Journal articles on the topic 'Ice Figure Skating'

Lower extremity injuries in figure skating have long been linked to skating boot stiffness, and recent increases in jump practice time may be influencing the frequency and seriousness of these injuries. It is hypothesized that stiff boots compromise skaters' abilities to attenuate jump landing forces. Decreasing boot stiffness by adding an articulation at the ankle may reduce the rate and magnitude of landing forces. Prototype articulated figure skating boots were tested in this study to determine their effectiveness in enabling skaters to land with lower peak impact forces. Nine competitive figure skaters, who trained in standard boots and subsequently in articulated boots, performed off-ice jump simulations and on-ice axels, double toe loops, and double axels. Analysis of the off-ice simulations showed decreases in peak heel force and loading rate with use of the articulated boot, although the exact kinematic mechanisms responsible for these decreases are still unclear. Analysis of the on-ice jumps revealed few kinematic differences between boot types, implying that the skaters did not use the articulation. Greater adaptation and training time is likely needed for the results seen off-ice to transfer to difficult on-ice jumps.

Organization of any winter Olympic game, often called as «White Olympics», requires interfacing between sports, technology and glaciology. History of the Olympic winter games and the Norwegian figure skater Sonia Henie, first and the only three-time Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) in ladies figure skating, is presented in the article. Leaving the amateurish sport, Henie became a Hollywood star of the ballet on ice. She was introduced to the inventor Frank Zamboni, who created the ice re-surfacer (the ice-cleaning combine) to restore the ice on skating rinks. Using the combine by Henie during her tours in the United States served to advertise this machine, and the name Zamboni had become a trademark for machines «Zamboni».

In the last decades the women started to do sports which were originally masculine (Pfister, 1990). The parity led to the slow transformation of the old-school thinking about the traditional roles of sexes (Hall, 1996). The main questions of our investigation were whether the athletes’ thought of the figure skating and the ice hockey are different according to their sport or to the existing stereotypes in the Hungarian sport society. We used semi-structured interviews to gather opinions of two different gender type icy sports’ top women athletes (figure skating and ice hockey) to see their viewpoints about the gender equalization. We can verify Metheny (1965) findings, that the social acceptance or refusal of women in sports on the basis of traditional features is changing slightly. Research questions were: Are there differences in the childhood sport socialization processes of the representatives of the two sports? What was the motivation behind their choice of sports? Are there differences in the gender identities of female athletes? What is the athletes’ opinion on one another and the representatives of the other sport? Method was semi-structured in-depth interviews and the samples were the members of the Hungarian women ice hockey and figure skating national team. According to our results family and siblings were decisive in the childhood socialization process. Early age patterns do not seem to have much influence on the selection of sport. Although among water polo/ice hockey girls there were a few tomboys. Among the ice hockey team members there were girlish girls and boyish girls as well, but among the figure skaters there were no one who was boyish. No differences can be observed in their views on gender roles concerning for example employment or housework. JEL Code: Z29

Context: As the popularity and technical demands of figure skating increase, so will the number of athletes presenting with sport-related problems. Evidence Acquisition: Searches were performed across PubMed from 1980 to 2017. The keywords searched were skating, skaters, incidence, and injuries. The search was limited to English-language articles and human participants. Relevant articles were cross-referenced. Study Design: Clinical review. Level of Evidence: Level 5. Results: Previous studies suggest an increase in incidence of figure skating injuries from 1982 to 2003. When combining all disciplines of figure skating, there is a similar proportion of acute and overuse injuries. Within disciplines, overuse injuries appear to be more common in singles skating, while acute injuries are more common in pairs skating, ice dancing, and synchronized skating. Lower extremity injuries are more common than upper extremity injuries in all disciplines, and pairs skating accounts for the majority of upper extremity injuries. Ankle sprains are the most common skating injury, and patellar tendinitis is the most common overuse injury across all disciplines. Stress fractures are the most common overuse injury in female singles skaters. Conclusion: The predominance of overuse injuries in singles disciplines reflects their increasing technical difficulty, with more difficult jumps and longer training hours. Partner disciplines are more likely to involve acute injuries and upper extremity injuries due to high-risk throws and lifts. Emphasis should be placed on properly fitting skating boots, intrinsic foot and ankle strengthening, and lower extremity flexibility, which may prevent many of the common lower extremity and back injuries in figure skating.

In this study, the authors examined female competitive figure skaters’ experiences of weight pressure in sport. Perceptions of the ideal skating body; sources of weight pressure; ways that body image, weight-management behaviors, and athletic performance have been affected; and recommendations for improving body image were explored. Aligning with a social constructivist view (Creswell, 2014), data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Skaters described the ideal skating body in an inflexible fashion with little room for deviation and acceptance of body diversity. Skaters cited their first weightpressure experience between 7 and 14 years of age, which most notably involved coaches, parents, skating partners, and other aspects of the skating culture. These experiences were characterized as promoting body-image concerns, unhealthy weight-management strategies, and interference with the psychological aspects of on-ice performance. Results from this study demonstrate the need to construct and maintain body-positive skating environments.

This paper examines the image of American poverty, rejection and social engagement in a recent sports biopic inspired by the story of American skater Tonya Harding, Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya (2017). It draws on data presented in recent poverty studies to determine the extent of deprivation and attend to its representation in American cinema. In the light of the above, I closely analyze the biopic, focusing on its depiction of professional figure skating, expectations of female athletes, and most importantly, the figure of Tonya Harding. I argue that the protagonist’s social background dominates her portrayal, which also challenges the common conception of a sports biopic; Harding’s narrative is defined by her mismatch with ice skating’s normative expectations and, most importantly, by her social standing.

The purpose of this paper is to review the biomechanics of triple and quadruple figure skating jumps, focusing on information that has implications for strength and conditioning programs. At a minimum, to complete the required revolutions in a jump, a skater must balance the average angular velocity with the time in the air. Vertical velocity at takeoff is similar in high revolution jumps to that in low revolution jumps; however, when comparing skaters of different abilities, those with higher abilities generate greater vertical velocities at takeoff for the same type of jump. Powerful extension of the legs is the primary factor in generating vertical velocity. Some jumps use asymmetrical extension of both legs, while other jumps involve extension of only one leg. Angular velocity is controlled primarily by the skater's moment of inertia, which means skaters must forcefully arrest the motion of the arms and legs after the propulsion phase and then quickly position the arms and legs close to the axis of rotation during flight. Training exercises that emphasize eccentric and concentric muscle actions and which are adaptable to asymmetrical or unilateral motions, such as box jumps and medicine ball throws, are a crucial component to off-ice training programs for figure skaters. Key words: ice skating, biomechanics, power, technique, strength, conditioning

Competitive figure skaters often suffer from overuse injuries, which may be due to the high impact forces endured during jump repetitions performed in practice and competition. However, to date, forces during on-ice figure skating have not been quantified due to technological limitations. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal calibration procedure for a previously developed instrumented figure skating blade (IceSense). Initial calibration was performed by collecting data from the blade while 11 skaters performed off-ice jumps, landing on a force plate in the lab. However, mean peak force measurements from the blade were greater than the desired error threshold of ±10%. Therefore, we designed a series of controlled experiments which included measuring forces from a load cell rigidly attached to the top of the blade concurrently with strain data from the strain gauges on the blade. Forces were applied to the blade by adding weight to a drop tower or by manually applying force in a quasi-static manner. Both methods showed similar accuracy, though using the drop tower allowed precise standardization. Therefore, calibration was performed using the weighted drop method. This calibration was applied to strain gauge data from out-of-sample drop trials, resulting in acceptable estimates of peak force (less than 10% error). Using this calibration, we collected data on one figure skater and present results from an exemplar on-ice double flip jump. Using the IceSense device to quantify on-ice forces in a research setting may help inform training, technique, and equipment design.

Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to characterize kinematic parameters of the rotational body movement during the office figure skating multi-revolution jumping exercise and to propose applications to training. Material and Methods Six elite Polish female junior singles figure skaters were examined performing single and their respective maximum total rotation vertical jumps in off-ice conditions. Measurements of the ground reaction force were performed with a KISTLER (500 Hz) piezoelectric sensor platform with BioWare Software, synchronized with the cinematographic analysis using the Vicon T-Series motion capture system. Results The analysis revealed positive linear relations between selected jump parameters of the pre-take-off phase and after the landing. Two moments of countering torque were also noticed: the first in the landing phase, and the second before reaching the stabilized position. Conclusions Applications of the findings for off-ice training were discussed.

Abstract Introduction. Figure skating is a sport discipline requiring a combination of artistic and athletic skills. The triple Axel Paulsen (Axel or A) jump is the most technically difficult jump of all figure skating jumps, which is why it is on the top of the International Skating Union (ISU) Judging System Code of Points (CoP). The purpose of this research was to explore the technical differences between the single Axel (1A), the double Axel (2A), and the triple Axel (3A) and to determine which parameters are the most important for performing the triple Axel successfully, using 3D kinematic analysis. Material and methods. In the study, one Polish elite male junior skater was tested. Following the usual warm-up, the skater performed a series of jumps on the ice, which were recorded. Six jumps of each type were recorded (6 x 1A, 6 x 2A, and 6 x 3A). Three jumps which were the best technically were chosen for further analysis. The APAS 2000 system automatically calculated the centre of gravity of the skater (CG) and generated the kinematic data of each jump. Results. The skater examined jumped higher when he was about to perform more rotations in the jump. The more rotations were to be made, the higher the jump was. Although the difference between the height of 2A and 3A was less than 10% and could not be considered significant, the height of 1A was significantly lower, by over 19%, that the height of the other two jumps. As also shown by previous research, the most substantial differences in the Axel jump technique were visible in the pre-take-off and take-off phases. Conclusions. We observed substantial differences in the movement technique and kinematic parameters of the pre-take-off phase in the triple Axel performance compared to the performance of the other two Axels. It can be assumed that decreasing the ankle joint angle in the pre-take-off phase was most essential in achieving rotations in the Axel jump. This substantial change in ankle flexion caused greater stress on the blade before the take-off, which resulted in a reduction of vertical velocity and enabled an increase in the vertical take-off angle.

Background There has been rapid growth in the technical and physiologic demands made on skaters who perform more and more difficult jumps, spins, lifts, throws, and free skating movements. Purpose To investigate the frequency of injuries and overuse syndromes in elite junior skaters. Study Design Questionnaire. Methods During four consecutive Junior World Figure Skating Championships and the Croatia Cup, we interviewed 236 female and 233 male skaters by questionnaire to determine the frequency of injuries and overuse syndromes. Results Fifty-nine of the female skaters (25%) and 65 of the male skaters (27.9%) reported sustaining acute injuries; 101 female (42.8%) and 106 male (45.5%) skaters reported overuse syndromes. Low back pain was reported by 19 female and 23 male skaters. The most frequent acute injury was ankle sprain. In singles female skaters, the most frequent overuse injury was stress fracture (19.8%), followed by jumper's knee (14.9%). In singles male skaters, jumper's knee (16.1%) was the most frequent injury, followed by Osgood-Schlatter disease (14.2%). More than 50% of injuries in young singles figure skaters involved overuse syndromes. Pairs skaters and ice dance skaters had a higher risk of acute injury than overuse syndrome because of falls from lifts and throw jumps. Conclusions Programs to improve postural alignment, flexibility, and strength, especially during the asynchronous period of bone and soft tissue development, should be instituted to prevent and reduce overuse syndromes.

This qualitative study examines Tonya Harding’s experiences after she was excoriated by news media in the 1990s and given an opportunity in 2017 to tell her story through the film, I, Tonya. The critical thematic analysis of a semi-structured interview with Harding contends that her assessment of how her image was recuperated by the film is informed by her experiences with news media’s classism and sexism before and following the notorious attack on Nancy Kerrigan. Keywords: image restoration, figure skating, classism, Olympics, Tonya Harding, media, communication

To collect empirical data on the Globe and Mail sports section's coverage of the Winter Olympic Games from 1924 to 1992 a content analysis was performed on 1,184 articles and 532 pictures using size, sport, location, type, and performance. One-way analysis of variance and such analysis with Newman-Keuls were used to assess significance of differences among these indices. The number and size of articles and pictures increased steadily from 1924 to 1992. Articles about Canadian medal winners were larger in size but occurred as frequently as for nonmedal winners. Most articles concerning the Olympics were found on the first two pages of the sports section. Ice hockey received the most coverage (29.5%), followed by figure skating (11.6%), alpine skiing (10.8%), and speed skating (6.2%). Their primary focus was on athletes' accomplishments, personal history, or the outcome of an event.

ABSTRACT Jump Elements in figure skating are an integral part of motor activity. One of the conditions for their good performance is great height and length. Criteria for this are the indicators of speed and power qualities. The aim of this research work is to analyze the relationship between anthropometric indicators and those for jumping takeoff of young female figure skaters of the basic level of training. Seventeen female skaters aged 10-14 years old (prepuberty) from ice skating clubs in Bulgaria voluntarily participated in the study. The age of the participants was 10 to14 years old, which is considered favorable for the development of speed and strength abilities. They were subjected twice to 8 anthropometric measurements and 5 different types of takeoff, conducted in office conditions. To achieve the goal of the survey, the following research methods were used: theoretical analysis and generalization of data in specialized scientific and methodological literature, pedagogical observation, pedagogical testing, anthropometric research methods and methods of mathematical statistics for processing the results of the study. The results showed significant intragroup dependences for the anthropometric and bio- mechanical parameters for all types of jumps takeoff in the first study and a decrease in the correlation coefficients in the second measurement. The maximum force in all types of jumps increases with increasing indicators of height, weight, length of the lower limbs, chest circumference, shoulder width, while the width of the pelvis does not affect the strength of the takeoff. The height of the jumps with the help of the arms depends on the width of the shoulders – r = 0.497, and for vertical jump with the hands on the hips – r = 0.664.

The purpose of the study was to focus on how hegemonic nationality, as well as hegemonic masculinity and femininity are expressed in the media commentaries about women’s sport. This study focused specifically on Olympic hockey broadcasts on NBC’s cable affiliates employing freelance journalists during the 2006 Olympics. Textual analyses of five U.S. and Canadian women’s games were conducted. Two hockey commentators of the Olympic Games were also interviewed. Results indicate that, in relationship to men, the women’s game is viewed as less physical. In regards to nationality, the U.S. women are viewed as legitimate athletes for embracing hockey and not traditional feminine sports such as figure skating. Canadian women are viewed as legitimate for initially having participated in female versions of hockey such as ringette before playing hockey. The U.S. women are described as having strength and power as well as being fit and still feminine, while their Canadian counterparts are mostly described by physical size.

