Patrick Chan

Thanks, blueberryhill. I do my posting late at night now, and I'm glad they make sense to you and others, as I am a relatively new fan of Patrick's.

lauravvv, thanks for your comments. As you were/are a fan of Patrick's, I give you the benefit of the doubt. I think when posts here have mentioned Yuzuru, it's mostly in reference to how the media and analysts characterize his skating vs. Patrick's during competition. Therefore, some discussion/opinions about what Kurt Browning or Johnny Weir or whoever said about their performances is inevitable.

I may be wrong, but I suspect that most of us on this thread don't go over to the Yuzuru fan thread and respond whenever comparisons to Patrick are brought up or he is mentioned there - I know I don't. However, your constructive comments about Patrick's skating are welcome.

But anyway, can't we all get along? It's time for some humor in here! Today I came across this cute and hilarious story by accident:

Pet Bird Adopts Store-Bought Egg That Actually Hatches

I couldn't believe it when I read this:

The bird (named Pi-Chan) took on the role of a surrogate mother and nested the egg. While the process was cute to watch, no one expected Pi-Chan's efforts to pay off. They did....

Luna has been taking care of the miracle quail and named it Yuzu...

Click to expand...

Hmmm... Do you think this Japanese YouTuber is a figure skating fan? :rofl2:

so cute

vivley said:

Thanks, blueberryhill. I do my posting late at night now, and I'm glad they make sense to you and others, as I am a relatively new fan of Patrick's.

lauravvv, thanks for your comments. As you were/are a fan of Patrick's, I give you the benefit of the doubt. I think when posts here have mentioned Yuzuru, it's mostly in reference to how the media and analysts characterize his skating vs. Patrick's during competition. Therefore, some discussion/opinions about what Kurt Browning or Johnny Weir or whoever said about their performances is inevitable.

I may be wrong, but I suspect that most of us on this thread don't go over to the Yuzuru fan thread and respond whenever comparisons to Patrick are brought up or he is mentioned there - I know I don't. However, your constructive comments about Patrick's skating are welcome.

But anyway, can't we all get along? It's time for some humor in here! Today I came across this cute and hilarious story by accident:

Pet Bird Adopts Store-Bought Egg That Actually Hatches

I couldn't believe it when I read this:



Hmmm... Do you think this Japanese YouTuber is a figure skating fan? :rofl2:

Click to expand...

I have a sincere request for everyone here, can we all be more welcoming of Yuzuru's and other skaters' fans? As long as they post in a thoughtful, respectful manner, I love to hear what they say, and of course we can post a different opinion in answer, but if we pride ourselves as being more open, more mature, etc., we shouldn't be so personal on here.

In fact, I *love* Yuzuru's jumps, but not so much his SS and choreography, found them weaker than Patrick's and I guess "mass-oriented". An opinion like this will get me killed in Hanyu's threads by his rabid fans. Even he acknowledged that he needs to improve his step sequence, unfortunately, his fan base took it as a joke... to them he doesn't have to improve anything! Whereas to me, I care too much about SS to consider it unimportant as long as he keeps raking up the big scores. However, if he meant it sincerely and not facetiously, that to me is a sign of a champion's mind, working hard towards winning over Patrick's fans, working towards 2018.

Now will Patrick work harder to expand his audience? His fans are always there for him, will he try to reach the hearts and minds of others? I would love to see Patrick evolve to win over everyone, not just his admirers here. :agree:

Thanks 4everchan and Vively for your diplomacy. Namaste.

Like you Vively I have no knowledge of how other fan fest threads function here on GS as I have never been in any other one than Patrick's. However, for quite awhile I lurked on FSuniverse on the Virtue/Moir thread. I know there it was expected that fans respect each others' space.

I stand by what I wrote in post #3828 though. Its context was a reply in which we were discussing the course that Patrick should take. The first paragraph I discussed Seimei, judges, commentators and Kurt Browning's quote. The second paragraph was to point out that Timothy Goebel had already achieved a three quad program in 2002. Then I shifted the discussion back to Patrick.

