The greatest performances in men's figure skating

christinaskater · Sep 27, 2011

Phantom of the Opera-Patrick Chan 2011 Canadian Nationals
Winter-Alexei Yagudin
Man In The Iron Mask- Alexei Yagudin
Conquest-Todd Eldredge
Rudy Galindo-1996 US Nationals
First Night-Todd Eldredge 1996 Worlds
Ararat- Jeffrey Buttle 2008 Worlds
Scheherazade- Evan Lysacek 2010 Olympic Games
Piano Concerto-Takahiko Kozuka 2011 Worlds
Symphony No. 3 Organ Symphony- Jeremy Abbott 2010 US Nationals
Brian Boitano 1988 Olympics
Rhapsody Ilia Kulik 1998 Olympics

prettykeys · Sep 27, 2011

Alexei Yagudin - 2001 GPF - Gladiator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xALlJz1Sq1Y
- This is my favourite of his LPs.

Stephane Lambiel - 2007 Worlds - Poeta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDNXgzKHT9I

I can't look for them right now but I also loved Jeremy Abbott's A Day in the Life SP, and Patrick Chan's Tango SP. I don't know if I would say they are both among the greatest performances of Men's SP's but I watch those two frequently. :biggrin:

Stasi · Sep 27, 2011

Winter-Alexei Yagudin at Olympics
Swan -Johnny Weir at Olympics

Stephane Lambiel- 2010 Euros

others are not even close

Bluebonnet · Sep 27, 2011

Stasi said:
Winter-Alexei Yagudin at Olympics

Absolutely!!!

There are so many skaters and performances that I loved so much. But I've found that I could be bored by all their programs after watching maybe 10 - 20 times. I've never been bored by Yagudin's Winter.

Kitt · Sep 27, 2011

Welcome Stasi!

And I agree with your first 2 choices as well!

Kitt · Sep 27, 2011

Stephane's flamenco program

is also one of my favorites. His looking the part sure doesn't hurt!

blue dog · Sep 27, 2011

It starts at 40 seconds:

http://youtu.be/W7yCgMJOObs

Reason: It was very hard for the winner of the SP and LP to catch him, because of the lead he had in figures.

drivingmissdaisy · Sep 27, 2011

For me...
Yagudin - Lawrence of Arabia. You could still see the influence of Mishin in his skating, but also that of Tarasova.
Plushenko - Dark Eyes. This program was just so fun and the quirky choreography complimented the music perfectly.

sillylionlove · Sep 27, 2011

I agree with the choices that christinaskater said but I would also like to add

Takahashi - Hip Hop Swan lake 2009. I had the pleasure of seeing this live at Skate America and it was awesome!

mskater93 · Sep 27, 2011

Nothing has or does touch Lambiel's Poeta in my book. It made Najarro one of the best choreographers that year. I like the touches he put on Abbott this past season as well. Something different for him as well which makes Exogenesis a highly anticipated program for me.

Boitano's SP from 1988 also rates pretty highly for me.

evangeline · Sep 27, 2011

John Curry - Don Quixote LP @ the 1976 Olympics
Alexei Yagudin - Revolutionary Etude SP @ 2001 Worlds
Alexander Abt - Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 and 3 LP @ 2002 Europeans
Johnny Weir - Rondo Capriccioso SP @ 2004 Trophee Eric Bompard
Matt Savoie - The Mission LP @ 2006 US Nationals
Stephane Lambiel - Poeta LP @ 2007 Worlds
Jeremy Abbott - Eight Seasons LP @ 2008 GPF
Daisuke Takahashi - La Strada LP @ 2010 Worlds

lionmilk · Sep 27, 2011

For me the greatest that I have seen all come from Yagudin...and it is the choreography, the musicality and the passion that he portrays that makes these the greatest in my opinion...even with mistakes

1999 worlds Cirque de Soleil http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaRu4vWzfhY
1999 worlds Lawrence of Arabia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JreQby8Kbug&feature=related
2000 worlds Nutrocker http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4aqh3R1o8E&feature=related probably my favorite....a masterpiece....the audience spontaneous leaped to their feet during the final spin...
2001 worlds Revolutionary Etude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og59QN4L_ko
2002 olympic Winter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNN1yGqVrdQ&feature=related

Mathman · Sep 27, 2011

Welcome Staci. Thanks for joiing us.

blue dog said:
It starts at 40 seconds:

http://youtu.be/W7yCgMJOObs

iluvtodd · Sep 27, 2011

I'm with you for most of your choices (when you mention "Conquest" for Todd, I assume you are referring to "1492 - Conquest of Paradise" from 2001 Worlds).

