Which ones stick?

[mrrice]

Todd Eldredge.....I saw him twice with a decade in between performances. He has one of the best 3A's in history, fast spins and deep edges. He was also very good to his fans, much like my next memorable skater, Plushy!!!!!

I didn't speak to Plushy but I did follow him and watched him as he met fans at Worlds in 2001. It's really shocking to see the skaters up close and Plushy has Dreamy Blues Eyes...I was in a trance looking at him. His Bolero SP still makes me smile when I watch it and so does "Sex Bomb"

 

[icellist]

I only really started watching in 2007 so...

Yukari Nakano LP at Worlds 2008 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeSwUNLqFkE
Akiko Suzuki LP at NHK 2012 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOuaUMgFOcg
Richard Dornbush SP at US Nationals 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upg0RQJ74oI
Savchenko/Szolkowy SP at TEB 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbMfL9rK7Gs

there are definitely more but i'm just in a youtube blackhole now...

 

[skatesofgold]

Nancy Kerrigan 1994 Olympics SP
Tara Lipinski 1998 Olympics SP and LP
Matt Savoie 2006 Nationals and Olympics LP
Brian Joubert's Matrix LP
Basically anything from Skates of Gold 1993

 

[TontoK]

Whippersnappers.

1976 Olympics.

Dorothy Hamill, John Curry, and Rodnina/Zaitsev.

Now THAT is the gold standard of champions at a single Olympics. Dance wasn't even an Olympic event.

 

[Eeyora]

I'd say 1991 Worlds is my first skating memory! The three American Flags and Kristi being so happy on the podium!

Getting to stay up late for the 1992 Olympics and Kristi winnng

1996 worlds thinking how could Michelle beat Lu Lu's performance! And then being totally mesmerized


Out of order being totally heartbroken for Nancy Kerrigan after her meltdown in Prague and then totally bouncing back after the attack in the 1994 Olympics

Feeling the same heartbreak for Michelle at 97 Nats. Her performance at Worlds that year was a victory in itself. And then 1998 Nationals

 

[el henry]

Whippersnappers.

1976 Olympics.

Dorothy Hamill, John Curry, and Rodnina/Zaitsev.

Now THAT is the gold standard of champions at a single Olympics. Dance wasn't even an Olympic event.

76 for sure, but gold is not everything. We also have Toller.

Not his best comp, not the winner, but you can still appreciate why he changed the face of men's figure skating. Without Toller trailblazing, Curry would not have had the freedom to do what he did. What a comp for the ages, to have both

 

[OS]

Came from nothing and had a tiger mom.

If Yuna hadn't had such a forceful mom, she would have been cast aside by the adults in charge, not by lack of talent or motivation, but because of the lack of a program. I do not think it takes anything from her though.

I think her mom deserves praise for doing everything in her power to get her daughter to the Olympics, including intelligently choosing Brian Orser as a coach who ended up being a great match. Her name might not be on the medals, but she was a necessary condition to winning them.

Sorry for off topic.

That might be true. It takes a whole team to build a champion and they all deserve praises, but as good as your team is, no one can help you when you are alone on that ice.

There are those who can deliver, and those who have all the goods, the right team, the right competition to do it, but just could not for some reason on the day. Some may call it luck, but I think great self determination, descipline, courage, and faith has a lot to do with it as well.

My favs other than Yuna are Michelle Kwan, Kurt Browning, Daisuke Takahashi, Jeremy Abbott, Patrick Chan (post-Elegie) and Hanyu Yuzuru. Only one of them have proper Olympic gold moment, I am still hoping to see a worthy Olympic gold by Hanyu or Patrick ideally.

Oh and I agree, my fav performance of Mao is still Bell of Moscow, I have been saying that for years, it is one of those bigger than life epic programs in sheer ambition and scope that is worthy of a champion, perfect for the Olympics and her development as a performer. There was also a bit of a cultural war at stake, Classic Russian European Grandeur vs North American Contemporary Ease. I am wondering if it is one of the reasons Yuna is really not liked in Russia (& umm..Japan) vs rest of the world. (If she had done Swanlake or Carmen back in Vancouver, Sochi or even WC2011's result might have been different lol..) As a young Japanese women with all the inherent cultural baggage, Mao knocked my socks off when I first saw it, she was the fire while Yuna was the water that day. Her Sochi FS was obviously great as well, but the context was entirely different.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Paul Wylie:
92 Olympic LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMLFs1SUgLg
Schindlers List https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiJP787eW9w
Untouchables https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJc9CtgaN4c
O Holy Night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haIB1HAUeUY

Kurt Browning
Brickhouse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGqf1hXGmoc
Singing In The Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBqqX3eVuRc
That's Entertainment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDNgFGdrxYk

