Daisuke Takahashi | Page 46 | Golden Skate

Daisuke Takahashi

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007

from 8:48, Dai's message to younger athletes who dream of competing at the Games

"Everything that happens to you along the way has a meaning, regardless if you're aware of it or not. It's all up to you how meaningful it can be or just meaningless it shall be. And don't rush yourself. One step at a time.
I believe there is nothing meaningless that happens to someone, though it may appear plain meaningless (to the person at first or to someone else), and I would rather see such a things is 'necessary' on its way to progress (as an athlete/person). Looking back my path so far, I did things which at first appeared meaningless. I made many mistakes, too. But if you are afraid of making a mistake and hesitate going for it, it may stop you from progressing. That's how I, at least, have progressed as a skater all these years. Mistakes that I made in the past helped what I am today. I have never been scolded for making a mistake by my coach. <in a small voice...well, it said so, clearly on her face a couple of times, though...(laugh).> Haste makes waste in the end. We sometimes need a roundabout route in life."
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007

let`s talk

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
OOoohhh!!! Daisuke's Engurishu is so chaaaarming!!! :love: Nice to see those vids from PIW practice in Shin-Yokohama.
 

ostile17

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
from 8:48, Dai's message to younger athletes who dream of competing at the Games

"Everything that happens to you along the way has a meaning, regardless if you're aware of it or not. It's all up to you how meaningful it can be or just meaningless it shall be. And don't rush yourself. One step at a time.
I believe there is nothing meaningless that happens to someone, though it may appear plain meaningless (to the person at first or to someone else), and I would rather see such a things is 'necessary' on its way to progress (as an athlete/person). Looking back my path so far, I did things which at first appeared meaningless. I made many mistakes, too. But if you are afraid of making a mistake and hesitate going for it, it may stop you from progressing. That's how I, at least, have progressed as a skater all these years. Mistakes that I made in the past helped what I am today. I have never been scolded for making a mistake by my coach. <in a small voice...well, it said so, clearly on her face a couple of times, though...(laugh).> Haste makes waste in the end. We sometimes need a roundabout route in life."

Oooh... thank you so much!
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Since I have finished my 'homework', which of course was long-overdue again, in a comp thread of this past season :laugh:, let me do some translation on the recent article in the local newspaper (Osaka, Dai's current home rink) right after WTT event. Little by litte as usual. ;)

--------------------------
Source: Osaka Nichinichi Shimbun, April 25-27, 2013
Writer: Junko Kuroo / Photos: Eri Asoh, Junko Kuroo
臥薪嘗胆 (Ga Shin Sho-Tan) 高橋大輔
Daisuke Takahashi: "No regret, no excuse. Better struggle now. For better success in the future."

<deedee's note>
臥薪嘗胆 (Ga Shin Sho-Tan) is one 4-letter 漢字(chinese characters) of old famous Chinese proverbs, actually. So I had to check it up with my Japanese dictionary how it can be pronounced (!) and what it means first, then I went thru a couple of online Japanese-English dictionaries to look for suitable expressions. If translating these chinese characters to its direct meaning, it can be said "Lay youself on firewood and wait while bearing its pain". And on-line dict. suggest to translate something like "enduring unspeakable hardships for the sake of vengeance". It sounds too strong I thought, so I naturally changed it as the above, trying to pick up its essence of general description/intention of this article. Please be cautious, as usual, in reading my translations, because I am no professional and apologies in advance for any mistakes on grammar or English word usage...Anyway here we go.



<Part 1> http://www.nnn.co.jp/dainichi/rensai/skate/130425/20130425048.html

Spinning every note of music with whole body
A figure skating competition 'World Team Trophy 2013' was held at Yoyogi, Tokyo from April 11th to 13th. WTT is a team event competed by the world's top 6 countries which are selected upon overall results of this season's major competitions. Each country consists of two skaters from Ladies, another two from Men, one from Pair, anothe one from Ice Dance, and will compete among each desciplines, count its placements, added up, and final resutls is to be determined as a team/country. It was first held in 2009, then scheduled to be held every other year (though 2011 was canceled due to Higashi Nihon Earthquake hit that March, and rescheduled in 2012), and this year's was the 3rd WTT. USA won the inaugurating 1st WTT. Japan won the 2nd one. Participating skaters from Japan this time were Daisuke Takahashi, Takahito Mura, Mao Asada, Akiko Suzuki and Cathy/Chris Reed. We will focus on Takahashi, who placed first in Men descipline, with a 3-day serial articles.