The study aimed to highlight the relation between the performance registered by female skaters in agility and balance tests with their competition scores. Within our research, we applied three standardised tests designed to assess the athletic abilities that support on-ice skills development from Standardised Testing of Athleticism to Recognise Skaters (S.T.A.R.S.), consisting of one agility test (the Hexagon Test) and two balance tests (the Stork Test with eyes open and with closed eyes). The research was conducted on a group of 30 female skaters from Romania and Turkey during August-September 2019, with the age range from 10 to 12 years (x=10.87, SD= 0.73). The study showed that there is a significant correlation between the agility test (p=0.046) and the balance test with opened eyes (p= 0.043). Still, there was no significant relevance between the closed eyes balance test (p=0.192) and the scores earned in competitions by skaters. The results of the study aimed to guide coaches in choosing the proper tests for evaluating their skater's performance

The use of imagery by athletes was assessed by administering a 37-item questionnaire to a sample of 381 male and female participants from six sports. The sample comprised competitors in the sports of football, ice hockey, soccer, squash, gymnastics, and figure skating. Athletes reported using imagery more in conjunction with competition than with practice. The motivational function of imagery was found to be important, but no substantial differences were evident between how athletes employ visual and kinesthetic imagery or how they use internal and external imagery perspectives. Athletes also indicated that they do not have very structured or regular imagery sessions. The level at which athletes were competing (recreational/house league, local competitive, provincial competitive, national/international competitive) was found to influence imagery use. The higher the competitive level, the more often the athletes reported using imagery in practice, in competition, and before an event.

<p>研究背景與目標：本文為首篇檢驗高功能自閉症類障礙疾患童之執行功能能否藉由花式滑冰（花滑）提升的實證研究。方法：本研究採單一個案實驗設計，共有兩位患童參加。由同一位具認證資格的花滑教練，依照滑冰協會所研發的訓練系統於冰上教學。過程中檢驗參與者之執行功能（以台灣繁體中文兒童執行功能量表施測）與重複行為（以修正版重複行為量表施測），並建立多重基準線。且訪談其母親以驗證社會效度。結果：本研究結果顯示兩位參與者的花滑技巧皆於六周共12次的花滑課程中有所進展。其執行功能中的抑制控制，以及重複行為，皆因著花滑技巧的進步而有所改善。這些正向效果更彰顯於兩人的日常生活中。結論：本研究結果支持花滑經驗可改善這兩名參與的高功能自閉症類障礙患童的抑制控制，並減少其重複行為。建議未來以大樣本的實驗，採隨機分組方式進一步驗證此效果。</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>Background and Purpose: This study is the first to examine whether the execu-tive functions (EFs) of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (CWHFA) can be improved through figure skating (FS) experiences. Methods: In this single-case experimental study, a qualified FS coach trained two CWHFA by follow-ing the training system developed by the Ice Skating Institute. Multiple baselines of the two CWHFA were formed on several target indices, including EF subcomponents (Taiwanese Traditional-Chinese Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory) and repetition behaviors (Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised). Social validation was also conducted via interviewing their mothers. Results: The results indicated that both of the CWHFA made progress on FS techniques during their 12 sessions of lessons in 6 weeks. The improved inhibitory control and repetitive behaviors were correlated with and might have probably been modiated by the FS experiences. The positive effects might have transferred to their daily lives. Conclusion: The results suggested that FS experiences helped the two CWHFA on their FS skills and bettered their inhibitory control as well as lowered their repetitive behaviors. Future randomised controlled trials further examining this effect are warranted.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Context Figure skating requires power and stability for takeoff and landing from multirotational jumps and various on-ice skills. Repetitive forces may cause overuse injuries distally, making lumbopelvic-hip endurance, strength, and neuromuscular control imperative. Objective To compare lumbopelvic-hip endurance and neuromuscular control in elite figure skaters between sexes and landing and nonlanding limbs using common screening tests. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. Patients or Other Participants Forty elite figure skaters (20 women, 20 men; age = 23.2 ± 4.3 years) performed the Y-balance test, single-legged squat (SLS), single-legged squat jump (SLSJ), and unilateral hip-bridge endurance test (40 right [R] landing limbs, length = 169.1 ± 12.2 cm). Main Outcome Measure(s) Normalized reach difference (% of leg length) and composite scores [(anterior + posteromedial + posterolateral)/(limb length × 3) × 100] were calculated for the Y-balance test. Skaters held the unilateral hip bridge until failure with a maximum allotted time of 120 seconds. They performed 5 SLSs and 5 SLSJs while barefoot with the contralateral limb held behind them to mimic a landing position. Both tests were scored by the number of times the patella moved medially to the first ray (medial knee displacement [MKD]). Multivariate analyses of variance with post hoc independent t tests were conducted between sexes and groups. Paired t tests were used to analyze limb differences. Results Women had a larger composite Y-balance score (R = 10.8% of leg length, P = .002; left = 10.5%, P = .001) and hip-bridge hold time (R = 26.4 seconds, P = .004; left = 28.2 seconds, P = .002) for both limbs compared with men. Men held the hip-bridge longer on their landing limb. Six skaters performed worse on their nonlanding limb during the SLS, and 11 skaters had no MKD with either the SLS or SLSJ. Conclusions Women performed better on the Y-balance and unilateral hip bridge tests. Increased MKD for some skaters during the SLS and SLSJ may have indicated hip-abductor weakness. Understanding the proximal lumbopelvic-hip variables during takeoff and landing may elucidate contributing factors to distal overuse injuries.

<p>即便對經驗豐富的眼科醫師而言，人工水晶體脫位後重新固定亦是一場浩大的工程。雖然人工水晶體重新置入併以縫線固定手術已行之有年，要完成此手術仍必須將角膜傷口擴大才能將舊的人工水晶體取出而置入新的人工水晶體。因此術後除了造成傷口需更長的癒合時間外，也會造成角膜高度閃光之問題。本篇提出一項新的人工水晶體縫合固定手術，不需將舊有脫位之人工水晶體取出，而是將其直接固定在眼球內部，以減少前述之副作用。</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>Background and Purpose: This study is the first to examine whether the execu-tive functions (EFs) of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (CWHFA) can be improved through figure skating (FS) experiences. Methods: In this single-case experimental study, a qualified FS coach trained two CWHFA by follow-ing the training system developed by the Ice Skating Institute. Multiple baselines of the two CWHFA were formed on several target indices, including EF subcomponents (Taiwanese Traditional-Chinese Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory) and repetition behaviors (Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised). Social validation was also conducted via interviewing their mothers. Results: The results indicated that both of the CWHFA made progress on FS techniques during their 12 sessions of lessons in 6 weeks. The improved inhibitory control and repetitive behaviors were correlated with and might have probably been modiated by the FS experiences. The positive effects might have transferred to their daily lives. Conclusion: The results suggested that FS experiences helped the two CWHFA on their FS skills and bettered their inhibitory control as well as lowered their repetitive behaviors. Future randomised controlled trials further examining this effect are warranted.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

The purpose of this study was to examine how South Korean individuals responded to Olympic short track speed skater Shim Suk-hee’s sexual abuse accusations toward her former coach Cho Jae-bum, as well as the perceptions associated with the culture of South Korea’s elite sport organization, the Korea Skating Union. Specifically, Facebook comments made to posts on the three digital news platforms (Dispatch, Insight, and SBS News) in South Korea were analyzed through the lens of framing theory. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis. Three themes emerged inductively from the data analysis including (a) emotions; (b) punishment for authority figures; and (c) further investigations of similar cases. Comments illustrated South Korean publics’ anger with their desire to see Cho face stricter punishment for his abuse of Shim. In addition, comments discussed calling for more thorough investigations into similar cases of abuse. Lastly, South Korean individuals showed an overall dissatisfaction of the current system and culture of the Korean Skating Union without transparency.

