Yuna Kim to Compete at Golden Spin of Zagreb, Croatia, Dec 5-8 | Page 6 | Golden Skate

Yuna Kim to Compete at Golden Spin of Zagreb, Croatia, Dec 5-8

samson

Medalist
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
^ Me too! I also really like this arrangement. My question is will she go the "clown route" (something that in my mind ONLY worked on Rudy) or will she head in a direction more in line with the actual context and meaning of the music.

I guess if she REALLY did that, we'd get a dress reflective of early 1900 Sweden - but I'll just settle for anything beautiful.
 

w_darling

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
This arrangement is beautiful; it's already making me feel nostalgic and it's not even the end of the season. More than anything, I'm so glad Yuna decided to make this comeback on what appear to be her own terms. As a Yuna fan, the 2011 WC was a bitter experience for me because it was so obvious how unhappy she was competing and that she really shouldn't have been there. If she had decided after that awful experience never to skate competitively again, I would have completely understood. This SP though feels like a true goodbye and I'm glad that we'll have this last opportunity to see her compete wholeheartedly.
 

age20

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 17, 2007
I love them both.

[Mao and Yuna have always been classy. The fans are a completely different story, depending.]
 

Becki

Medalist
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
I think YNK is an amazing skater with very admirable skills! However, I find the layout of her programs rather predictable. I am not sure if most elite skaters keep the same program layout every season, but she seems to have the same transitions in most of her programs, i.e. ina bauer going into a 2A.

Edit: I am not a figure skating expert by any means, but more than a casual viewer. This is intended to be a friendly question, because while other skaters might have the same strategy, I've only noticed YNK doing it.
 

Ambivalent

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
I think YNK is an amazing skater with very admirable skills! However, I find the layout of her programs rather predictable. I am not sure if most elite skaters keep the same program layout every season, but she seems to have the same transitions in most of her programs, i.e. ina bauer going into a 2A.

She does the spread eagle into her 2a in this SP. I do get what you mean by predictable layouts though. For me it doesn't take away from the program. For others it might.
 

Ambivalent

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
Yes, it's small for Yuna. In her interview with Korean media, Yuna said that she couldn't do 3toe because the link was small, and after several attempts she nailed it. :laugh:
She also said that she would change some lines, steps and chreography because of it.

She's too fast for the rink. :laugh: I hope it doesn't make her lose concentration though.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
She seems to have the same transitions in most of her programs, i.e. ina bauer going into a 2A.

Actually, here she does a difficult duo of an outside spread eagle and then an inside spread eagle up into it, which I don't think I've seen from her. Really hard to maintain the speed, and that double axel was textbook. Also the choctaw transition out of it is quite lovely.

Great, subtly expressive program from her. I can't wait to see it all out with full transitions and expression.
 

smoothiw

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
I think YNK is an amazing skater with very admirable skills! However, I find the layout of her programs rather predictable. I am not sure if most elite skaters keep the same program layout every season, but she seems to have the same transitions in most of her programs, i.e. ina bauer going into a 2A.

Edit: I am not a figure skating expert by any means, but more than a casual viewer. This is intended to be a friendly question, because while other skaters might have the same strategy, I've only noticed YNK doing it.

"Ina bauer going into 2A" is not just the "same transition" category. It's really hard to achieve actually. Many skaters tried to do it, but failed. It's kind of 'symbol' of Yuna's transition skill. Laura Lepisto called it "Yuna's trademark" and Chris, the English-Euro caster said "It's almost impossible". Even Dick Button said "Oh, My..." when he watched it in Yuna's Tango de Roxanne when she was 16. Many people think Yuna's trademark is her monstrous 3-3 combo, but for me, her layback ina bauer-2a, spread eagle-2a-3t, sp-eagle or lb-ina bauer-2a-2t-2l (even lb-ina bauer-3s-2t, sp-eagle-2a-3t-2t in practice) are really her trademarks. I'd like to see this great skill more and more again :agree:
 

yyyskate

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2013
Actually, here she does a difficult duo of an outside spread eagle and then an inside spread eagle up into it, which I don't think I've seen from her. Really hard to maintain the speed, and that double axel was textbook. Also the choctaw transition out of it is quite lovely.

Great, subtly expressive program from her. I can't wait to see it all out with full transitions and expression.

Well said, I also noticed many new transitions in this SP. like the one you mentioned change edge spread eagle into 2A, also new steps in front of 3Flip, actually the transition from 3-3 to 3F is creative and difficult. Also, according to practice clips, Yuna's solo 2A in LP used a new transition into the jump. Because the size of the rink (a bit small), Yuna has to change some transitions etc. to accommodate her 3-3. I am wondering what will her transition leading to 3-3 will be if skated in a proper size rink.
 

Robeye

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Nice bits of analysis, CanadianSkaterGuy and smoothiw. :yes:

You're not alone. Eteri Tutberidze (Julia's coach) thinks Yuna's transitions are the bee's knees. :) (Wonder where that singular phrase comes from :laugh:)
 

vegarin

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 19, 2013
Also, there are only so many transitions you could do going in to jumps, right? Other than subtle changes that are not too noticeable to a layperson, that is. Ina Bauer and Spread Eagle are very difficult entrances, and Kim pretty much always nails one of the two, hits her jumps, and ends with beautiful choreos while sliding out of the jumps, so in total ends up with very high GOEs that others rarely get. I'm not sure what she could do to replace them with some other less difficult transitions just for the sake of novelty and still get the same GOEs.

But I did notice that her transitions this time look somewhat different, and choreo was just lovely. Thanks for pointing out the inside/outside edge, CanadianSkaterGuy. I'm intrigued. I will take a look at it more carefully next time.
 

spikydurian

Medalist
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
All the best to Yuna on her first skate back from injuries. I have no doubt it will be good . She has the goods and mental fortitude to do it. Can't wait to see her programs. Please post quicky.:)
 

babyalligator

On the Ice
Joined
May 18, 2009
Really am looking forward to seeing this in full performance mode. And to echo a previous poster, there's something almost kwan-like about this program. I'm liking it!
 

PftJump

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 28, 2008
She's so Lovely.
Her 2A transition is amazing.
Outside SP-eagle, Inside SP-eagle and Jump!
Look so easy for her but that's almost impossible!!
 

Robeye

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Based on what has been shown so far in Golden Spin practice, it looks like the various assortment of insider rumors were giving us the straight poop. I have never seen Yuna more self-assured or in such complete command of all of her powers. I actually see improvement from 2013, in many aspects, as difficult as that was to imagine following her spectacular performances at the London Worlds. And this at a self-described 80-90%.

Every year she seems to become even more serene, it's actually kind of unnerving as a fan. At some point, I half-expect Yuna to dissolve into mist and disperse to the four winds, like some kind of temporary preternatural phenomenon that we were lucky to witness.

(Sorry, now I'm beginning to sound like a Julia uber :laugh:)
 

thinspread

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
^^ She definitely looks poised and calm, almost to the point of projecting an air of detachment. It seems like she has reached some zen-like state :laugh:, beyond competition.

Someone pointed out that the opening pose of the new SP is almost identical to the closing pose of her Thais Meditation, the Vancouver gala program. Has anybody noticed that? I wonder if it's coincidenal or intended.
 

Krislite

Medalist
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
^The improvement should be expected since last season she was basically starting from scratch, whereas this season she's building off of her great form at Worlds.
 
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