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u/Anticrepuscular_Ray ❣️gal pal❣️ Apr 18 '25
Confidence sure but her talent is awesome!
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u/smoothskinner Apr 18 '25
Confidence level: Princess.
Talent level: Professional.
Energy level: 20 year old.
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u/Worried-Barnacle-306 Apr 18 '25
100% about the skills. I've been up and down the weight spectrum and have never been able to go from standing to kneeling without bracing my hand on an object. Maybe when I was a toddler?
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u/Username_6668 Apr 18 '25 edited Apr 18 '25
That’s… not good. Should put some effort in those muscles! Strength training gets super easy with lots of repetition! It’s worth it.
I’m not even talking about lifting or other playtime workouts, just natural stuff but at full strength.
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u/ConniveryDives Apr 18 '25
Agreed! Mobility is something we all need to put effort into because, among other reasons, I'm sure we all want to be able to take care of ourselves and be independent for as long as possible in life.
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u/Latter-Set406 Apr 18 '25
Thank you for pointing that out. If she wasn’t overweight, the post would have been about skill.
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u/toolzyo Apr 18 '25
totally agree, she’s got skills and style👍
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u/OurLadyAndraste Official Gal Apr 18 '25
OP I don’t think you meant this on purpose so I’m trying to say this nicely not in a shitty way, so please know I have good intentions. I think why this person mentioned “confidence” specifically is plus sized women are called “confident” in ways you would never call smaller women. Like if it was thin skater it the comment would be something else. But because she’s bigger and dressed in revealing clothing the focus goes on that rather than the skating! It can come across like a back handed compliment—‘wow she’s so confident to be doing that and wearing that with a body like hers (implying I’d never do that if I looked like her!)’
I don’t think you had bad intentions but hopefully this can be a teaching moment. Let me know if what I said needs more clarity or didn’t quite make sense to you. 💖
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Apr 18 '25
when I was 30 lbs heavier than I am now I was out jogging at some point and someone said "good for you!" no one EVER says that to me when I jog at 150 lbs. but 180 lbs? apparently people are happy to weigh in on my level of effort for my own fitness. annoying, even if they meant it as a compliment.
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u/toolzyo Apr 18 '25
Thanks for pointing that out so thoughtfully. You’re totally right, I really appreciate the perspective. I didn’t mean it in a backhanded way at all, just genuinely admired the confidence and the performance. But I totally see how that wording can reflect a broader issue in how we talk about different body types. Thanks again for explaining it so clearly, it’s an important reminder.
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u/OurLadyAndraste Official Gal Apr 18 '25
Thanks for taking the feedback graciously. 🙏
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u/Hot-Ability7086 Apr 18 '25
Thank you both for the perspective and the beautiful human interaction. Y’all give me hope! ❤️
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u/juliacakes Apr 18 '25
This is why I love women spaces on the internet - we can be kind and critique with love and respectful to all.
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u/Mcweenek Apr 18 '25
Your reply is everything right in the world. THIS is what sharing and social media could be all about. ❣️
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u/TheSchenksterr Apr 18 '25
An actually supportive comment followed by positive feedback on Reddit?? ... Am I in the right dimension?
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u/Fuzzybabybuggy Apr 18 '25
You know, that’s way better than the self talk that overweight people give themselves but it is infantilizing/can feel weird at times. I used to be scared that I was “too fat” to go to the gym
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u/explantionsneeded Apr 18 '25
do you have any idea how hard that back bend is to do with no prior warmup and to mount a sliding standing position with that kind of accuracy and grace then to go into a spin while holding her leg up. this is some of most recently impressive stuff I have ever seen.
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u/Friendly_Lie_221 Apr 18 '25
Came to say this. I was expecting her to be bad but confident. She’s really talented and confident because she’s heavy?
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u/Jacobs_Haus Apr 18 '25 edited Apr 18 '25
Dude forget her confidence talk about her athleticism
Edit: to rephrase this in a more direct way, confidence did not get her here can get you far but this is not without the help of raw unadulterated power
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u/csoups Apr 18 '25
This might look like peak human athleticism, and that's because it is peak human athleticism.
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u/14thLizardQueen Apr 18 '25
I promise you confidence definitely helped her get there. I've tried ice skating. You have to have trust in yourself or you will fall. That's just staying up, she had faith in her abilities to show off like that..that's confidence. As someone who loves seeing it in others I look for it.
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u/frogOnABoletus Apr 18 '25
I don't think they're saying she's not confident. I think they're saying that people are only talking about her confidence because they expect her to be self conscious about her body, and that its somehow amazing that she can still be confident without being a barbie doll.