If ANYONE would care to FACT-CHECK my other posts (all twelve) in this thread you might note that I mention several skaters by name: Timothy Goebel, ilia Kulik, Nam(Nguyen), (Paige)Lawrence/)(Rudy)Sweigers and Luba(Iliushechkina)/Dylan(Moscovitch). Notice anything missing?

I fail to see how my posts about Patrick's comeback, music choices, Rudyard Kipling, costuming and Don Laws can be construed as anything other than innocuous upbeat fan discussions and would cause anyone to feel not welcomed.

The general consensus is that we have been enjoying a healthy dialogue. I love the thoughtful responses and celebrating Patrick. I hope it continues.


MY SECOND NOTE TO SELF: It is unwise to express your thoughts fully in this thread because "others" are watching.

Life knocked him around a little; in December of 2014 a long-term relationship ended. “There’s nothing worse than holiday time to realize how alone you are. During Christmas and over my birthday I had times where I felt very much alone and very much lost,” said Chan, born on New Year’s Eve.

This was part of an interview that Patrick gave earlier this year. Two days before Xmas 2015 I hope, but have doubts, that he is feeling better. This is one time I would love to be wrong! If he only knew that he is not alone - as evidenced by the support he has in this thread. That's why we're here - to support Patrick.

In addition to Kipling's "If" I've always wanted to give Patrick these words with the hope that they might resonate with him:

"There's no joyous light at the end of the tunnel,
If going through the tunnel isn't fun."

I really think joy is the key to Patrick's success. If he loves what he is doing he will succeed no matter the odds.

Since Patrick is the thing that binds us, I am wishing all of Patrick's fans on this thread JOY... and love ... and peace.
Happy Holidays!

lauravvv said:

I'll be honest here. Until very recently I was more a Patrick fan than I was a Yuzuru fan. And that was because of Patrick's skating and programs that I tended to like more than Yuzuru's. Now I don't know anymore. Not to say that I love Yuzuru more than Pattrick now - it's more like I don't know who of the two to put first in my list of current favorite male skaters. I still love Patrick for his skating, programs and musicality (which has improved greatly over time), but now I also appreciate Yuzuru more than ever mostly because of his incredible mental strength and will to stand against huge pressure, and also his ability to put everything together like he has those two last competitions, and his skills in almost everything which become even more visible when he skates like this. Plus, I like his FS/LP for this season more than I have liked any of his previous FS/LPs.

Having said all that, I do realize that Yuzuru doesn't really "deserve" higher PCS than Patrick. I understand what people here are saying about his hydroblading and such, although I do view it as a choreographic highlight that does have a place also in a competitive program, just like spread eagles and spirals. At the same time some of the comments (I am not pointing to specific ones, since then I would have to reread many pages in this thread which I don't have time for) seem almost belittling of what Yuzuru did, almost like saying that he does nothing except hydroblading and other easy things and that his skating skills are really far below Patrick's. That is what I don't like and can't agree with. Some people seem to forget the objective truth - except the hydroblading part, most of Yuzuru's other "easy" tricks come right before or right after his jumps, making his elements and his program much more difficult. While those "tricks" are easy in themselves, they are difficult together with jumps and other elements. And it is true that, while Patrick has more choreography and more difficult footwork throughout his program, Yuzuru has more transitions (that are also more difficult) into and out of his elements and less preparation for those elements. So, I would say, while Patrick still deserves higher SS marks than Yuzuru, I understand why Yuzuru's program merits higher transition marks (although one can argue that transitions in and out of elements are awarded already in GOE). I'd say they are pretty much equal in Performance/Execution when skating cleanly. Choreography is also a matter of taste and what one values in figure skating choreography (footwork and beautiful upper body moves or other figure skating moves that highlight the music), so I would agree with equal marks here as well. I would still give Interpretation to Patrick, but, again, I would understand equal marks, seeing how this also depends at least partially on one's views about this component.


