Which skater's live performance would you like to see the most?

[figurejennah]

Hi all! Although I've been a big figure skating fan for a long time,
I've never actually been to a competition.
I will be attending SA, so I am just super excited beyond
anyone's imagination.... lol.
Of course I am dying to see Yuna and Evan in person, but I really hope
Sasha will be there, too. I was so disappointed when she withdrew from TEB!

I heard that seeing the live performance is 100% different from watching
it on TV, since the camera follows the skaters and cannot catch the speed and jumping distance.

I personally really would LOVE to see Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Yuna Kim, Mao Asada, Laura Lepisto, Mirai Nagasu, Caroline Zhang, and Joannie Rochette. (I just got my IFS november issue, and Kwan said in her interview that she wants to perform more so yay!!!)

If I had to choose programs, I would like to see

Sasha- Romeo and Juliet
Michelle- Tosca
Yuna- Tango de Roxane/ Danse Macabre
Mao- Nocturne/czardas
Caroline- Ave Maria

Who would you like to see the most in live performance, or
who would the most impressive skater you've ever seen?

I found some clips/videos that audiences took and uploaded.
Certainly, it is quite different from what we see on TV.


Mao's 3-3 in Claire de lune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2mx7SebnZk


Yuna's 007 3-3
http://img690.imageshack.us/i/52650533.gif/

Mao's claire de lune SP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooUsKl3jEVU

Yuna Kim 007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai2U1GYSGnY



Kozuka Takahiko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XgA67h6ExE

 

[Tonichelle]

Kurt Browning's Nyah, Antares, Serenade to Sonia, Raggy, Brickhouse, and so many others, heck just to see him skate live once would be wonderful.

Evan is great to watch LIVE, as is Johnny (whom I can't seem to keep interested in when it's on TV), Brian Orser is also more charismatic LIVE (IMHO) when he was skating...


and it's too late for my brain to be working, but good thread I am sure I'll be back with mroe.

 

[schiele]

Hey figurejennah,
I've just been to a live event for the first time myself last month when I went to TEB. I can assure you, seeing live is indeed 100% different than on TV. It's a fantastic experience.. I loved watching Yuna live but believe it or not Mao was more impressive for me. Jouby and Ponsero are also great live. I think I would totally love to see Plushenko, I can feel his power from TV. Although I dont like him, Evan would also be very interesting to see as he is quite fast.. And I also wish I could've seen Joannie and my favourite pair S/K.

 

[chloepoco]

Midori Ito's 1989 & 1990 World's LP

 

[Tango_D_R]

I went some live event including this years TEB.
TV cameras usually focus on the skater.. so no doubt the most different thing you'll immediately notice is the speed and the ice coverage.. unless you get a crappy seat and watch the whole performance through the big screens above.

From TEB,
Kim maintained superb speed throughout the program.
Kostner except for the entries on her jumps, also maintained great speed.
Mao relatively slow spirals, normal speed.
Yukari faster than I *expected*. average speed.
Gilles definitely slower than watching on TV(was the first time seeing her live)
Zhang walking on the ice.

I don't know how it showed on TV, but that's how I saw the ladies competition in terms of speed.. I wonder was the speed much different on TV?



Anyways I never saw Takahashi live on the ice, so it'll be great to see his live performance.
Kim's live performance I would love to see again and again, such a magic
Virtue and Moir live performance on the ice show.. they're just adorable

 

[iluvtodd]

Midori Ito's 1988 Olympic free skate - We never got to see her skate live, but have always loved watching her on TV

Todd's 1996 World's free skate of "First Knight" and 2001 Worlds free skate of "1492"

 

[demarinis5]

I went some live event including this years TEB.
TV cameras usually focus on the skater.. so no doubt the most different thing you'll immediately notice is the speed and the ice coverage.. unless you get a crappy seat and watch the whole performance through the big screens above.

From TEB,
Kim maintained superb speed throughout the program.
Kostner except for the entries on her jumps, also maintained great speed.
Mao relatively slow spirals, normal speed.
Yukari faster than I *expected*. average speed.
Gilles definitely slower than watching on TV(was the first time seeing her live)
Zhang walking on the ice.

I don't know how it showed on TV, but that's how I saw the ladies competition in terms of speed.. I wonder was the speed much different on TV?



Anyways I never saw Takahashi live on the ice, so it'll be great to see his live performance.
Kim's live performance I would love to see again and again, such a magic
Virtue and Moir live performance on the ice show.. they're just adorable

Zhang walking on the ice Before I get flamed let me be clear that I am a fan of Caroline but when I watched her LP at TEB that is exactly what I thought.

