The Kween and the Queen | Page 15 | Golden Skate

The Kween and the Queen

B

brownfox

On the Ice
Joined
May 5, 2010
cosmos said:
I respect your taste, and I like MK too. I just think that she is never the universally proven greatest ever.
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I'm talking about the "get ready and strap your seatbelts, because it's going to get ugly" part. I hope it's a joke. LoL!
 
aftertherain

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Tonichelle said:
remind me never to go on a roller coaster with you if THAT is what you do! :laugh:
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No no! I never do that! I was just referring to the "before and after" aspect of her statement.

I wonder if figure skating on rollercoasters would work out ...

Naaaah.
 
O

Olympia

Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Mathman said:
Concerning the question of who was better, Sonia Henie or Yu-na Kim, we are about to find out once and for all! Even as we speak they are going at it mano-a-mano in the quarterfinals of the Greatest Skater of All Time contest. :rock: To get there, Kim had to beat Peggy Fleming (I think it was Kim's triple Lutz-triple toe that did it), and Henie beat America's Sweetheart Dorothy Hamill.

By the way, Mao Asada was knocked out by Carol Heiss.

Michelle's round of sixteen match is still going on. David Jenkins is proving to be unexpectedly tough to put away.
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Are you kidding? David Jenkins? Well, I know he was a wonderful skater, but no way is he going to replace the Kween in my estimation.
 
L

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
kyla2 said:
Janetfan, thanks for the link. Yes, Janet Lynn did have an impact on Michelle. Her "straight up and down" jumps were very much like Lynn's. Her joy in her skating was something else Michelle shared with Janet.

Some of our Korean posters say they like the less emotive style of skating of Yu Na as compared to Michelle. They use the relative differences of artists to make their case. In other words, it is a personal taste issue. I disagree totally. I can most certainly appreciate Asian art and do. When I see a masterpiece from any culture (Asian, American Indian, Islamic) I can appreciate it. I am not comparing masterworks here because I do not believe Yu Na has skated anything comparable to Lyra Angelica, Rachmaninoff etc. Chen Lu's exqusite performance was Asian all the way and I was transfixed. If Michelle hadn't thrown the extra jump in, I believe Chen Lu might have won. When something is a beautiful work of art, it is evident for all to see, regardless of one's cultural background-like the Taj Mahal. So I only allow so much for cultural perspective with Yu Na. Masterworks/masterpieces are universally appreciated. Michelle had several.

As for Sasha being Michelle's equal in artistry, I don't agree at all. Sasha was brilliant and I loved to watch her, but there was higher emotional connection to the music and audience she never hit. It requires a letting go that Sasha was never quite able to do but she was insecure about her technique/jumps/edges. You could always see her thinking through the process. I think it is safe to say that a skate must have excellent techinque to reach that higher plane.
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I agree that was Michelle's secret. I think it's the same for Yuna. Even though their skating is so different I think they both are capabable of showing confidence and command on the ice like no other skater. It comes from superb technique. I cannot WAIT to be able to rewatch Yuna's Olympic performances.

I think Sasha got better and better and projecting emotion. I thought Sasha totally let go during her 2006 Olympic SP and her 2004 Worlds SP. She didn't hold back at all and it was such a thrill to watch. I actually also thought she let go in her 2006 Olympic LP, after the falls, which is even more impressive. Well, maybe "let go" isn't quite the right phrase but it was the most emotional Romeo and Juliet I ever saw her skate.
 
L

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Here are Michelle and Yuna skating to the same music (and wearing similar costumes) (Sorry if someone has already done this in this very long thread ... I haven't seen it if they have.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR4V...B7E70FD4&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=31

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-xwx-Z3ijc

It's absolutely impossible for me to decide which performance I like better.

All in all, I think Kim's choreography is far more intricate and I just LOVE, LOVE the way she hits those sharp notes in the music. Michelle skates through them. Every time I watch this performance of Kim's I fall in love with it even more.

But the ending of Michelle's program shows off qualities that Kim has never displayed: I love her one-footed transition from her spiral into the spin. And then there are the two falling leaf splits at the end.

Do you think Kim chose her costume as tribute to Michelle, who she loves so much?:)
 
L

Lilith11

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Layfan said:
Here are Michelle and Yuna skating to the same music (and wearing similar costumes) (Sorry if someone has already done this in this very long thread ... I haven't seen it if they have.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR4V...B7E70FD4&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=31

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-xwx-Z3ijc

It's absolutely impossible for me to decide which performance I like better.

All in all, I think Kim's choreography is far more intricate and I just LOVE, LOVE the way she hits those sharp notes in the music. Michelle skates through them. Every time I watch this performance of Kim's I fall in love with it even more.

But the ending of Michelle's program shows off qualities that Kim has never displayed: I love her one-footed transition from her spiral into the spin. And then there are the two falling leaf splits at the end.

Do you think Kim chose her costume as tribute to Michelle, who she loves so much?:)
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Considering the similarities in ending poses and costume? Yes :3 From what I've read, Yu-na even persoanlly chosen the song. Well we now know who Yu-na though should've been the OGM in 2002... XD
 
janetfan

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
jenaj said:
Yes. I think the entire program is a tribute to Michelle.
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It certainly was a lovely gesture on Yuna's part - and knowing that Worlds would be in Michelle's hometown made it even more special.

