Figure Skating Successors

iceberg · Feb 24, 2015

Okay idk what its called, and I know that skating legends should have nobody to be compared with and that they are the ones and onlys. But sometimes there are just really skaters who have that very same breed like the legends in figure skating. And feels like they have carried the same rare qualities that they had in their careers.

For example,

Kristi Yamaguchi = I see Mao Asada in her and vice versa. They both have that very same pristine elegance in their skating. And very artistic movements and exemplary dancing. The feeling is so amazing just the resemblance of the qualities of their skating, its giving me goosebumps.

Who and who else do you think fits in this category?

anyanka · Feb 24, 2015

Michelle Kwan + Yuna Kim. They both have that fine balance between technicality and sheer artistry, and fans have long spoken of their artistry. They also have similar physiques and a light touch in their performances, so the continuity is uncanny.

I agree with you on Kristi and Mao, but I also see Mao as a successor to Midori Ito. They are both high-flying, powerful jumpers who had sheer risk, nerve and determination. And for those who thought Midori was not an artist (basically all international judging panels from 1988-1992), I always point to her 1990 worlds FS to Scheherazade as a counter-argument.

Although they competed at the same time - one was heading towards the end of her career and the other was just breaking through to the senior ranks - Shizuka Arakawa and Carolina Kostner, for dramatic flair and theatricality.

Finally: draw a line from Plushy to Yuzu. That Bielmann alone!

iceberg · Feb 24, 2015

^ I actually thought Kristi is a combination of Midori Ito and Mao Asada.

It gave me goosebumps how both BESP and CBC commentators compared Joshua Farris LP to the greatest and the finest MALE figure skater of all time, the magnificent John Curry. And I could not agree more. I wish Joshua could redefine this sport back again to beauty and artistry as supposed to just quads and base values. We need more skaters like Curry and Farris nowadays.

dorispulaski · Feb 24, 2015

I thought they were smoking something myself when they said that. Joshua is a very good skater, but John Curry, he isn't, IMO. He does have a terrific triple axel and one very interesting spin.

karne · Feb 24, 2015

I refuse to join in this comparison.

I have seen how the tag of being "the next XYZ" can hurt a skater. How a skater can be crushed and destroyed under the pressure. How a skater can be mentally driven to the brink of ruin, all because that damn "next Plushenko" tag would never, ever leave him alone...

Why can't we celebrate the skaters for who they are, rather than always having to compare them to the shadows of the past?

gotoschool · Feb 24, 2015

I don't really see anything wrong with comparing great skaters who have already established themselves or who have retired, though I do think comparisons made before a skater has established themselves can be detrimental to the success and individuality of the young skater.

I do agree iceberg that I see a lot of similarity between Mao and Kristi in their elegance, wonderfully musical dance steps, beautifully long drawn out extensions, fine lines, fluid movement, erect posture, refined artistry and high degree of aesthetic pleasure I derive from their performances.

But, I agree with anyanka that I also see Mao as a successor of Midori because of the triple axel heritage alone and the going for broke quest for the perfect technical performance: Midori's 1989 and 1990 LPs with 7 triples including the triple axel and triple lutz LP almost certainly were a great influence in Mao's decision to go for and succeed so dramatically in delivering an 8 triple LP at Sochi, not to mention the 3 triple axels in Vancouver probably being inspired from Midori's down to the wire triple axel after a fall on the first in the 1992 LP at the Olympics. They are also from the same hometown and Mao said one of the main reasons she does the triple axel is out of respect for Midori, her childhood heroine, as recently as the press conference after Sochi.

That said Kristi did have the triple lutz / triple toe in the Olympics, which helped her win combined with her fine artistry.

I also find all of them, including Kristi, to be emotionally compelling, though Mao hits me the hardest.

jcoates · Feb 24, 2015

dorispulaski said:
I thought they were smoking something myself when they said that. Joshua is a very good skater, but John Curry, he isn't, IMO. He does have a terrific triple axel and one very interesting spin.

^^
This.

I don't think it's ever good to call a later skater the next anyone. I find it diminishes both parties in the comparison. John Curry wasn't even John Curry right away. He took time to develop and refine his technique (especially his jumps), his vision and his style into the cohesive package many of us admire now. Joshua is just starting to come into his own. I just hope he becomes the best version of himself he can be as he blazes his own trail.

Eeyora · Feb 25, 2015

Irina Slutskaya= Liza Tuktamysheva
Sasha Cohen= Julia Lipnitskaya
Nancy Kerrigan= Gracie Gold (I know it's an odd one. The consistency problems are similar. The arm movements. Although Gracie doesn't have aerobic sequences)
Maria Butyrskaya= Anna Pogorilaya

Ophelia · Feb 25, 2015

I don't see Kim being an successor of Kwan. Kwans style was much more expressive, and watching the two skate together is like watching two dissimilar skaters.

Don't think Asada is like Ito aesthetically. Only on the triple axel part are the two alike.

Csziny and Cohen are more alike than Lipniskaia and Cohen.

TontoK · Feb 25, 2015

jcoates said:
^^
This.

I don't think it's ever good to call a later skater the next anyone. I find it diminishes both parties in the comparison. John Curry wasn't even John Curry right away. He took time to develop and refine his technique (especially his jumps), his vision and his style into the cohesive package many of us admire now. Joshua is just starting to come into his own. I just hope he becomes the best version of himself he can be as he blazes his own trail.

John Curry, who I absolutely agree was the greatest figure skater of all time, really was THE John Curry (at least competitively) for just 1976. One year. He had not won a major international event ever. Then, Euros, Olympics, Worlds... all in 1976.

They do share an important quality, however. Their jumps are somehow melded into the choreography such that they're not obvious.