P.S.: I hope that no one feels offended that I defended Yuzuru here in a Patrick fan thread.

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You're welcomed here, of course, and I don't know if a fan needs to pick either one of the two, why not love the skating strengths each skater brings?

You've got to understand that when we posted that hydroblade, spread eagles and ina bauers are easier moves than a lot of the moves Patrick is doing as they are less taxing to the body, it's actually stating an objective fact, you would know that if you were a skater. This by no means belittles Hanyu's programs, my opinion is that it is very smart to do when a skater packs his programs with quads and difficult elements, and substituting as pausing for dramatic effect in the choreography, and they "wow" the audience. I don't think judges reward Patrick much more for his difficult SS moves, so in effect, Patrick's skating will only win if his SS scores much higher points than Hanyu's jumps, something that isn't going to happen.

IMO, spread eagles before/after jumps aren't all that difficult if you're a very good jumper and you are in control of the jumps' landings and take offs. An opinion like this will get me killed on Hanyu's threads, but to me, this is true. I bet Javier and Patrick can do this on their easier jumps. However, aesthetically, it fits the music, and won over the audience, so it's a great choreography move. It generated a lot of buzz too, a created a new term, the "sandwich", so in that it is successful.

We've got to understand what makes a Gold medal program for today, and Patrick is so old school in that he believes in high level and difficult execution in between his elements, steps that I believe are beyond Hanyu at his current level now, sadly, audiences don't see them and they didn't go "wow" the way they did over hydroblade, cantilevers and spread eagles. It's a new reality we have to face.

blueberryhill said:

Thanks 4everchan and Vively for your diplomacy. Namaste.

Like you Vively I have no knowledge of how other fan fest threads function here on GS as I have never been in any other one than Patrick's. However, for quite awhile I lurked on FSuniverse on the Virtue/Moir thread. I know there it was expected that fans respect each others' space.

I stand by what I wrote in post #3828 though. Its context was a reply in which we were discussing the course that Patrick should take. The first paragraph I discussed Seimei, judges, commentators and Kurt Browning's quote. The second paragraph was to point out that Timothy Goebel had already achieved a three quad program in 2002. Then I shifted the discussion back to Patrick.

If ANYONE would care to FACT-CHECK my other posts (all twelve) in this thread you might note that I mention several skaters by name: Timothy Goebel, ilia Kulik, Nam(Nguyen), (Paige)Lawrence/)(Rudy)Sweigers and Luba(Iliushechkina)/Dylan(Moscovitch). Notice anything missing?

I fail to see how my posts about Patrick's comeback, music choices, Rudyard Kipling, costuming and Don Laws can be construed as anything other than innocuous upbeat fan discussions and would cause anyone to feel not welcomed.

The general consensus is that we have been enjoying a healthy dialogue. I love the thoughtful responses and celebrating Patrick. I hope it continues.


MY SECOND NOTE TO SELF: It is unwise to express your thoughts fully in this thread because "others" are watching.

Click to expand...

I think a lot is lost in translation on a forum, in real life, over drinks, we would all be chatting light-heartedly, and there will be no mistaking of feelings all of us express, and we're more supportive of our own, and not that fixated on other skaters really. I realize FS fans are pretty *serious* about the sport and their skating idols!

I bet Hanyu studied and strategized about his rivals, notice how quickly he debuted his new jumps layout after Jin, it's what it takes to win competitions, so not a surprise to do it too. It's fun actually! Better than simply swooning about the scores.

Many of us here have expressed that fandom is not exclusionary and one can be a fan of as many skaters as one so pleases. This is the attitude that has been maintained here.

