What are you looking forward to most this season?

[clairecloutier]

Not long now until the new season starts!! So, what is everyone looking forward to most this season??

For me, it's the return of Johnny Weir.

Also, I'm excited to see the new American pairs. (Hope some of them will be promising!)

 

[Cherryy]

For me it'll be the ladies' field. I'm especially curious to find out how the youngest ones are going to perform. It's the pre-olympic season and teenage girls are usualy more likely to win (look at Oksana, Tara, Sarah and even Yuna) than old women (Carolina, Akiko, Alissa) BUT old ones were the best last season. It's going to be really exciting. I'm rooting for Elizaveta the most, than Adelina, Julia (only GP), Li Zijun and Gracie.

Apart from youngsters the one thing I'm looking forward THE MOST is Caroline Zhang. I almost cried when I saw how well she performed at nationals and then went on to win the bronze medal at 4cc. I have a feeling she's going to be even better this season. She probably won't qualify for worlds but going to 4cc again is possible for her.

 

[Olympia]

I'm with you on Caroline Zhang. I want her to shine! I'm also excited to see the comeback skaters, especially YuNa, of course.

But the top skaters are promising their own excitement from the word about the advancements they have planned. The details about Virtue/Moir's program are tantalizing: they say, for example, that all their lifts are new. And what we've heard about both Chan's and Takahashi's programs make me want to wind the clock forward at double speed so I can see these guys on the ice. I'm always avid to see Mao Asada, and this year is no exception.

Also like you, I'm eager to see the young Russian ladies. I have yet to build a mental picture of all of them, so I don't know what to hope for the most, though I gather that Elizaveta and Adelina especially have amazing potential.

 

[Cherryy]

I'm always avid to see Mao Asada, and this year is no exception.

We seem to agree pretty much . True, I forgot about Asada. She definitely improved her technique and her not best performance at worlds could be caused by the death of her mother. I hope she regained the mental strenght in herself and that she will be as good as she was back in 2008 .

 

[Tonichelle]

New thread topics!!!!!!! that's what I look forward to most!

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I would like to see Mao and Alissa regain their best form. I'm also looking forward to seeing if Caro is able to up her technical merit and bring back a consistent lutz; I think she will give Yuna a real test if she has the full array of triples.

I'm also looking forward to seeing the development of the young Russians and of course Gold. I don't think any of them can challenge the four I mentioned before if the elders skate their best. However, only Caro has had solid results lately (Yuna has had no results) so it could shape up to be an exciting season.

 

[SkateFan66]

What am I looking most forward to this season? The return of Evan Lysacek!

 

[Buttercup]

The battle of Marina vs. Igor... though that's going to be a long-term storyline and we won't know who "won" for some time.

Other than that, honestly - not much. There haven't been any off-season developments that have filled me with excitement and some have mainly disappointed me (e.g. Hanyu to Orser, Dai's choreo, Kostner sitting out the GP, lots of meh music choices). I think S/S are keeping Pina, if that's true I guess I'll look forward to the possibility of a special performance of this amazing program.

 

[FSGMT]

Hi everyone! Most of all, the battle of the pairs: Virtue/Moir vs Davis/White and Savchenko/Szolkowy vs Volosozhar/Trankov! Then, obviously, the young Russians: will Liza and Adelina qualify for Euros and Worlds? Will they win medals? And the big returns: Yu-Na vs Mao; Evan, Weir and Plushy (his return at Worlds, I mean) vs Chan and Takahashi... And will Chan be so fantastic even withour C. Krall? Will Takahashi be consistent in his quad now that he's back with Morozov? OMG, I think I wrote enough things... It will be a super-season!

 

[plushyfan]

Hi everyone! Most of all, the battle of the pairs: Virtue/Moir vs Davis/White and Savchenko/Szolkowy vs Volosozhar/Trankov! Then, obviously, the young Russians: will Liza and Adelina qualify for Euros and Worlds? Will they win medals? And the big returns: Yu-Na vs Mao; Evan, Weir and Plushy (his return at Worlds, I mean) vs Chan and Takahashi... And will Chan be so fantastic even withour C. Krall? Will Takahashi be consistent in his quad now that he's back with Morozov? OMG, I think I wrote enough things... It will be a super-season!

Hi!

 

[Layfan]

Yeah, I'm with the above posters on Chan and Takahashi. Very intrigued now that Chan is changing choreographers and trying new quads. Good for him. Also, the Russian girls. Fresh and promising.
The U.S. ladies and men make me nervous. I have hopes for some of few of them and if those skaters start doing well I will get very excited. But for now it's hard to get tooooo excited about the U.S. singles field.

ah, yes and definitely excited and curious to see Yuna again.

 

[dorispulaski]

The Yankee Polka as an SD!

 

[skateluvr]

Hoping V/T will do moving programs. I just want someone, anyone to put the audience first and move me with a program that is worth watching and keeping like Carolina's two programs last year, and Ashley Wagner's programs, even her cute dancy gala skate. I love when a skater finds the music and choreography that they LOVE themselves, and transmit that to the audience. I am hoping the world is graced with some great pair skaters again that move me. V/T are the closest pair to that feeling.

