Are The Ladies' Styles Blossoming?

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Mao Asada - I think the litle gal has grown up some and with the growing pains, is struggling to find out what she should do.

Kimmier Meissner - Yes, finally showing more than a 3x3. She's headed for that elegant style a la Peggy Flemming.

Miki Ando- Definitely on the road to being dynamic a la Kwan.

YuNa Kim - Still in progress but budding elegant.

Am I correct?

Joe

 

[CzarinaAnya]

I was definitely impressed with Yu Na's showing at skate canada. Her skating was delicate yet strong. Gorgeous combination.:thumbsup:

 

[Spun Silver]

Suddenly Miki is the most exciting to watch - wild arms and all.

I love how Mao is developing.

Yu Na is disturbingly stolid (IMO) but close to perfection, so I can't argue with her standing.:thumbsup:

And Kimmie is still a question mark... but I definitely saw a big step forward stylistically in her SP. :yes:

 

[demarinis5]

I am not impressed with Mao. She is a talented skater but she still
seems somewhat juniorish to me..

Yu Na - I think she is the best of the field right now.

Miki-great improvements try as I might I am not a fan of her style of skating.

Kimmie is the big surprise. She has a more mature look and style that suits her now and her skating keeps getting better. I find myself becoming a fan.

 

[chuckm]

Miki may seem dynamic, but I wouldn't compare her to Kwan who had much better audience connection and was far more consistent.

Mao is still a work in progress. She is in the midst of a growth spurt and we can probably expect less consistent results from her.

Kimmie grows better with every competition. She is growing into a elegant style of her own.

 

[hockeyfan228]

Except for Asada, whom I haven't seen yet this year, I see more refinement among these ladies from previous years, even with Ando's back problems, than among many of the young breakout skaters who appear at Europeans, like Marchei and Pavuk, or in the case of Dytrt, who did. (Even Katy Taylor, for all of her jump problems, was less "cute" at SC than she's been in the past.) I think this is too bad, considering how much talent they bring to the table, but for two or three years, I've seen the same presentation and disregard for their music. Hopefully by Europeans we'll have a glimpse of what new coaching by Bauil's and Petrenko's coach does for Gedevanishvili, because she's going to need to mature her style to compete with the Asadas, Meissners, Andos, and Kims or depend on major mistakes by these skaters.

I don't underestimate the effects of packaging -- choreographers and costumes -- have on the results, although they are meaningless without the commitment of the skaters.

 

[lisadotdash]

Mao Asada - I think the litle gal has grown up some and with the growing pains, is struggling to find out what she should do.

Kimmier Meissner - Yes, finally showing more than a 3x3. She's headed for that elegant style a la Peggy Flemming.

Miki Ando- Definitely on the road to being dynamic a la Kwan.

YuNa Kim - Still in progress but budding elegant.

Am I correct?

Joe

Miki like Kwan - I think she would gag if she read that. She's too Hollywood.
Meissner like Fleming - No see above, also two totally different eras
Asada - she is now OUT of the limelight as the nextbigthing and I think she is having to deal with not only that but growth. She's going to fade out this year.
Yu-Ka Nam - She's the IT girl for me this year.

 

[waxel]

I have really enjoyed what I have seen of Yu-Na thus far. Although the spins and spirals need much refinement, there is just something about her skating I find very compelling.

I have seen improvement in Miki and hope it continues. Even with her disappointing last season, her SP was lovely (don't recall the title--- something about Christmas).

I agree that Kimmie is still a question mark. I haven't seen much of the refinement that others have mentioned. I do have hope though.

Need to see more of Mao. So far she hasn't seemed to have stepped up much this year, but I'm not ruling her out.

What's up with Katy Taylor? Her 11th place finish at SA and 12th at SC does not stand her in good stead going into Nats.

 

[nubka]

To me, Yu-Na is potentially a lot closer to someday being like Kwan than Miki could ever be.

Actually, for me, I like Yu-Na's new programs a lot better than most of the Kween's latter offerings, in that they are filled with a lot more interesting moves and transitions, plus Yu-na has the grace, musicality & required flexibility. I will say, however, that I'm not crazy about her music for her LP, though. I'd love to see her skate to some of the "bigger" music that Kwan always used...

It's been great watching Miki so far this season, but to me, she really isn't like Kwan at all. If Czisny could just get control of her jumps, she's a lot closer to Kwan (to me) than Miki.

 

[flying camel]

To me, I see a little bit of Kwan and Sasha in just about every ladies routine. I especially see Sasha. I guess that is a good thing, but it's just that everyone's choreography is starting to look alike.

 

[heyang]

I think that Yu Na Kim is quite compelling. If anything I would compare her skating style to an older Kwan's. She's more refined than Kwan at the same age.

Mao Asada - I still see junior skating. Better than last year, but still child like in some ways.

Kimmie - there's some improvement, but I think she needs to soften her arm movements. They still seem stiff at times.

Miki Ando - I haven't noticed anything particular about her style. I think she still needs work.

JMHO.

 

[Spun Silver]

Need to see more of Mao. So far she hasn't seemed to have stepped up much this year, but I'm not ruling her out.