The paper features the results of the study of the body image content characteristics in adolescent girls. The empirical study involved 12–14 year-old girls engaged in figure skating, and those not engaged in sports. The body image analysis was based on questionnaires and projective methods. It has been revealed that the content characteristics of the body image are interrelated with the parameters of self-relationship and self-esteem, regardless of whether the girl is engaged in sports or not. At the same time, athletes mostly appreciate the functional characteristics of the body, i.e. its activity and strength, whereas the girls in the control group assess their appearance. The gap between the real and the ideal body images appears to be higher in athletes. Comparison of the correlation matrices in the two groups shows that, in the group of athletes, the self-relationship parameters are correlated with the body evaluation, the evaluation of its strength, activity and functional characteristics. In the control group, the self-relationship parameters are related both to the functional characteristics of the body and to the appearance evaluation.

BackgroundThe Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-enhancing physical activity (SQUASH) is a validated tool measuring the duration, frequency, and intensity of physical activity. The modified version of the SQUASH (mSQUASH) has been developed, in collaboration between spondyloarthritis (SpA) experts and axial (ax)SpA patients, to better address the needs of these patients in the assessment physical activity (1).ObjectivesTo translate and cross-cultural adapt the mSQUASH into Turkish as well as its cognitive debriefing to test the conceptual equivalence of the translated version among patients with axSpA.MethodsThe mSQUASH was translated into Turkish by 2 bilingual translators, native speakers of Turkish one from medical (informed) and the other is without medical background (uninformed). The consensus on forward-translation was reached by the team included two rheumatologist (GA and LK) and the translators. Backward-translation into Dutch was performed by 2 bilingual translators, native speakers of Dutch and who were blinded to the original mSQUASH version. After the review of the Turkish version by an expert committee that included translators, two patients and the research team a pre-final version was prepared. This version was used in a field-test with cognitive debriefing and involved a sample of 10 axSpA patients (7 radiographic- and 3 non-radiographic axSpA patients) with variation in gender, age, disease duration, and educational background. The final Turkish mSQUASH version was reached after the patients were interviewed to check understandability, interpretation and cultural relevance of the translation. The whole process was performed according to the Beaton method (Figure 1) (2).Figure 1.Flow-chart of the translation and cross-cultural adaptation processResultsAfter the forward-backward translation process, small incompatibilities were resolved during the expert committee meeting. For example: `Ander transport (heen en terug)` was translated as `Diğer hedeflere (gidip gelmek)`. The meaning in English is `Other transport (round trip)’. This item questions the way of going to other places and the discrepancy raised whether to use `transportation` or the `target` as the title. To make it culturally adaptable consensus reached to use a word equivalent to `the target` which is semantically equal to the Dutch version. A total of 10 patients with axSpA [7 females, mean (SD) age of 38 (10)] participated in the field test. Mean (SD) time to complete the mSQUASH was 6.1 (2.4) minutes. Cognitive debriefing showed that items of the mSQUASH are clear, relevant, understandable, and easy to complete. None of the patients indicate any important aspect of physical activity that is missing from the questionnaire items. During the cognitive debriefing, 2 patients suggested a change in the wording of one item to make it more suitable to the Turkish culture. This item inquires after sport activities and patients raised the concern that the example activities, ice-skating, tennis, handball are not culturally suitable. According to their comments these items were replaced by other examples such as football.ConclusionThe final Turkish version of the mSQUASH showed acceptable linguistic validity and can be used in both clinical practice and for research purposes. However, to implement the Turkish version of the mSQUASH, further assessment of its psychometric properties (validity and reliability) is needed.References[1]Carbo MJ, et al. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2021 Aug;51(4):719-727.[2]Beaton DE, et al.. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2000 Dec 15;25(24):3186-91Disclosure of InterestsGizem Ayan: None declared, Sofia Ramiro Speakers bureau: Eli Lilly, MSD, Novartis, UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, Sanofi, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Galapagos, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, Fernando M Pimentel-Santos Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Novartis, UCB, Tecnimed, Consultant of: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Tecnimed, UCB, Grant/research support from: Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Anneke Spoorenberg Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Novartis Pharma, Pfizer, UCB Pharma, Lilly, Consultant of: AbbVie, Novartis Pharma, Pfizer, UCB Pharma, Lilly, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Novartis Pharma, Pfizer, Suzanne Arends: None declared, Levent Kiliç: None declared

"Flexibility” is a physical quality of a person, which is characterized by the ability to perform movements with a large amplitude. Flexibility is important for success in such activities as sports (artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating, etc.), as well in classical choreography, for example, ballet. Extracellular matrix producing cells and structural proteins of connective tissues take an active part in the formation of mobility of the elements of the musculoskeletal system. Connective tissues are a complex structural and functional system, the components of which are encoded by many genes. Mutations in them lead to various hereditary diseases that increase or decrease "flexibility”. The role of genes in the formation of conditions encoded in the ICD-11 LD28.Z remains unclear - "Syndromes involving connective tissue as the main feature, unspecified”, and their prognostic significance for people experiencing intense physical exertion. The purpose of this review is to generalize modern ideas about the role of genes, extracellular matrix and cells producing it in the formation of such a physical quality as flexibility.

Some research suggests that males and females differ in terms of their enjoyment from viewing televised sports characterized as either violent combative (e.g., football and hockey), violent aggressive (e.g., basketball and soccer), or stylistic (e.g., figure skating and gymnastics) in nature. However, no theory-based explanation for the above differences has been supported. Zeckerman's (1994) theory of sensation seeking offers face validity in this context, as gender differences have been associated with the personality trait as has the consumption of violent media and contact sports (Krcmar & Green, 1999; Schroth, 1994). A snowball quota sample(n= 305) was employed to investigate adults' (18+) interest in viewing different types of sports telecasts (i.e., combative and stylistic). Four hypotheses were formulated based on the existing literature, with two of them being fully supported and a third receiving limited support. Among the key results, adult respondents' interests in viewing telecasts of combative or stylistic sports differed significantly by gender. In addition, reported interest in watching coverage of violent combative sports was positively related to sensation seeking for both sexes. Meanwhile, interest in viewing stylistic sports on television was a negative function of the trait for females. The theoretical and applied implications of the results are discussed, along with directions for future research in this area.