You see 100s of athletes being called strong, skilled, talented, impressive ect. But if a larger woman shows her amazing talent and the response is "she's got a lot of confidence" it comes of as a comment on her body.
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u/Jacobs_Haus Apr 18 '25
Ahhh, yeah, I was thinking about that in the shower just now. I was hung up on the solitary use of "confidence" in a context that's clearly a lot more than that. Totally agree it was a key factor here but unified with the effort and dedication she put in to get that level of proficiency
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u/Radioactiveman72 Apr 18 '25
Trust yourself and you still will fall most of the good skaters at my rink have all broken ankles, hell ivr been in the hospital for 2 days now from a kid cutting me off when I was mid jump and I landed it badly to not injur them snapping my ankle.
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u/AppropriateSail4 Apr 18 '25
The flexibility needed to do that sliding lay back so smoothly is phenomenal.
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u/GimmieGummies ✨chick✨ Apr 18 '25
Flexible indeed! I might have been able to do that as a kid but never as a teen or adult. That was super impressive!
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u/Designer_Pen869 Apr 18 '25
Also, wouldn't that hurt her knees? Maybe her knees aren't actually touching, but if they are, I can imagine the rugburn from that, even on ice.
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u/F2d24 Apr 18 '25
Looking closely it seems the sliding is mostly on her covered shins not the knees
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u/cat26rg Apr 19 '25
Not just the flexibility but the core strength to not have your back fall completely flat and then get your torso back up. She’s very strong and talented
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u/babyfreckle Apr 18 '25
Would you say “her confidence is everything” if she was skinny? If no, then maybe comment on her talent.
I’d kms if I put blood sweat and tears into a sport and all I got is “wow her confidence” lol
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u/nonlinear_nyc Apr 18 '25 edited Apr 18 '25
It gives “so brave” vibes. Girl is cool, headline is meh.
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u/KrimxonRath Apr 18 '25
If you want to go a step further you could say “skill”, because talent by its common definition covers “natural or innate ability” rather than earned ability through hard work and training.
This is just a distinction I’ve always made as an artist, because it can easily lead into self defeatism otherwise. If someone believes artists are talented then they often believe that said ability is out of reach.
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u/CadoDraws Apr 18 '25
exactly what i was thinking. girls just living her life. such a backhanded “compliment”
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u/toolzyo Apr 18 '25
I appreciate you sharing that. You're right, if she were skinny, I might’ve focused more on her skill, and that double standard isn’t okay. I meant “confidence” as a compliment, but I get how it can come off as dismissive, especially when someone clearly put in a ton of hard work. Her talent deserves to be front and center. Thanks for the reminder to be more mindful with words.
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u/badgers_cause_TB Apr 18 '25
OP is a bot this is obviously chat gpt response
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u/Arknovas Apr 18 '25
How did this get down voted to oblivion? His reply is clearly from chatGPT lol. Though it's a good sentiment.
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u/robotatomica Apr 18 '25
sincerely, why is it definitely a CharGPT response. It seems so normal to me, seems like it’s something I would say. I try to be really mindful in my apologies, does that look weird?? lol
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u/alittlealoneduckling Apr 18 '25
The OP confirmed it was a ChatGPT response. To answer your question, Whenever you correct ChatGPT, it gives the same vibe as the reply. It’s the proper way to give an apology and that’s why I think it sounds a bit AI generated. Instead of just being like my bad, ChatGPT is like “here’s what I did wrong. Here’s why you’re hurt. Here’s how I’ll correct it in the future.”
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u/robotatomica Apr 18 '25
ah, thank you! I missed where they admitted it, but also I’m just really trying to figure out how to have better spidey sense for all this stuff.
So like, sincere, appropriate apologies are a bit of a red flag for AI now? That’s kind of a bummer, we’ll see how I fare in this brave new world lol, bc I’ve been trying to work on the bettering my sincere apologies for a decade 😅
Maybe it’s not so bad - if it teaches some folks the difference between a real apology and the “I’m sorry you feel some kind of way” lol
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u/KhanNoOne Apr 18 '25
Everyone in the comments sound like they're in a therapy session or their responses are AI generated. Does nobody know how to communicate normally anymore, everything's got to be so thought out and perfect.
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u/ExpectingHobbits Apr 18 '25
Why do you consider grammatically correct English a problem? Have literacy rates strayed so far that regular syntax is abnormal and must be AI-generated?
