Very interesting post.Originally Posted by Nadine
It's always fun to read different people's views and taste.
And as you said, yes, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.
I’ve always liked small, almond shaped, sharp eyes with an exotic quality.
Of course, I’m not arguing with your view at all.
Just different taste
[qoute=christinaskater]I love this Akiko Kanako moment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y76x5UDDTo4
I really love Kanako, never have I seen interaction like this in a competitive event! Such nice people![/quote]
Is that a real interaction or some creative video editing??? So cute if real! What is the connection between Akiko and Kanako?
I happened to have always liked those type of eyes, too.Very interesting post.
It's always fun to read different people's views and taste.
And as you said, yes, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.
I’ve always liked small, almond shaped, sharp eyes with an exotic quality.
Of course, I’m not arguing with your view at all.
Just different taste: as long as the eyes are not too big, it's fine with me.
and I also care even more for nose shape than eyes. I like sharp nose.
However, I also want to note that I've never been attracted only by the photo
of someone, I always have to see their personality and skating and talent as well.
Sorry, for the off topic.
Haha, well deviating from the current flow of conversation...
Is anyone else worried that a lot of Mao's jumps seem under-rotated? It might not be enough to qualify for under-rotation, but I feel like at an international event, many of her jumps at this competition would have been under-graded. Try to go back to her jumps and play them in slow-motion or pause right at the landings. Hmm... I wonder if it was just this time, but all of her jumps were like that here. Except for the last toe.
herro, I noticed too. Both of Mao's 3Flips were tight on the landing (and she seemed to be picking in a little harder in order to get into the air). Her jumping ability is declining for some reason. Too much focus on the 3Axel? Changes with her body? Confidence?
Yes, a lot of her jumps may have been deemed underrotated in international competition. I don't know what it is but the Mao I was blown away by had amazing jumping ability and didn't slow down as much entering jumps. This must have been 2-3 seasons ago. I think that her confidence must be battered and to have the weight of the Japanese media bearing down on you must not be fun either.
Katarina looked very good when I saw her at 2006 U.S. Nationals.
I agree with this...and I don't think Akiko gains favor in the judges' eyes in this area either. She is short but not dainty.
I think Mao's jumps( the ones she didnt get a downgrade) seem okay, and even though the nationals are more lenient, they are not that much lenient on the jumps because they did downgrade several of her elements. Maybe she just needs to pick up more speed before landing her jumps. She seems slower now.
Mao's triple axels seemed good, as did her loop (as always). Her flip was so-so, on the verge of being underrotated... I think it all stems from confidence. If she was more confident she would have more speed heading into her jumps.
Akiko is not that short and is thin. Look at this picture: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/X9xWe...N/Akiko+Suzuki
She is the same height as Miki and only a little shorter than Yuna. All three look to be about the same weight so clearly nothing is wrong with Suzuki's body type. It actually looks like she is narrower through the shoulders and hips than both Miki and Yuna. Plus she looks really pretty here, her eyes and lips are very nice.
Can't believe the JSF chose Miki again like in 2006 when Yoshie outskated her. Suzuki should be going to both worlds and Olys.
Yes, exactly. Akiko has smaller frame, which potentially makes her seem less imposing on the ice. Her legs aren't "ideally" (I am going back to societal views on physical beauty now) proportioned to that smaller frame, however. She doesn't have thin legs to give her a "cute" or "princess" kind of look...compare to Mao Asada, Sasha Cohen, or Tara Lipinski.
Essentially Akiko's body type doesn't give off any particular image - elegant, cute, or supple. That can be a detriment to how people view her.
Kiira, Laura, and Carolina Kostner all have great skating skills, esp. Laura and Caro are very fast and have great basics. Kiira also strokes like an ice dancer, very smooth and gentle to the ice. I doubt if their faces or body types mattered as much as these factors.
I am not too keen on Kira's Skating Skill actually, she does not seem to down in her knees enough like the Japanese skaters do so well. She seems to skate over the ice, not down into it and thus flips out of many of her landings. Her facial expression is almost always blank, and it amazes how much judges prefer a "pretty" face that does nothing to an "average" expressive one.
Is that a real interaction or some creative video editing??? So cute if real! What is the connection between Akiko and Kanako?[/QUOTE]
It is definitely real.
Both Akiko and Kanako are based in Nagoya city, where so many other great skaters are from, like Midori, Yoshie(Onda), Yukari, Miki, Mao and Kozuka.
However, in recent years, just like other Japanese cities, some of their skate rinks closed down due to the high rent and the high cost of maintenance. Therefore they have to share the same ice sometimes, even though they belong to different clubs. It is nothing like in U.S., most of Japanese skaters have to struggle just to find the ice to practince, except some skaters like Mao and Miki, whoes college got the brand new rink.
because of that kind of condition, most of skaters in Nagoya have known each other since they were very young.
Actually, a couple years ago, Kanako, when she was still in the novice level, beated Akiko at their local competition, they got some unique ones that they allow novice skaters to compete against seniors.
Last edited by bluelutz; 12-28-2009 at 11:33 PM.
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