In sport and sport media, figure skating is often perceived as ‘feminine’ and male skaters frequently occupy an ambiguous position, especially for Asian (American) athletes in a historically White-dominated sport. Based on discourse analysis, this article compares how English- and Japanese-language news narratives represent elite male figure skaters Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu, who are close rivals and skate for the United States and Japan respectively. We demonstrate how English-language media reinforce (U.S.) nationalism by portraying ‘Quad King’ Chen as hypermasculine for his athleticism and ‘Ice Prince’ Hanyu as feminized for his exceptional artistry. Despite being pitted against each other, we argue that in Japanese media narratives, their convivial rivalry and sportsmanship reveal what we call ‘Asian sporting masculinities’, alternative constructions of masculinities complicating monolithic stable understandings of masculinity in or congruous with the West. This study advances critical media and cultural studies by rethinking masculinities in Asian sporting bodies.

Relative age effect is a worldwide phenomenon referring to the subtle age-related (dis)advantages of athletes in the same age category, particularly in soccer and ice-hockey. Although well-established knowledge has been achieved to a certain extent, a need for further research is still valid considering different demands of each sport and possible differences in the course of time. The purpose of this study was to investigate the participation trends among elite figure skaters in the world regarding relative age effect, and to determine whether a decade has made a difference. The study sample was composed of 2313 figure skaters competing between 2009-10 and 2018-19 seasons. They were categorized into four quartiles according to their birth months. Total and season by season analyses were conducted to project any possible seasonal effect over a decade. Chi-square (χ²) goodness-of-fit tests were used to determine asymmetries in distributions, and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were used to compare quartiles with each other. Effect sizes were calculated using Cramer’s V (V). The results differed for disciplines and genders. Relatively older male skaters in pairs discipline were significantly overrepresented (χ² = 8.528, p = 0.036, V = 0.11) and a trend favoring relatively younger skaters was determined in men’s singles discipline through the last three seasons. Season-based analyses revealed no relative age effect except for the last three seasons. In conclusion, disciplines of figure skating seem to have complex and different demands regarding relative age effect, and time seems to become a determinant for further studies.

ABSTRACT Context: Figure skating requires power and stability for take-off and landing from multi-rotational jumps and various on-ice skills. Repetitive forces may cause overuse injuries distally making lumbopelvic-hip endurance, strength, and neuromuscular control imperative. Objective: The purpose was to compare lumbopelvic-hip endurance and neuromuscular control in elite figure skaters between sex and limbs using common screening tests. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. Participants: Forty elite figure skaters (23.2±4.3 years, 169.1±12.2 cm, 20F, 40R landing limb) performed the Y-balance test, single leg squat (SLS), single leg squat jump (SLSJ), and unilateral hip bridge endurance test. Main Outcome Measures: Normalized reach difference (% of leg length) and composite scores (((Anterior + Posteromedial + Posterolateral)/Limb length x 3) x100) were calculated for Y-balance test. Skaters held the unilateral hip bridge until failure with a maximum allotted time of 120s. Participants performed 5 SLS and SLSJ, barefooted with the contralateral limb held behind them to mimic a landing position. Both tests were scored by the number of times the patella moved medially to the first ray (medial knee displacement (MKD)). MANOVA with post-hoc independent t-tests were performed between groups and sex. Paired t-tests were used to analyze limb differences. Results: Females had a larger composite Y-balance score (R:+10.8, p=.002; L:+10.5, p=.001) and hip bridge hold time (R:+26.4 sec, p=.004; L:+28.2 sec, p=.002) on both limbs compared to males. Males held the hip bridge longer on their landing limb. During the SLS and SLSJ, 6 skaters performed worse on their non-landing limb during the SLS, and 11 skaters had no MKD with either test. Conclusions: Females performed better on the Y-balance and unilateral hip bridge tests. Increased MKD for some skaters in the SLS and SLSJ may indicate hip abductor weaknesses. Understanding proximal lumbopelvic-hip variables during take-off and landing may elucidate contributing factors to distal overuse injuries.

There is extensive evidence illustrating the influence of coach behavior on athletes’ perceived basic psychological needs. However, much of that research has been conducted with athletes of similar developmental stages (i.e., children, adolescents, or adults). In sports such as figure skating, coach–athlete relationships often span several years and developmental stages; yet, researchers have not comprehensively investigated whether coaches consider athletes’ physical, social, self, cognitive, and emotional development in their interpersonal style. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore (a) what need-supportive and/or need-thwarting behaviors coaches use with athletes in different developmental age groups and (b) whether coaches’ use of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors was developmentally appropriate based on theoretical implications and empirical evidence grounded in both developmental and self-determination theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 coach–athlete dyads (13 coaches and 13 athletes) across four age groups: middle childhood (6–10 years), early adolescent (11–14 years), mid-adolescent (15–17 years), and early adulthood (18–25 years). Deductive reflexive thematic analysis of the 26 interviews revealed four themes highlighting (a) competence-supportive, (b) autonomy-supportive, (c) relatedness-supportive, and (d) need-thwarting behaviors. There were both consistencies and variations in coaches’ use of those behaviors across the four age groups.

