Favorite skaters of everyone here
- Thread starter NCSk8Fan
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Thanks Brokenankle - It was Donald Jackson who landed the first triple lutz in competition and we have, I believe, a newreel(?) or a TV view(?) of him doing that. But not much else, and I believe he was a fine all round skater.
Joe
Joe
Joesitz said:
Interesting question Joe,
My "favorites" list was a combination of All Time favorites, so to speak, and some current skaters that I really enjoy watching skate right now.
I'm sure that some of the skaters would still be on my list 20 years from now. And, quite frankly, if I had to make an All Time favorite list, some skaters would not be on. (Even if I still enjoy their skating).
If you asked this question 20 years ago more people would probably say Rodnina & Zaitsev, Babilonia & Gardner, Scott Hamilton etc.
If you asked this question 20 years from now, who knows?
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2003
Eligible Ladies:
Michelle Kwan
Angela Nikodinov
Yukina Ota
Sasha Cohen
Fumie Suguri
Victoria Volchcova
Elena Liaschencko
Eligible Men:
Yevgeni Plushenko
Takeshi Honda
Johnny Weir
Eligible Dance:
Navka and Kostomorov
Grushina and Goncharov
Denkova and Staviynski
Eligible Pairs:
Shen and Shao
Professional Ladies:
Kristi Yamaguchi
Caryn Kadavy
Yuka Sato
Oksana Baiul
Katarina Witt
Professional Men:
Brian Boitano
Alexei Yagudin
Victor Petrenko
Professional Dance:
Annisina and Peizerat
Professional Pairs:
Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze
Brasseur and Eisler
Retired Skaters:
Torvill and Dean
Dick Button
Klimova and Ponomarenko
Pairs that Split up:
Miskutenok and Dmitriev
Urbanski and Marval
Gone but not forgotten:
Gordeeva and Grinkov
John Curry
Michelle Kwan
Angela Nikodinov
Yukina Ota
Sasha Cohen
Fumie Suguri
Victoria Volchcova
Elena Liaschencko
Eligible Men:
Yevgeni Plushenko
Takeshi Honda
Johnny Weir
Eligible Dance:
Navka and Kostomorov
Grushina and Goncharov
Denkova and Staviynski
Eligible Pairs:
Shen and Shao
Professional Ladies:
Kristi Yamaguchi
Caryn Kadavy
Yuka Sato
Oksana Baiul
Katarina Witt
Professional Men:
Brian Boitano
Alexei Yagudin
Victor Petrenko
Professional Dance:
Annisina and Peizerat
Professional Pairs:
Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze
Brasseur and Eisler
Retired Skaters:
Torvill and Dean
Dick Button
Klimova and Ponomarenko
Pairs that Split up:
Miskutenok and Dmitriev
Urbanski and Marval
Gone but not forgotten:
Gordeeva and Grinkov
John Curry
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Some of my favourites ...
Ladies - Sasha Cohen, for the fire and extension
- Michelle, for the artistry and consistency
- Yukina Ota, for her presentation and passion
- Fumie, for her grace
- Lu Chen, for her moving interpretation of choreography
- Oksana Baiul, for the magic
- Katia, for the feeling she puts into each movement
- Shizuka, for the power and interpretation
- Tara, for Tiny Dancer
- Jenny Kirk, for persevering and passion
- Dan Fang, for eavery delicate movement
- Debbi Thomas, Katerina Witt, Midori Ito for the inspiration to my childhood
MEN - Alexei, for the passion and presentation
- Plushenko, for the balletic grace and feather-light landings
- Sasha Abt, for the artsitry
- Elvis, for the power
- Brian Joubert, for the artistry and promise
- Stanick Jeannette, for individuality
- Ilia Kulik, for passion and flexibility
- Robin Cousins, Brian Orser, Brian Boitano, John Curry, Petrenko, Kurt Browning, for their inspiration to my childhood
PAIRS - G&G, for the ongoing inspiration for all my childhood dreams, for their passion, and grace, and ability
- B&S, for their grace and attention to detail
- Lloyd and Isobel, for those inspiring lifts and tricks
DANCE - T&D, for the magic, and thinking outside the box
- Grischuk and Platov, for their ability, grace, and presence
- Assinina & Piezerat, for their fire and grace
Ladies - Sasha Cohen, for the fire and extension
- Michelle, for the artistry and consistency
- Yukina Ota, for her presentation and passion
- Fumie, for her grace
- Lu Chen, for her moving interpretation of choreography
- Oksana Baiul, for the magic
- Katia, for the feeling she puts into each movement
- Shizuka, for the power and interpretation
- Tara, for Tiny Dancer
- Jenny Kirk, for persevering and passion
