Yuzuru Hanyu

[phaeljones]

Hanyu already skates with a maturity and polish that someone like Joubert wishes he had in his career. Joubert mainly jumps but not much else. I give him props for still bringing it at his age but Hanyu has more potential to be a all around skater.

My previous comments might be a bit not clear and I can see by some of the really great comments that followed that I should have been more careful.

I too thought the British guy's commentary was bang on. I thought that the North American commentary was lacking, and I was especially disappointed by Kurt Browning's commentary on CBC at the Montreal event. I too thought that prior to the world championship skate that Hanyu had been underscored and I suspected that it was on the basis that he was a newbie. I don't think that his jumps or his skating is immature. He skates like a polished veteran. His performance at the world championship is the one that I have re-watched the most because I think it is the most amazing performance that I have seen in years. (For me, I have not been so moved by a competitive skating performance since decades ago watching Orser and Boitano skate against each other that night at the Olympics.) Patrick Chan rightly called Hanyu's performance a "lights out" performance. It was not just good enough, it was better than good enough. And this little samurai from Sendai can hold his own just as he is now.

Now to the quoted comment above: Joubert seems to be changing in a lot of ways. Even though Joubert is mature in years, he seems to have shown a fantastic capacity for changing this year. I know that he likely does not have a lot of years still left in him, but if he continues to develop artistically (this year he really was improved), what he comes up with Sochi might be surprising (in a good way). He is undergoing a rebirth that is very beautiful to watch. But he has always been a different style of skater than Hanyu and the two aspire to different directions.

[kimganos]

My previous comments might be a bit not clear and I can see by some of the really great comments that followed that I should have been more careful.

I too thought the British guy's commentary was bang on. I thought that the North American commentary was lacking, and I was especially disappointed by Kurt Browning's commentary on CBC at the Montreal event. I too thought that prior to the world championship skate that Hanyu had been underscored and I suspected that it was on the basis that he was a newbie. I don't think that his jumps or his skating is immature. He skates like a polished veteran. His performance at the world championship is the one that I have re-watched the most because I think it is the most amazing performance that I have seen in years. (For me, I have not been so moved by a competitive skating performance since decades ago watching Orser and Boitano skate against each other that night at the Olympics.) Patrick Chan rightly called Hanyu's performance a "lights out" performance. It was not just good enough, it was better than good enough. And this little samurai from Sendai can hold his own just as he is now.

Now to the quoted comment above: Joubert seems to be changing in a lot of ways. Even though Joubert is mature in years, he seems to have shown a fantastic capacity for changing this year. I know that he likely does not have a lot of years still left in him, but if he continues to develop artistically (this year he really was improved), what he comes up with Sochi might be surprising (in a good way). He is undergoing a rebirth that is very beautiful to watch. But he has always been a different style of skater than Hanyu and the two aspire to different directions.

I really enjoy reading your intelligent perspective and comments in this forum!

[k1ttykatk1t]

Holy freak, I'm sorry. I feel like a fool right now @_@
Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdlLoQgZFhI

Thank you!!!! :D Don't think too much about it :P

Hanyu is adorable!!! Haha, he's still such a kid and obviously looks up to Dai and also Patrick as older brothers.

[k1ttykatk1t]

↑Don't mind!

10:03 Oh, I didn't understand the meaning of the question in Japanese too. Probably a question about mental strength. So, Yuzu could do nothing but answer "I don't know."

10:21Yuzu said.
" First of all....umm. I became full of fighting spirit in the last competition. er…. As the conclusion, I wanted to complete it properly. I accomplished it only with such a feeling."


Yuzuru talked in Japanese, in this way.
こんにちは、羽生結弦です。いつも応援して下さって、ありがとうございます。これからも皆さんの期待に応え られるように、精一杯頑張っていきますので、皆さんも一緒に頑張っていきましょう。本当にありがとうござい ます。Thank you for your support.　

***** In English *****
Hello. I am Yuzuru Hanyu. Thank you for always supporting. As come up to everyone's expectations, I will do best efforts, so let's do our best together! Thank you very much. Thank you for your support.

Oh Kilyca, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your translation work!!! :D:D:D:D:D You are an angel!!!!