An event occurred recently in the world of professional sports in North America which may have set a precedent for superstar (celebrity) retirement and celebrity/fan interaction in the future. The event was hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky's last National Hockey League game, played between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins (with Gretzky a member of the former), a Sunday 'matinee' contest at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City. An event occurred recently in the world of professional sports in North America which may have set a precedent for superstar (celebrity) retirement and celebrity/fan interaction in the future. The event was hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky's last National Hockey League game, played between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins (with Gretzky a member of the former), a Sunday 'matinee' contest at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City. What makes this particular event unique is that the game itself (which, if not for Gretzky's retirement, would have been of little interest, since the Rangers were long since eliminated from the playoffs) was virtually 'staged' as a component of Gretzky's retirement ceremony, and indeed resembled a television entertainment special, musical and/or theatrical program in every way. So, every facet of this, one of the last regular season games, was focussed on "The Great One", as he is known to his adoring fans. This is where the pivotal part comes: Gretzky announced his long- speculated retirement, that his last game would be this match, just several days beforehand (in most cases of note, for obvious reasons, this announcement comes after the season ends). This of course sent the media into a frenzy to prepare for what Gretzky himself referred to as a final "celebration", which would honour not only himself, but also involve in an 'intimate' setting those players, coaches, etc. (professional hockey and other sports figures alike; Mario Lemieux, former leader of the Pittsburgh team and former team-mate Mark Messier as the "greatest players he has played against and with"), celebrities from the world of music (Bryan Adams sang the Canadian national anthem) and screen (Christopher Reeve) whom Gretzky considers friends and influences in his life -- and of course his wife, actress Janet Jones, their three children, and parents. And let's not forget the devoted fans and audience, providing the necessary backdrop for it all. What was to be, then, your run-of-the-mill, pre-play-off regular season meaningless hockey game was transformed into an entertainment spectacle, complete with pre-game ceremonies of presentations by his buddies, former and present team-mates, gifts (the usual icons of North-American status excess) of a Jaguar (or Mercedes?), and a massive "high- definition" television set. The network television lead-in confirmed that this was to be "Wayne's day", with highlight reels of his 20-year career in the NHL and his earlier days on the backyard pond. These snippets were even interspersed throughout the breaks in the action during the game, along with short interviews with Wayne's friends in the audience, which by the way inevitably offered the same synopsis: "he was great for the game, but he was also great off the ice." It is this 'off the ice' congeniality/patience with the fans (and media) which has added immensely to his popularity, and has guaranteed that many "billions more will be served" at McDonald's. Perhaps what made this whole spectacle most interesting, however, was the hockey game itself, which seemed something of an afterthought lost in all the hoopla surrounding it. Colour commentator Harry Neal remarked after a period and a half or so of play that it was a "no-hitter", but stopped short of using 'boring' as an adjective. This of course was no accident given the circumstances: Gretzky was a gifted player who relied on skating and playmaking rather than hitting, and who was against fighting in the NHL -- it was obvious that the players on both teams were catering to Gretzky's wishes in honour of this, his last game. They were not going to spoil his 'party', and no-one laid a hand on him, much less each other, during the course of the action. Even Matthew Barnaby, Pittsburgh's noted 'dirty' player was uncharacteristically polite throughout. Indeed, how could they not be on their best behaviour, given that they were as much a part of the pre-game ceremonies as everyone else (the whole Pittsburgh team was seen to 'clap' their sticks against the ice in appreciation after each presentation to Gretzky). The net effect of it all was that everyone could not help but be in awe of "The Great One", who was characteristically humble and gracious throughout it all. By extension this also had the effect of making the play of the game much more 'tentative', where normally aggressive players were seen to compromise their styles in order to 'accommodate' Wayne. In a game which is normally brutally physical and sometimes downright violent (concussions are not uncommon) this particular contest was definitely out of place, more akin to an all-star game where players are careful to avoid bodychecking and injury. But unlike an all-star game because of this tentativeness, it was also low-scoring; short of capping off a 'scripted' ending with Wayne scoring the winner, it was the captain of Pittsburgh who decided the contest into overtime (which was probably appropriate lest the drama seem a little too 'given'). Playing the devil's advocate, I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if one of the opposing players had really 'had it in' for Gretzky, and realising that this was his last chance to make a little history of his own had taken the liberty to 'take Wayne out'. But then that sort of behaviour simply wouldn't have been tolerated on either side, and it was likely no coincidence that there were no grudges between these two teams (for this game at least). Closing ceremonies were appropriately tearful and long, with Wayne making repeated return appearances/encores to skate around the ice acknowledging the fans and players alike, the highlight reels again, and finally the last intimate interview and press conference. To me, the upshot of it all is this: to my knowledge, no other sports figure has demonstrated the power to 'tailor', if you will, a regularly scheduled contest such that the arena was utilised as a 'stage', with players from both teams willing 'actors', including the audience, of course, in order to provide Wayne with the type of send-off that he would (as 'director') have wished for. And what Wayne wanted was a "celebration" for everyone, hence it was no accident that his retirement announcement came before the season ended. The timing in the 'lull' between the regular season and the playoffs was also perfect. Here I believe we have a case of that 'blurring' or "slipping" between reality and fiction, or fantasy which Marshall refers to in a previous M/C article (b. 8). For what was created in fact was a 'staging', involving an altering of normal player/player and fan/player interaction, such that in the player/player interaction, the staging consisted of an oscillation between how the game is normally played in the minds of the players and an 'acted' version of this in order to accommodate "Wayne's World". The result was a rather unique version of the fastest and arguably the most dangerous of team sports -- truly, a celebrity version. In terms of the fan/player interaction, that 'oscillation' was present here as well, whereby cheering for a team inevitably was dominated by cheering for a single player (thus how the game is normally watched versus watching Wayne's game). The game itself had indeed become meaningless and was transformed into a Gretzky entertainment special; thus it was that the chant "Gretzky, Gretzky" which came up regularly, in order to spur "The Great One" on to his last goal at MSG (as it turned out, he managed an assist). The "slippage" was occurring at this level also, as fan participation reached new heights such that the collective consciousness of encouragement for Wayne provided an idyllic setting for the feature; they had become a part of the film, along with the Gretzky family in the stands, cheering him after every shift, and the distance between hero/player and audience was lessened by Gretzky's acknowledgments (something that simply wouldn't happen, at least to this degree, in a normal game). Fans always like to think that they have some influence on the players and the outcome of the game; in this case that influence was magnified as a sharing of a part of Wayne Gretzky's life. They had become a part of Wayne's movie. The 'slippage' had occurred on a grand scale. To be sure, a sporting contest is entertainment, but this event had 'slipped' into a theatrical contest for all, player and fan included. Everyone was in the picture; the normally fiercely competitive player interaction was tempered, and the fan involvement moved a notch closer to the ice surface. To conclude, I believe that these 'virtual movies' will become more commonplace as both fan/player interaction demand and player as celebrity status increase. For the player/celebrity, it's a way to go out with a 'bang' and satisfy a number of demands in one convenient package. For the fan, it's a step closer to that craved intimacy with their hero, another escape from the confines of the reality of the mundane, only closer yet to that elusive illusory ideal. Thus we will have willing 'actors' in these retirement dramas, where a sports contest is fundamentally altered to an emphasis on sentiment value, an opportunity for a collective 'feel-good' experience where everyone wins -- except for those who come to watch a good hockey game, or whatever the sports 'feature' of the future may be. References P. David Marshall. "The Fiction of Public Life." M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 2.1 (1999). 13 June 1999 <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/9902/life.php>. Citation reference for this article MLA style: David Riddell. "Wayne's World: The Making of a Hockey Movie." M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 2.4 (1999). [your date of access] <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/9906/wayne.php>. Chicago style: David Riddell, "Wayne's World: The Making of a Hockey Movie," M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 2, no. 4 (1999), <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/9906/wayne.php> ([your date of access]). APA style: David Riddell. (1999) Wayne's world: the making of a hockey movie. M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 2(4). <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/9906/wayne.php> ([your date of access]).

How do athletes represent actions from their sport? How are these representations structured and which knowledge is shared among experts in the same discipline? To address these questions, the event segmentation task was used. Experts in Taekwondo and novices indicated how they would subjectively split videos of Taekwondo form sequences into meaningful units. In previous research, this procedure was shown to unveil the structure of internal action representations and to be affected by sensorimotor knowledge. Without specific instructions on the grain size of segmentation, experts tended to integrate over longer episodes which resulted in a lower number of single units. Moreover, in accordance with studies in figure-skating and basketball, we expected higher agreement among experts on where to place segmentation marks, i.e., boundaries. In line with this hypothesis, significantly more overlap of boundaries was found within the expert group as compared to the control group. This was observed even though the interindividual differences in the selected grain size were huge and expertise had no systematic influence here. The absence of obvious goals or objects to structure Taekwondo forms underlines the importance of shared expert knowledge. Further, experts might have benefited from sensorimotor skills which allowed to simulate the observed actions more precisely. Both aspects may explain stronger agreement among experts even in unfamiliar Taekwondo forms. These interpretations are descriptively supported by the participants’ statements about features which guided segmentation and by an overlap of the group’s agreed boundaries with those of an experienced referee. The study shows that action segmentation can be used to provide insights into structure and content of action representations specific to experts. The mechanisms underlying shared knowledge among Taekwondoists and among experts in general are discussed on the background of current theoretic frameworks.