I must add Brian Orser's 1988 Olympic free skate, Elvis' "Dragon" from 1994 Olympics & 1994 Worlds, Matt Savoie's "The Mission."

christinaskater · Sep 27, 2011

Don Quixote Takeshi Honda 2002 Olympics SP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyLqPmmGUZo&feature=related

Dragonlady · Sep 27, 2011

Oldies but goodies:

Robin Cousins 1980 Olympic Gold Medal LP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEec6XAhsUg

and Kurt Browning’s 1992 Olympic LP, Casablanca. Kurt was out of medal contention after his disastrous SP so people didn’t notice this program as much as they would have if he had won the event. For me, this we THE performance of the 1992 Olympics.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sourc...xJWLAQ&usg=AFQjCNEzMbRRQ0r_psVdNW9IaTMiBBYHVw

christinaskater · Sep 27, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo66jAa5PXE

Patrick Chan's 2011 Nationals LP is one of the greatest ever!

jcoates · Sep 27, 2011

I'm shocked that, except for a handful of mentions prior to my post, every program mentioned here happened from 1996 onward. That's very shortsighted in my book, particularly if the reasoning is jump based.

I've said it before and will say it as long as I remain a figure skating fan: everything that modern men's figure skating is now or has been the last 40 years can be traced to John Curry and Toller Cranston. If you look at what the standard was before they came along (rigid, staid, lacking expression, energy and a point of view) you could barely imagine the creative leap that skating would take under the leadership of those two giants.

For me the singular performance of all time is John Curry's 1976 Olympic FS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z79TMsYRnEc

There are so many subtleties in the program that were often not paid attention to by male skaters at the time for fear of appearing to be too feminine or outside the box. (Jumps and flying spins in one direction, the remaining spins in the other direction. Back to back opposite direction spins. The line, extension, control, holding out of moves and edges and of course the pure absolutely textbook technique.)

Toller's 1974 Worlds programs should also be on the list. He made passion and explicitly emotive choreography acceptable in men's skating. Such programs were largely frowned upon as not being masculine before he came along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9J4EJVoe-w

Dick Button also deserves high praise and inclusion on this list. Our jump obsessed view of skating got it's start thanks to his innovative 1948 and 1952 Olympic programs. (Something Dick has been apologizing for for decades in the face of less emphasis on other parts of skating.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j-9lXwSM8A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYxOXmFkdYE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2lsyY0lQ9w

Other great performances in my opinion are these (not always perfect but each pushed the sport forward either technically or artistically):
Robin Cousins 1980 FS (Worlds and Olympics)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg2lPhTYGNw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2tGwmZeLSg

Kurt Browning's
1991 Son's of Italy Worlds FS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRvH6uOcslU
1991 Worlds SP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oywo2GOJUvg
1993 Worlds FS (not perfect but brilliant)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPYI8l8Fgk8

Petrenko's
1988 Olympic SP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Jw81aAFGU&feature=related
1992 Olympic SP & 1991 Worlds SP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOpOI6ArJco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KGCNGsKxmE

1992 Worlds FS (flawed as it was by some doubles; the energy and verve from the the 2nd half is downright stirring.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHZiAQ9gPlg
1994 Olympics FS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaWBSuKVOfY

Boitano 1988 SP and FS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah3Fmy7hAn0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmPt90PnRf4

Alexander Fadeev
1985 Worlds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdI7dVbpMaQ
1989 Euros
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UUIUrVnQvg

Orser
1984 Olympics (His programs that year were technical gamechangers. The sports made quantum leaps in terms of jumps after that year.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqJbIefnsi0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFgEPqw09IU
1987 Worlds (first FS with 2 triple axels)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZgqUVcipgA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7P_P936QIo
1988 Olympics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSCr-A8T5qQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwTXdnIeHXE&feature=related

Hamilton (his shaky Olympic performance has caused people to forget or overlook how innovative and dominant he was in the years leading up to Sarajevo; He had energy, power and speed unlike anyone before him.)

1982 Worlds FS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvCHCWV0ek8&feature=related

1984 Nationals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNvSqv53BIo&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL6D4D00C81870C762

genki · Sep 27, 2011

Thank you for the wonderful thread. I am enjoying a lot.