[k1ttykatk1t]

[QUOTE=kimganos;639010]

I have always thought Hanyu's PCS was underscored through out the entire season being the newbie on the scene in a year of really strong mens. Only by the time of the world, it manage to catch up with how it should be based on the merit of the program.

It was a solid build up through the entire season with the content difficulty being upgraded all the time. In someways I still think the PCS is somewhat short maybe having the amazing Daisuke in the same competition from the same country means both their score are somewhat undermarked, in particularly Daisuke against Chan.

The Romeo and Juliet program is perfect to complement his raw, fresh and spirited quality at his age, while some may say not as polished, but I'd argue it is precisely these qualities of risky taking somewhat naive, brave and passionately spirited performance that Hanyu has made this program work.

A 'polished romeo' done by a seasoned skater or maybe himself in 5-10 years time might be more aesthetically appealing, but would be utterly false to the essence and the 'truth' of the program which recalls being the cusp of innocence turned passionate, out of control, darkly wild and imminent death, aspiring for spiritual freedom. The UK Eurosport commentators called this possibly one of the best FS program of all time, and I am in total agreement with them. It has the marking of a signature program written all over it.[/QUOT

This is really well said and a great observation. I really loved the British guys as commentators too! Much better then over here in America!

I went back and watched the junior world championships that Hanyu skated in 2009 with the British commentators and they absolutely adored him. You literally hear them falling in love with his skating and realizing his potential. They love that he went for the triple axel at 14 years old, that his technique was amazing, his lightness on the ice, the spins... that he was bouncing to get away from his coach to skate! Haha, I think this is where they first started calling him "The Future".

I for one don't want Hanyu to lose that so-called raw and unpolished style of skating. I absolutely love that fearlessness that he shows and just that very adventurous, warrior spirit that he pours out as he's skating his utmost. I thought Hanyu's short program this season was very mesmerizing. It was a difficult choice of music to skate to and beautifully done. His style reminds me of the old Russian skaters sometimes--when they were young--amazing technique, classic artistry, and soulful depth borne out of discipline and emotional transparency. I kinda wish that he would keep the Romeo program for one more year, but it's okay. I know he'll have something more amazing to offer to the world and hopefully another wonderful story of courage and heroism.

[os168]

[QUOTE=k1ttykatk1t;639146]

I went back and watched the junior world championships that Hanyu skated in 2009 with the British commentators and they absolutely adored him. You literally hear them falling in love with his skating and realizing his potential. They love that he went for the triple axel at 14 years old, that his technique was amazing, his lightness on the ice, the spins... that he was bouncing to get away from his coach to skate! Haha, I think this is where they first started calling him "The Future".

I for one don't want Hanyu to lose that so-called raw and unpolished style of skating. I absolutely love that fearlessness that he shows and just that very adventurous, warrior spirit that he pours out as he's skating his utmost. I thought Hanyu's short program this season was very mesmerizing. It was a difficult choice of music to skate to and beautifully done. His style reminds me of the old Russian skaters sometimes--when they were young--amazing technique, classic artistry, and soulful depth borne out of discipline and emotional transparency. I kinda wish that he would keep the Romeo program for one more year, but it's okay. I know he'll have something more amazing to offer to the world and hopefully another wonderful story of courage and heroism.

I just love your description of his style. The sort of rare gem only the young and the restless, the effervesce of youth can bring. Hanyu skated with purpose, a mission set out to prove; with the sort of yearning, wondering, adventurous samurai spirit pushed his performances to a level beyond a routine and medal. The honest transparency you mentioned give clues why Hanyu attracted so many new fans and brought back old fans to this forum and on all those youtube views/comments reveals the potency and infectious of this style and approach.

I also hope he get to keep this style, although it would certainly be difficult with growing physical maturity which would hurt his flexibility and balance in all areas. Growing self awareness and maybe something to loose now. Although given his track record since the Junior days, this FS skate style is hardly developed over night, this was not a once in a life time skate, the sort of lucky skate where others were not in their best form. Hanyu is not an over night sensation, he has been quietly working at it while his rivals been getting over marked since early in the season (Artur, Javier, Florent) it just takes the judges a little while to recognize these merits and let the righteous win eventually. His FS is the best skate of the competition for me, and it shows why PCS is an accountant's game and a fallacy of the COP system.