- Dan Fang, for eavery delicate movement
- Debbi Thomas, Katerina Witt, Midori Ito for the inspiration to my childhood
MEN - Alexei, for the passion and presentation
- Plushenko, for the balletic grace and feather-light landings
- Sasha Abt, for the artsitry
- Elvis, for the power
- Brian Joubert, for the artistry and promise
- Stanick Jeannette, for individuality
- Ilia Kulik, for passion and flexibility
- Robin Cousins, Brian Orser, Brian Boitano, John Curry, Petrenko, Kurt Browning, for their inspiration to my childhood
PAIRS - G&G, for the ongoing inspiration for all my childhood dreams, for their passion, and grace, and ability
- B&S, for their grace and attention to detail
- Lloyd and Isobel, for those inspiring lifts and tricks
DANCE - T&D, for the magic, and thinking outside the box
- Grischuk and Platov, for their ability, grace, and presence
- Assinina & Piezerat, for their fire and grace
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
Ladies
Sasha Cohen – She’s elegant and has phenomenal potential. She’s probably one of the most beautiful skaters to ever grace the ice. IMO.
Kristi Yamaguchi – The fire and attack to her skating and her ability to skate to anything. Her Olympic long was one of the best ever (even with the mistakes). She’ll always be the best in my eyes.
Tara Lipinski – If only all skaters could have the consistency and joy she had when skating. She was body of energy and I will never forget her Olympic short and long programs. Both were wonderful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any skater display that much joy while skating (especially in her short program).
Katarina Witt – She one of the few icons in the sport. I loved her Carmen in the 88’ Olympics.
Debbie Thomas – Her power and the fact that she spun my interest in figure skating.
Men
Ilia Kulik – Beautiful jumper
Plueshenko - He pushes the envelope. His command and confidence on the ice.
Pairs
Dmitrev & Mishkatunic – The fire and passion and flexibilty. Originality in their moves.
G&G – The beauty and elegance in their skating. I don’t think there will be any pair that comes close to their superiority for a while.
Dance
Anissina & Peizerant - Their programs where amazing. Loved their passion and fire. The chemistry/connection between them was extraordinary.
Grishuk & Platov – Their confidence and command on the ice. Their speed –WOW. Their ability to sell their programs. Wonderful presenters.
Torvill & Dean – Their originality. The maturity and technique.
Sasha Cohen – She’s elegant and has phenomenal potential. She’s probably one of the most beautiful skaters to ever grace the ice. IMO.
Kristi Yamaguchi – The fire and attack to her skating and her ability to skate to anything. Her Olympic long was one of the best ever (even with the mistakes). She’ll always be the best in my eyes.
Tara Lipinski – If only all skaters could have the consistency and joy she had when skating. She was body of energy and I will never forget her Olympic short and long programs. Both were wonderful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any skater display that much joy while skating (especially in her short program).
Katarina Witt – She one of the few icons in the sport. I loved her Carmen in the 88’ Olympics.
Debbie Thomas – Her power and the fact that she spun my interest in figure skating.
Men
Ilia Kulik – Beautiful jumper
Plueshenko - He pushes the envelope. His command and confidence on the ice.
Pairs
Dmitrev & Mishkatunic – The fire and passion and flexibilty. Originality in their moves.
G&G – The beauty and elegance in their skating. I don’t think there will be any pair that comes close to their superiority for a while.
Dance
Anissina & Peizerant - Their programs where amazing. Loved their passion and fire. The chemistry/connection between them was extraordinary.
Grishuk & Platov – Their confidence and command on the ice. Their speed –WOW. Their ability to sell their programs. Wonderful presenters.
Torvill & Dean – Their originality. The maturity and technique.
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2003
NCSk8Fan said:
I couldn't even begin to name all the skaters I like, my post
would be HUGE ! So here is a condensed list.
Ladies:
Michelle Kwan
Irina S.
Jenny Kirk
Fumie S.
AP
Men:
Alexei Yagudin
Plushy
Timothy G.