I posted in Takahashi's and Hanyu's threads and was greeted with hostility and ridicules because I was a known Patrick fan. IIRC it was mainly some particularly unpleasant (IMO) posters in the GS who ostracized me and they have since then been banned for whatever reason. I stopped going to these fan threads but I make certain that all Patrick fans are welcomed here, regardless of who else they like or even prefer.

As usual, I admire all elite skaters for their talents and hard work and try to be observational rather than judgmental in my comments, in any thread, even if sometimes people project their personal feelings and values into my words. I am particularly interested in the mindsets of the top skaters and sometimes do comparisons, even as part of speculating a competition results. The mindsets do vary and change so some of these comparisons are timely exercises though some of their mindsets are ingrained and are major factors in their overall careers. I have experienced misinterpretations of my opinions, some of which were validated by later interviews or results. Of course many are interested in comparisons of skills, layouts, choreographies, etc. I hope people here would keep being sensitive and open minded and not to judge and react quickly in these discussions.

blueberryhill said:

Violet Bliss, I know that you try very hard to keep things positive and I love that here but sometimes to make a point I might mention another skater. Just letting you know that I'm not bashing anyone.

Click to expand...

Thank you for being so considerate. I don't actually try very hard but only go by my principles as I do in all aspects of my life. And I know you are not bashing anybody.

I have not gone to the Chan vs Hanyu thread since the GPF because I knew it would likely get rather unpleasant and I value my time and energy which I try to invest wisely. Hey, I stay in my violet bliss. I notice the thread is now locked so I was probably right about it. I therefore feel maybe extra consideration is needed so as not to bring that thread into this one. Here, we celebrate and support Patrick Chan, skater extraordinaire.

eta. There is a difference between comparing two skaters and debating one vs another. Let's discuss how skaters differ in various ways but, especially in this thread, not one against another.

I made a substantial edit to my previous post in this thread. I took out all of the Yuzu stuff, making the post more positive, more on topic, and also shorter. I am so very sorry for my contribution to the thread detour. It's a lesson I'll keep in mind for the future.

Here's to positivity! Carry on.

skatingfan4ever said:

I made a substantial edit to my previous post in this thread. I took out all of the Yuzu stuff, making the post more positive, more on topic, and also shorter. I am so very sorry for my contribution to the thread detour.

Here's to positivity! Carry on.

Click to expand...

skatingfan4ever I'm a fan of your positivity as you don't just talk but walk your walk in real life.

Looking for the rainbows

skatingfan4ever said:

I made a substantial edit to my previous post in this thread. I took out all of the Yuzu stuff, making the post more positive, more on topic, and also shorter. I am so very sorry for my contribution to the thread detour. It's a lesson I'll keep in mind for the future.

Here's to positivity! Carry on.

Click to expand...

skatingfan4ever, I wondered if you really needed to edit your past posts. You have been thoughtful and polite all the time. I am a fan of Patrick, and also a fan of you, Violet Bliss, Vivley, 4everchan, Blueberryhill, quertyskates, and several new comers whose user names I don't remember immediately. Thanks for sharing your comments and knowledge with other fans here!

Since this is a thread on discussions about Patrick, I would like to read comments/news more focused on Patrick. If some people have lengthy comparisons between Patrick and Yuzuru, it's best to post such comments in threads which are already available in GS.

vivley said:

Thanks, blueberryhill. I do my posting late at night now, and I'm glad they make sense to you and others, as I am a relatively new fan of Patrick's.

lauravvv, thanks for your comments. As you were/are a fan of Patrick's, I give you the benefit of the doubt. I think when posts here have mentioned Yuzuru, it's mostly in reference to how the media and analysts characterize his skating vs. Patrick's during competition. Therefore, some discussion/opinions about what Kurt Browning or Johnny Weir or whoever said about their performances is inevitable.

I may be wrong, but I suspect that most of us on this thread don't go over to the Yuzuru fan thread and respond whenever comparisons to Patrick are brought up or he is mentioned there - I know I don't. However, your constructive comments about Patrick's skating are welcome.

