Best spins for the 2023-24 season

Flying Feijoa · Feb 12, 2024

skatingfan4ever said:
I think Patrick Chan deserves a "never choosing contortionist positions" award

I like this category

It gives me something to aspire to, being nowhere near as flexible as the average competitive female skater (but oddly enough, still clinically hypermobile

). Also, I know some women with long-term back issues from doing Biellmanns as youngsters, so it's nice to see some 'safer' spins that skaters can consider switching to if they find that the more extreme positions are taking a toll on their health.

Like you mentioned, Keegan fits here too. His sit spins in particular stood out to me when watching live - very fast and centered.

Aleksandr Selevko's heel-flick during his camel spin is a really neat feature:

biubiubiu · Feb 13, 2024

Samuel Mindra has amazing spins in his short program this season. Every single part in his spin, not just the positioning, looks exquisite and smooth with great speed. The most impressive thing is that he has his refreshing way to achieve the mandatory level features. Smooth entry into his Change foot Sit Spin, elegent arm movement matching the music in Sit Forward positioning, and changing edge in Tuck position!!! I've never seen that before! Then in the Change foot Combo spin, he uses a heel spin between the back camel and the broken leg as the Level feafure "difficult change of position", also noted that the broken leg was done on the Back foot and on the Forward Inside egde. The way he changes from back foot to front foot is just dazzling. I have to review his spin in slow motion again and again just to make sure that he DID change his foot. He and Young You from Korea don't need that push to change to front foot. They just maintain a good speed in the first part and complete the weight transfer in a split second. Samuel exits his last spin position with Forward Outside Rocker and Counter. Gliding, not struggling. The final spin element is the Flying Camel Spin at the end of his program. The Camel Forward variation is so stunning. Great shoulder flexibility to finish the grab-blade windmill exit.

Magill · Feb 13, 2024

At first I understood this thread was about spins of skaters who have competed this season but as it seems it goes all over the place let me share this amazing skating spin recognition coming this season from outside of the figure skating world.
Travis Payne, Michael Jackson's choreographer, well known also independently of MJ and on his own, by the end of last year discovered what he called "Divinity in Motion" in Yuzuru Hanyu's sublime doughnut spins...
Now, this is some word of recognition

His tweet followed his amazement at Yuzuru's spins from "One Summer's Day" programme at the Re_Pray Ice Show in Saitama last November which he had shared as a reel, and then apparently went on to do some further research on Yuzu which led him to his "Divinity in Motion" claim :love:

TallyT · Feb 13, 2024

Magill said:
At first I understood this thread was about spins of skaters who have competed this season but as it seems it goes all over the place let me share this amazing skating spin recognition coming this season from outside of the figure skating world.
Travis Payne, Michael Jackson's choreographer, well known also independently of MJ and on his own, by the end of last year discovered what he called "Divinity in Motion" in Yuzuru Hanyu's sublime doughnut spins...
Now, this is some word of recognition

His tweet followed his amazement at Yuzuru's spins from "One Summer's Day" programme at the Re_Pray Ice Show in Saitama last November which he had shared as a reel, and then apparently went on to do some further research on Yuzu which led him to his "Divinity in Motion" claim

Travis Payne has quite a following too: it's always good when someone like him brings a bit of attention to figure skating from his fans who may never have thought to watch it.

(Satoko, anyone? Luddite though I am I have tried to make gifs of her spins because I find them so special. And some of the little Koreans have absolutely gorgeous spins. )