Mao Asada - I still see junior skating. Better than last year, but still child like in some ways.

Did you see this? She not only won but turned in the most exquisite SP - I like her much more than Kim. She does not have that preternatural calm, she looks like a joyous young girl who just happens to be expressing her nature on ice ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDs3cEWc358

 

[SeaniBu]

I am surprised not to hear Joannie's name mentioned after the performance she did at SC. But maybe this is just a thread about skaters 18 or younger??? But I will say that JR put my foot in my mouth on that LP - I am oddly enough glad she did even if it meant placing above Fumie. But deserved. We'll see if it continues, I hope so - sort'a.
:agree:

 

[michaela77]

I really liked Miki Ando, but from what I have seen so far (off of YouTube) in her past two events, I'm beginning to grow annoyed by her wild flailing arms and ungraceful, jerky movements on the ice. I'm not sure why, but it becomes more prominent with each viewing. I am still rooting for her though.

Conversely, the more I watch Mao skate, the less annoyed I grow by her impish flair. I used to think, despite her spectacular jumping ability, that her programs seemed a bit thin in substance. I think Mao has the natural skills and talent to become a truly legendary skater.

YuNa Kim is totally new to me. I watched her perform in Skate Canada for the first time and was so impressed that I googled her and found some more clips. She has the potential, but there is something about how limited facial expressions that frustrates me. She seems like she is holding back. I look forward to watching her compete in the future. I think she has what it takes to become a household name.

I'm really not impressed by Kimmie Meissner. I try so hard to like her, because she is American (as I am), but I'm not moved by her performances and, honestly speaking, I find her boring. She seems like someone who is dedicated to the sport and has worked hard but she still lacks something.


If I haven't said so explicitly already, I HOPE to see each and every one of them (to use your terminology) "blossom".

 

[nubka]

I am surprised not to hear Joannie's name mentioned after the performance she did at SC. But maybe this is just a thread about skaters 18 or younger??? But I will say that JR put my foot in my mouth on that LP - I am oddly enough glad she did even if it meant placing above Fumie. But deserved. We'll see if it continues, I hope so - sort'a.
:agree:

I have really, really, tried to like Joannie's SP, but the music is so awful, loud, and distracting, that I can't enjoy the skating at all. In fact, I always end up turing the volume off (it just really gets on my nerves bad...)

 

[christinaskater]

I love Yu-Na Kim and Miki Ando!

But the best girl for me now is Yu-Na Kim

 

[bubbleyum]

well i know a lot of people think yu-na (which all the announcers are pronouncing incorrectly as "yoo-na", should be more like "yuh-na") is wooden in her expressions, but i would say the tv does not communicate that well.

and there are other ways to be expressive. if you watch her tango short program, you can see by the way she snaps her head around in time with the music at certain points and by her arm movements and the way she holds her posture that she has plenty of attitude to match her choreography! also on some youtube segments, they have some slow-motion closeups of her face while she's doing her spiral and passing by the judges... she has a pretty sassy smile then

and as for her lark ascending long program, well that's supposed to be skated soft and lyrical, which i think she does very well. the only thing she needs to improve siginficantly is the stretch on her spiral (and steady edge) and spins.

all in all, one of the best skaters i am rooting for on the circuit right now!

 

[SeaniBu]

well i know a lot of people think yu-na (which all the announcers are pronouncing incorrectly as "yoo-na", should be more like "yuh-na")

Welcome to GS bubbleyum

I don't know if you are Korean or not, and I am not that verse in how to pronounce the Roman lettering translations of a majority of it. Korean, I have found to have very interesting pronunciations unlike any other Asian Language translation. It is not as you would think. When I was Married to a Korean, I found many of the ways I thought something should be pronounced when written in roman letters, were not the pronounced the way I thought, or most people for that matter. Anyway, it is not like Japanese or any Asian when converting it to the Roman letter set that we use. I have a feeling that is exactly how it is pronounced. "yoo-na."


That spin position I have got to agree sooo much with that. That had to have been one of the loveliest / Rock'n cool spins ever. Just incredible to see. And yes those lovely hands and arms, simply exquisite!

Who says "artistic merit" is on it's way out or suffering under the new CoP. Not this kid - anymore anyway . Now that the skaters have had time to adjust their routines and see how they can work best with the system, it is coming back to the forefront IMO. Even Joannie stepped it up a notch (in her LP anyway) when it comes to pres. I for one feel the evolution of the new sys is not going to damage "art" as the skaters continue to evolve with it. It did for a bit, and some are still "recovering," but I think it is coming back.:agree:

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Artistic merit is a matter of subjectivity,. One either likes the bravura style of skating a la Carol Heiss or the lyrical style of skating of Tenley Albright.

Then again, there was La Kwan who could do both.

Joe

 

[nubka]

Artistic merit is a matter of subjectivity,. One either likes the bravura style of skating a la Carol Heiss or the lyrical style of skating of Tenley Albright.

Then again, there was La Kwan who could do both.

Joe

Why limit one's self? For me, as long as the skater is truly feeling/listening to the music, it doesn't matter what "style" they are...

I feel the same way about ballet.