Which of the Top Ladies of Today, Get to you emotionally? | Golden Skate

Which of the Top Ladies of Today, Get to you emotionally?

Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Music hath charm that soothes the savage beast.

Who among the top ladies displays the correct character of the music? At the Olys I thought Mirai's sassy interpretation of Carmen won me over.

sorry Mao, I just don't get that early Rach.
and Yuna, the speedy tricks takes me away for an interpretation of the music.
Joannie's regal approach is always the same and expected.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
I do admit to re- watching Mirai's Olympic programs more than the other ladies. My emotional connection to skating has gone by the wayside for me since my favorite retired. I adore Joannie and Yuna and some of the other ladies because they are very good skaters and being a figure skating fan I appreciate good skating.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
For this season Mirai's skating has had the most impact on me. I would give honorable mention to Akiko, Yuna, Joannie and Laura.

Most disappointing would be Mao and Miki - I just don't like their music and/or programs/choreo, and even some of their costumess were distracting.

My answer is based on what I found myself watching over again on YouTube. I have watched Mirai's SP and LP more than all of the other Ladies combined.
 

jBroxton7001

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 19, 2010
The other day, I watched Marc Hamelin's virtuosic performance of Concerto in F.
That reminded me of everything I love about Yu-Na's skating.
Powerful yet seamlessly fluid. Crystal clear on every note yet airy light and free.
They are both master artist to me.
 

Dodhiyel

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
....My answer is based on what I found myself watching over again on YouTube....

Janetfan, I think you have put your finger on the one way really to tell what we like or respond to best. All we have to do is notice what we re-watch a lot. By the way, the Olympic site still had very high quality videos available every time I looked there, and I plan to go back there again. You just go to the results page for a given discipline. The link to the event result is there, and at the event result, the competitor list has a video link for each person.

I love watching Yu-Na. I think jBroxton summed up why when they posted "Powerful yet seamlessly fluid. Crystal clear on every note yet airy light and free." Thank you for that, jB.

I also found myself re-watching Joannie. She totally reached me.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
I didn't have th same emotional conecction as I did to the men this year, but Mirai s the only I am and cheering for at the end of her programs. Akikko brought me to tears a few times with West Side Story because it was so perfect.
 

Big Deal

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Yu-Na Kim melted me away with her tasteful, otherwise slightly flirting, human-like beauty.
Rochette also captured me emotionally.
Mirai Nagasu with her young, optimistic "I want it all" attitude. Totally great!
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Yuna, Mirai, Joannie, Akiko, and Laura when she's on.

I just realized you picked the same five skaters I mentioned :think:

Now if I could just get you to lighten up on Sasha a bit.
No problem if her time has passed - but she left a pretty good legacy. Everytime I see most of today's Ladies perform their spiral sequence - I measure it not against Michelle - but Sasha.

Also, watching the new crop of "baby skaters" i can't help comparing them to "baby Sasha."
Unfortunately - none of them appear to be gifted with Sasha's extraordinary PE/IN skills.

I like Christina - but wonder if two years from now - when she will be 18 - if her PE/IN skills will be equal to that of 14-15 year old Sasha. It does matter and right now Christina is lacking that special quality I saw in young Sasha and Michelle. The spark that Mirai has seems to be missing in a big way from Christina. I think Kanako has "it" but I don't see it in any of the current USA baby Ladies. Unfortunately, I think most skaters have "it" from the time they are young and rarely develope "it" as they get older.

Will Christina ever become even half the performer Sasha/Michelle were?
 
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silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
I just realized you picked the same five skaters I mentioned :think:

Now if I could just get you to lighten up on Sasha a bit.
No problem if her time has passed - but she left a pretty good legacy. Everytime I see most of today's Ladies perform their spiral sequence - I measure it not against Michelle - but Sasha.

Also, watching the new crop of "baby skaters" i can't help comparing them to "baby Sasha."
Unfortunately - none of them appear to be gifted with Sasha's extraordinary PE/IN skills.

I like Christina - but wonder if two years from now - when she will be 18 - if her PE/IN skills will be equal to that of 14-15 year old Sasha. It does matter and right now Christina is lacking that special quality I saw in young Sasha and Michelle. The spark that Mirai has seems to be missing in a big way from Christina. I think Kanako has "it" but I don't see it in any of the current USA baby Ladies. Unfortunately, I think most skaters have "it" from the time they are young and rarely develope "it" as they get older.

Will Christina ever become even half the performer Sasha/Michelle were?

I really like Christina, but I wouldn't compare her to Sasha. She is more of a jumper and less of a spinner has a different build from Sasha with her long legs. Christina I would compared more to young Michelle Kwan or Yu Na Kim. Kiri Baga will be the next Sasha, her spins and spirals are gorgeous and she has a great presence on the ice. She also appears to have consistency problems though and does not have the most technical difficulty in her programs, so she is like Sasha in those respects too but she really is fun to watch, and she's only 14.

Mini Sasha:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyju92SKiSk

Mini Yuna:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7liNIlGSGts

Mini Shizuka:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9TV1Opr2wg

Mini Irina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGcUOkAKFDs

Mini Michelle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUAbzu2Robs

Mini Carolina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyBeyz2ms4g&feature=related

Mini Alissa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb3OT0NssTY

Mini Kristi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTpvjmWORkw
:love:
 
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french quarter

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 27, 2009
Yu-Na Kim and Akiko Suzuki. I expected Yu-Na to make a masterpiece out of her LP, and she did it in Vancouver. It was diamond perfect for me. Akiko's performance is full of joy, and she skates as if she loves skating more than anyone else does. I've never been Joannie's fan, but her performances were very very touching in this Olympics.
 