For me, it is Daisuke Takahashi's Last year's Japanese national performance.

There is a story behind it.
All audience knew that Daisuke was not in the best condition due to the injury that he sustained form the collision with Kozuka at GPF.
Dai refused to talk about it for the consideration of team mate Kozuka, denying any pains or discomfort that he was feeling at that time.

Now you guys may not be so familiar with Japanese culture,but this type of attitude ,(self sacrifice for the others, no excuse, etc.) are highly respected.

Dai was placed 4 th after the short, which was the big loss for the Japan's king of skate.
And the the result of the nationals decides the participation to the worlds too.
With his injured body, he skated like there was no tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0zu7eEgcLU

This became truly unforgettable for so many fans in Japan.

christinaskater · Sep 27, 2011

jcoates said:
I'm shocked that, except for a handful of mentions prior to my post, every program mentioned here happened from 1996 onward. That's very shortsighted in my book, particularly if the reasoning is jump based.

I've said it before and will say it as long as I remain a figure skating fan: everything that modern men's figure skating is now or has been the last 40 years can be traced to John Curry and Toller Cranston. If you look at what the standard was before they came along (rigid, staid, lacking expression, energy and a point of view) you could barely imagine the creative leap that skating would take under the leadership of those two giants.

For me the singular performance of all time is John Curry's 1976 Olympic FS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z79TMsYRnEc

There are so many subtleties in the program that were often not paid attention to by male skaters at the time for fear of appearing to be too feminine or outside the box. (Jumps and flying spins in one direction, the remaining spins in the other direction. Back to back opposite direction spins. The line, extension, control, holding out of moves and edges and of course the pure absolutely textbook technique.)

Toller's 1974 Worlds programs should also be on the list. He made passion and explicitly emotive choreography acceptable in men's skating. Such programs were largely frowned upon as not being masculine before he came along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9J4EJVoe-w

Dick Button also deserves high praise and inclusion on this list. Our jump obsessed view of skating got it's start thanks to his innovative 1948 and 1952 Olympic programs. (Something Dick has been apologizing for for decades in the face of less emphasis on other parts of skating.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j-9lXwSM8A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYxOXmFkdYE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2lsyY0lQ9w

Other great performances in my opinion are these (not always perfect but each pushed the sport forward either technically or artistically):
Robin Cousins 1980 FS (Worlds and Olympics)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg2lPhTYGNw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2tGwmZeLSg

Kurt Browning's
1991 Son's of Italy Worlds FS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRvH6uOcslU
1991 Worlds SP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oywo2GOJUvg
1993 Worlds FS (not perfect but brilliant)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPYI8l8Fgk8

Petrenko's
1988 Olympic SP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Jw81aAFGU&feature=related
1992 Olympic SP & 1991 Worlds SP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOpOI6ArJco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KGCNGsKxmE

1992 Worlds FS (flawed as it was by some doubles; the energy and verve from the the 2nd half is downright stirring.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHZiAQ9gPlg
1994 Olympics FS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaWBSuKVOfY

Boitano 1988 SP and FS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah3Fmy7hAn0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmPt90PnRf4

Alexander Fadeev
1985 Worlds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdI7dVbpMaQ
1989 Euros
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UUIUrVnQvg

Orser
1984 Olympics (His programs that year were technical gamechangers. The sports made quantum leaps in terms of jumps after that year.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqJbIefnsi0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFgEPqw09IU
1987 Worlds (first FS with 2 triple axels)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZgqUVcipgA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7P_P936QIo
1988 Olympics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSCr-A8T5qQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwTXdnIeHXE&feature=related

Hamilton (his shaky Olympic performance has caused people to forget or overlook how innovative and dominant he was in the years leading up to Sarajevo; He had energy, power and speed unlike anyone before him.)

1982 Worlds FS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvCHCWV0ek8&feature=related

1984 Nationals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNvSqv53BIo&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL6D4D00C81870C762

You are dearly loved Jcoats! Thank you for these videos! These are truly some of the greatest!

The greatest performances in men's figure skating

christinaskater

prettykeys

Stasi

Match Penalty

Bluebonnet

Kitt

Kitt

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!

drivingmissdaisy

sillylionlove

mskater93

evangeline

lionmilk

Mathman

iluvtodd

christinaskater

Dragonlady

christinaskater

jcoates

genki

christinaskater

Similar threads

Connect with us