Sarah Hughes | Page 7 | Golden Skate

Sarah Hughes

Mathman said:
But seriously...

This is what good edges can be in spiral sequences and one-foot skating unterspersed throughout a program. This art has disappeared utterly from figure skating today.

Michelle at fifteen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oywJebgYE_4

Michelle at almost eighteen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS3FntkFAyU&NR=1
Click to expand...

Oh, Math--what beautiful skates!

I'm so grateful to YouTube for keeping skaters of yesterday and today immortal. This is how fans of Fred Astaire must have felt when he left Broadway to come to the movies. Now everyone in the world could see him at his best for as long as celluloid lasted.

It's so delightful to realize that Michelle had that assurance at fifteen and the maturity and mysterious quality of a Margot Fonteyn at eighteen. Generally skaters age out of the sport before they are able to develop that quality, especially these days when they have to spend so much time counting and checking off moves. But Michelle had those traits almost from the get-go, and she stayed in long enough to nurture them. So, in her different way, did Sasha. Lucky us! I'm hoping for the same growth from Mao and YuNa, who have talents just as formidable. But no one will ever erase the effect of Michelle from my mind. A lot of my enjoyment and admiration of her is subjective, of course, but a lot of it is also a recognition of her extraordinarily high quality.
 
Thanks for the two wonderful "Eden" clips mathman.

Watching them bring back such memories. And Olympia makes a good point that YouTube is one of the best things that has happened for skating fans.

Watching Michelle frequently takes me back to this skater and I see such similarities in their skating style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvElljzi7rE&feature=fvw
 
janetfan said:
Thanks for the two wonderful "Eden" clips mathman.

Watching them bring back such memories. And Olympia makes a good point that YouTube is one of the best things that has happened for skating fans.

Watching Michelle frequently takes me back to this skater and I see such similarities in their skating style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvElljzi7rE&feature=fvw
Click to expand...

Beautiful edging and she just floats across the ice. Beautiful edging gives me chills.
You only get it every now and then and when it happens it's usually coming from the guys.
 
To get back on topic...I thought Sarah showed good ice coverage, speed and edging in her spiral sequences. She did have a bent free leg at times, but always had nice positions, lovely back and extension:
outside edge http://www.ne.jp/asahi/kuro/satokon/01lalique/photo/lhug.JPG
inside edge http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/81...346B94F12A8281C4EF1C52E71F93C75E0894A014C96A7

No doubt about it Sasha almost always received the top marks for spirals. The only time I recall her getting not the highest was when she struggled to change edge while grabbing her skate at 2005 Worlds. We never saw her try that move again. From the boot up, Sasha has great spiral positions. When you watch live, speed and edging come through much more than on TV. I remember the 1st time I saw Sasha live after hearing all the hype about how wonderful this kid's spirals/spins were, I was a bit underwhelmed. Live, her speed/edging/ice coverage are less impressive-BUT still much better than the average skater, no doubt! But compared to some of the top skaters with better skating basics, her weaknesses from the boot down are more obvious. Yu-Na's power, speed and deep edges are much more appreciated live. Her flexion/amplitude is definitely lacking, but she makes up for it in other areas. So, she would never lose a competition because she doesn't point her toes and have her knee by her ear in her spirals. A great spiral didn't make or break a skater as long as they can garner a level 4.

Personally, I'm more impressed by overall quality of the skating, which is why programs like Michelle's "EOE" and Janets's "Afternoon of a Faun" blow me away more so than a hyper extended spiral sequence-NOT talking about Sasha, just talking in general. Sasha and Caroline have some lovely exhibitions, too, where they combine their flexibility strengths with the mood of the music, showing off gorgeous positions and makes me forget if they don't have the deepest edges or greatest speed, like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i4RpKDYqrg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHCe9rSOwys&feature=related
 
Last edited:
Personally, I'm more impressed by overall quality of the skating, which is why programs like Michelle's "EOE" and Janets's "Afternoon of a Faun" blow me away more so than a hyper extended spiral sequence-NOT talking about Sasha, just talking in general. Sasha and Caroline have some lovely exhibitions, too, where they combine their flexibility strengths with the mood of the music, showing off gorgeous positions and makes me forget if they don't have the deepest edges or greatest speed
Click to expand...


I basically agree with your whole post. I forgot about Caroline. I so hope that she will just work on her edging to help her skating skills everyday. If she digs those edges into the ice she will gain that speed. Speed will greatly enhance her scores even if she doesn't exactly have the correct tech on her lutz/flip right now.
 