When I think, rarely, about the articulation of the set of traces that I am leaving, I have the immediate apprehension that it is not the real me that’s out there on the Web. I know the times when I have censored myself (oh problematic concept!) and when I have performed actions to complement—and frequently to confound—a trace. […] Taken globally, the set of traces that we leave in the world does without doubt add up to something. It is through operations on sets of traces that I understand an event that I take part in. (Bowker 23) Over the past decade, Facebook has become integrated into the everyday lives of many of its 1.28 billion active users to the point that Facebook can no longer be considered “new media.” The site is driven by the “disclosures” (Stutzman, Gross and Acquisti) users make on the site—by uploading photos, writing status updates, commenting on posts made by others, sharing news items, entering biographical details, and so on. These digital traces of life are archived by default, persisting indefinitely as etches in Facebook’s servers around the world. Especially for young users who have grown up using Facebook, significant parts of their social and cultural lives have been played out on the site. As spaces in which the persona is enacted and made visible, social network sites like Facebook also effectively capture growing up stories through a chronicle of mediated, transitional experiences: birthdays, graduations, the beginning (and end) of relationships, first jobs, travel, and so on. For these reasons, Facebook also comes to serve as a site of memorialisation for users who have passed away. To mark its tenth anniversary (2014), Facebook drew attention to the great depth and wealth of experiences users had traced upon its pages through the release of one-minute “look back“ videos, chronicling the life of individual users over their time on Facebook. These videos have become short manifestations of the personas presented on the site, crafted through an algorithmic selection of critical moments in the user’s life (as shared on the site) to tell that user’s story. To turn Bowker’s musings in the above quote into a question, what do these sets of traces that we leave in the world add up to? In this article, I undertake a critical reading of Facebook’s look back videos to argue that they serve as the strongest reminder yet about the function of Facebook as memory archive. I draw on several sources: my own analysis of the structure of the videos themselves, the Facebook corporate blog describing the roll out of the videos, and the public campaign played out on YouTube by John Berlin to have a look back video generated for his deceased son. I argue that Facebook comes to serve two critical functions for users, as both the site upon which life narratives are performed and organised, and also the site through which the variously public and private disclosures that constitute a persona are recalled and reflected upon. In setting out these arguments, I divide this paper into three parts: first, a description and reflection upon my own experience of the look back video; second, a consideration of critical moments selected for inclusion in the look back videos by algorithm as persona; and third, a discussion of death and memorialisation, as a sharp example of the significance of the digital traces we leave behind. The Look Back Video Gentle piano music rises as the “camera” pans across an assortment of photos. The flute joins the piano, and you are reminded that you started your Facebook journey in 2006. Here is your first profile picture—you with your arm around one of your good mates when you were twenty years old. Faster now, and here are “your first moments,” presented as images you have shared: March 2008, some of your closest friends who you met during your undergraduate studies, standing around sharing a drink; April 2008, a photo of a friend eating a biscuit, mid-conversation (she’d hate this one); and one last photo from April 2008, the biscuit-eating friend’s ex-boyfriend looking coy (you no longer speak to him, but he is still on your Friends list). Now enter the violins, seventeen seconds in. Things are getting nostalgic. Here are “your most liked posts”: July 2012, “thesis submitted for examination, yo” (46 likes); November 2012, “Trust me, I’m a Doctor… of Philosophy” (98 likes); February 2013, a mess of text announcing that you’ve found a job and you’ll be leaving your hometown (106 likes). Thirty-five seconds in now, and the pace of the music changes—look how far you have come. Here are some photos you have shared: December 2008, you at a bowling alley with your arm around one of your best friends who now lives overseas; October 2009, friends trying to sleep on your couch, being disturbed by the flash of your camera; June 2010, a family shot at your mother’s birthday. The pace quickens now, as we move into the final quarter of the video: September 2010, you on the beach with friends visiting from overseas; October 2011, you with some people you met in Canada whose names you don’t recall; (images now moving faster and faster) November 2011, ice skating with friends; March 2012, a wedding in Hawaii where you were the best man; December 2012, celebrating the conferral of your PhD with two colleagues; and finally July 2013, farewelling colleagues at a going away party. In the final ten seconds, the music reaches its crescendo and the camera pans backwards to reveal a bigger collage of photos of you and your nearest and dearest. Facebook’s trademark “thumbs up”/like symbol signals the end of the retrospective, looking back on the critical moments from the last eight and a half years of your life. Underneath the video, as if signing off a card accompanying a birthday present, is “Mark” (Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, in a faux hand-written font) “and the Facebook Team.” Facebook is you, the note seems to imply; for our anniversary, we present you back to yourself (see fig. 1). On 4 February 2014, the look back video feature was made available to all Facebook users. Some 200 million watched their videos, and more than 50% shared them with their networks (Spiridonov and Bandaru). In other words, around 100 million Facebook users held up their own individually generated look back videos as a record of the persona they had crafted through the site, and shared that persona retrospective with their networks. The videos work in the same way that television news programs piece together memorial clips for celebrities who have passed away, blending emotive music with visuals that conjure up memories and reflections. The first point of difference is that Facebook’s look back videos were intended for the living (although this function shifted as I will explain in a case study towards the end of this piece) to reflect on their own personas presented through the site, and then (about half the time) shared with their networks. The second difference is the technical, automated process of piecing together, rendering, storing, and streaming these videos on a large scale. Spiridonov and Bandaru, two Facebook engineers writing on the site’s Engineering Blog, described the rapid development and rollout of the videos. They explain the enormous pool of technical resources and human capital that were brought to bear on the project, including thirty teams across the company, in just 25 days. They end their explanatory post with an homage to “the things [they] love about Facebook culture” that the project represented for them, including “helping hundreds of millions of people connect with those who are important to them” (Spiridonov and Bandaru). The look back videos also serve a deeper purpose that isn’t addressed explicitly in any explanatory notes or press releases: to demonstrate the great depth of disclosures users make and are implicated in by others on the site. In a one-minute look back video, these disclosures come to serve as the very digital traces that Bowker was interested in, forming a longitudinal record of the persona. Algorithms and Critical Moments Although the explanatory post by Spiridonov and Bandaru did not go into details, the algorithm that determines which photos and status updates go into the look back videos appears to consider the quantity of likes and (potentially) comments on posts, while also seeking to sample disclosures made across the user’s time on the site. The latter consideration works to reinforce the perception of the longitudinal nature of the site’s memory, and the extent to which the life of the user has become entangled with, enmeshed in, and mediated through Facebook. Through the logic of the look back algorithm, critical moments in the user’s life course—those experiences that mark out narratives of growing up—become measured not in terms of their value for individuals, but instead through a quantitative metric of “likes.” While after the initial release of the look back feature, Facebook did provide users with the functionality to alter their videos with some limited control over which images could be featured, the default was determined by the algorithm. Social network sites have come to serve as spaces for reflexive identity work, for the development of personas for young people (boyd; Livingstone; Hodkinson and Lincoln; Lincoln; Robards). The transition towards adulthood is punctuated and shaped by “critical moments” (Thomson et al.) such as moving out of home, dropping out of school, entering a relationship, learning to drive, a death in the