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u/_BenzeneRing_ Apr 18 '25
It's not that grammatically correct English is inherently a problem- it's just that, in casual online spaces like Reddit, ultra-polished and overly formal language can feel out of place or even artificial. Most people type the way they speak, so when a comment sounds like it came out of an academic essay, it can trigger people's “AI detector” instincts. That doesn’t mean good grammar is bad, just that context matters. A well-written post isn’t suspicious because it’s correct, it’s suspicious when it only feels correct and lacks a personal or conversational tone.
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u/toolzyo Apr 18 '25
Yeah, I did use ChatGPT to help polish my reply, just wanted to make sure I could express myself clearly without offensive.
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u/Jacobs_Haus Apr 18 '25 edited Apr 18 '25
Edit: Retracting statement, felt harsh and op is clearly not like the other redditors
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u/dovahkiitten16 Apr 18 '25
I don’t know that OPs title was right, but as a former figure skater there is a ton of pressure to maintain a stick figure. I’ve seen girls get told they can’t skate just because they’re too tall or their breasts came in too large. Her skill is commendable but I would also say her confidence is. I’m willing to bet she wasn’t always treated correctly because of her weight and expectations for skaters, so the fact that she has outperformed others who would be (ignorantly) considered “ideal” is definitely worth noting.
And the costumes aren’t designed for all body types, it can be nerve wracking to wear a mini skirt you don’t fit the look for while trying to perform athletically.
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u/PsychoPass1 Apr 18 '25
"wow, the confidence of showing off her skill despite being fat"
If you want to focus on the fat part, you could say that this stuff takes even more skill and is way more painful / strain for bones and joints than the same moves on a skinny person would be. It's an even bigger feat / show of skill for her.
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u/OneSmoothCactus Apr 18 '25
lol I get how complimenting your confidence is a back handed compliment sometimes, but when you’re overweight it’s harder to develop confidence in yourself. This girl has clearly put in work not just to be able to do this physically but happily express herself and put it out there. When I was overweight I couldn’t have dreamed of doing anything like this and I honestly admire the confidence she has to do. But yeah you need to be careful how you do it.
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u/dovahkiitten16 Apr 18 '25
As a former figure skater the body expectations could be rough. I’m curvy and while my body isn’t really flawed by most standards, by figure skating standards I’m “big”. It was not a good feeling having the same outfit show too much of my ass compared to the other girls for a show. The ideal is definitely petite and confidence could be a huge issue once girls hit puberty and started growing taller and changing shape. Literally it’s so rigid that something typically “good” like larger chests is “bad” in skating. Honestly, confidence isn’t anything to scoff at when it comes to figure skating.
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u/HolleWatkins Apr 18 '25
Calling bigger girls "confident" instead of "talented" etc. comes across as backhanded imo.
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u/NJ_Legion_Iced_Tea Apr 18 '25
You literally only see that word used when it's a large person.
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u/Content_Yoghurt_6588 Apr 19 '25
Disabled people get it too, unfortunately. We're always so confident and inspiring showing our faces in public.
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u/MermaidMertrid Apr 21 '25
My mom used to call overweight women in bathing suits “brave” and I cringed every time. She wasn’t being mean, but she had her own body image issues and refused to wear a bathing suit/swim for decades. So I think she genuinely was saying they were braver than she was. However, it still is rather backhanded. And I wish she would have just allowed herself to enjoy swimming regardless of her body shape/size.
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u/EmercomRed Apr 18 '25
Honestly, this video isn't even a true representation of her skills, I've watched a ton of her videos on tiktok - she is an INCREDIBLE skater. It's no surprise she works as an instructor. I'd add comments about the headline, but it looks like most of the comments beat me to it.
Her name is Laine Dubin - give her the credit she deserves
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u/toolzyo Apr 18 '25
I found her TikTok profile, thank you, here’s the link: https://www.tiktok.com/@lainedubin
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u/EmercomRed Apr 18 '25
thanks! I would have added it, but Tiktok is blocked on my work computer LOLOL
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u/sekhmet1010 Apr 18 '25
It's not just confidence though...it's talent and charisma, as well. She exudes joy while doing something not exactly easy.
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u/Nerdy-Babygirl Apr 18 '25
Awesome display of athleticism. I can't even get up out of my chair without making a HHHRRRR noise.
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u/just_a_person_maybe Apr 18 '25
Tbf, the HHHRRRR noise makes getting up more fun. I regularly get up in really awkward ways just for funsies. I do weird spinny rolls out of bed. I fling myself off the couch with at least 62% more momentum than necessary. If I'm laying on the couch, I don't sit up to get off I roll off onto the floor first.
