What makes Ashley Wagner stand out

[Spun Silver]

Well, it's off season and time for fun threads. I think it's time Ashley got some major props to inspire her for next season.

She is my favorite American lady because of her drive, strength and verve on ice. She skates fast and powerfully. All her elements are strong as far as I can see, and she blossomed artistically this season. Her short program was to die for. We all know she has consistency problems but her comeback at Nationals after blowing the SP showed what a fighter she is. And it's really fun to watch her because she puts everything into her skating - she's not boring or cautious.

Anyway, I love this skater. So come on Ashley - come out fighting this fall and skate to Vancouver!

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/9q3-...igure+Skating+Day+1/w0yZlvq__qN/Ashley+Wagner

 

[Eurofan]

I really wanted her to win US Nats this year...which is probably why she didn't. I need to stop wishing placements for skaters. I jinx them. So I will just say that I hope Wagner and Nagasu have a great season and give the other girls a run for their money at the next US Nationals. I find them far more enjoyable to watch than Flatt and Zhang.

 

[Trewyn]

Woohoo! A thread dedicated to my absolute favorite skater! I adore Ashley ever since I saw her TEB Freeskate to Tango Jalousie! She has a lot of personality on the ice, and I agree she's a lot more interesting to watch than Rachael and Caroline. She has tremendous energy on the ice and I think Philip Mills was really able to channel that energy in a great short program! It was balletic, unlike her programs last year, but it still captured Ashley's incredible energy.
She's had consistency problems since Worlds 2008 where I believe her confidence was greatly injured. I really really really hope she'll come back strong next season.
She does indeed have great elements. Really good spins, spirals, footwork and the jumps if they are clean and fully rotated are big and nice to watch. (I love her loop and toe!) All in all she's a great all around skater.
I hope she dazzles us next season with a consistent triple triple and great programs. I do hope she changes her LP, because, even though I admire the challenge and I think she learned a lot trying to express herself through that music, I think there's better music for her out there.
I hope she'll make the Vancouver Olympics (because I'm saving for tickets!!) and I hope she'll have a long, thrilling career. *sending lots of positive vibes in the direction of Wilmington*

 

[Alicja]

Maybe I'm im the minority here but I liked her Spartacus LP much better than the SP. I love how Spartacus had both speed, energy and power but was still sort of elegant. I also liked the costume. If she manages to clean up her jumps in terms of two footing and puts more emphasis on them which means really presenting them and not so much rushing through them I think she'll be great next season.
I really hope she can find two pieces of music that let her strength shine because her energy and power are what sets her apart from the other girls.

 

[gourry]

Maybe I'm im the minority here but I liked her Spartacus LP much better than the SP. I love how Spartacus had both speed, energy and power but was still sort of elegant. I also liked the costume.

Count me in! I prefer her LP to SP.
I also like her SP but when I watched the home video on Youtube for the first time I thought like 'is that Alissa??' It was very mature and beautiful but it was a bit, how to say, not Ashley.
Ashley is definately my most favorite one among current American ladies. She is very vivid and powerful. She is so alive, energetic and fun to watch on the ice. She's like a fresh breeze.
I have to say she frustrated me when she said her lutz was her best jump, though. (Come on!! It's so flutzy!!)
If only she could improve her tendency to flutz and underrotate, she'll be really really competitive.

 

[Wrlmy]

Last year, lots of people thought she needed a makeover, but I didn't. I loved her just as she was, even her ponytail! She always had fire in her gorgeous eyes, always ready to power through the performance. Her sp this year was phenomenal, but at the expense of that fire. Her selection of completely different number for sp and lp was bold and admirable, but I found Spartacus (and the dress!) somewhat misfitting. Attack was there, but attention to details was not.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Ashley is a very diffrent skater than anybody else on the scene right now. I liked her skating right away last year, I remeber she outdid my expectations of her in her first GP. I like the way she uses the music, I like her arms and hands, and she has some very pretty spins. However she does have very sloppy jump technique, esp. on the flip and lutz. her lutz is not even bordering on the outside edge. If she fixes her jumps she will be the top lady in the U.S.

 

[AwesomeIce]

She has a personality, unlike the rest of the pwitty pwincess baby ballerina Sasha-wannabes. SHe looks like a real lady out there onthe ice, unlike the already mentioned bitty babies that look and skate like grade schoolers.

 

[Tonichelle]

same song over and over and over :sheesh:

anyway, Ashley caught my attention when she was a novice (admittedly because she was skating for the Anchorage Figure Skating Club at the time). She just has a different look. It's true she's not all about being a regular baby ballerina. She has a fire and passion that is more liking to Katarina Witt and Kristi Yamaguchi (style of skating) than that of Sasha Cohen or Michelle Kwan...

 

[Spun Silver]

I guess the question is, Can that wonderful fire be harnessed for an Olympic- medaling performance? I have an idea: maybe she should spend some with Yagudin. I bet he could tell her a thing or two about harnessing fire.

ETA: OK, maybe that's not fair. I guess her main goal right now should be just getting to the Olympics. That will be plenty hard enough.

 

[kandidy]

She has to return to her pony!
Missed her pony tail.