On the night of Men Short Program on April 12th. When the name of Takahashi got called as 'next to skate', the temperature/voltage in the arena suddenly risen up. His program was to 'Moon Light Sonata' which, having replaced from his previous 'RocknRoll Medley', was rather unusual decision to make in the middle of the season and right before the important Four Continent Championships. It was only the third time for Takahashi to skate this program, but everyone in the arena also knew this was going to be the last chance to see it for them.

(cont'd)
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Hearing all cheers from audience on his back, Takahashi stood on ice, took his opening pose slowly and waited for the music. He started his skate as melodious piano hit its very first note, and with the first touch of his blade he took everyone into the Ludwig van Beethoven's world.
The opening quad toe-loop was two-footed and got downgraded, landed the next jump, a triple axel, solidly, then missed the landing on 3Lz-3T combination. But he carried away entire audience with the final step sequence.
The score came up. He placed 2nd with 80.72 points, behind Patrick Chan who is the reigning World Champion. "I missed jumps, but I am satisfied with the rest of my skate, because I was able to skate just the way I wanted to. Every time I go out there, I always want to feel how I'm feeling today after my skate (though it did not turn out as I hoped for evrey time...)", enjoying pleasant fatigue he said with relief.

As for his new short program to Moonlight Sonata, "To be honest, I don't know for sure if I was able to fully capture the heart of the music, or if I was able to skate to the grogram's full potential. But I tried my best, in such a short time frame, and I did it well I think." Takahashi is one of the kind who never says somethig like 'I am really satisfied with my performance' or 'that was the perfect skate'. When it comes to his own skating, he tends to evaluate it very low and he's such a perfectionist to have lofty ideals, so everyone learns it by now that we don't often get any positive comments from this skater. However, the audience reaction told it all; how deliciously he skated that night.
Especially the last 'surging-waves-like' step sequence which was created by Nikolai Morozov, who btw is one of his coaches also a world-famous choreographer, expecting Takahashi's excellent skating skills and blades work, was just fabulous that made audience almost forget they actually were watching 'a sport'. The way he spins every note of the music with his whole body left an ever-lasting vivid recollection among those who witnessed it as one of the finest art in the world. "Tonight I skated with all my heart and with my gratitude to this program. I let myself free and skated just the way I wanted to, not worrying other things but focused on my skating only", says Takahashi. Clearly his heart reached to audience' heart.

(onto Part 2)
 

let`s talk

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
However, the audience reaction told it all; how deliciously he skated that night.
... was just fabulous that made audience almost forget they actually were watching 'a sport'. The way he spins every note of the music with his whole body left an ever-lasting vivid recollection among those who witnessed it as one of the finest art in the world.
The source read GS and then translated into Japanese. ;)
 

let`s talk

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
AOI is on its way. Various skaters tweeted their pics of the event:

From Trankov (AOI stage photo):
http://instagram.com/p/Z7ZaVeuVWC/#

From Shi:
http://instagram.com/p/Z6_2AHwIS6/#
http://instagram.com/p/Z6_Q4fwISM/#

And Akiko:
https://twitter.com/Mariakko2010/status/340041295923933184/photo/1

From media:
http://mainichi.jp/graph/2013/05/31/20130531k0000m050055000c/001.html

Dai's rehearsal:
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/photos/20130530/fig13053020160000-p9.html
http://twitpic.com/cu9jlz

Dai's on the promotional TV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVs5a8uctYY

As a "Nothing Else Matters" girl, I am not a fan of pop collaboration, especially on some cheesy love song sung by an old guy. But of course I will be attending the show. :)
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Thank you deedee for your report on Dai's performance at WTT, great read!

Let's talk thanks for the links and have a fun time at the show. I am not crazy about singers
being in ice shows, but it seems to be a trend that has been happening for awhile at least in the US.
 

Pattina

On the Ice
Joined
May 1, 2013
Hi to everybody. My first post here
Thank you deedee for translation. Great article, but we fans are saying same things since years and years, reporter says nothing new for us :)

Let's talk, thanks for links. Wish you a great time and can't wait for your reports, so keen and funny I feel to be there too :clap:
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
A very warm welcome from me, too, Pattina! :) Post often post long!
Since your very first post on GS Forum was for one of its Fan Fests threads, just like mine, you must be a fan of this skater, may I assume? ;)

And demarinis, thanks a lot for your always extending nice attentive words to many of GS members! :), and for sometimes spraying a bit of cold water over a couple of brat members in a brief but decent polite way ;), both of which have been much appreciated by many members for sure especially from non-English speaking members like me. :yes:
 
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