a big fan of either of these, but I am amazed at the athleticism. Anyone who has been on skates has to marvel at what the pros do. And make it look easy.

Putting aside the "sport" aspect, some of them are really artists.; 1/26/15, 12:18 PM
mccullough said...: No wonder Curry won the gold.; 1/26/15, 12:19 PM
Quaestor said...: That Toller Cranston was compared to Rudolf Nureyev supports my thesis, doesn't it? After all, there is no Olympic ballet competition, is there? Unless by the comparison one means someone is good at something -- He's the Rudolf Nureyev of hydraulic engineering. She's the Natalia Makarova of insurance underwriting. He's the Baryshnikov of bulldozer operation. Ridiculous.

The comparison was without doubt an artistic one, i.e. this artist is like that artist. I say there's a line between art and sport, and figure skating is one the art side of the line.; 1/26/15, 12:26 PM
tim maguire said...: I agree with Tank--I have trouble thinking of anything short of head-to-head competition as a sport, but this is obviously athletic.; 1/26/15, 12:28 PM
MadisonMan said...: I probably watched that in real time back when I was 15, but I don't really remember it.; 1/26/15, 12:31 PM
Quaestor said...: Snowboarding is gravity-assisted figure skating for slackers, people who wear toques in the summer. Whither figure skating, so goeth snowboarding. It's like the question of whether Buzz Lightyear can fly.; 1/26/15, 12:37 PM
Larry J said...: tim maguire said...
I agree with Tank--I have trouble thinking of anything short of head-to-head competition as a sport, but this is obviously athletic.

That's the crux of the matter, isn't it? Gymnasts are superb athletes but the judging drags down the sport. On the other hand, how would you do a sport like gymnastics without judges to determine who wins?

I love pure sports like track and field, speed skating, and swimming. You either go faster (or throw further) than your opponent or you don't. The rules are straight-forward, too. There's a lot less room for judging mischief in track, although the story from the 1936 Berlin Olympics about Jesse Owens shows that mischief is still possible.; 1/26/15, 12:39 PM
Quaestor said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/26/15, 12:39 PM
Known Unknown said...: Snowboarding is gravity-assisted figure skating for slackers, people who wear toques in the summer.

I'd like to see Quaestor do this.; 1/26/15, 12:43 PM
gerry said...: I admire the athleticism, but figure skating is boring. Skate fast, skate fast, jump, twirl, repeat.

Sorry.; 1/26/15, 12:43 PM
Quaestor said...: ...this is obviously athletic.

It's just as "athletic" as ballet, is it not?

(typo corrected); 1/26/15, 12:44 PM
gerry said...: She's the Natalia Makarova of insurance underwriting.

Great stuff. LOL.; 1/26/15, 12:44 PM
Known Unknown said...: If you're going to be a bear, you might as well be a Grizzly.; 1/26/15, 12:45 PM
tim maguire said...: Baseball, on the other hand, is a sport, but not particularly athletic.

Quaestor, it's well past time to let it drop. Nobody's arguing with you.; 1/26/15, 12:51 PM
SteveR said...: We want winners and bragging rights. Figure skating, ice dancing, diving, rhythmic gymnastics, etc. are not sports to me. Arguably a pass interference call is just as subjective as how the balance beam is judged so there's that.; 1/26/15, 12:53 PM
Biff said...: I got a kick out of the camera angle on the East German judge at the end.

Has anyone really cared about the Olympics after the Cold War, except for bureaucrats and stadium builders?; 1/26/15, 1:06 PM
Curious George said...: "tim maguire said...
Baseball, on the other hand, is a sport, but not particularly athletic."

Seriously?; 1/26/15, 1:16 PM
m stone said...: Pairs skating and ice dancing (gasp)are amazing examples of synchronized sports, like swimming. The skating requires not only athletic skills, grace, and timing, but the sublime connection to a partner.

As a footnote, synchronized swimming is the sport of collectivist cultures (not US!) because no one individual draws the attention or carries the performance.; 1/26/15, 1:18 PM
Quaestor said...: How about synchronized swimming? According to the International Olympic Committee, it's a sport. Too me it looks like pool high jinks for girls who look fabulous in swimwear. I'd like to see EMD do this. On second thought, I'd rather have a lobotomy than watch EMD do anything in a Speedo.

It's too bad Loren Michaels is so jealous of his old SNL material because Martin Short demolished syncswim years ago, yet we can't see that immortal moment on Youtube.; 1/26/15, 1:18 PM
Titus said...: Hardly flamboyant-maybe in the 70's.

Today, skating has Johnny Weir in a fur coat, makeup and tiara commenting on the tele.

I love figure skating.

rubbing Tom Brady's balls.; 1/26/15, 1:36 PM
traditionalguy said...: Age 65 is a milestone and his heart gave out after he reached it. I empathize with him.; 1/26/15, 3:15 PM
Paco Wové said...: I guess the formula is athletic effort + competition = sport. That's what makes ice dancing a "sport", but not a performance of Swan Lake. And why the Cliburn piano competition is not a sport, despite the presence of competitors and judges (and the lack of funny costumes).; 1/26/15, 3:27 PM
Known Unknown said...: , I'd rather have a lobotomy than watch EMD do anything in a Speedo.

I don't know, I've got some nice abs.; 1/26/15, 3:35 PM
Laslo Spatula said...: " I try to live my life touching extremes."

The problem is some of the people don't want their "extremes" touched.

I am Laslo.; 1/26/15, 4:09 PM
Laslo Spatula said...: I'm waiting for them to include 'reverse-cowgirl' and 'doggy-style' into the couples' competitions. In which case I will probably root for Sweden.

I am Laslo.; 1/26/15, 4:16 PM
ken in tx said...: I'm not a particular fan of either figure skating or ballet, but performers of both are athletes. If you have ever sit down close to the stage at a ballet, you have seen the strain, strength, and sweat that it takes to make it look effortless, like they are floating, but they are really not. It's a lot of work.; 1/26/15, 4:42 PM
traditionalguy said...: Ballet on hockey skates. He was creative with aggression.; 1/26/15, 6:47 PM
Bob Boyd said...: The movie 'Blades of Glory' is hilarious. Its about figure skaters.; 1/26/15, 6:50 PM
Titus said...: My floor to ceiling windows on my penthouse loft are shaking..blue state chaos! I have a fab view of Boston and the Charles River and I am deva!

Think about us old white red state nasty flyover states.; 1/26/15, 8:46 PM
William said...: If curling is a sport, so is figure skating......Curling is probably the least corrupt Olympic sport. You never hear of curling athletes doing roids or taking pro money under the table or using their Olympic fame to father illegitimate children. Still, the fact remains that curling is pretty dumb......Most winter sports are dumb, but curling is the gold medal winner. Lugers look down on them.; 1/26/15, 10:48 PM
Michael McNeil said...: I'd like to see competitive ballet in the Olympics. Great idea!; 1/27/15, 9:23 AM
Jeff Boulier said...: Competitive ballet does exist, by the way. Here's child prodigy (and professional figure skater) Katherine Healy dancing her way towards a medal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV29vY3uBTk

Figure skating -- certainly in the singles events -- now has a lot of rules governing performance of the individual elements that make it harder for the judges to play as fast and loose with the scores, the way they used to.; 1/29/15, 12:49 AM