What makes the greatest skaters just that? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

What makes the greatest skaters just that?

What makes the greatest skaters just that?

  • Excellent competitor--best under pressure and always "brings it"

    Votes: 15 15.6%
  • Equally brilliant technically and artistically--"the whole package"

    Votes: 43 44.8%
  • Consistency over an unusually long career

    Votes: 7 7.3%
  • Pushes the envelope technically--and, in doing so, pushes the sport forward

    Votes: 3 3.1%
  • Consummate artist, lyrical skater, though not necessarily a great jumper

    Votes: 13 13.5%
  • Communicates effectively with and moves audiences

    Votes: 11 11.5%
  • Other (please describe)

    Votes: 4 4.2%

  • Total voters
    96

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
I vote for Pushes the envelope technically--and, in doing so, pushes the sport forward. Reminded me of Alexei and that's why I voted for that one.

Dee
 

Labogh

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
I chose Equally brilliant technically and artistically -- "the whole package".

To me a skater can't be great even if she had the greatest jumps and spins if she didn't know how to interpret the music. A skater has to have a good technique but what separates the wheat from the chaff is the artistry. She has to know how to balance between those two.

A great skater knows how to touch the audience, she knows how to grab your attention, she makes skating look effortless, she has a good barriage, style and overall a good posture. Sasha Cohen is an example of a perfect posture. Tim Goebel on the other hand, as a good technique and a beautiful smile he has, doesn't, in my opinion, represent the best barriage. It's small things that count.

But, in fact, my conception of a good skater includes all of those options, you can't really separate one from another, it's the package.
 
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Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
It's not just talent that makes a great skater, but attitude and sportmanship. How he/she conducts themselves in public and with their fellow teammates as well as fellow competitors. Elvis Stojko is a great example of not only being a wonderful competitor, but one who shows great team spirit and is generous to his fans and is well respected in the skating world.
 

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
Ladskater said:
It's not just talent that makes a great skater, but attitude and sportmanship. How he/she conducts themselves in public and with their fellow teammates as well as fellow competitors. Elvis Stojko is a great example of not only being a wonderful competitor, but one who shows great team spirit and is generous to his fans and is well respected in the skating world.

Ladskater, ITA re: Elvis. All of these factors help explain why I'm such a "Todd" fan as well. :love:
 

Chrystia Mee

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
It's actually a combination of those things that make a skater appeal to me. Or sometimes just one. It depends on what you mean by great as well. I'm not the end all be all of what makes a great skater, but the skaters that appeal to me have a combination of excellent qualities. So I say a mix of 1,2, and 6

Choice 2/6 is extremely important for basics. Artistry is important and so are the technical skills. For me, a skater with no presentation skills is of very little interest to watch. That's why a combination of both is needed in my mind. You can have a stronger aspect. For example Midori Ito is considered a technical skater (which she was, shes a legend in jumping), but she did have presentation skills as well. So I do think a complete package is needed for a great skater. But there's more to it than that. Choice 1 appeals to me because personally I get tired of watching skaters fall over and over again. I used to love Sandhu, but after a while you get weary of watching him slide all over the place. Whereas even though I'm a die hard Michelle Kwan fan, I also really liked Tara Lipinski because she had nerves of steel. She always could pull it together. I don't think longevity is really what makes a great skater. Tara had a short career and yet I think if her hip had allowed her and she had chosen to stick around she would have been a dominating skater in the field.
 

ice_princess

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 25, 2004
I think it would be a combination of the 1st and 2nd options. I chose the excellent competitior though because nobody will know how great you are unless you do well in competitions :)
 
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