But anyway, can't we all get along? It's time for some humor in here! Today I came across this cute and hilarious story by accident:

Pet Bird Adopts Store-Bought Egg That Actually Hatches

I couldn't believe it when I read this:



Hmmm... Do you think this Japanese YouTuber is a figure skating fan? :rofl2:

Click to expand...

Thanks so much! Thanks for finding this and sharing it with us!

I'm not going to pretend to be a moderator, nor do I want to police this thread, but actually at the top of the fan fest section there is a sticky thread with regards to the rules about posting:

Fan Fest posters should be able to "gush," but NOT at the expense of another skater or of another skater's fans. That's just rude and and not very constructive.

Click to expand...

I'm a fan of both Yuzuru and Patrick (he's the one that first got me into watching skating!), and criticisms of the other belong outside of the fan threads, otherwise it alienates and becomes unwelcoming for the fans of both. And those rules are there for good reason--just look at what became of this thread! Also, new posts in the entire forum are visible in the "What's New?" tab at the top, so it's not "'others' are watching" but "everyone is watching"

I don't see why we can't all just focus on the positives of Patrick's comeback--it's an extremely volatile and changed landscape with quads up the wazoo, but the purity of his skating still shines through as a role model for even his direct rivals. No commentator does not acknowledge this. He's still easing back into training, from what I remember his schedule is more relaxed: he doesn't beat himself up over bad sessions and then push himself too hard and over-train. What matters is he is still young, he's healthy, and he's uninjured, but even more mature than ever and perhaps humbled by his experience at the GPF. He is by all accounts the chaser now, and that's when Patrick is most dangerous. :yes: He's found remarkable consistency with his LP (my favourite rendition is still from Japan Open 2014--for me the most glorious men's LP performance from that entire season with the rapturous standing ovation from the Japanese audience as if to say, "holy smokes, this is what we're going to be missing this season?!", plus Patrick's happy disbelief like "oh my god, did I just do that?!"), and while the SP is a problem, it probably only needs a bit of a technical tweak--perhaps switch the 4T+3T and the 3A around so the 3A is first, or just continue tinkering with the timing. His struggles are the evidence that he's trying something different, which will make the day that he succeeds at it all the more rewarding.

vivley said:

But anyway, can't we all get along? It's time for some humor in here! Today I came across this cute and hilarious story by accident:

Pet Bird Adopts Store-Bought Egg That Actually Hatches

I couldn't believe it when I read this:



Hmmm... Do you think this Japanese YouTuber is a figure skating fan? :rofl2:

Click to expand...

That is so cute! Thanks for bringing some lightheartedness back into the thread!

qwertyskates said:

I have a sincere request for everyone here, can we all be more welcoming of Yuzuru's and other skaters' fans? As long as they post in a thoughtful, respectful manner, I love to hear what they say, and of course we can post a different opinion in answer, but if we pride ourselves as being more open, more mature, etc., we shouldn't be so personal on here.

In fact, I *love* Yuzuru's jumps, but not so much his SS and choreography, found them weaker than Patrick's and I guess "mass-oriented". An opinion like this will get me killed in Hanyu's threads by his rabid fans. Even he acknowledged that he needs to improve his step sequence, unfortunately, his fan base took it as a joke... to them he doesn't have to improve anything! Whereas to me, I care too much about SS to consider it unimportant as long as he keeps raking up the big scores. However, if he meant it sincerely and not facetiously, that to me is a sign of a champion's mind, working hard towards winning over Patrick's fans, working towards 2018.

Now will Patrick work harder to expand his audience? His fans are always there for him, will he try to reach the hearts and minds of others? I would love to see Patrick evolve to win over everyone, not just his admirers here. :agree:

Click to expand...

