on ice perspectives
Olivia Zhang / October 2020
In figure skating, the average quadruple jump generates up to 300 pounds of gravitational
force and happens in less than a second, from speeds of up to 25 km per hour.Yet the beauty of the Instagram-shareable videos produced by Jordan Cowan, the former skater-turned-videographer who releases work under the name “On Ice Perspectives”, is that his close up, dynamic videos of top figure skaters render the simplest elements of the sport just as powerfully.
As the name suggests, what sets On Ice Perspectives apart is its unique filming method: videos are shot with Cowan alone capturing the skater’s performance while in skates himself, sharing the same ice. Cowan not only follows but also weaves around the skater while she cuts complicated patterns into the ice, setting up rapid spins and explosive, rink-spanning jumps. The result is a unique 360° view of the skater, with the close, dynamic filming giving the sensation that the viewer is flying along in the performer’s world. In one of On Ice Perspective’s most popular videos, for example, seen more than 4 million times across streaming platforms, U.S. Olympian Adam Rippon skates to Lady Gaga’s “Shallow” in an outdoor Santa Monica rink. Rippon’s elements and steps fill the frame as the camera captures him from an ever-changing angle. While Rippon’s flashier technician elements are impressive as always (a triple salchow in one corner, followed by a gravity defying death-drop spin), what really stands out in the four minute video are simple yet stunning moments of pure skating and artistry. In one such moment, Rippon begins a step sequence as the chorus of the song kicks in. With music flooding the outdoor space and the pale pink sunset in the background, the impact of each element in Rippon’s choreography, captured in such detail, feels absolutely palpable.
The technical mastery behind Cowan’s work deserves a closer look. To viewers, Cowan’s presence is virtually undetectable: the skater inhabits the full frame, with her elements filmed from an ever-moving lens that feels incredibly natural, like an omniscient floating eye that just happens to see the skater at all his best angles. The effect is all the more impressive given the reality of the situation: In a behind-the-scenes video posted to Facebook, shot from the ground, Cowan can be seen maneuvering a clunky camera and gimbal, bobbing left and right and constantly changing his elevation to get the best angles. Trailing behind on the ice in a nondescript black hoodie, Cowan looks almost comical as he goes through his reactionary routine; yet the final result captured through his lens is virtually seamless.
On Ice Perspectives’ innovative technique has caught on not only among fans, of which he has hundreds of thousands, but among figure skating’s top ranks as well. As Cowan’s audience base and influence have grown, On Ice Perspectives has been able to work with legends like 1998 Olympic silver medalist and nine-time U.S. Champion Michelle Kwan, for whom he captured a series of stunning improvised programs; and Nathan Chen, current leader of U.S. men’s figure skating and two-time world champion, whose trademark, gravity-defying quadruple jumps were filmed by Cowan in full detail.
Much of Cowan’s resonance with fans and skating legends alike is likely due to the new way of experiencing figure skating that On Ice Perspectives has enabled. Cowan’s style of filming amplifies a skater’s artistry to a beautiful extent; and the standalone nature of the videos, divorced from intense environment of a competition, or from the highly commercial nature of professional skating shows, allows each video to be fully inhabited by the aesthetic world of the skater and the music. Skating is given a new avenue to be spotlighted in more freely and organically, sometimes amidst beautiful outdoor settings ( like the rich auburn hues of Central Park’s Wollman Rink during fall) that place skating more closely amidst the rest of the world.
A deft understanding of the current media landscape also characterizes Cowan’s work: with videos released on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok, On Ice Perspectives has reached an audience of over 500,000 regular subscribers, with his most popular videos getting tenfold that in views. His videos are innately shareable, existing in bite-sized lengths that are so conducive to amassing millions of views and drawing in skating fans and newcomers alike. His two most viewed videos are also set to culturally relevant, popular music: “Shallow” by Lady Gaga, skated to by Adam Rippon, and “Dancing in the Dark” by Joji, skated to by world bronze medalist Vincent Zhou, both dominated the charts at the time of their release. By contrast, it wasn’t until the 2014-2015 season that U.S. Figure Skating even allowed lyrics to be used in skating programs, essentially condemning skaters to a rotating buffet of Classical symphonies or Broadway showtunes. On Ice Perspectives frames skating in a more accessible and culturally relevant way, injecting a much needed jolt of energy into skating’s status quo.
This relevance is all the more important given the current state of figure skating in the U.S. Today’s viewership is a far cry from previous decades, when mania over Tara Lipinski, Dorothy Hamil, or Peggy Fleming were truly sweeping national forces. Instead, viewers of the 2014 Olympics ladies free skate were less than half of those from twenty years prior; and in 2016, viewers of the US National ladies free skate hit a twenty year low. While some blame a shift to a more convoluted points-based scoring system, much of the problem has also been due to the inability of the U.S. Figure Skating Association to market skating to viewers in ways that they’ve come to expect. By contrast, Cowan’s videos are perfectly polished, in line with content one would expect from any artist or brand today.
Even beyond the smart packaging, however, lies the true power of Cowan’s videos, which is evident in some of his simpler pieces, such as one featuring US silver medalist Mariah Bell in a practice setting. What Cowan’s videos are able to capture that can be so easily lost from across the ice rink or a static camera angle is the sheer amount of athleticism and effort behind each effortless move. In Bell’s case, the camera tracks her through four continuous takes, showing the constant repetitions and modifications she makes to her choreography. The effort and perfectionism come forth immediately as a single extension of Bell’s arm in a spiral, or the position of a spin, are shown practiced over and over. Movements that look so weightless from afar are revealed to be the product of immense care and effort; but rather than ruin the illusion, Cowan’s videos only add to the wonder by emphasizing just how much detail and physical perfection are behind the sport.
"Rather than ruin the illusion, Cowan’s videos only add to the wonder by emphasizing just how much detail and physical perfection are behind the sport."
As apparent through his growing social media followings and rapid pace of releasing star-studded content, Cowan has hit a nerve with existing fans, newcomers, and skating royalty alike. At times, this fecundity limits him; some of Cowan’s more resonant pieces get lost in the shuffle among his many other videos, and the individual impact of each is somewhat diminished. Still, if On Ice Perspective’s rapid growth in the last two years is any indicator, Cowan has a lot of potential in where he’ll go next, especially given the circumstances of the current skating season, where Covid-19 restrictions have put an end to the packed stands and live viewing experiences that were beloved by fans and competitors alike. With the sport facing such challenging headwinds, Cowan is clearly well positioned in a time when figure skating looks increasingly to new ways of capturing and sharing the beauty and power of the sport.
(Links to On Ice Perspectives' Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram Pages)
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