Edit: Woops sorry - 'wall of text incoming' alert!
Originally Posted by thenetworkbabe:
“I seem to remember the roller skating was more significant - and obviously advantageous - my memory may be defective. The dance experience stands - he started his series with more experience than anyone else there this series, and he's done the bigger dance roles since .
The advantage is not only that you can do things, its that you have the right physique, build, muscles, and balance to do well and cross over into skating. This has turned into a dud as competitons go - because the people with the best similar set of advantages have gone early, or didn't turn up at all, or got dud routines, or fell to twists and VTs. Ray could only ever be beaten by someone who could do something he couldn't, while doing most of what he could - there's none left. ,
The most direct potential competition to Ray was Chris- who had most skating experience and the physique that came for it,. He could move as well, act, and dance - but was also built better for lifting - he didn't turn up. Missing one main competitor was bad - but they then ended up with no real male competition. Matt W we were told matched Ray - that was probably untrue, but now never will be tested. Kyran has worked hard and developed his skating - but his physique and lack of dance and acting training work against him. That leaves Sam as the male competion - but neither he or Kyran have been given many good routines - let alone excellent ones that allow them to fully show off their advantage in strength.
That left the females - who would have to contend with Ray by dancing well, acting better, or at least as a well, and doing lifts and tricks Ray couldn't - in really good routines. That competition has evaporated though. The girls started with everyone with the right physique, four who could do bigger lifts than Ray, three with strong dance ability, four actors who could stay with him there, and at least two who could do big enough tricks to register against Ray's. There's now no one who could pull off a really big trick or lift - unless someone finally thinks of a move that means Beth can use her gymnastic skills. They now all have to compete on Ray's home turf - where he can add his own tricks to his dancing and acting. . Hayley would have to beat him at acting and dancing, in a far simpler but great routine, and Beth who would have to do bigger tricks, better acting and better dance moves than she has ever before, to compete.
It just doesn't look like a competition,. For the first time in any series, the top performers haven't even all made the last 3 stages , some are still waiting for a top routine, and some went out to twists - in the series which was supposedly about being best. And if you can't prove who was best, I just don't think it means much.”
You're right, sorry - I've had a look around and Ray did do inline skating when he was growing up, but only with mates, not proper competitive training, so he may have got some natural balance from that. I know for a fact he'd only ice skated a couple or three times - there wasn't even an ice rink in Liverpool when he grew up there.
Chris Fountain was an ice hockey player pre-DOI, but with his murky past he wasn't invited to do the All Stars series at all. However, I watched a few of his old routines on Youtube, and to be honest, whilst he was tricksy (spins and stuff), I didn't get him like I get Ray's performances. I have no idea why, and it's not that I'm a fickle youngster or anything, and I'm way past having operational ovaries.
Anyway, if you read the post directly below mine, quoted here to save you scrolling back up, Amytigger outlines the different levels of ice skating experience pre-All Stars (thank you for the clarifications, Amytigger):
Originally Posted by Amytigger:
“Ray had no ice skating experience pre-show at all! Yes he did the DOI tour but so did everyone else except Beth as there was no tour in her year! Kyran has by far the most experience - he did three DOI tours and has continued skating over the years with his own shows too! Hayley toured as did Sam. Suzanne and others also did so why single out Ray? It annoys me too when people make unsubstantiated comments. Ray, unlike Kyran, has not skated for four years either so to say he has continued skating is simply untrue!
Maybe people are confusing him with someone like Chris Fountain who was an experienced ice hockey player before DOI? Also the one who has continued skating the most since his series apart from Kyran was David Seaman and much good it did him! Ray is in a different league to the others down to natural talent, enthusiasm and sheer hard work and if he has been the front runner from the beginning of the series that's why!”
I've said elsewhere on the forum that when I watch Ray skate I don't miss the huge lifts and tricks others include for effect, but if the others don't do lifts I feel something's missing from the routine. That goes for all of the others all through this series, so, for me, who can do lifts and who can't doesn't come into it, but I can see how it would matter for others.
My predictions, in the spirit of the thread:
Ray
Beth
Hayley
Sam
(But Beth winning wouldn't surprise me one bit, or upset me. I think she's a lovely girl and really trying her best.)