Andrei Griazev
Michael Weiss
Alexander Abt
Pairs:
Shen & Zhao
Ina & Zimmerman
Dance:
Lang & Tchernyshev
Lituanian team (can't spell their name)
Favorites
Ladies: Jenny Kirk, Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen and Elena Liashenko now, but I always loved Midori Ito and Tonya Harding (her jumps and spins).
Men: Brian Joubert, Kevin from Belgium, Ivan from Bulgaria (?) and all the nice looking, sexy guys (sexy to me, anyway) and cute guys (cute to me anyway) out there. I don't care if they skate well or not, but I always root for them to skate well. I just like to watch them
Pairs: I like the Russians from the last Olympics, but can never spell his name (same reason as above ) and I like Garret Lukash too, because he seems so strong and well built.
Dancing I never understand too well because I don't know the turns and tricks, but I like Peter Tchernachev and can neve spell his name right either.
Ladies: Jenny Kirk, Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen and Elena Liashenko now, but I always loved Midori Ito and Tonya Harding (her jumps and spins).
Men: Brian Joubert, Kevin from Belgium, Ivan from Bulgaria (?) and all the nice looking, sexy guys (sexy to me, anyway) and cute guys (cute to me anyway) out there. I don't care if they skate well or not, but I always root for them to skate well. I just like to watch them
Pairs: I like the Russians from the last Olympics, but can never spell his name (same reason as above
) and I like Garret Lukash too, because he seems so strong and well built.Dancing I never understand too well because I don't know the turns and tricks, but I like Peter Tchernachev and can neve spell his name right either.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
You mean
Kevin van der Perren
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/kuro/satokon/02world/mkevin.JPG
Ivan Dinev
http://yasuko.ream.aisnet.jp/big_jump/photo/03ewed_3.jpg
Anton Sikharulidze
http://www.clarkshadows.com/09russians.jpg
and Peter Tchernyshev.
http://www.figureskatersonline.com/lang-tchernyshev/graphics/naomipeter_004.jpg
MM
Kevin van der Perren
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/kuro/satokon/02world/mkevin.JPG
Ivan Dinev
http://yasuko.ream.aisnet.jp/big_jump/photo/03ewed_3.jpg
Anton Sikharulidze
http://www.clarkshadows.com/09russians.jpg
and Peter Tchernyshev.
http://www.figureskatersonline.com/lang-tchernyshev/graphics/naomipeter_004.jpg
MM
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2003
Here are my faves:
Pairs:
Berezhnaya-Sikharulidze, Gordeeva-Grinkov, Mishkutenok-Dmitriev, Bechke-Petrov, Kazakova-Dmitriev, Shishkova-Naumov
Ladies:
Michelle Kwan, Yuka Sato, Kristi Yamaguchi, Midori Ito, Yukina Ota, Angela Nikodinov, Irina Slutskaya
Men:
Plushenko, Yagudin, Kulik, Wylie, Boitano, Sandhu, Abt, Honda
Ice dance:
Belbin-Agosto, Klimova-Ponomarenko, Usova-Zhulin, Grishchuk-Platov, Krylova-Ovssianikov, Annenko-Sretenski
Pairs:
Berezhnaya-Sikharulidze, Gordeeva-Grinkov, Mishkutenok-Dmitriev, Bechke-Petrov, Kazakova-Dmitriev, Shishkova-Naumov
Ladies:
Michelle Kwan, Yuka Sato, Kristi Yamaguchi, Midori Ito, Yukina Ota, Angela Nikodinov, Irina Slutskaya
Men:
Plushenko, Yagudin, Kulik, Wylie, Boitano, Sandhu, Abt, Honda
Ice dance:
Belbin-Agosto, Klimova-Ponomarenko, Usova-Zhulin, Grishchuk-Platov, Krylova-Ovssianikov, Annenko-Sretenski
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2003
Well, my number one favorite skater in the entire world is and always will be Michelle Kwan. I won't try to state all the reasons why, but I think the thing that captivates me most about her is her movement on the ice and also her grace and class. Her movement just takes me into another world. Most skaters skate to the music (and do it very well); Michelle skates with the music, as if it was playing her. Her skating touches me on a very deep emtional level like few other things do.
I just love skating in general so you would probably be better off asking me which skaters I DIDN'T like - you'd get a shorter list . I will just try to list the highlights...