family, going clubbing for the first time, and so on. In Giddens’ terms, the “fateful moment” (from which Thomson et al. borrow in conceptualising the critical moment), is “highly consequential for a person’s destiny” (121), and should be understood as distinct from but certainly affecting the inconsequential goings-on of daily life. When these critical moments are articulated and made visible on social network sites like Facebook, and then subsequently archived by way of the persistent nature of these sites, they become key markers in a mediated growing up story for young people. Livingstone points towards the role of these sites for young people who are “motivated to construct identities, to forge new social groupings, and to negotiate alternatives to given cultural meanings” (4). Sharing, discussing, and remembering these critical moments becomes an important activity on social network sites, and thus the look back video serves to neatly capture critical moments in a one minute retrospective. Facebook has also started prompting users to record critical moments through predetermined, normative categories (see fig. 2) such as romance (a first kiss), health (losing weight and not smoking), purchases (buying a house and a car), and civic duty (voting and military service). These disclosure prompts operate at a deeper level to the logic of sharing whatever you are doing right now, and instead feed into that longitudinal memory of the site. As I have argued elsewhere (see Robards) it is clear that not all critical moments are disclosed equally on social network sites. Users may choose not to disclose some critical moments – such as breakups and periods of depression or anxiety – instead preferring to present an “idealised self.” Goffman explains that idealised presentations are aspirational, and that individuals will perform the best version of themselves (44). This isn’t a fake persona or a deception, but simply a presentation of what the individual regards to be the best qualities and appearances, contingent upon what Goffman described as the standards of the region (110). What constitutes an “authentic” persona on Facebook is clearly subjective, and dependent on those region specific standards. In my earlier research on MySpace, the quantity of friends one had was an indicator of popularity, or a quantitative measure of social capital, but over time and with the shift to Facebook this appeared to change, such that smaller networks became more “authentic” (Robards). Similarly, the kinds of disclosures users make on Facebook will vary depending on the conventions of use they have established within their own networks. Importantly, the look back algorithm challenges the user’s capacity to value their own critical moments, or indeed any moments or disclosures that might mark out a narrative of self, and instead chooses moments for the user. In this scenario, at least initially, the look back algorithm co-constructs the retrospective persona summary for the user. Only with effort, and only to a certain extent, can the user exercise curatorial control over that process. Death and Other Conclusions Although the initial function of the look back videos was for users to reflect on their own personas presented through Facebook, users who had lost loved ones quickly sought look back videos for the deceased. John Berlin, a Facebook user who had lost his son Jesse in 2012, tried to access a look back video for his son but was unsuccessful. He posted his plea to YouTube, which received almost three million views, and was eventually successful, after his request “touched the hearts of everyone who heard it” including Facebook staff (Price and DiSclafani). After receiving numerous similar requests, Facebook established a form where people could make have videos for deceased users rendered. In the words of Facebook staff, this was part of the site’s commitment to “preserve legacies on Facebook” (Price and DiSclafani). There is a growing body of research on the digital traces we leave behind after death. Leaver points out that when social media users die, the “significant value of the media traces a user leaves behind” is highlighted. Certainly, this has been the case with the look back videos, further supporting Leaver’s claim. John Berlin’s plea to have his deceased son’s look back video made available to him was presented as a key factor in Facebook’s decision to make these videos available to loved ones. Although the video’s narrative was unchanged (still pitched to users themselves, rather than their loved ones) John Berlin shared his son’s look back video on YouTube to a much wider network than he or his son may have previously imagined. Indeed, Gibson has argued that “digital remains cannot easily be claimed back into a private possessive sphere of ownership” (214). Although Jesse Berlin’s look back video did not reach the millions of viewers his father’s plea reached, on YouTube it still had some 423,000 views, clearly moving beyond Gibson’s “private possessive sphere” (214) to became a very public memorial. Bowker makes the observation that his friends and acquaintances who died before 1992 are sparsely represented online. In 1992, the first widely adopted web browser Mosaic made the Internet accessible for ordinary people in an everyday context. Bowker goes on to explain that his friends who died post-Mosaic “carry on a rich afterlife [… they] still receive email messages; links to their website rot very slowly; their informal thoughts are often captured on list-serv archives, on comments they have left on a website” (23). For Bowker, the rise of the Internet has brought about a “new regime of memory practices” (34). The implications of this new “paradigm of the trace” for Facebook users are only now becoming clear, multiplied in depth and complexity compared to the forms of digital traces Bowker was discussing. The dead, of course, have always left traces—letters, bureaucratic documents, photographs, and so on. There is nothing particularly new about the social and cultural traces that the dead leave behind, only in the way these traces persist and are circulated as the Berlin case study makes clear. The look back video brings the significance of the digital trace into a new light, challenging concepts of personal histories and the longevity of everyday personas. Now that Facebook has developed the infrastructure and the processes for rolling out these look back features, there is the possibility that we will see more in the future. The site already provides annual summaries of the user’s year on Facebook in December. It is possible that look back videos could mark out other moments, too: birthdays, new relationships, potentially even the deaths of loved ones. Might Facebook look back videos – in future forms and iterations, no doubt distinct from the ten-year anniversary video described here – come to serve as a central mechanism for memory, nostalgia, and memorialisation? I don’t have the same kind of apprehension that Bowker expresses in the quote at the top of this article, where he reflects on whether or not it is the “real” him out there on the web. Through Goffman’s dramaturgical lens, I am convinced that there is no single “authentic” persona, but rather many sides to the personas we present to others and to ourselves. The Facebook look back video figures into that presentation and that reflection, albeit through an algorithm that projects a curated set of critical moments back to us. In this sense, these videos become mirrors through which Facebook users experience the personas they have mediated on the site. Facebook is surely aware of this significance, and will no doubt continue to build the importance and depth of the digital traces users inscribe on the site into their plans for the future. References Bowker, Geoffrey C. “The Past and the Internet.” Structures of Participation in Digital Culture. New York: Social Science Research Council, 2007. 20-36. boyd, danah. “Social Network Sites as Networked Publics: Affordances, Dynamics, and Implications.” A Networked Self: Identity, Community, and Culture on Social Network Sites. New York: Routledge, 2011. 39-58. Gibson, Margaret. “Digital Objects of the Dead: Negotiating Electronic Remains.” The Social Construction of Death: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Ed. Leen van Brussel and Nico Carpentier. Palgrave, 2014: 212-229. Giddens, Anthony. Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 1993. Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. London: Penguin, 1959. Hodkinson, Paul, and Sian Lincoln. “Online Journals as Virtual Bedrooms? Young People, Identity and Personal Space.” Young 16.1 (2008): 27-46. Leaver, Tama. “The Social Media Contradiction: Data Mining and Digital Death.” M/C Journal 16.2 (2013). Lincoln, Siân. Youth Culture and Private Space. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Stutzman, Fred, Robert Capra, and Jamila Thompson. “Factors Mediating Disclosure in Social Network Sites.” Computers in Human Behavior 27.1 (2011): 590-598. Livingstone, Sonia. “Taking Risky Opportunities in Youthful Content Creation: Teenagers' Use of Social Networking Sites for Intimacy, Privacy and Self-Expression.” New Media & Society 10.3 (2008): 393-411. Robards, Brady. “Leaving MySpace, Joining Facebook: ‘Growing Up’ on Social Network Sites.” Continuum 26.3 (2012): 385-398. Thomson, Rachel, et al. “Critical Moments: Choice, Chance and Opportunity in Young People's Narratives of Transition.” Sociology 36.2 (2002): 335-354.