 

[Simone]

Ride of the Valkyries!

 

[Trewyn]

Since we're on the topic of discussing Ashley; what about her jump layout?
gourry - are you sure she said the lutz was her best jump? That would strike me as odd too! I do recall her saying that one of her strengths was being able to do a lutz at the end of a program (in other words claiming that she had good stamina); which is not quite the same as saying the lutz is her best jump. I think Ashley's best jump is the loop. Or maybe toe, but toe is a boring jump compared to loop.
About her jump layout; what kind of triple-triple should Ashley do?
I personally loved her lutz-loop, but the loop is a very unfortunate jump to do in combination because for some reason, under COP, it always gets downgraded. I'd love to see her do a triple loop-triple loop, like her idol Tara Lipinski, but apparently that combination wrecked Tara's hip so skater's don't attempt it anymore.
I also remember Ashley talking about triple axels and quads. Do you think either of them is possible? I'm guessing the safe answer is no; but what if she did either of them, what would be most likely? Her double axel is pretty consistent, but not very high.. Her salchow isn't her most steady jump, so I'm not sure a quad is possible. Maybe a quad toe? But doesn't that take enormous strength?
Just things that are on my mind, and since it seemed the right thread for this, I'm sharing. Thoughts?

 

[gio]

She just has a different look. It's true she's not all about being a regular baby ballerina. She has a fire and passion that is more liking to Katarina Witt and Kristi Yamaguchi (style of skating) than that of Sasha Cohen or Michelle Kwan...

I've watched her three programs this year (SP, LP and Exh) and I have to say it's very true that she has a different style. Unfortunately she hasn't showed yet all of her artistic potential, which is something comprehensive, since she is only 17 and being a junior skater till last year.
IMO in a few years, if she continues like that she can become a good champion. She has not to fall in the baby ballerina trap as Rachael did.

Said that, she is a retro skater in style. I mean she tends to be more theatrical, having a potential showgirlship, the same as Katarina Witt and Kristi Yamaguchi. Which is something that can work really well, considering every other skater is trying to be a baby ballerina. If she is smart, she can stand out as an unique skater and be successfull in the next seasons!
Michelle and Sasha brought up their styles that worked very well for them, but that every nowadays skater tend to copy. Someone that can bring some fresh air is welcomed.

About her jumps, she has a terrible lutz. IMO, it's better that she tries to fix it as Joannie did it. A 3A would be good, but is she capable of? A 3L/3T would be more realistic, considering her loop is beautiful and she could earn more GOE with two 3Loop in her program. No need to include two lutzes (with negative GOE) until she has fixed that bad technique.

 

[gourry]

gourry - are you sure she said the lutz was her best jump? That would strike me as odd too! I do recall her saying that one of her strengths was being able to do a lutz at the end of a program (in other words claiming that she had good stamina); which is not quite the same as saying the lutz is her best jump. I think Ashley's best jump is the loop. Or maybe toe, but toe is a boring jump compared to loop.
...
I also remember Ashley talking about triple axels and quads. Do you think either of them is possible?

I'm positive. I don't remember exactly in which article or interview I saw it but she was saying her strength of being a consistant jumper and she specifically mentioned lutz. I wish somebody else could confirm it...
I also remember Ashley talking about triple axels and quads. I'm not so sure if she is capable of doing it or not but I'm pretty sure that olympic season is not the right time to try new tricks. I hope she rather concentrate on her current issues-like flutz and fully rotating.

 

[dannyascii]

I'm sad that there aren't three spots for the olympics, because i think she's going to just miss out on going, and that's a real shame. I think she probably has the most potential of any of the US ladies right now; she just has to figure out how to harness it. But like said above, she just has a more...mature skating quality to her. Definitely Katarina-esque, and it's very refreshing to see.

 

[Tinymavy15]

I'm sad that there aren't three spots for the olympics, because i think she's going to just miss out on going, and that's a real shame.-

I disagree. She won the freeskate at nationals even though she did not skate clean. I see her in the top two next year for sure.

 

[nubka]

Last year, lots of people thought she needed a makeover, but I didn't. I loved her just as she was, even her ponytail! She always had fire in her gorgeous eyes, always ready to power through the performance. Her sp this year was phenomenal, but at the expense of that fire. Her selection of completely different number for sp and lp was bold and admirable, but I found Spartacus (and the dress!) somewhat misfitting. Attack was there, but attention to details was not.

I miss the ponytail, too! She used to have an energy & spark to her skating that made me think of Emily Hughes. I hope that she doesn't end up in the "pretty princess skater" mold...it doesn't suit her. :frown2:

 

[LeCygne]

I disagree. She won the freeskate at nationals even though she did not skate clean. I see her in the top two next year for sure.

Hmm she did, but the question is, should she have? At this point, I wouldn't be too sure about anything next year...

 

[R.D.]

Wagner in the top two? I hope not...I mean, I wish her the best and all, but I want the ladies with some consistency to end up making the team. The strange thing is that it's so up in the air that it could be ANY two. I mean, even Flatt could miss out if she has a bad night.

The more I think about it, the less I believe the US ladies actually deserved to have 3 spots in Vancouver...