Ryan Bradley:
2011 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_-FiufTjd8
2007 LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91QKv8WO31Y
(although not perfect I love the 09 version more) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhZWCsbQ1Ww
Saturday Night Fever Exhibition from 4CC's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYyGwqhmaws
"I Lived" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M38eciNdcA
"Hallelujah" https://youtu.be/FqSMUlnPyyg

Jeremy Abbott Nationals 2012
SP:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oeya_bPe53Y
LP:https://youtu.be/ZHbADOamI3s
2017 SOI: "In This Shirt" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiXkn2titOw

Lu Chen
Butterfly Lovers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-BRO6z81oQ
94 Olympic LP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-BRO6z81oQ
Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen: https://youtu.be/_2ueGV8yqAQ?t=46

Michelle Kwan
Fields of Gold Exhibition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlUrLf2eYgQ
Winter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pQFizkQmAc


Adam Rippon;
Diamonds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilbw8G22onQ

Patrick Chan:
Esqualo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXCji-u6oCE
Chopin 2015; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0DW6h-bBQM


Oksana Baiul:
"Safe From Harm" https://youtu.be/fFB0xs8wMJU

That's mine for now.

 

[Seren]

Yuna's Sochi SP
Mao's Sochi LP
Joannie in Vancouver- what an incredibly strong person, it still awes me what she was able to do
Michelle's Fields of Gold Exhibition
Akiko's LP at 2014 Japanese Nationals- what an absolute joy
Shibs Fix You

 

[uhh]

Adelina's FS in Sochi. So wonderful to see her put it all together and skate with such joy and freedom after an inconsistent couple of years and after having been ignored for the team event. It was the very definition of an Olympic "moment".

Suck it, haters

 

[iluvtodd]

Todd Eldredge - 1996 Worlds, 1998 Goodwill Games, 2001 Worlds, 2002 Olympic free skate, his 2000 Improv-Ice skate to "Who Let the Dogs Out?" , Il Mare Calmo de La Sera, The Glory ...
Michelle Kwan - 1996 Worlds, 1998 US Nationals, Hands, Pocahontas, Winter, East of Eden, Dante's Prayer
Paul Wylie - 1992 Olympics & so many amazing pro performances (JFK, Carmina Burana, Schindler's List, Apollo 13 ...)
Brian Orser - 1984, 1988 Olympics, The Story of My Life program, watching him "skate" the programs with his students @ competitions
Shen & Zhao - Turandot 2003 Worlds
Plushy's "Sex Bomb"
Jason Brown's 20014 US Nationals' Riverdance Free Skate
Sean Rabbitt's 2017 US Nationals free skate - "Mambo" medley
Meryl & Charlie's "Samson & Delilah" - 2009 Worlds
Ashley Wagner's Hip, Hip, Chin, Chin, Some Day I'll Fly Away - 2016 Worlds
Javi Fernandez - 2015, 2016 Worlds
Midori Ito - 1988 Olympics - free skate, 1992 Olympic free skate & her "Rain" exhibition
Kurt Browning - Casablanca, Singin' in the Rain, Brickhouse
Viktor Petrenko - Mambo #5

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Sasha Cohen Swan Lake (Marshalls)

https://youtu.be/bo3hgBV59bc

 

[skateluvr]

skateluvr - Joanie Rochester? It's Joannie Rochette, not Rochester. And who is "Road" (lol)?

I fixed the typos from shaky hands and auto fills. Happy now? I know her name. It is so petty to do,that btw. Immature.

I cannot get rid of auto fill. I'm no kid who gets technology. Better to say what an effort and thanks for missing me earlier poster. Bless you.

 

[skateluvr]

I could watch all day:

Machida SP East of Eden 2013/2014

Savchenko/Szolkowy FP Pina 2011/2012

Virtue/Moir FD HipHip ChinChin 2011

Dont recall any but gonna watch now! Thanks....

 

[skateluvr]

I only really started watching in 2007 so...

Yukari Nakano LP at Worlds 2008 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeSwUNLqFkE
Akiko Suzuki LP at NHK 2012 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOuaUMgFOcg
Richard Dornbush SP at US Nationals 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upg0RQJ74oI
Savchenko/Szolkowy SP at TEB 2010 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbMfL9rK7Gs

Akiko!!!! Yes I everything and those perfect costumes. Her joy was wonderful!!!

there are definitely more but i'm just in a youtube blackhole now...

Sorry it is in between. Akiko was under rated because Mao was so loved.

 

[mrrice]

Sasha Cohen Swan Lake (Marshalls)

https://youtu.be/bo3hgBV59bc

IMO, the performance of her career. She defeated Michelle and reigning World Champion, Shizuka that night.