The Battle of the Brians - who would get your vote? | Golden Skate

The Battle of the Brians - who would get your vote?

Brian or Brian

  • Brian Boitano

    Votes: 62 67.4%
  • Brian Orser

    Votes: 24 26.1%
  • Don't know

    Votes: 6 6.5%

  • Total voters
    92

icenut84

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
This was undoubtedly one of the closest competitions ever. Out of the two performances given on the night, who would you have given the gold to?
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I saw that when I was 3, don't have a tape of it(I'd love to though!) so I can't really say... Brian Boitano was technically brilliant... but I love Brian Orser's artistry and find it 10 million times better than Boitano's... so I don't know but I probably would have gone for whoever was the most artistic



I'll say my vote would go to Kurt Browning ;) LOL
 

Jaana

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
Finland
At the time I thought that the right Brian won. Had the same opinion again as I got a tape maybe four years ago. I also liked Orser´s skating very much.

Marjaana
 

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I believe the right Brian won (Boitano's sp from the 1988 Olympics is my favorite). As professionals they both developed into better skaters. I like them both.
 

BronzeisGolden

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Brian Boitano deserved the gold without question. He skated with precise command and technical gusto. I probably would have given Orser the edge presentation wise...but just by a fraction. Boitano had that Olympic "fire" and Orser, though wonderful to watch, just had one too many technical errors. If he had just botched the flip or the axel separately the outcome might have been different, but those two flaws combined were just enough to put the Gold out of reach.
 

mike79

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
On most nights I would pick Brian Orser because of his artistic ability and he could match Boitano with 3Axels.

In Calgary I would have marked Boitano as the winner. That program was brilliantly skated.
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I have to agree about Boitano. I've never been a fan of his skating, but he was great that night. My heart broke for Brian Orser. He wanted it so badly, and he was at home too. He was also Canada's only hope for a gold medal. But that's the way the cookie crumbles. I'm glad to see they've both had such long lasting careers.
 

lil lion 816

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
Hmm - I thought that Brian Orser should have won the gold in 88 and I still hold that opinion today after watching the free skates of both Brians. And I know a few more things about skating than I did then, LOL. Maybe it's because ice dancing was what started my interest in the sport in 84, but I thought that Brian Orser's "in-betweens" and choreo were much more interesting than Boitano's. Also - Boitano's second triple axel was definitely two-footed. It was an admirable attempt (especially at the time, when landing *one* was still considered quite a technical feat) but still not clean. I felt that made him and Orser about even on the technical mark, and that Orser had him quite easily on the second mark. But of course, that's just my opinion. :)
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Brian Orser gets my vote "hands down." I think Brian Boitano had a lot of media "hype" from the US before he skated. Brian Orser simply gave way to all the pressure he was under about the "battle of the Brians" and lost his concentration momentarily. Artistically, his program was better. But Boitano did have an "ace" in up his sleeve - Sandra Bezic - she made a better artistic skater of him and brought out his strengths.

http://www.skatecanada.ca/photos/hofgallery/14_1t.jpg
 

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I love the skating of both Brians, and it broke my heart to see Orser not win another Olympics.........but, artistically, I think Boitano had the slight edge. Technically, they were a toss up. 42
 

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
........I think if Orser had gone pro after 84, Scott would still be in the mix and the battle may have been between Brian and Scott...........If both had skated their best, I would give the win to Scott based on his huge popularity, speed on the ice and footwork..........that would make Brian B. trying for the 1992 Olympics........wow, this could go on and on...........:) 42
 

diamondqueen

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
The battle of the Brians

Brian Boitano gets my vote every time. He is the best and one of my favorites. There is no question in my mind that he skated the best that night and deserved the gold medal. I love BB and have been a fan of his forever.

Happy New Year
diamond

:love:
 

frozetoez

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
There is no way that Hamilton at his best could ever beat Boitano at his best. Boitano, after his choreographic makeover, had it all. With the exception of his footwork, I've never seen anything exceptional about Hamilton's skating. I think the reasons he won so many amateur competitions is, 1. He was a stellar brown-noser and the judges lurve that. 2. A lot of his competitors (with the exception of Boitano and a couple of others) tended to crash and burn while he remained vertical. Doesn't mean his skating was all that, but he got lucky and managed to stay upright. 3. He was good at figures.

Scott's a great showman, but only a so-so skater.
 

ouridol

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Boitano w/out a doubt:)
However, I thought both of their performances were amazing and I commend them both. :D
 

Olenska

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Reason makes me say that Boitano deserved his win: he was clean, and Orser was not. But it was very narrow. And my heart belonged to Orser, :laugh: . I hated Boitano for so long after that... :eek:

Last year, I watched a portrait of B. Orser on CBC, and his life was so clearly tainted by that "failure" that I almost cried for him. But I'm sure he's learning to make his peace with it, and if he does, I sure can, too, lol! :D After all, two Olympic silvers is hardly something to be ashamed of!
 

Callystarr

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 26, 2003
I think I am going to have to go off of memory for this one, but Brian Boitano landed 2 triple axels and a 3flip/3toe, his program was technically superior to that of Brian Orser, I think Orser had a slight mistake as well...artistically neither was superior to each other in my opinion.
 

Bijoux

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 8, 2004
the battle

I would have given the gold to Brian Orser and I'm not from Canada. I guess Brian B had those bigger axels, but artistically I think Orser was the best skater. He was much faster, he rotated his jumps so quickly compared to BB.
 
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