World title brings new attention to Lysacek

[seniorita]

Does anyone remember Candoloro's George of the Jungle program??? He skated it in a speedo.

this was brand new information for me that was quite unnecessary.Please do leave me in the dark...
any youtube link?

[Buttercup]

this was brand new information for me that was quite unnecessary.Please do leave me in the dark...
any youtube link?

Here you go. But remember, once you have watched it, the program will forever remain in your memory. So be very sure you want to see it!

This was not Candeloro, but it was just as unfortunate. I blame Mishin. Poor Stephane was at that gala, it's a miracle he wasn't scarred for life!

[Joesitz]

Here you go. But remember, once you have watched it, the program will forever remain in your memory. So be very sure you want to see it!

This was not Candeloro, but it was just as unfortunate. I blame Mishin. Poor Stephane was at that gala, it's a miracle he wasn't scarred for life!

The Yagudin one, if seen by non enthusiastic fans of figure skating will use it as one of the many reasons not to support figure skating.

[janetfan]

Here you go. But remember, once you have watched it, the program will forever remain in your memory. So be very sure you want to see it!

This was not Candeloro, but it was just as unfortunate. I blame Mishin. Poor Stephane was at that gala, it's a miracle he wasn't scarred for life!

And some wonder why skating popularity has been going down

[seniorita]

I m debating with myself which is worse in fs history, banana yagudin or baby sex bomb plush (please dont put a link here, I ll die).I havent decided yet.
I m not looking at candeloro 's video now, I have class in a while and I feel sick all day, I trust Buttercup on her advice.

[demarinis5]

Yagudin's Banana dance and costume leaves me speechless. Whatever possessed him to do an Exhibition like that. I supposed he wanted
to show his comedic ability at 17. Pretty hilarious and silly.

[merrybari]

I actually think his exhibition number to "Stronger" serves as a good example why hip-hop doesn't translate to skating. I was a bit surprised at how much I didn't like it.

This is so different it may take some time to appreciate the skill it takes to pull it off!

As for me, I do like it. That's one of the joys of figure skating - different strokes for different folks.

[merrybari]

I don't think he's pulling them off that well. I mean, he doesn't skate badly, obviously he's a very good skater - but it's not like he's bringing a unique approach to Tosca or Carmen or whatever.

What I don't get is why Evan, as someone who's spoken out about future directions for skating and how to market the sport to new audiences, keeps making these uninspired music choices. Surely there's stuff he listens to that would make a good program? Or movies that he's a fan of with great soundtracks that he can use? I just wish he would try something different, I think it would make for more inetersting competetive programs from him.

Again, different strokes! I think his approaches to both were vastly different from others that had gone before.

As to the music choices for competition I think his choices are wise as they work for him in the IJS. He's a competitor first and foremost at this point in his career. To vere off in a different direction with so much at stake simply doesn't make much sense. Any competitor makes choices based on points - that's more important under IJS than ever before. Leave "interesting" to the EX though I do believe his competition programs ARE interesting.

Actually, if you think about it, Carmen was a step out of his comfort zone as he didn't/doesn't consider himself to be a classical skater and his choreo was geared to a more angujlar presentation than those that had gone before. Same for Tosca - he brought an athleticism to it that others had not, to the best of muy knowledge. Both very different than anything HE had done, yet he takes flack for not being different. Can't win, can he? in some fans eyes.

He's said he compares himself only to himself not to what others do. So for him, it is different even if it is music others have used. I think that's true for all the skaters - who are wise to choose music that plays to their strengths.

JMO

[Dee4707]

Yagudin's Banana dance and costume leaves me speechless. Whatever possessed him to do an Exhibition like that. I supposed he wanted
to show his comedic ability at 17. Pretty hilarious and silly.

I blame Mishin for this atrocity. I don't think Mishin thought Alexei was going to medal at Worlds so he didn't have him prepare an exhibition program. This is what they came up with on the spur of the moment. What a horrible thing to do to a little boy and what confidence a coach has in his skater.

[Spun Silver]

It is godawful.

I wasn't around (on skating boards) when he did that. How many times did he do it and what kind of reaction did he get from the audience?

[Buttercup]

I blame Mishin for this atrocity. I don't think Mishin thought Alexei was going to medal at Worlds so he didn't have him prepare an exhibition program. This is what they came up with on the spur of the moment. What a horrible thing to do to a little boy and what confidence a coach has in his skater.

Not true. Here's proof that Mishin was up to no good well before 1997 Worlds.

Merrybari, re Lysacek's music choices, I don't think it's either choose a warhorse or end up with something that won't work in the system. Many skaters make unusual choices that pay off with high scores. Evan, too, can find music that will play to his strenghs but which would be more original than what he's been skating to. There are tons of soundtracks that would really work for him and that haven't been used by every skater in existence; something that would complement his skating much more than what he's been using for most of his career.

At this point, it seems to me that he has checked off every done-to-death piece except maybe Nessun Dorma. A few months ago Medusa jokingly wrote that maybe he'll do Rach 2 this year - and it turned out he'd even skated to that! As a skater I think it's important to make yourself stand out, and Carmen, Tosca and Bolero are really not the way to accomplish that. Don't you want that as a fan? To see him really shine with something special? The kind of program that would make you think, only Evan could have skated to that?

[seniorita]

This is what they came up with on the spur of the moment.

on the spur of the moment?like what? "oh I m hungry, whats in the fridge, here is a banana, come on alexei, put this on your head and go and skate...." kind of thing?

[Joesitz]

I'm hardly a fan of Evan but I always give the 'Devil his due'

As much as I can not stand Carmen in figure skating, I will watch it in competitions and simply judge what character is being used. (no one dares to just skate to the music)

In Evan's case it was Don Jose and not the Toreador through 2/3 of the program. Wow, I said to myself. The essence of that character is a brave military man gone wrong going after the wrong kind of woman and hitting rock bottom. Juicy part, no? He was doing a nice lyrical job with Don Jose and then that sudden switch to being a Toreador, just killed the program, for me.

He can be versatile but he needs a clever choreographer, imo. He does have the technical to be up there with the big boys. (they are all shorter than him anyway. We'll see.

[jennylovskt]

This was not Candeloro, but it was just as unfortunate. I blame Mishin. Poor Stephane was at that gala, it's a miracle he wasn't scarred for life!

But what a performer Alexei was! It has already shown in such a young age.

[merrybari]

Merrybari, Don't you want that as a fan? To see him really shine with something special? The kind of program that would make you think, only Evan could have skated to that?

No not really - for me he shines with whatever he chooses. My thought is that only he can do it THAT way! not that no one else could skate to that music. I enjoy seeing what he brings to the ice - he always brings me into the program with him - whatever it might be. That's what's important over and above the music choice to me.

For that matter, I like to see what any skater can do with the music THEY choose. I probably could watch all skaters skate to the same music and enjoy each and every one for the specialness they bring to it. That's just me.