Back to the original topic. Being a long time Kwan fan I would have loved to seen her 2000 Worlds performance of The Red Violin and also S/Z's 2004 World' performance of the Nutcracker.

 

[merrybari]

Before I answer the question, let me add that LIVE is so much different you'll never be satisfied with TV/internet coverage again! Careful - it's addictive.

That said, I'm looking forward with great anticipation in hope of seeing Evan's new "Around the World" live in Lake Placid! He stole my heart with it from the broadcast version! And anything else he skates - ever! Talk about speed - next to impossible to get pictures - unless you point and shoot ahead of where he is. By the time you click, if you're lucky, he'll be in the frame. More likely he'll already have sped on. He pulls you right in with him.

I've not seen Yu-Na live yet, so anything of hers will be awesome.

Alissa's Man of LaMancha - though I have seen it a number of times live I never tire of it. Also am becoming very excited about Ashley Wagner.

Shen/Xao final program when they retired. Can't remember where, when or the name, but will never forget the program itself.

Dubreil/Lauzon: Somewhere in Time

REally looking forward to Skate America. So many of my favorites will be there.

 

[Tonichelle]

Talk about speed - next to impossible to get pictures - unless you point and shoot ahead of where he is. By the time you click, if you're lucky, he'll be in the frame. More likely he'll already have sped on

that is so very true... I have very few photos other than his sit spin over three US Nationals...

that also means, though, that he doesn't hold a position long enough to actually snap off a pic or two... in that way I prefer Johnny's programs at least I have photographic evidence that he was there at the event (I don't save overly blurry/out of focus photos of anyone)

[quoted]For US skating fans we will always have "Fields of Gold" to remember how Michelle shared her heart and spoke to us that evening through her skating.[/quote]

Not to be rude, but I don't think US skating fans is correct. Some of us didn't get on the bandwagon for Michelle - ever - and while I do like Fields of Gold (the only program of hers I like, in all honesty) I don't have the same emotional connection Michelle's fans do. Michelle fans aren't just US skating fans, and vice versa.

 

[Mathman]

Aniother thing that you can see better live is the centering of spins. On TV, they use one of those cameras on a long jointed pole, and it moves around to show slightly different angles. As a result it looks like every spin is traveling when it's not.

My favorite skaters to see live are the ones that we don't get to see on television. Like local club shows. I am a big fan of Andrea Best and Trevor Young, for instance.

The first major competition I ever saw live was Skate America in 2002. The skaters I saw there for the first time have remained my favorites ever since: Vakhtang Murvanidze (he acted like he was the ring master of the whole event, like he was the one presenting all the other skaters), Ludmilla Neledina (the first women after Tonya Harding and Midori Ito a decade before to land a triple Axel, right in front of me ), and Watanabe and Kido. Plus the two hall of famers in the pretty girl/media darling category, Jennifer Kirk and Ann Patrice McDonough, who gave Michelle Kwan a run for her money. (Well, not really -- Michelle is Michelle -- but still...)

 

[Tinymavy15]

I saw Sasha skate in a show once, but I would love to see her in competition. evan was amazing to see live at worlds. I would like to see Johnny Wier live, and of course Plushenko. I saw yu-na live at worlds, (but sat up in the "nosebleed section") and wasn't blown away.

 

[life684]

Sorry this is the shortest list i could come up with

Pairs

Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze 2001 Lp to City Lights by Chaplin at the worlds

Mishkutenok & Dmitriev :LP to Rachmaninov Piano Concerto #2 at 1994 Olympics and LP to Franz Liszt's Liebestraum at 1992

Ice Dancing

Anissina/ Peizart ; OD 2002 Olympics

Lobacheva/ Averbukh OD 2002 Olympics

Domnina/Shabalin OD 2006 Olympics and i wouldn't might most of their programs (except for their CD at euros 2009)

Men's

Yagudin: Lawernce of Arabia LP 1999 worlds, Winter SP 2002 Olympics, Euros Racing - LP. I also like his circus inspired program, i don't know which year the program is from.

Plushy: Tribute to Nijinsky

Aboott; Eight seasons from GPFs 08-09

Ponsero : Euro 09 LP

Ladies:

Maria - What a woman: Japan Open 2000 and Scene D'amour 2000 sp


Yukari: Sayuri, Memoirs of Geisha 2007 sp world champs

Yuna : Moulin Rouge sp at 2007 worlds, Like most of her programs

Irina: 2000 GPFS LP


Mao : Czardas 2007 Lp program & a clean Bells of Moscow LP at 2010 Olympics . – I couldn’t find a link to this.