Ladies
Next to Michelle, the ladies skater I probably enjoy watching the most right now is Sasha. I also adore Jenny. The ladies is probably the field where I have the fewest skaters I dislike; I love almost all of them. Another up-and-comer I'm really excited about right now is Yukina Ota. I'm also an admirer of Yuka Sato, and I've learned to enjoy Tara's skating, as well. I've learned over the years to appreciate the many different aspects of skating, but I am drawn most to ladies with power, grace, musicality, and originality.
Men
Probably my favorite eligible men's skater right now is Johnny Wier, and he has been since I saw him skate live at Champions on Ice in 2002. (He's from my area, so he was invited to skate at the local tour stop.) Probably my favorite men's skater of all time is Alexei. (I'm relatively new to skating fandom - I've been a fan for about ten years - so I missed a lot of the greats like Boitano and Browning during their amateur careers.) I am also a fan of Tim Goebel, though more for his personality than his skating. At Nationals this year, I was really impressed by Ryan Jahnke and thought he was grossly undermarked.
Pairs
Again, I missed G&G in their heyday, but I loved to watch them during the short time I saw them. I've watched their 1994 Olympic LP too many times to count. I adore both B&S and S&P; can't really pick between them because I love different things about each of them. Although I will say that S&P came the closest of any skaters ever to touching me the way Michelle does, with their Love Story LP at the 2001/2002 GPF. Currently, I am huge fans of Shen and Zhao. I can hardly believe how much they have improved over the past couple seasons. IMO, their Nutcracker LP this year is a masterpiece!
Dance
I have to admit that I always enjoyed Grischuk and Platov (*ducks for cover*). I often enjoyed watching A&P and K&O when they were skating eligibly. Other teams I've enjoyed over the years include Liz and Jerod and Naomi and Peter. And I was a huge Silverstein and Pecharik fan; I'm still heartbroken they split. But my current favorite dance team is Belbin and Agosto. I love their joy, their energy, their enthusiasm, their originality, and their chemistry. And I'm so excited about their chances on the international level.
I just love skating in general so you would probably be better off asking me which skaters I DIDN'T like - you'd get a shorter list
. I will just try to list the highlights...Ladies
Next to Michelle, the ladies skater I probably enjoy watching the most right now is Sasha. I also adore Jenny. The ladies is probably the field where I have the fewest skaters I dislike; I love almost all of them. Another up-and-comer I'm really excited about right now is Yukina Ota. I'm also an admirer of Yuka Sato, and I've learned to enjoy Tara's skating, as well. I've learned over the years to appreciate the many different aspects of skating, but I am drawn most to ladies with power, grace, musicality, and originality.
Men
Probably my favorite eligible men's skater right now is Johnny Wier, and he has been since I saw him skate live at Champions on Ice in 2002. (He's from my area, so he was invited to skate at the local tour stop.) Probably my favorite men's skater of all time is Alexei. (I'm relatively new to skating fandom - I've been a fan for about ten years - so I missed a lot of the greats like Boitano and Browning during their amateur careers.) I am also a fan of Tim Goebel, though more for his personality than his skating. At Nationals this year, I was really impressed by Ryan Jahnke and thought he was grossly undermarked.
Pairs
Again, I missed G&G in their heyday, but I loved to watch them during the short time I saw them. I've watched their 1994 Olympic LP too many times to count. I adore both B&S and S&P; can't really pick between them because I love different things about each of them. Although I will say that S&P came the closest of any skaters ever to touching me the way Michelle does, with their Love Story LP at the 2001/2002 GPF. Currently, I am huge fans of Shen and Zhao. I can hardly believe how much they have improved over the past couple seasons. IMO, their Nutcracker LP this year is a masterpiece!
Dance
I have to admit that I always enjoyed Grischuk and Platov (*ducks for cover*). I often enjoyed watching A&P and K&O when they were skating eligibly. Other teams I've enjoyed over the years include Liz and Jerod and Naomi and Peter. And I was a huge Silverstein and Pecharik fan; I'm still heartbroken they split. But my current favorite dance team is Belbin and Agosto. I love their joy, their energy, their enthusiasm, their originality, and their chemistry. And I'm so excited about their chances on the international level.
Great Thread!!
My personal favorites are (but not limited to):
Ladies: Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Yuka Sato
Men:Brian Boitano, Alexi Yagudin, Kurt Browning, Scott Hamilton
Pairs: Gordeeva & Grinkov (I don't expect to see another pair that good in my lifetime.), Babilonia & Gardner, Martini & Underhill (as pros)
Dance:Roca & Sur, Klimova & Ponomarenko, Belbin & Aghosto (sp?)
