Create the Perfect Skater

Create the Perfect Skater

Yup, it's the off-season. My perfect skater would be a mix of the following:

charisma, showmanship of Yags
spins of Lambiel
athleticism of Tonya
edges of Yuka
footwork of Kurt
spread eagle, work ethic of Brian B.
ina bauer of Sasha
split falling leaf, spiral, style, grace, and heart of Michelle
... and more TBD

Not sure they'd all mesh well together, but it'd be fun to imagine.

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

Tharrtell, would your perfect skater be a man or women? I would imagine some of those things would be geared more to one or another. What do you think?

Dee

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

Good question. I'm thinking female because I'm female and I'm trying to put together how I'd skate (in my dreams) if I actually could - a blend of the qualities I admire about various skaters. However, for example, I can't actually imagine a mix of Yags and Michelle working. As much as I love them both, Yags charisma would take away from Michelle's style. Anyway, it's all hypothetical and pure fun.

Create the Perfect Skater

tharrtell,

Yes, all the things you mentioned plus:

the competitive, steel nerves of Katrina Witt

dizzy

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

add in sasha's laybacks, and i'd say you have it about right!

Kat

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

[c]<font size=4><font color="#4000FF">I suppose Brian Boitano's Sperm mixed with Lucinda Ruh's ovum would probably produce something that could jump and spin like no other human being.<font size=2>

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

tharrtell :

How about adding Brian Orsers' artistry?

Ladskater

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

The offspring of Browning and Kwan. Think about that!

Joe

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

Lad - I wish I was more familiar with Orser. I remember watching the Battle of the Brians and paying attention to Boitano because he's a local guy, but was too young to appreciate the real skating going on. I've only really seen Orser skate in some pro-ams over the last few years. I don't remember him in his prime. How about Ms. Magnussen, too? I wish I'd seen her, and Lynn, and Dorothy in her day, and on and on.

Joe - the offspring of Browning and Kwan - not only would those kids be able to skate like magic, I bet they'd be gorgeous!

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

Create the perfect skater? (In their prime...)

Midori Ito's axels
Oksana Baiul's lutzes
Irina Slutskaya's flips and loops
Somebody's salchows and toe loops - not sure who
Midori Ito's height, distance and power
Michelle Kwan's consistency

Michelle Kwan's carriage and smoothness
Yuka Sato's footwork (and Irina's one-foot sequence)
Tara Lipinski's attack
Sasha Cohen's fire

Oksana Baiul's flying camel, donut spin, and sideways leaning spin
Irina Slutskaya's double Biellmann and butterfly
Sasha Cohen's layback, and camel spin position
Nicole Bobek's sit spin
Fumie Suguri's scratch spin
Lucinda Ruh's speed and centering

Michelle Kwan's change-edge spiral
Irina Slutskaya's transitions, difficulty and edges
Sasha Cohen's posture, extension and flexibility

Tatiana Tarasova as a coach

What about that? There's probably more to add...

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

Deleted - wrong thread <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/embarassed.gif ALT="">

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

The perfect skater already exists....it's called Alexei Yagudin! But okay, if I had to "morph" someone else into him...let's give him Plush's Bielmann spin! Okay, done!

Kasey

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

Add good choreography - for me Christopher Dean.

I really long for a skater who is able to create his own (good!) choreography (cause I think it's easier to perform your own ideas)... When I see some skaters perform, perhaps I should say, add some choreography at all. ;-)

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

My perfect male skater (based on my knowledge of mainly modern skaters):

Tim Goebel's consistency
Cheing-jiang Li's quads
Todd Eldredge's speed on spins
Stephane Lambiel's positions on spins
Alexei Yagudin's intensity
Elvis Stojko's PR skills (he just always comes off as extremely friendly to me)
Kurt Browning's footwork and charisma
and the musicality of... someone extremely musical.

