The Camera Doesn’t Lie
I’ve come to love and appreciate the power of video in figure skating. Sometimes it’s hard to understand what my coach is trying to correct until I can see my mistake on video. I often try to video myself doing elements so I can go frame-by-frame and see what is going on.
My rink also has a webcam where the owner likes to “spy” on occasion. Unbeknownst to me, these videos are recorded on a hard drive in case something happens.
We had a recent situation at the rink where a skater was in a sit spin and a young kid ran into the skater, causing the skater to fall. The child told his mother (who didn’t witness the event) and also happened to get a cut on his leg. The mother made up a story about how the skater was doing a camel spin and intentionally kicked the young child. She screamed at the assistant skating director and mentioned legal action and lawsuits.
Meanwhile, this incident was all caught on video. The skating director saw the footage and realized that the mother had no grounds for a complaint or a lawsuit. In fact, the mother was lucky that the skater wasn’t injured. The kid was being reckless and should not have been out on the practice session in the first place. The skating director talked to the mother and explained the situation.
So the lesson learned from this week… video is a powerful tool, and it doesn’t lie. Plus, you never know who is watching.