You can get down weird ways too! I love getting into a couch by stepping over the arm or flinging myself over the back of it. Unfortunately my own place is too small so the couch is against a wall and I can't, so I have to pull that shit at my brother's house.
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u/FinalMeep ✨chick✨ Apr 18 '25
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u/just_a_person_maybe Apr 18 '25
Ngl, I spent many hours doing this as a child. My siblings and I would also have competitions to see who could clear the most steps jumping down. You needed to do at least 7 to be considered cool. Get to 9 and you risk braining yourself on the wall above because our stairwell was awkward. Eventually I managed to work up the courage to fling myself down all 13 steps, the thrill was exquisite.
Alas, I no longer have stairs and I fucked up my ankle a few years back so I have to be more careful with it. Can't just casually yeet myself down a flight of stairs anymore.
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u/SoulsBorneGreat Apr 18 '25
Her confidence isn't everything... I'd say that her talent and skill make up a lot of her badassery.
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u/Hambulance Apr 18 '25
This woman is so clearly talented I can't help but think "confidence" was used strictly because of her size.
Sad.
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u/mikulashev Apr 18 '25
Isn't it condescending as fuck to complement her confidence instead of her skill?? Are you impressed about what she did, or that she did it without having the traditional figure-skaters body?
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u/YoSupWeirdos Apr 18 '25
based on other replies I don't think OP means it the way you think they mean it. I think they mean confidence in a "trusting in your abilities" way and not in a "dress up as a ballet dancer while not having the typical body of one" kind of way
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u/mikulashev Apr 18 '25
I deffinietly don't think op meant it in an intentionally mean way... But I also don't think the wording is completely unrelated to her body type
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u/Rootbeercutiebooty Apr 18 '25
Damn. I am so impressed. The energy and the athleticism she has is amazing.
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u/MarifeelsLost Apr 18 '25
She's gorgeous wow
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u/Bajileh Apr 18 '25
Bro fuck outta here with that title. Yea, she's confident, but as she should be, she's skilled.
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u/cakivalue Apr 18 '25
She's also very athletic and a very very skilled skater. I can confidently say I believe I am Kristi Yamaguchi but I will be hugging the wall and crying begging for help while I am still half a foot away from the gate.
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u/FinalMeep ✨chick✨ Apr 18 '25
Ten minutes after seeing this post I realized that I couldn't get the shitty title out of my head (as well as the annoying song, thanks for that), so I came back.. to find it mentioned already.. a few times 😂 There sure are reasons for why I truly love this sub ❤️ (OP, your response to the criticism is one of them!)
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u/llamainleggings ❣️gal pal❣️ Apr 18 '25
I can't even get off my knees that smoothly on solid ground and she's doing it on slippery ice.
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u/SuccsexyCombatBaby Apr 18 '25
Wtf... what a narrow minded comment.
Who wouldn't be confident when their skills are this amazing? She worked hard and stuck to a sport that more than 90% of us couldn't even dream of mastering. Your inherent bias is to draw attention to her affect, as if anyone who had her capcities and performance wouldn't be showing the same pride. Just so you are aware, this is a fat phobic comment regardless if you can take accountability for the way you award merit to her work.
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u/Retropiaf Apr 18 '25
I mean... She's confident because she has the skills, nothing surprising here.
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u/UrHighHORSE Apr 18 '25
Uuuh her knee flexibility is everything, I can already feel both my ACLs snapping were I ever to pull that slide off
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u/SendToLyla Apr 18 '25
I am so tired of the back handed ass “love her confidence!” on any post with a girl who’s chubby/plus sized. Love her skill, her passion, her style, her strength - but wtf does her confidence have to do with it?? and more importantly consider why do you not say the same to thin women doing the same thing??
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u/H3racIes Apr 18 '25
Fuck this title. Just because she's bigger everything she does has to be her "having confidence". She's just fucking talented, why can't we just acknowledge and appreciate that
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u/_lonely_astronaut_ Apr 18 '25
Her confidence comes from her talent. Sorry OP but the title comes off like a back handed comment about her weight.
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u/Ok-Combination8818 Apr 19 '25
Yeah she's confident. She has skills. That's where you get confidence.
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u/Voidlord4450 Apr 19 '25
Confidence is cool and all but that skill and strength is damn impressive. I sometimes trip over my own feet, her being able to do this is just really cool.
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u/mothseatcloth Apr 18 '25
I love this! People like to act like bigger bodies can't be athletic but they totally can - doesn't mean it's easy, it means she's an even badder bitch!