When will we have some stunning pairs who are beautiful, transmit beauty like past exemplars like G&G (I know they will never come again-that was so unique), B&S, S&P and S/Z. What a difference watching a pair who are lovers/married couples. They really do skate as one. I don't know if V/T are a couple, but they are my favorite pair team.

What do they need to join the pantheon I mentioned.

 

[gmyers]

Lysacek goes up against Hanyu in Skate America. That is a must see. Also in that are Abbott, Kozuka, Hanyu, Brezina and one of the last two men to beat Chan Verner in Skate America. Hanyu has the jumps and impressive PCS and was second in the FS at worlds and Kozuka was second in a FS at worlds to Chan. That competition will be so interesting!

 

[Snoopy15]

To be quite honest, it's definitely seeing a renewed Patrick Chan.
I'll admit, I'm not a fan of his skating. Everything he did after 2009 Worlds with his Rachmaninoff and Tango de Los Exilados (and maybe including the ORIGINAL Phantom of the Opera from Liberty 2009 to his masterpieces) just seemed to lack emotions and any originality in his skating. I felt as though it constricted him of his abilities and natural artistic potential.
However, I was in absolute awe of his Rachmaninoff Ex from Worlds the past year, and I've always been very approving of Buttle's work. I think that these two will come up with something spectacular.
Chan's always had the amazing flow, speed, edge work, and transitions integrated throughout the program, now he just has to acquire the artistic components and he will truly be golden.

 

[Skater Boy]

I am curious,not so sure about looking forward, to the return of Evan and Johnny. As well, I would love to see Plushy be back at the worlds so this will be interesting to watch. The emergence of V and T versus Ssquared in pairs. I am curious if the Japanese can hold on or will there a re emergence or rebirth of k and s. In ladies of course seeing Yuna is a big thrill and finding out which American will be the next great one along with what is going on with Mao. I sense Mirai, Caroline Z, Ashley and Gold are the faves. With the emergence of Kim as well as potentially some Russians I am wondering who will fall - someone statistically will come crashing down be it Kostner, Suzuki or Leonova one of them at least will probably fall big time in the world standings. In dance of course the interest is on Davis and White versus V and M. I really would like to see D and W stretch themselves but I do admit they tend to pick better music that suits them whereas V and M are risk takers. I also wonder if the Russians, Canadians, Italians and Americans will move ahead or challenge the French. SAdlyh, I do not have much interest in Canadas ladies. Without Joannie Rochette they are non players.

 

[Bluebonnet]

So many crazy developments during this off season in men and in ice dance. They've guaranteed to make the season very exciting, to me at least. I'm so curious to see the new Patrick under a dance coach with two new artistic programs. I'm also very much looking forward to seeing a technically stronger Yuzuru Hanyu, a same old Daisuke Takahashi (Well, don't get to jump up before you finish reading it. That's not a bad thing because he was very very good last season and I didn't see much difference in his choreography in his new SP this season.), an over the top and entertaining Johnny Weir, a serious and still consistent Evan Lysacek, a portraying artistically different charactered Jeremy Abbott, a more tech strong Michal Brezina, and Plushenko, and Oda, and a lot a lot more...

I'm looking forward to seeing Skate America and NHK Trothy, to see the battle between Lysacek and Abbott, and the battle between Takahashi and Hanyu.

I'm looking forward to seeing a better V&M vs. D&W.

And I'm looking forward to seeing Yu Na Kim competing.

 

[christinaskater]

Akiko Suzuki taking it to the next level!

 

[mary01]

I am really sooo looking forward to seeing Mao Asada again can't wait to see her new programs, i'm also looking forward to seeing akiko and daisuke's new programs, and ofcourse miki is returning it will be quite interesting... this offseason has been really long it should just finally end....

it's particularly the ladies fields that i am soo excitet too see again!

 

[janetfan]

Unlike many of you I am mostly wondering what bizarre results the CoP will bring us this new season.

It is no longer possible to consider beautiful clean programs as the mark of good skating.
That of course is the primary reason most fans in N. America no longer pay attention to figure skating.

In the Cop era I wonder if bungee cords will be approved again to help a handicapped team unworthy of a medal .....or if a certain skater putting his hand down on the ice after a very shaky 3A will receive a good mark just because _ _ _ _ _ _ (fill in the blank)

I wonder if ISU judges will make even the slightest attempt to judge transitions, interpretation and performance /execution even close to the stated "GUIDELINES and by what actually happened on the ice on a given night?

Will a skater fall 3 times in a program and still receive top marks?
Or will this aberration of a scoring system show even a shred of integrity....not to mention decency and fairness?

There are several returning skaters to consider this season.

Will the CoP apply to them the same way it does to the other skaters :think:

I have my doubts...but that is what I will be looking forward to this season.....

All things considered it is amazing that I still even watch after all these years....