I hope both Yuzu and Patrick will continue to improve so the quality of competition will continue to rise. I am sure we will be treated to some more great skating as time goes on. I also hope Patrick's audience continues to expand.

blueberryhill said:

If he only knew that he is not alone - as evidenced by the support he has in this thread. That's why we're here - to support Patrick.

In addition to Kipling's "If" I've always wanted to give Patrick these words with the hope that they might resonate with him:

"There's no joyous light at the end of the tunnel,
If going through the tunnel isn't fun."

I really think joy is the key to Patrick's success. If he loves what he is doing he will succeed no matter the odds.

Since Patrick is the thing that binds us, I am wishing all of Patrick's fans on this thread JOY... and love ... and peace.
Happy Holidays!

Click to expand...

:2thumbs: Thank you for these words. I love the quote you shared about no joyous light at the end of the tunnel if the tunnel isn't fun. I'd never thought of that before but it rings true. I agree that joy is the key to Patrick's success, because having joy will let him find success in the little everyday things, not just the big things. Joy, love, peace, and Happy Holidays to you as well!

Violet Bliss said:

Many of us here have expressed that fandom is not exclusionary and one can be a fan of as many skaters as one so pleases. This is the attitude that has been maintained here.

I posted in Takahashi's and Hanyu's threads and was greeted with hostility and ridicules because I was a known Patrick fan. IIRC it was mainly some particularly unpleasant (IMO) posters in the GS who ostracized me and they have since then been banned for whatever reason. I stopped going to these fan threads but I make certain that all Patrick fans are welcomed here, regardless of who else they like or even prefer.

As usual, I admire all elite skaters for their talents and hard work and try to be observational rather than judgmental in my comments, in any thread, even if sometimes people project their personal feelings and values into my words. I am particularly interested in the mindsets of the top skaters and sometimes do comparisons, even as part of speculating a competition results. The mindsets do vary and change so some of these comparisons are timely exercises though some of their mindsets are ingrained and are major factors in their overall careers. I have experienced misinterpretations of my opinions, some of which were validated by later interviews or results. Of course many are interested in comparisons of skills, layouts, choreographies, etc. I hope people here would keep being sensitive and open minded and not to judge and react quickly in these discussions.

Thank you for being so considerate. I don't actually try very hard but only go by my principles as I do in all aspects of my life. And I know you are not bashing anybody.

I have not gone to the Chan vs Hanyu thread since the GPF because I knew it would likely get rather unpleasant and I value my time and energy which I try to invest wisely. Hey, I stay in my violet bliss. I notice the thread is now locked so I was probably right about it. I therefore feel maybe extra consideration is needed so as not to bring that thread into this one. Here, we celebrate and support Patrick Chan, skater extraordinaire.

eta. There is a difference between comparing two skaters and debating one vs another. Let's discuss how skaters differ in various ways but, especially in this thread, not one against another.

Click to expand...

THANK YOU for this AWESOME post, as usual! We can always count on VB to write things that will calm us down in this thread! :yes:

Violet Bliss said:

skatingfan4ever I'm a fan of your positivity as you don't just talk but walk your walk in real life.

Looking for the rainbows

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Oh, wow, thank you so much for the lovely compliment! I believe that you too walk the walk. That is always evident in what you post here!

blueberryhill said:

In addition to Kipling's "If" I've always wanted to give Patrick these words with the hope that they might resonate with him:

"There's no joyous light at the end of the tunnel,
If going through the tunnel isn't fun."

Click to expand...