My personal favorites are (but not limited to):
Ladies: Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Yuka Sato
Men:Brian Boitano, Alexi Yagudin, Kurt Browning, Scott Hamilton
Pairs: Gordeeva & Grinkov (I don't expect to see another pair that good in my lifetime.), Babilonia & Gardner, Martini & Underhill (as pros)
Dance:Roca & Sur, Klimova & Ponomarenko, Belbin & Aghosto (sp?)
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2003
I love so many skaters, but for the sake of brevity, I'll just list my all-time favorite, runner-up all-time favorite, and current eligible favorite in each category.
ICE DANCE
Klimova & Ponomarenko--For their brilliant technique and wonderful passion on the ice, particularly in their last two years as eligible skaters. Their Bach LP in Albertville is still one of my favorite ice dance programs.
Anissina & Peizerat--For their intense, passionate programs and their sheer charisma on the ice. I always enjoyed watching them.
Denkova & Staviyski--My favorite among current eligibles, for their originality, difficulty, depth of edge, and musicality.
PAIRS
Gordeeva & Grinkov--The perfect pair. Their superb technique, incredible connection on the ice, and purity of expression are unforgettable. They set the standard in modern pairs skating.
Mishkutenok & Dmitriev--My second favorite pair, for their beautiful elements and the excitement they brought to pairs skating. They were like fire and ice together--her cool serenity was the perfect backdrop to his drama and emotion on the ice.
Shen & Zhao--My favorite among the current eligibles. They just take command of the ice. Their jumps are second to none and their artistry is beginning to blossom as well.
MEN
This is my least favorite category, and the one I also know the least about, so you might want to take my comments here with a grain of salt.
Kurt Browning--For his great edges, footwork, and incredible musicality. No one can interpret music the way he can.
Alexei Yagudin--Probably the best all-around male skater I've seen, at least in recent years. He is a force to be reckoned with and reminds me of Michael Jordan in that he has very few weaknesses in his "game", so to speak. He really has it all--jumps, spins, footwork, musicality, originality.
Yevgeny Plushenko--A great performer and showman. He's off par this year but remains the best of the eligibles. (I also like Buttle, Weir, Van der Perren, Sandhu, and Joubert, but feel like I need to see more of them before I can put them above Plushenko.)
LADIES
This category is a tie. My favorite ladies skaters, by far, are Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan. I recently explained why in another thread, though, so I won't go into that again here.
Kristi and Michelle are tied for my all-time favorite, and Michelle of course is my favorite among current eligibles.
ICE DANCE
Klimova & Ponomarenko--For their brilliant technique and wonderful passion on the ice, particularly in their last two years as eligible skaters. Their Bach LP in Albertville is still one of my favorite ice dance programs.
Anissina & Peizerat--For their intense, passionate programs and their sheer charisma on the ice. I always enjoyed watching them.
Denkova & Staviyski--My favorite among current eligibles, for their originality, difficulty, depth of edge, and musicality.
PAIRS
Gordeeva & Grinkov--The perfect pair. Their superb technique, incredible connection on the ice, and purity of expression are unforgettable. They set the standard in modern pairs skating.
Mishkutenok & Dmitriev--My second favorite pair, for their beautiful elements and the excitement they brought to pairs skating. They were like fire and ice together--her cool serenity was the perfect backdrop to his drama and emotion on the ice.
Shen & Zhao--My favorite among the current eligibles. They just take command of the ice. Their jumps are second to none and their artistry is beginning to blossom as well.
MEN
This is my least favorite category, and the one I also know the least about, so you might want to take my comments here with a grain of salt.
Kurt Browning--For his great edges, footwork, and incredible musicality. No one can interpret music the way he can.
Alexei Yagudin--Probably the best all-around male skater I've seen, at least in recent years. He is a force to be reckoned with and reminds me of Michael Jordan in that he has very few weaknesses in his "game", so to speak. He really has it all--jumps, spins, footwork, musicality, originality.
Yevgeny Plushenko--A great performer and showman. He's off par this year but remains the best of the eligibles. (I also like Buttle, Weir, Van der Perren, Sandhu, and Joubert, but feel like I need to see more of them before I can put them above Plushenko.)
LADIES
This category is a tie. My favorite ladies skaters, by far, are Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan. I recently explained why in another thread, though, so I won't go into that again here.
Kristi and Michelle are tied for my all-time favorite, and Michelle of course is my favorite among current eligibles.