When the Brits mentioned that SL had 8 triples and a quad, I thought, "When?" I had to rewatch the program to make sure.

The jumps weren't what made the program amazing, but they were there.

Ravyn Rant · Feb 25, 2015

It's natural to want to compare the current crop of skaters with those who've gone before. The first example that came to my mind from this season is Mura. I've been saying for months that he's like the missing link between Takeshi Honda and Daisuke Takahashi.

iceberg · Feb 25, 2015

TontoK said:
John Curry, who I absolutely agree was the greatest figure skater of all time, really was THE John Curry (at least competitively) for just 1976. One year. He had not won a major international event ever. Then, Euros, Olympics, Worlds... all in 1976.

They do share an important quality, however. Their jumps are somehow melded into the choreography such that they're not obvious.

When the Brits mentioned that SL had 8 triples and a quad, I thought, "When?" I had to rewatch the program to make sure.

The jumps weren't what made the program amazing, but they were there.

Very very well said. Totally the same feels. :bow:

iceberg · Feb 25, 2015

gotoschool said:
I don't really see anything wrong with comparing great skaters who have already established themselves or who have retired, though I do think comparisons made before a skater has established themselves can be detrimental to the success and individuality of the young skater.

I do agree iceberg that I see a lot of similarity between Mao and Kristi in their elegance, wonderfully musical dance steps, beautifully long drawn out extensions, fine lines, fluid movement, erect posture, refined artistry and high degree of aesthetic pleasure I derive from their performances.

But, I agree with anyanka that I also see Mao as a successor of Midori because of the triple axel heritage alone and the going for broke quest for the perfect technical performance: Midori's 1989 and 1990 LPs with 7 triples including the triple axel and triple lutz LP almost certainly were a great influence in Mao's decision to go for and succeed so dramatically in delivering an 8 triple LP at Sochi, not to mention the 3 triple axels in Vancouver probably being inspired from Midori's down to the wire triple axel after a fall on the first in the 1992 LP at the Olympics. They are also from the same hometown and Mao said one of the main reasons she does the triple axel is out of respect for Midori, her childhood heroine, as recently as the press conference after Sochi.

That said Kristi did have the triple lutz / triple toe in the Olympics, which helped her win combined with her fine artistry.

I also find all of them, including Kristi, to be emotionally compelling, though Mao hits me the hardest.

Thanks so much for sharing Kristi gotoschool! she is lovely!

Sabrina · Feb 25, 2015

I agree there is a similarity between Julia Lipniskaia and Saha Cohen. They have similar body types and mobility, only Julia looks more serious, shy...while Sasha was more open, and had a better eye contact with the public. Both are amazing.
I would't compare John Curry to nowadays skaters. He was awesome, but had he lived in this era, we don't know how well he would have been. Steps, jumps, all are different.

Imagine · Feb 25, 2015

For me, Yulia recalls Sasha but it's just a fleeting resemblance (mostly in flexibility). I also feel like Hongo Rika is a still unrefined version of Shizuka (who was very awkward as a youngster). The resemblance in jumps, landings, and spins is uncanny. Hopefully she will inherit the artistry someday as well.

TontoK · Feb 25, 2015

Sabrina said:
I agree there is a similarity between Julia Lipniskaia and Saha Cohen. They have similar body types and mobility, only Julia looks more serious, shy...while Sasha was more open, and had a better eye contact with the public. Both are amazing.
I would't compare John Curry to nowadays skaters. He was awesome, but had he lived in this era, we don't know how well he would have been. Steps, jumps, all are different.

The reverse is also true, you know. We don't know how good Hanyu or Ten or Fernadez would have been back in the day. If Hanyu were instantly, right this second, transported to 1976 and the Olympic Games with all his current skills in tact, I bet he wouldn't have medaled.

You know why? Because he hasn't trained an aspect of the sport that was highly prized and heavily weighted back in the day... figures. How important were figures? Toller Cranston won the SP and finished 2nd in the FP at the 1976 Olympics... and he barely won the bronze medal.

About all we can do when subjectively evaluating greatness is observe the long-term and historical impact of skaters. I also wouldn't compare John Curry to nowadays skaters... it would be an insult to him. These guys haven't proven themselves as truly great, at least yet. Will they be spoken of in reverence by knowledgeable figure skating historians 40 years after the fact, like John Curry is? Time will tell. But I doubt it.

iceberg · Feb 26, 2015

TontoK said:
The reverse is also true, you know. We don't know how good Hanyu or Ten or Fernadez would have been back in the day. If Hanyu were instantly, right this second, transported to 1976 and the Olympic Games with all his current skills in tact, I bet he wouldn't have medaled.

You know why? Because he hasn't trained an aspect of the sport that was highly prized and heavily weighted back in the day... figures. How important were figures? Toller Cranston won the SP and finished 2nd in the FP at the 1976 Olympics... and he barely won the bronze medal.

About all we can do when subjectively evaluating greatness is observe the long-term and historical impact of skaters. I also wouldn't compare John Curry to nowadays skaters... it would be an insult to him. These guys haven't proven themselves as truly great, at least yet. Will they be spoken of in reverence by knowledgeable figure skating historians 40 years after the fact, like John Curry is? Time will tell. But I doubt it.

Nowadays program components just mirror TCS that whoever lands the jumps automatically gets good PCS. The main reason why I gave up watching or following this sport's competition. Because now its just all about the numbers and goe. But otherwise, you nailed everything right.

Figure Skating Successors

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anyanka

iceberg

dorispulaski

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karne

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Eeyora

Ophelia

TontoK

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Ravyn Rant

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iceberg

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Sabrina

Imagine

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