Sarah Hughes

[janetfan]

The whole point of figure skating is blades on ice. Watch her blade work. This is not only art, it is now a lost art. No current skater can come close to Michelle's blade control -- most don't even know that such an art once existed.

And what about this skater?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjgl_854vLs

[jenaj]

The whole point of figure skating is blades on ice. Watch her blade work. This is not only art, it is now a lost art. No current skater can come close to Michelle's blade control -- most don't even know that such an art once existed.

Caroline Zhang (and other, more successful skaters, too) can only dream of having Michelle's edging and control. I think her '98 World Pro EOE ranks with the best all-around skating performances of all time.

[Mathman]

And what about this skater?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjgl_854vLs

Very nice. All is not lost.

[rtureck]

No not in grad school, rtureck. Someone said she is considering law school. I don't know about Emily. Yes, good falling leaf and one of the few skaters who skate with great attack. Different body than her sister but those Hughes girls are real competitors.

Thanks for the update. Law school good for her, there are some lawyers in her family right? I believe she taled about being a pediatrician at one point, so she changed her mind.

[rtureck]

In the '98 EOE, Michelle stays on one foot, backwards to forwards and around, for around 16 seconds, starting at around 2:02. That is simply amazing! And I particularly love the neat and simple three-turn at the end of the sequence. Perfection.

Thanks for reminding us that, Awww.... and how about those falling leaves. Can someone find some youtube examples of the falling leaves. BTW, Emily Hughes has a good falling leaf too, anyone find that in youtube too.

I know this is a Sarha thread.

[seniorita]

Very nice. All is not lost.

All is not lost but i can hardly imagine him in blue gold dress doing a spiral that grecefully.

[berrycute]

All is not lost but i can hardly imagine him in blue gold dress doing a spiral that grecefully.

Ha I could!

[janetfan]

Maybe Patrick could learn from this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzZCc...om=PL&index=48

[Layfan]

The whole point of figure skating is blades on ice. Watch her blade work. This is not only art, it is now a lost art. No current skater can come close to Michelle's blade control -- most don't even know that such an art once existed.

I think this the root of her artistry that nobody seems to be able to put their finger on. That "it" factor that people can't seem to define. I think in Michelle's case it all comes down to such good technique. And that's why she was able to be so breathtakingly calm and in control. That was her true genius.

And thanks for sharing that amazing performance.

[dlgpffps]

I think this the root of her artistry that nobody seems to be able to put their finger on. That "it" factor that people can't seem to define. I think in Michelle's case it all comes done to such good technique. And that's why she was able to be so breathtakingly calm and in control. That was her true genius.

That's a good appraisal. I've been trying to find the root of Michelle's "it" factor, so I could articulate what draws me to her time and again. I always felt that she was in the zone, in control of every inch of her body. I become so nervous when I watch skates live these days that I'm reminded of the Kween, who actually let me SAVOR the skate. I think it was during her 2004 Nats performance that the commentators called her the most reliable skater in the world.

[Olympia]

I like that idea, that Michelle is so reliable. The neat thing is that she's also mysterious and profound. Somehow she combines the two poles and becomes more than the sum of those parts. Usually, "reliable" skaters are a bit dull, while artistic skaters have a bit of the head-case about them. It's rare that you find the two traits at their best in one person. I think Peggy Fleming was another one who had both sides to her. She was a poetically beautiful skater, very musical--John Curry skated with her a few times, and he wouldn't choose just anyone as a partner--but she was also a master of school figures. In fact, in the 1968 Olympics, she won partly because of the lead she had built up in school figures. And of course Curry himself was both. He trained like a demon with Gus Lussi on his jumps, so that by 1976, he had technique to back up his artistic vision.

[janetfan]

Here is a link to John Curry and Janet Lynn and an additional stellar cast including Toller Cranston, Dorothy Hamill, JoJo Starbck and Sandra Bezic skating to "Snow Queen."

You have to download these and they playback on Windows Media Player.

http://www.frogsonice.com/video/snow-queen/

The video page has many other skating shows and memorable performances that are sometimes hard to find on YouTube.
Some good stuff for the off-season can be found here:

http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/videos.shtml

[Olympia]

Wow, what a site!

I haven't seen that since it came out, I think.

JoJo Starbuck is someone whose skating we don't see discussed much. She and Ken Shelley were wonderful both as pairs and as singles skaters, with a jazzy, smooth style that was enjoyable to watch. They were John Nicks skaters, as were Tai and Randy. I once saw the four of them skate an ensemble piece, including a group Ina Bauer. Their styles meshed so well that they were able to switch partners in the middle to marvelous effect.

[silverfox]

Skaters often look to former skaters as models, and choose them as their favorite. Many choose Michelle, Sasha or Tara. Does anyone know of a skater who chose Sarah as their favorite?

[janetfan]

Skaters often look to former skaters as models, and choose them as their favorite. Many choose Michelle, Sasha or Tara. Does anyone know of a skater who chose Sarah as their favorite?

Emily chose Sarah

And who did Michelle model her skating after?