Signature moves skaters are known for

[DizzyFrenchie]

This all seems to be devolving into more of "is this the best of the best" rather than "is this something that this skater is particularly known for/a move that is linked in many fans name with a particular skater" - both of the latter, of course, are a part (not all, but a part) of why Yuzuru has a lot of them, people pick out and wait for so many moments and movements and they were and still are so damn good and satisfying. And why I mentioned Sasha and spirals.

Signature moves, to me (and me, I don't insist others should agree) are those the fans learn to hope for from a skater (which is why no one imo has a signature cartwheel or, since Bonaly, backflip, that the damn things are now everywhere like chicken pox and everyone does 'em) and which give them that magic "ahhhhhh" moment. That's why imo Boyang has them above higher ranked skaters, and why the 3A from Alysa Liu that somrone mentioned - which I don't see as anywhere near the best even among women - does seem to have that moment, so it counts.

It's not who's the 'best' (whatever that means in the day and age) at this or that move. It's who makes that move their own in the fans' eyes. YMMV.

It's true that while her edges have never been deep, in her Spirals they were still edges and these Spirals were outright iconic:

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[Magill]

This all seems to be devolving into more of "is this the best of the best" rather than "is this something that this skater is particularly known for/a move that is linked in many fans name with a particular skater" - both of the latter, of course, are a part (not all, but a part) of why Yuzuru has a lot of them, people pick out and wait for so many moments and movements and they were and still are so damn good and satisfying. And why I mentioned Sasha and spirals.

Signature moves, to me (and me, I don't insist others should agree) are those the fans learn to hope for from a skater (which is why no one imo has a signature cartwheel or, since Bonaly, backflip, that the damn things are now everywhere like chicken pox and everyone does 'em) and which give them that magic "ahhhhhh" moment. That's why imo Boyang has them above higher ranked skaters, and why the 3A from Alysa Liu that somrone mentioned - which I don't see as anywhere near the best even among women - does seem to have that moment, so it counts.

It's not who's the 'best' (whatever that means in the day and age) at this or that move. It's who makes that move their own in the fans' eyes. YMMV.

I agree, excellent observations.

Apart from the backflips. While personally I don't like them and do never wait for them, and I guess neither do you, I think there is a group of viewers who actually do like them and wait for them, both from Adam Siao Him Fa and from Ilia Malinin. So I guess to this section of their fans, that's what their signature move is, even if another part of the audience think the move ugly and unnecessary.

Unlike Alysa's 3A.... Let's be honest, she does not even have 3A in her come back period at all, while this period is the peak of her entire career, so I have no idea how anyone can claim it a signature move of hers.... unless it was an attempt at an ironic jab at her which - if true - I do not like and find completely unnecessary,...

I also agree, this discussion is not really about technical parameters of the moves at all and insisting on comparing the height, speed and other qualities of jumps between skaters is just derailing the thread and an attempt to take a jab at a particular skater, IMHO, whether it is Alysa Liu or Yuzuru Hanyu. I can only repeat, a signature move is what the public at large associates with the skater, whether anyone individually finds it justified or not.

 

[yfan1]

Sasha's Layback was one of her signature moves, as well.

On that note, Alissa Czisny was also known to be an excellent spinner.

 

[NanaPat]

On that note, Alissa Czisny was also known to be an excellent spinner.

She still is!

There is a fine line between a "signature move" and a general strength. I blurred it as well in calling Roman Sadovsky's spins his "signature move". For me, both are what you tell a less knowledgeable fan to "watch for" as the skater takes the ice.

Examples: for Lauriault/LeGac and Kam/O'Shea, it is lifts. For Alyssa Cyzney and Roman Sadovsky, it is spins. A particular lift or particular spin can become a signature move for me if it is repeated and/or a bit unusual and/or well done and/or esthetically pleasing.

 

[yfan1]

There is a fine line between a "signature move" and a general strength. I blurred it as well in calling Roman Sadovsky's spins his "signature move". For me, both are what you tell a less knowledgeable fan to "watch for" as the skater takes the ice.

With Czisny versus Sasha, maybe I'm just a biased stan, but there's also for me that I can name distinct positions I loved for Sasha (her camel and its variation, the forward scratch that got Dick Button orgasming another), whereas I'd just say Czisny I'd just say "I liked her spins, those were great".

Probably just goes to how I found Sasha more memorable and therefore watched her more to begin.

Oh, and yes. Midori's signature was absolutely her 3A, even if in general with her too I'd just say "jumps"

 

[PaulE]

Sasha's Layback was one of her signature moves, as well.

On that note, Alissa Czisny was also known to be an excellent spinner.

For me, the signature move for Alissa Czisny was the abrupt stop she would do to the final spin in her program.