- Joined
- Oct 23, 2011
In your memory for any reason. The ladies Oly gold thread inspired me to think backwards about performances that just are indelible or as some of us get older and memory fades what will you remember as a great performance or even a bad one?
Ladies short programs. The best of Sochi was Caro Kostner skating to Ave Maria. I refer to the comments of Brian Orser and Kurt both ringside for those skates.
Also from Sochi Send in the Clowns by Yuna Kim. The yellow mustard dress I hated but the performance was mature introspective grown up Yuna. Her best Sp I think despite her Bond girl showing how sexy they could train her to be.
From that Olympics comes the skating of Julia who will never be forgot in the red dress. She was a very special 15 year old performer. from sheer guts and perfection came the gutsy I will show you lay it all down LP from Mao Asada. Hard not to cry after the Sp took her out of her last run at Olympic gold but she was perfect. That is how I will remember this beautiful,elegan, exquisite little Mao Asada.
The most heartbraking skate I ever saw was Katia in 1996. In the Tribute to Sergei. Her bony frame the dress and the hug from Daria. It was almost too personal to watch. Years later Joanie Rochette who I felt opened the doors for Canadian ladies back on the big Podiums gave the bravest competitive skate I ever saw. Both skates were imperfect but incredible. The world skated every move with her.
From the 2006 Olympics Sasha Cohen's Sp was so amazing she was in first. So much more memorable than Arakawas safe and lackluster LP. I don't even recall her Sp. Disappointed she didn't do 3 triples in a row to make history when she was practicing them with ease.
Nancy Kerrigan for me had this serious and ethereal grace in both programs at her Olympics. She was robbed in 94. The Dress alone was worth a 6.0. her dresses presentation and the Irish classical beauty always made me look. And who can forget Tonya is the tackiest outfits just to annoy people. Ugh.
As for the other Oly champs of the USA Peggy Dorothy and Kristi blossomed in their pro careers. I recall Peggy skating 25 years after Gold and she was to die for. Another skate was tribute to Carlo Fassi her former coach. She was the epitome of ladies skating in the golden era of 6.0 and the beauty we expected. Watching Dorothy spin as her hair spun out was fun. So pretty and her stroking was perfect with the amazing back posture we do not see anymore since Sasha quit.
The men who thrilled me initially were North American. Brian Boitano just barely winning Calgary as Orser skated those fast triple axels. Scott I recall in his little track suit but I enjoyed his comical pieces even more. Steven Tyler seems to have written " walk this way" to let Scooter make us laugh. The happiest performances I recall for great American males were when The guys finally rose to conquer. 1996 San Jose Rudy Galindo in his nothing to lose LP that won him his US title changing his life finally. 1992 Paul Wylie was exciting and his nerves were controlled in Albertville. He was amazing. And then came a slew of professional skates where he was so perfect in every way. Maybe my favorite USA male of all time.
In the golden 90's I recall Petrenko as pro blowing the roof off with his MJ routine. Then the great Alexei Yagudin had an incredible Sp called Winter to win gold a decade after petrenko led the Russian Oly charge for men. Ilya skated young but I wil never forget his TaT inspired plastic giraffe jacket in Nagano. Tara was amazing and screamed like a banshee at her win with the triple loop combo making history but Lyra Angelica and the lovely young Kwan in the blue strapped velour dress was more memorable for me. Of all her lovely skates that was so pure and fresh. Her love of skating was so high then.
Pairs is all G and G hits and also Sale and Pelletier among some amazing pairs skates. I don't think Rodnina and Zaitsev had an equal for power and precision. They were jaw dropping. One always knew Russian pairs would be special.
Lake Placid broke our hearts when Tai and Randy lost their chance. Totally sad moment.
My favorite Ice dance moments provided by several teams beginning with the so unique Torvill and Dean. Riverdance by Bourne and Kraatz was stunningly exciting for me. Years later a young beautiful, Canadian pair would leave us spellbound as they skated to Mahler. For me they still define Ice dance though watching Davis and White blow the roof off with first Bollywood then Scheherazade.
For sheer tackiness I think the Russian couple who did then aboriginal parody that won a bronze was such bad skating and smacked of them being somehow owed a medal. Ugh! Memorable in the way Candeloro always was. There is so much and I wonder what skate will stay with you for a long long time?