An observation of my own: If you see only dark shadows, it's because you have your back against the light and going away from it. Turn around and you will face and see the light.

unico said:

I don't see why we can't all just focus on the positives of Patrick's comeback--it's an extremely volatile and changed landscape with quads up the wazoo, but the purity of his skating still shines through as a role model for even his direct rivals. No commentator does not acknowledge this. He's still easing back into training, from what I remember his schedule is more relaxed: he doesn't beat himself up over bad sessions and then push himself too hard and over-train. What matters is he is still young, he's healthy, and he's uninjured, but even more mature than ever and perhaps humbled by his experience at the GPF. He is by all accounts the chaser now, and that's when Patrick is most dangerous. :yes: He's found remarkable consistency with his LP (my favourite rendition is still from Japan Open 2014--for me the most glorious men's LP performance from that entire season with the rapturous standing ovation from the Japanese audience as if to say, "holy smokes, this is what we're going to be missing this season?!", plus Patrick's happy disbelief like "oh my god, did I just do that?!"), and while the SP is a problem, it probably only needs a bit of a technical tweak--perhaps switch the 4T+3T and the 3A around so the 3A is first, or just continue tinkering with the timing. His struggles are the evidence that he's trying something different, which will make the day that he succeeds at it all the more rewarding.

Click to expand...

:agree: with all of this. And thanks for the reminder about 2014 JO! That really was a special skate. He skated so freely there, with such joy. It was also special because, up to that point, he had never skated very well at JO. I didn't know what to expect, and he blew me away! And yes, the audience reaction was wonderful and Patrick's happy disbelief made me smile. It's as if he went there with no expectations and surprised himself by skating so well.

4everchan, skatingfan4ever, and m0001, glad you enjoyed my birdy post, which reminded me of this tweet by Patrick 6 months ago. :luv17:

qwertyskates said:

I have a sincere request for everyone here, can we all be more welcoming of Yuzuru's and other skaters' fans? As long as they post in a thoughtful, respectful manner, I love to hear what they say, and of course we can post a different opinion in answer, but if we pride ourselves as being more open, more mature, etc., we shouldn't be so personal on here.

Click to expand...

Of course! I expect it to be two-way street as well. And for the fans who like Patrick and other skaters, I hope you do come here often to post your support for Patrick, too!

Also, not that anyone here dislikes Patrick or is a troll, but the fan fest guidelines also state that "Nor should folks who do not like a skater go to that skater's Fan Fest to troll or to "police" the fans there."

qwertyskates said:

We've got to understand what makes a Gold medal program for today, and Patrick is so old school in that he believes in high level and difficult execution in between his elements, steps that I believe audiences don't see and they didn't go "wow"... It's a new reality we have to face.

Click to expand...

In my humble opinion, we had a very good discussion on this thread about what Patrick needs to do to remain competitive in this sport without disparaging his competitors. Now that Patrick is almost a quarter of a century old and considered the "old school", he needs to adapt his strategy to win. But as I said before if he has other goals, then he should remain steadfast to those goals, as long as he doesn't mind "lagging behind" his competitors who are doing the moves to get higher points. In that case, I will be really impressed if he shows he has the resolute will to remain true to what he's doing despite being placed 3rd or lower in competition unless the others make big mistakes.

m0001 said:

I am a fan of Patrick, and also a fan of you, Violet Bliss, Vivley, 4everchan, Blueberryhill, quertyskates, and several new comers whose user names I don't remember immediately. Thanks for sharing your comments and knowledge with other fans here!

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Aw, thanks! I like your posts as well!

m0001 said:

Since this is a thread on discussions about Patrick, I would like to read comments/news more focused on Patrick.

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You got it! I came across this today. Look at that photo of Patrick at the gym!

http://www.figureskaterfitnessmag.com/blog_inner.php?id=2

And here is the Facebook page with the cover to the magazine!

https://www.facebook.com/6125126688...2512668889685/663949790412639/?type=3&theater

Violet Bliss, notice the tagline they have on the cover under Patrick's name!

Peace!

vivley said:

I may be wrong, but I suspect that most of us on this thread don't go over to the Yuzuru fan thread and respond whenever comparisons to Patrick are brought up or he is mentioned there - I know I don't. However, your constructive comments about Patrick's skating are welcome.

Click to expand...

blueberryhill said:

MY SECOND NOTE TO SELF: It is unwise to express your thoughts fully in this thread because "others" are watching.