I don't think they had ever met before '09 Worlds or that Michelle had ever seen Yuna skate Live before.

Apparently it worked out well for both of them as they seem to have a very nice relationship. :)
 
OS

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Lilith11 said:
Considering the similarities in ending poses and costume? Yes :3 From what I've read, Yu-na even persoanlly chosen the song. Well we now know who Yu-na though should've been the OGM in 2002... XD
Click to expand...

That was incredibly humbling to see both performances side by side. I find the similarity of the costumes and the same ending poses really heart warming because it is the star of this era publicly acknowledged her hero, her past and paid tribute to the inspired performance that also does the piece justice. It is as if Yuna was saying 'Thank you Michelle, you inspired me, winning this gold today, it made my dream come true.'

A couple of things I noticed. Gosh...Michelle was smooth as silk on ice, and faster than I had remembered. Her final 30 seconds of program was so high and was tremendously moving. She has a maturity to her skate that is very giving, warm and inviting and decidedly womanly. Yuna's skate was fast, intriguing, beguile as a young lady rather than a woman. While program was technically superior with the intricate choreography designed and she manage to hit all the notes, but it takes me takes a while to get into her performance, may be i was too wowed by her 3:3 and speed. While from Michelle is from the get go, her arms movements was sublime and unique, an makes her skates very pretty, vs Yuna's more atheltic version.

May be in this respect, Yuna's artistc quality wasn't as polished as Michelle for this piece, but at the same time Michelle was the older and more experienced champion at this point. She started her career at age 12, and she skated this amazing performance at age 21. Yuna was just 18 at the time, with a short senior career of 3-4 years (?).

One thing impressed me about Yuna was her steady progression year by year, and other than her physical appearance which makes it interesting to see, there were huge improvements to her on-ice demeanor. That has become progressively more feminine and powerful year by year, with greater commanding presence. During both of her entrances at Olympics as she took the ice, she really looked like a ruler taking her rightful place on the ice, and the noticeable hush and excitement sparkling across the stadium like a wave that was electrifying. Michelle used to have this as well as seen in the video, but currently in today's figure skating, I don't think anyone has Yuna's ability to hold as much excitement and anticipation, or presence except may be the Men? (Plushenko?)

Edit: Put it this way, at this year's Olympics, it was the first time I saw her and Mao. And after Mao's stunning 3A SP that left my jaw on the floor, the moment Yuna entered the ice, before even she skated, I felt just from her presence as she took the ice, that somehow she would be superior and would win. BBC doesn't even do Fluff pieces, so I had no way of knowing how big she is in figure skating.
 
Last edited:
Mathman

Mathman

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
janetfan said:
Here is Michelle's first performance of Scheherazde from the start of that season:

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

A little different and not just the dress.
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Gosh, I had forgotten how skinny Michelle was that season. :eek:

Michelle performed that program eight times (Goodwill Games, Skate America, Skate Canada, Grand Prix Finals, U.S. Nationals, Olympics, Worlds Qualifying, and Worlds LP), and never hit all her planned jumps in any performance.
 
O

Olympia

Joined
Aug 16, 2009
os168 said:
A couple of things I noticed. Gosh...Michelle was smooth as silk on ice, and faster than I had remembered. Her final 30 seconds of program was so high and was tremendously moving. She has a maturity to her skate that is very giving, warm and inviting and decidedly womanly. Yuna's skate was fast, intriguing, beguile as a young lady rather than a woman. While program was technically superior with the intricate choreography designed and she manage to hit all the notes, but it takes me takes a while to get into her performance, may be i was too wowed by her 3:3 and speed. While from Michelle is from the get go, her arms movements was sublime and unique, an makes her skates very pretty, vs Yuna's more atheltic version.

One thing impressed me about Yuna was her steady progression year by year, and other than her physical appearance which makes it interesting to see, there were huge improvements to her on-ice demeanor. That has become progressively more feminine and powerful year by year, with greater commanding presence. During both of her entrances at Olympics as she took the ice, she really looked like a ruler taking her rightful place on the ice, and the noticeable hush and excitement sparkling across the stadium like a wave that was electrifying. Michelle used to have this as well as seen in the video, but currently in today's figure skating, I don't think anyone has Yuna's ability to hold as much excitement and anticipation, or presence except may be the Men? (Plushenko?)

Edit: Put it this way, at this year's Olympics, it was the first time I saw her and Mao. And after Mao's stunning 3A SP that left my jaw on the floor, the moment Yuna entered the ice, before even she skated, I felt just from her presence as she took the ice, that somehow she would be superior and would win. BBC doesn't even do Fluff pieces, so I had no way of knowing how big she is in figure skating.
Click to expand...

You've managed once again to convey what both of these extraordinary skaters bring to the sport and to the art of skating. They're both truly "event" skaters. You anticipate their programs. You breathe differently while watching them. You remember them afterward. This is the way people feel when they see a great artist such as Beverly Sills or a great athlete such as Michael Jordan. "What is he/she going to do today? Aren't we lucky to be part of the group seeing it for the very first time?" These people command their space. There's an authority to their actions, even a nobility. It raises us out of the ordinary, too, just because we witness them.
 
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