This weekend, NBC (DISH Network 241, various times) is broadcasting the United States Figure Skating National Championships. Typically, figure skating viewership falls off in an off- Olympics year (we're in- betweening here in 2009; last year, the Summer Games took place, and next year the Winter Games will begin in Canada.)
It will be interesting to see the ratings fall out from this, because the sport has suffered several viewership blows in the past years. After an intense focus on the sport in the 1990's, figure skating has slipped as the sport of choice in American homes. Oh, you'll still see little girls spinning in flowy skirts at your local rink, but how many of them will stay?
There are several reasons for this. One is that a change in the way skaters are scored has created mass confusion and frustration even for longtime fans; instead of the usual scoring out of a ten, the sport now rewards skaters in a system call the "Code of Points." Each element gains a certain number of points, the addition is insane, and fans don't want sit before their sets with a calculator.
In addition, a few years ago, figure skating dropped its figure elements, and an entire generation of skaters grew up concentrating on jumps rather than elegance and clean edges. As such spectacular feats favor young teens who are unhampered by the curves of puberty, many stars of the sport don't have a chance to mature into fully rounded skaters--- and develop a following. Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, for example, retired at the age of fifteen.
So longtime fans like me who enjoy the glides and the spins will tune in this weekend, but we'll see if those with Neilson boxes follow.