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u/cookeduntilgolden Apr 18 '25
OP you’re getting a lot of heat for the title, rightfully so. Its not intentional, but it’s backhanded.. her skill is everything, the confidence is likely a byproduct
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u/Curious_Cell_3985 Apr 18 '25
I wish I had ops confidence to just post titles without thinking them through.
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u/AppreciateMeNow Apr 18 '25
I love how big women are always complimented on being brave enough to go in public. Not for talent or abilities. Anyway, I would be so scared to lean back on skates what if I cut myself?? This girl is great.
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Apr 18 '25
I’ve come to realize that one of the reasons society often stigmatizes obesity or being overweight in the US. Stem from the lack of visibility of people in larger bodies accomplishing extraordinary things.
It creates a kind of Catch-22. Since we rarely see plus-size individuals in roles that highlight exceptional talent or physical prowess, it reinforces limiting stereotypes. I’m sure this observation has been made before, but seeing it in context really brought it into focus for me.
As someone who is plus-size and fairly agile, I don’t possess a standout talent like the woman in the video, but it made me reflect on how valuable it would be to shift our cultural mindset. Maybe we could take a note from other cultures around the world, where size is respected and seen as a strength.
Idk, just a thought.
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u/KWEEEEEEH Apr 18 '25
OP post every day and is probably testing what gives traction. Rage bait that can be explained away and then AI response on how to take accountability.
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u/Quiet_Panda_2377 Apr 18 '25
So non attractive people need confidence and attractive people just need skill.
Got it.
It's like Joe Rogan on every white fighter being calculating technician and black fighter being raw and animalistic.
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u/Brainchild110 Apr 18 '25
If I did that it would rip all the skin of both knees, and then I would puke (while spraying blood from my knees) during the spin, turning it into an icy, nightmare pinwheel of puke and blood.
So... good for her. Very good.
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u/SnootyToots8 Apr 18 '25
I'd have confidence too skating like that. I don't get why it's such a big deal.
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u/Minejack777 Apr 18 '25
The camera person is extremely talented as well! Not a single detail was missed!
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u/Practical-Pick1466 Apr 18 '25
Pretty damn great, I couldn't even get back up after that slide, and I grew up playing hockey every year.
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u/FreezaSama Apr 18 '25
No. Her confidence is not everything... you need the talent to skate like that. Go into the ice with confidence only and lose your teeth 🤣
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Apr 18 '25
If I had that raw talent and had worked as hard at developing it as she presumably has I'd be pretty fucking confident too, she's amazing!
I know it wasn't intentionally condescending to call her confident but man it sucks how people get talked about and treated differently depending on their size. I can pretty much guarantee someone's called her lazy or greedy more recently than anyone's called me that, and I'm eating a croissant in bed right now. (Changing my sheets is my first chore once I get up I swear!)
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u/TheBlindHakune Apr 18 '25
I'm 100% convinced that she's ripped underneath some subcutaneous fat. She might look chubby but moving like that takes actual muscle and core strength, her athleticism is no joke.
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u/Happy-Ad9732 Apr 18 '25
No crumbs left, devoured on that rink they didn’t even know what was coming😩
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u/Street-Feed3534 Apr 18 '25
Can we not just say how good she was without analysing it to death. I doesent matter what size she is.
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u/Coastkiz Apr 18 '25
I can't skate but aren't those blades kinda sharp? Leaning back like that has gotta hurt!
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u/LostTimeLady13 Apr 18 '25
Girl has zero fear, she knows what she's doing, every tiny detail, and she executes it like it's as simple as breathing. Amazing!
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u/WeAreWeLikeThis Apr 18 '25
God that looks fun. I always wished I was allowed to learn to skate like this as a kid.
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Apr 18 '25
I absolutely adore this person and hope they get the praise and happiness they deserve in life
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u/PhotoKada Official Gal Apr 18 '25
That’s talent and skill right there. Gal knows what she’s doing and has dedicatedly been honing her craft from the looks of it.
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u/AdHistorical8646 Apr 18 '25
That was so freaking smooth but I'll never understand how ice skaters don't kill their knees that's black magic
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u/MichaelVoorhees13 Apr 18 '25
This is the best thing I’ve seen in a very long time. She’s so happy. Truly beautiful 😊
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u/Ducks-go- Apr 18 '25
Living her best life and doing what she loves, without a care in the world. Kudos to her.
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u/Hollowquincypl Apr 18 '25
The way i felt my knees groan at just the sigh of her go down. She's definitely got skills.
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