Re: Create the Perfect Skater

Great thread and great list, Tharrtell. Icenut, your list too is really precise! When I saw the title of this thread, I didn't have time to read it or reply, but my thinking was along different lines. Here's how I would create my perfect skater:

Female Singles:
--Ekaterina Gordeeva's body and strength of position.
--Michelle's jump technique and consistency, and her new-found style of footwork.
--Irina's edges, speed, and height on her jumps.
--Oksana Baiul's arms, upper body movement, musical interpretation, and connection with the audience, from '94-96, but without the alcohol and "neediness." Even though she flubbed in the Mother's Day show this spring, her energy was a lot less "love me, love me, love me" and I like that a lot.
--Sasha's line, flexibility, amplitude, precision, and extension.
--Lucinda Ruh's spins and charisma.
--Shizuka Arakawa's off-ice personality; she seems pleasant but also a little off-beat, ie, I love that she did the new wave version of "Swan Lake" and wore the "out-there" costume.
--Surya Bonaly's, as a pro, ability to have great fun while skating.
I could add more, but these are the basics.

Male Singles:
--Alexander Abt's body.
--Plushenko's jumping ability and self-confidence.
--Yagudin's overall style and ability to "move through" positions while still making sure the position is clearly seen. Yags's "liquidity" of movement.
--Ilia Kulik's speed, versatility, and kinesthetic genius, ie, the guy can move beautifually in virtually any style.
--Kurt Browning's footwork and total body connectedness and ability to use muscular isolation. When Kurt is on, no one in the world can touch him as far as coordinating his movement and skating from head to fingertip to hips to legs to blade.
--Stephane Lambiel's "modern" way of using his torso.
--Paul Wylie's line and desire and ability to work with a variety of choreographers. Also his ability to convey dramatic intensity.
--Ilia Klimkin's unique moves and confidence in his uniquness.
--Scott Hamilton's sense of humor in his skating.
--Rudi Galindo's perserverence and tenacity.

Pairs:
--Gordeeva and Grinkov's synchonicity, line, extension, their amazing speed and quietness of their edges, the classic Greek beauty of their bodies, and that indefiniable something that come through their skating I think as a result of their love for each other.
--Mishkutenok and Dmitriev's use of Natalia's flexibility and Artur's passion. Their innovative lifts, much of the credit for which goes to Tamara Moskvina.
--Berezhnaya and Sikharluridze's combined moves, ie, Anton in a spiral and Elena in an arched spread eagle leaning against Anton. The match of their beautiful extension and amplitude. Their beautiful quiet edging and posture.
--Shen and Zhao: This year and last, the perserverence, courage, and tenacity in how they climbed to a whole new level and ended up giving a transcendent performance at this year's worlds. Their relationship to each other on the ice. Xue's fearlessness. Hongbo's intensity.
--Brasseur and Eisler's sense of humor.

Ice Dancing:
--Torvill and Dean's classic edging; in their day, their push toward innovation; today, Dean's continued advancement of FS choreography. Great edges. Taking ice dancing to a new level.
--Grishuk and Platov's great speed and unison; great edges at that speed. Pasha's great ability at foot work and twizzles; Evegny's clean lines, long tall presence, and stabilizing energy. Taking ice dancing to a new level.
--Annissina and Peizerat: Their beautiful classic lines and the story programs they brought to ice dancing.
--Bourne and Kraatz for the athleticism they brought to ice dancing, as well as beautiful dancing.
--Usova and Zhulin for their balletic look.
--Rhakkomo and Kokko for their unique choreography.
--The couple who won 4th at 2002 Worlds (ARGH! I can't remember their names!) for their passion.

Coaches:
--Tamara Moskvina to the totality of her knowledge and willingness and ability to give so much of herself to her skaters. Of all the coaches in any discipline, she brings her skaters the furthest in the shortest time.
--Tatiana Tarasova for bringing the "heart" to a skater's performance.
--Frank Carroll's ability to teach great technique, especially on jumps and edging.
--Richard Callaghan seems to be good for training good to great spinning, as do the Scotvolds.

Of course all these elements would have to work together, lol.
Rgirl