Sorry fixed my shaky typing and auto fills. My little iPad isn't easy to hold and type!
Ladies short programs. The best of Sochi was Caro Kostner skating to Ave Maria. I refer to the comments of Brian Orser and Kurt both ringside for those skates.
Also from Sochi Send in the Clowns by Yuna Kim. The yellow mustard dress I hated but the performance was mature introspective grown up Yuna. Her best Sp I think despite her Bond girl showing how sexy they could train her to be.
From that Olympics comes the skating of Julia who will never be forgot in the red dress. She was a very special 15 year old performer. from sheer guts and perfection came the gutsy I will show you lay it all down LP from Mao Asada. Hard not to cry after the Sp took her out of her last run at Olympic gold but she was perfect. That is how I will remember this beautiful,elegan, exquisite little Mao Asada.
The most heartbraking skate I ever saw was Katia in 1996. In the Tribute to Sergei. Her bony frame the dress and the hug from Daria. It was almost too personal to watch. Years later Joanie Rochette who I felt opened the doors for Canadian ladies back on the big Podiums gave the bravest competitive skate I ever saw. Both skates were imperfect but incredible. The world skated every move with her.
From the 2006 Olympics Sasha Cohen's Sp was so amazing she was in first. So much more memorable than Arakawas safe and lackluster LP. I don't even recall her Sp. Disappointed she didn't do 3 triples in a row to make history when she was practicing them with ease.
Nancy Kerrigan for me had this serious and ethereal grace in both programs at her Olympics. She was robbed in 94. The Dress alone was worth a 6.0. her dresses presentation and the Irish classical beauty always made me look. And who can forget Tonya is the tackiest outfits just to annoy people. Ugh.
As for the other Oly champs of the USA Peggy Dorothy and Kristi blossomed in their pro careers. I recall Peggy skating 25 years after Gold and she was to die for. Another skate was tribute to Carlo Fassi her former coach. She was the epitome of ladies skating in the golden era of 6.0 and the beauty we expected. Watching Dorothy spin as her hair spun out was fun. So pretty and her stroking was perfect with the amazing back posture we do not see anymore since Sasha quit.
The men who thrilled me initially were North American. Brian Boitano just barely winning Calgary as Orser skated those fast triple axels. Scott I recall in his little track suit but I enjoyed his comical pieces even more. Steven Tyler seems to have written " walk this way" to let Scooter make us laugh. The happiest performances I recall for great American males were when The guys finally rose to conquer. 1996 San Jose Rudy Galindo in his nothing to lose LP that won him his US title changing his life finally. 1992 Paul Wylie was exciting and his nerves were controlled in Albertville. He was amazing. And then came a slew of professional skates where he was so perfect in every way. Maybe my favorite USA male of all time.
In the golden 90's I recall Petrenko as pro blowing the roof off with his MJ routine. Then the great Alexei Yagudin had an incredible Sp called Winter to win gold a decade after petrenko led the Russian Oly charge for men. Ilya skated young but I wil never forget his TaT inspired plastic giraffe jacket in Nagano. Tara was amazing and screamed like a banshee at her win with the triple loop combo making history but Lyra Angelica and the lovely young Kwan in the blue strapped velour dress was more memorable for me. Of all her lovely skates that was so pure and fresh. Her love of skating was so high then.
Pairs is all G and G hits and also Sale and Pelletier among some amazing pairs skates. I don't think Rodnina and Zaitsev had an equal for power and precision. They were jaw dropping. One always knew Russian pairs would be special.
Lake Placid broke our hearts when Tai and Randy lost their chance. Totally sad moment.
My favorite Ice dance moments provided by several teams beginning with the so unique Torvill and Dean. Riverdance by Bourne and Kraatz was stunningly exciting for me. Years later a young beautiful, Canadian pair would leave us spellbound as they skated to Mahler. For me they still define Ice dance though watching Davis and White blow the roof off with first Bollywood then Scheherazade.
For sheer tackiness I think the Russian couple who did then aboriginal parody that won a bronze was such bad skating and smacked of them being somehow owed a medal. Ugh! Memorable in the way Candeloro always was. There is so much and I wonder what skate will stay with you for a long long time?
Sorry fixed my shaky typing and auto fills. My little iPad isn't easy to hold and type!