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museksk8r

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
Joannie had me on an emotional rollercoaster all season long - from the very promising start at Japan Open to the very disappointing SP at Cup of China to the thrilling SP at Skate Canada to the lackluster LP at Skate Canada to the absolutely devastating LP at the GPF (I have never seen Joannie look so completely heartbroken after a performance as that night) to the absolutely terrific 7 clean triple LP at the Canadian Nationals to the life-altering tragedy of her mother's passing just 2 days before the Ladies' Olympic SP, which in turn resulted in the most inspirational performances of her eligible career in international competition at the Vancouver Games, the most important championship of her skating career. Phew, no wonder she is too emotionally spent and has lacked training time after the Olympics to compete at Worlds. I have found her to be such a positive inspiration this season. When times looked their darkest throughout the season, she never gave up and shined at the end of the season, making so many proud of her through her courageous display of admirable strength and grace. :)
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
I really like Christina, but I wouldn't compare her to Sasha. She is more of a jumper and less of a spinner has a different build from Sasha with her long legs. Christina I would compared more to young Michelle Kwan or Yu Na Kim. Kiri Baga will be the next Sasha, her spins and spirals are gorgeous and she has a great presence on the ice. She also appears to have consistency problems though and does not have the most technical difficulty in her programs, so she is like Sasha in those respects too but she really is fun to watch, and she's only 14.

Michelle was charming people with her skating when she was only 13. She was a World champion at the age when Christina is missing the podium at Jr Worlds. There is really not much to compare the two of them yet - atleast not by results.

I don't see Christina showing Michelle, Sasha or Tara's great PE yet.
My question is whether she will show it soon - or never be more than a one trick pony.
A few good jumps - does not seem to be enough in today's skating world. Yuna has more than jumps - she is also a wonderful performer.

Getting back closer to the topic - am wondering how important being able to move people with your skating is. I like Christina - but she does not move me yet.

Irina seemed to lack this quality - and maybe if she had been a more artistic skater and more natural performer she would have won Gold in SLC. But Irina's skating did not move the crowd or judges the way Sarah's did.

I think performance counts - Sasha was one of the greatest performers in skating history. Perhaps the greatest skater from the boot up of all-time. This does matter and I think we see these qualities in the skaters listed at this topic.

Beautiful positions, good posture, an abilty to skate with the music and create a mood all seem to be necessary qualities in a world class skater.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Like Janetfan, whenever I pick my top ladies/favorite performances I often go by the performances I re-watch the most. Also those that give me shivers.

Mira definitely wins. I've watched both her programs numerous time and I get the same joy each time.

I get shivers from Yuna, too, but it's different. She's not as touching as Michelle or Sasha and how Mirai is starting to be. But she's sensational and I get shivers from the intricacy of her choreography, the speed and the drama she brings when she hits every note. Yuna is the one who wows me the most, for sure.

Joannie was best in her tango SP. This choreography gave her more fire than I've seen from her in the past. She always skates with feeling but in the past it has sometimes felt a bit generic. Not this year.

They were not among the top ladies this year but I can't help but mention Alissa Czisny and Sasha. Czisny's SP was gorgeous and fun and memorable and I have rewatched her Skate Canada performance numerous time. Same with Sasha's SP at nationals.
Neither of those two, especially Sasha, were the skaters they used to be. But even so, they got to me emotionally with those performances more than most of the other ladies this year.

(BTW, nice thread.)
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Just speaking of this season and only speaking of competition skating, not exhibitions:

Overwhelmingly, Akiko and Mirai. They're both skaters who show their hearts and I can't help responding.

Secondarily, Yu Na and Laura. Both are expressive and beautiful, but their performances seem more intellectually constructed.
 

chloepoco

Medalist
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Just speaking of this season and only speaking of competition skating, not exhibitions:

Overwhelmingly, Akiko and Mirai. They're both skaters who show their hearts and I can't help responding.

Secondarily, Yu Na and Laura. Both are expressive and beautiful, but their performances seem more intellectually constructed.

I agree with you about Akiko and Mirai. They are both so spontaneous and their enthusiasm and joy are so infectious.
 

Wrlmy

Medalist
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
I don't fully understand "get to you emotionally" part. Many here seem to be including skaters who excite them.

For me, skaters who inspire me certain emotion that leaves me teary-eyed include Michelle Kwan, Matt Savoie, Elena and Anton, G/P.

And there are skaters who leave me awestruck like Sasha, Yuna, Mirai, Meryl and Charie, Yags, and Midori Ito.

Lambiel could do both on his very best.
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Michelle was charming people with her skating when she was only 13. She was a World champion at the age when Christina is missing the podium at Jr Worlds. There is really not much to compare the two of them yet - atleast not by results.

I don't see Christina showing Michelle, Sasha or Tara's great PE yet.
My question is whether she will show it soon - or never be more than a one trick pony.
A few good jumps - does not seem to be enough in today's skating world. Yuna has more than jumps - she is also a wonderful performer.

Getting back closer to the topic - am wondering how important being able to move people with your skating is. I like Christina - but she does not move me yet.

Age doesn't mean everything though, I mean, no Christina is not at that level yet but among the junior ladies she is one of my favorites. So many of the junior girls choose grown up music and seem like they are trying a little bit too hard to be grown up skaters (Kiri, Kate, Kanako) while a lot of the Russian girls are so focused on the big jumps that the actual program seems flat (the Polinas). I really like Christina, and Anna Ovcharova, because they skate like junior skaters and have really nice presence on the ice, it really just seems like those two girls love to skate , and both are musical. Among the current junior ladies they may not be the best at this point, but I always make my opinions of a skater based on if I can sit down and watch a performance of theirs all the way through and not get bored, and I never get bored watching those two. I also really like Carolina, when she doesn't implode she is just beautiful.
 
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