[Bimbi]

Hello everyone, I love your posts, Yuzuru is just amazing, he's such an inspiration
Kilyca, you're an angel!! I can't thank you enough for your translations.. I didn't know about this forum and I've been trying to get to know more about Yuzuru and Daisuke and the others of team Japan, but I don't understand japanese so it's really difficult.

[k1ttykatk1t]

[QUOTE=os168;639294]

I just love your description of his style. The sort of rare gem only the young and the restless, the effervesce of youth can bring. Hanyu skated with purpose, a mission set out to prove; with the sort of yearning, wondering, adventurous samurai spirit pushed his performances to a level beyond a routine and medal. The honest transparency you mentioned give clues why Hanyu attracted so many new fans and brought back old fans to this forum and on all those youtube views/comments reveals the potency and infectious of this style and approach.

I also hope he get to keep this style, although it would certainly be difficult with growing physical maturity which would hurt his flexibility and balance in all areas. Growing self awareness and maybe something to loose now. Although given his track record since the Junior days, this FS skate style is hardly developed over night, this was not a once in a life time skate, the sort of lucky skate where others were not in their best form. Hanyu is not an over night sensation, he has been quietly working at it while his rivals been getting over marked since early in the season (Artur, Javier, Florent) it just takes the judges a little while to recognize these merits and let the righteous win eventually. His FS is the best skate of the competition for me, and it shows why PCS is an accountant's game and a fallacy of the COP system.

Thanks, os168 :D Gosh, I hope the pressure to win medals now is not going to make him more cautious in his skating. I just don't want him to become cautious and careful like Patrick Chan, Takahashi, and so many other skaters. It's hard to get into the skating when you know the skater is thinking too much and being too careful and you're sort of wincing with them and being anxious with them as they are going from jump to jump. I really like how he goes accelerating into each jump and even if he falls, it's okay, because he immediately lands another amazing jump.

I hope he stays with his current coach. She seems to really understand him well. I don't mind if he loses the biellmann spin and ina bauer and the a-spin. I'd love to see him develop his footwork more while keeping that "as light as a feather" quality and speed that he has. Especially in that short program of his, Hanyu looked like a blue leaf floating about on a snowy wintry day. I really think that that footwork sequence was exceptional and yet still filled with so much potential. Maybe he'll develop more of a dramatic, storytelling artistry? like Paul Wylie and the other great skaters from the 80's and 90's?

I miss the old days when the skater who skated the best skate of the evening also got to win the gold medal. It's kind of a bittersweet win if the judges give you first place, but the crowd gives its disapproval and tepid, polite applause.

[Becki]

I found this on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yuzur...99844263418600

Pretty informative group about Yuzuru. I don't expect much news about Yuzuru during the off-season, so I'll see you guys next season

[gardenernaga]

Hanyu will be with Brian Orser next season, based in Tronto.

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/winter...do_sp-spo.html

[evangeline]

Hanyu will be with Brian Orser next season, based in Tronto.

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/winter...do_sp-spo.html

*jawdrop*

This is big enough news to be its own thread.....if you don't mind, I'll make a whole new thread for it.

[k1ttykatk1t]

A new interview :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKwqJHgB9U4

From the facebook page Becki posted earlier.

He's so skinny! His necklace is also different.

[FTnoona]

A new interview :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKwqJHgB9U4

From the facebook page Becki posted earlier.

He's so skinny! His necklace is also different.

Thanks for the video! At this time I wish my school offers Japanese as a foreign language :(

[demarinis5]

^What does he say about his coaching change?

[Becki]

A new interview :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKwqJHgB9U4

From the facebook page Becki posted earlier.

He's so skinny! His necklace is also different.

Oh wow, his voice sounds so deep at the beginning then his giggle is so high pitched! OMG, one of the only times I've seen him in casual wear (aside from the Someone to Love exhibition)....he looks good!

He is indeed skinny, not really news. Motivates me to slim down, I think he might be skinner than me!! Yeah his necklace is different...it's a dog tag now!!!!

Thanks for posting!