MKFSfan said:
To get back on topic...I thought Sarah showed good ice coverage, speed and edging in her spiral sequences. She did have a bent free leg at times, but always had nice positions, lovely back and extension:
outside edge http://www.ne.jp/asahi/kuro/satokon/01lalique/photo/lhug.JPG
inside edge http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/81...346B94F12A8281C4EF1C52E71F93C75E0894A014C96A7

No doubt about it Sasha almost always received the top marks for spirals. The only time I recall her getting not the highest was when she struggled to change edge while grabbing her skate at 2005 Worlds. We never saw her try that move again. From the boot up, Sasha has great spiral positions. When you watch live, speed and edging come through much more than on TV. I remember the 1st time I saw Sasha live after hearing all the hype about how wonderful this kid's spirals/spins were, I was a bit underwhelmed. Live, her speed/edging/ice coverage are less impressive-BUT still much better than the average skater, no doubt! But compared to some of the top skaters with better skating basics, her weaknesses from the boot down are more obvious. Yu-Na's power, speed and deep edges are much more appreciated live. Her flexion/amplitude is definitely lacking, but she makes up for it in other areas. So, she would never lose a competition because she doesn't point her toes and have her knee by her ear in her spirals. A great spiral didn't make or break a skater as long as they can garner a level 4.

Personally, I'm more impressed by overall quality of the skating, which is why programs like Michelle's "EOE" and Janets's "Afternoon of a Faun" blow me away more so than a hyper extended spiral sequence-NOT talking about Sasha, just talking in general. Sasha and Caroline have some lovely exhibitions, too, where they combine their flexibility strengths with the mood of the music, showing off gorgeous positions and makes me forget if they don't have the deepest edges or greatest speed, like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i4RpKDYqrg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHCe9rSOwys&feature=related
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for posting the clips.
I :love: both of those programs - Caroline is only 14 but she shows such a beautiful and gentle quality in "Lullabye."

Sasha's skating at 18 shows more emotional depth and her best qualities shine so brightly in that program.
 
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Mathman said:
But seriously...

This is what good edges can be in spiral sequences and one-foot skating unterspersed throughout a program. This art has disappeared utterly from figure skating today.


Michelle at almost eighteen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS3FntkFAyU&NR=1
Click to expand...

In the '98 EOE, Michelle stays on one foot, backwards to forwards and around, for around 16 seconds, starting at around 2:02. That is simply amazing! And I particularly love the neat and simple three-turn at the end of the sequence. Perfection.
 
janetfan said:
This skater was just ...just....just....in a class of his own.

Has any skater before or after displayed such grace?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg3Hv1PfQ2g&feature=related

as a bonus here he is skating to "Carmen" :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syYlSFtQjoo&feature=related

He is spectacular from "the boot up" but shows such wonderful edges too.
Truly a skater for the ages. :bow:
Click to expand...

Gloriosky! I had recently watched the Don Quichotte, but the Carmen is new to me. Curry really is incomparable. Thanks for unearthing that clip.
 
Olympia said:
Gloriosky! I had recently watched the Don Quichotte, but the Carmen is new to me. Curry really is incomparable. Thanks for unearthing that clip.
Click to expand...

Indeed it was special. I actually prefer it over Katarina's which seems a little over the top at times to me.
 
Why does it seem that there's always a focus on what could or would have been with the CoP? She skated brilliantly and won fair and square. Just like the ladies who won under the CoP system won fair and square. Let it rest, please.
 
wonbinfan86 said:
How is this art? it's boring and slow like Caroline Zhang.
Click to expand...

:rofl: The whole point of figure skating is blades on ice. Watch her blade work. This is not only art, it is now a lost art. No current skater can come close to Michelle's blade control -- most don't even know that such an art once existed. :cry:
 
Mathman said:
:rofl: The whole point of figure skating is blades on ice. Watch her blade work. This is not only art, it is now a lost art. No current skater can come close to Michelle's blade control -- most don't even know that such an art once existed. :cry:
Click to expand...

Caroline Zhang (and other, more successful skaters, too) can only dream of having Michelle's edging and control. I think her '98 World Pro EOE ranks with the best all-around skating performances of all time.
 
princess9 said:
No not in grad school, rtureck. Someone said she is considering law school. I don't know about Emily. Yes, good falling leaf and one of the few skaters who skate with great attack. Different body than her sister but those Hughes girls are real competitors.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update. Law school good for her, there are some lawyers in her family right? I believe she taled about being a pediatrician at one point, so she changed her mind.
 
jenaj said:
In the '98 EOE, Michelle stays on one foot, backwards to forwards and around, for around 16 seconds, starting at around 2:02. That is simply amazing! And I particularly love the neat and simple three-turn at the end of the sequence. Perfection.
Click to expand...

Thanks for reminding us that, Awww.... and how about those falling leaves. Can someone find some youtube examples of the falling leaves. BTW, Emily Hughes has a good falling leaf too, anyone find that in youtube too.

I know this is a Sarha thread.
 
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