 

[☆Genie]

I would DIE to see Yuna kim's and Mao Asada's.
Mao looks very effortless in Claire de Lune, that I would love to just sit there and stare at her skating.
Yuna is just explosive!

~S♡NE.

 

[schiele]

Sorry this is the shortest list i could come up with

Pairs

Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze 2001 Lp to City Lights by Chaplin at the worlds

Mishkutenok & Dmitriev :LP to Rachmaninov Piano Concerto #2 at 1994 Olympics and LP to Franz Liszt's Liebestraum at 1992

Ice Dancing

Anissina/ Peizart ; OD 2002 Olympics

Lobacheva/ Averbukh OD 2002 Olympics

Domnina/Shabalin OD 2006 Olympics and i wouldn't might most of their programs (except for their CD at euros 2009)

Men's

Yagudin: Lawernce of Arabia LP 1999 worlds, Winter SP 2002 Olympics, Euros Racing - LP. I also like his circus inspired program, i don't know which year the program is from.

Plushy: Tribute to Nijinsky

Aboott; Eight seasons from GPFs 08-09

Ponsero : Euro 09 LP

Ladies:

Maria - What a woman: Japan Open 2000 and Scene D'amour 2000 sp


Yukari: Sayuri, Memoirs of Geisha 2007 sp world champs

Yuna : Moulin Rouge sp at 2007 worlds, Like most of her programs

Irina: 2000 GPFS LP


Mao : Czardas 2007 Lp program & a clean Bells of Moscow LP at 2010 Olympics . – I couldn’t find a link to this.

Wow, very much like this list! :agree::agree: You know what, I would love to see all of Anissina/ Peizart's free programmes from 99 to 02. That Circus programme of Yags was 1999 I think, the first year he switched to Tarasova. I'd also like to add Plushenko 2003 Qualifying round with Carmen..

 

[nubka]

Plushy's Tribute to Nijinsky, and anything by B&S...

 

[Wicked]

Michelle's Lyrica Angelica at 1998 Nats. Of current competing skaters, I really want to see Yu-Na and Stéphane skate live. I want to see Stéphane do the program where he does the 1 minute spin.

 

[lcd]

I agree with Michelle's Lyra Angelica. Take me back to Philadelphia 1998 with Michelle just out of a walking cast.

My real time machine for live though goes further back.

Lyon Worlds 1971 - to watch Janet Lynn and JoJo Starbuck and Ken Shelley bring the house down, and win the hearts of the crowd. The judges put them 4th and 4rd respectively, but it seems clear the programs were just magic.

 

[prettykeys]

YuNa - "Tango de Roxanne" and "Lark Ascending"
Mao - Nocturne (Czardas would be more impressive but I love Nocturne more), and maybe "Scent of a Woman"
Yagudin - "Winter" and "Man in the Iron Mask"
Sasha - I'd be curious to see her live but I don't know what program I would like to watch. Probably an Ex/Show piece

Some of us didn't get on the bandwagon for Michelle - ever - and while I do like Fields of Gold (the only program of hers I like, in all honesty) I don't have the same emotional connection Michelle's fans do. Michelle fans aren't just US skating fans, and vice versa.

Tonichelle, I have to say I'm stunned...and in a happy way! I liked Michelle's "Fields of Gold" and Aranjuez (sp?) the most, but I couldn't say I was a fan of hers or interested in figure skating at the time of her peak. I watch clips of her on YouTube and I feel tremendous respect and some regret for Michelle because her love of skating is so obvious, but her skating in itself just did not move me. And then the self-questioning and the re-watching and the wondering if I'm human, Yayyyyyy I'm not the only one! And I might not be a robot!

 

[lcd]

I would want to sit at the end of the rink while Robin Cousins did one of his soaring delayed axels. Soaring. 25 feet across (?), 12 feet up, and 50 miles per hour

The reason to be there live? To feel the huge whoooooosh of air when he went by. Supernatural.

 

[janetfan]

I agree with Michelle's Lyra Angelica. Take me back to Philadelphia 1998 with Michelle just out of a walking cast.

My real time machine for live though goes further back.

Lyon Worlds 1971 - to watch Janet Lynn and JoJo Starbuck and Ken Shelley bring the house down, and win the hearts of the crowd. The judges put them 4th and 4rd respectively, but it seems clear the programs were just magic.

I'm with you on that one Icd - and Lyon has so many great restaurants!