Click to expand...

I think both of you are misunderstanding something. I, and I think not only I, am not someone who just comes over to Patrick's thread from Yuzuru's thread when Yuzuru is mentioned, nor am I one of the "others". As I already explained, I love Patrick just as much as I love Yuzuru, and actually I was Patrick's fan first. I read both fan threads regularly (among many other threads, as I am not one of those people who are just fans of one or two, three skaters, and not interested in much else - I am a fan of figure skating and competitions as a whole). I don't visit Yuzuru's fan thread more frequently than I do this thread. The fact that I have not been gushing about Patrick or even posting here at all before does not mean that I don't love his skating, or that I am more of a Yuzuru fan, since I have not been posting in Yuzuru's thread either. I am that strange type of a poster who spends much more time reading posts/discussions by others than posting myself, and when I do post, it is usually in response to someone else's post, most often exactly to defend one skater or another - no matter in which thread that is.

As for Yuzuru's thread, I have not read all of it, as it's so, so many pages, but in the parts that I have read I have not encountered many comparisons to Patrick or mentions of him, if at all. At least not recently. I guess that's because Yuzuru is winning now. That is (probably, the sad - or not) truth. Fans of the winner are mostly not that interested in his remote/supposed rivals as long as they don't do anything that could potentially bring them closer to the skater whose fans they are. It's very different for the fans of skaters who are not winning and who could be winning if they did this or that and/or if the winning rival was evaluated differently on some things.

qwertyskates said:

IMO, spread eagles before/after jumps aren't all that difficult if you're a very good jumper and you are in control of the jumps' landings and take offs. An opinion like this will get me killed on Hanyu's threads, but to me, this is true. I bet Javier and Patrick can do this on their easier jumps. However, aesthetically, it fits the music, and won over the audience, so it's a great choreography move. It generated a lot of buzz too, a created a new term, the "sandwich", so in that it is successful.

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I am sorry that I still have to write about this, but I feel like I have to respond. But the point is not how difficult (or not difficult) those transitions together with jumps/other elements are for Yuzuru, the point is, it is apparently something that many others can't do, for otherwise they would be doing it (you said it yourself - probably Javier and Patrick can do it on their easier jumps, but Patrick is not doing even that, whereas Yuzuru can do it on the more difficult jumps). So, Yuzuru is not rewarded for how difficult it is for him, he is rewarded because he can do and does that (together with clean jumps), while many others can't. Indicating that he should not be rewarded for those transitions so highly because they are not that difficult for him means also indicating that other skaters should not be rewarded so highly for things that come easier to them (like, good spinners should not get such high GOE for their spins, because, after all, spinning very well is not that difficult for them), no matter that very likely years of hard work went into achieving that ease where doing the particular element/thing is not that difficult for them anymore, and no matter that many (or even most) others can't do that. That is what seems belittling and unappreciative of what Yuzuru (and not only he) is doing.

We've got to understand what makes a Gold medal program for today, and Patrick is so old school in that he believes in high level and difficult execution in between his elements, steps that I believe are beyond Hanyu at his current level now, sadly, audiences don't see them and they didn't go "wow" the way they did over hydroblade, cantilevers and spread eagles. It's a new reality we have to face.

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I am not one of those people who can't and don't appreciate what Patrick is doing. His skating skills/steps and movements are certainly more "wow" to me than Yuzuru's hydroblading, spread eagles and ina bauer on their own.

As for cantilevers, seems that I had to defend also Shoma here, as the cantilever comment is so obviously directed towards him. He too is doing quite many things that are more difficult and wonderful than this one cantilever. He also seems more "artistically" inclined than Yuzuru and more talented in that than Yuzuru originally was.

I wanted to ask out of curiosity to everyone here. Do you think that Patrick will go to 4 CC or will he focus more on Worlds? And TCC? I think he's got the best chance of winning the fan vote spot so I was wondering what you thought.