gymnastics – flair or flare?

Both spelling are used. Artemev is one of the few gymnasts today doing them through handstand.

Click PLAY or watch his Olympic Pommel routine on YouTube.

I’ve been convinced by denn333 to switch to flare as the best spelling:

The word is “flare” — not “flair”. This is probably the most commonly misspelled word in gymnastics, and it’s no wonder: it’s commonly misspelled in English (in general), and the code of points spells it both ways, sometimes even on the same page.

Here’s why: The word “flare” means a “sudden burst” (like a solar flare or a flare of anger) or shapes with a “gradual widening” (like a flared vase). Both of these do a good job at describing the skill, particularly the latter. The word “flair” describes style.

Moreover, while flares can be counted, flair is a non-count noun, like style, happiness, and time. So the sentence “The gymnast did 2 flares” makes sense, but but “The gymnast did 2 flairs” does not.

Of course, flares certainly add flair to a routine. 🙂