Which historical moment best encapsulates what is great about figure skating?

Mao88 · Jul 1, 2012

Which historical moment best encapsulates what is great about figure skating?

If you were asked to put a DVD on of any single moment from the entirety of figure skating history which best encapsulated everything that is truly great about figure skating, what would it be?

My views keep changing on this subject, but having thought about it again, i think it would have to be this performance. Artistry, emotion, choreography, interpretation, musicality, technique, verve, charisma, all brought together in one beautifully executed program.

But, what would you choose?

Macassar88 · Jul 1, 2012

Recent performances I can think of include Tessa and Scott's Mahler Yuna's Gershwin. Amazing artistry combined with supreme technical difficulty. I feel like that is the goal of figure skating.

Olympia · Jul 1, 2012

What a great question! Practically impossible to answer, of course, which is what makes it so tantalizing to mull over. I might choose a different response every time I think about it, and they might all be right. There are several milestone moment that seem to embody skating for me, including John Curry's Olympic long program and of course Torvill and Dean's Olympic Bolero. Both of them signified a new direction in skating. Also, both of these programs showcased the best skaters of the era doing their best at the most important venue of all.

Shen and Zhao's long program at 2003 Worlds was a combination of gritty determination to overcome injury and a beautifully designed, emotionally executed program.

I am too biased to know whether Michelle's 1998 Philadelphia long program to Lyra Angelica is objectively one of the high points of skating history, but I suspect that it is, at least for American fans. It demonstrated that sublime musical interpretation could be wedded to superb technical skill, and that a young skater could be artistically mature. (ETA: I see that's the program you chose, Mao88. I second it!)

I can think of other moments, but for now these make a satisfying list.

sillylionlove · Jul 1, 2012

I could name a bunch but I I had to pick one it would be G&G's 1994 Olympic program to Moonlight.

Tonichelle · Jul 2, 2012

Kurt Browning's SP in 1990 when he threw in the 3Axel at the last second... *epic*

iluvtodd · Jul 2, 2012

Rudy Galindo's US Nationals win in 1996

ladyjane · Jul 2, 2012

2002 Olympics men's short programme

Tonichelle said:
Kurt Browning's SP in 1990 when he threw in the 3Axel at the last second... *epic*

Alexei Yagudin's programme Winter at the Olympics of 2002 was my favourite moment of all time.

mskater93 · Jul 2, 2012

Only seen on video, but Janet Lynn's fall on the flying sit spin in Sapporo where she just laughed a little and got up to finish the program with a big smile.

ImaginaryPogue · Jul 2, 2012

I would point out that a DVD could hold hours of footage and moan until you let me have more..... if I'm being honest.

dorispulaski · Jul 2, 2012

Men's
The last flight of men in the LP at the 1988 Winter Olympics (Brian vs. Brian, with a super performance by Petrenko)
best ever competitive block-guts, drama, artistry, high flying athletics, and suspense. What more could you ask? Preferably the Canadian coverage, with Johnny Esaw as the Terry Gannon person.

Pairs
2002 Olympics, Lady Caliph SP by Berezhnayah & Sikuralidze (I just love this program :love:

)

Dance
There are so many really great programs, but I'd have to go with
1984 Olympics OSP Torvill & Dean (Paso Doble)

Ladies-
1988 Olympics LP Midori Ito (a bit unsatisfying, since she did not medal, but I love this program and Midori so much)

mousepotato · Jul 2, 2012

iluvtodd said:
Rudy Galindo's US Nationals win in 1996

ditto

blue dog · Jul 2, 2012

I'm gonna cheat and choose two (on the same night!) of each

Chen Lu vs Kwan - 96 Worlds
Gordeeva/Grinkov vs Kazakova/Dmitriev - 1994 Olympics
Boitano vs Orser - 88 Olympics

And more recently, to me-- Weaver/Poje - 2012 Worlds

Buttercup · Jul 2, 2012

ImaginaryPogue said:
I would point out that a DVD could hold hours of footage and moan until you let me have more..... if I'm being honest.

Exactly - skating has had so many great moments. This is one example: it's a beautiful performance, by someone who was not expected to deliver one at that point after facing a lot of adversity, and it was a true fairytale ending. Also, Awesome K&C reaction.

Yes, I'm linking to Sarah Meier's 2011 Euros free skate again. Because it was awesome and she deserved it.

SLC men was really special: great rivalry and two amazing skates by Yagudin for the OGM.

IP, you have too many messages in your inbox

Olympia · Jul 2, 2012

blue dog said:
I'm gonna cheat and choose two (on the same night!) of each

Chen Lu vs Kwan - 96 Worlds
Gordeeva/Grinkov vs Kazakova/Dmitriev - 1994 Olympics
Boitano vs Orser - 88 Olympics

These are three excellent match-ups. The neat thing about each of them is that things could have gone the other way in terms of which performance got the gold that night. As Moskvina, K/D's coach, said about the results in 1994, some judges prefer lyrics, and some prefer physics. Though the breakdown between "lyrics" and "physics" isn't how I'd describe Chen Lu vs. Kwan, or Boitano vs. Orser, judges might tend to value certain factors over certain other ones. The height of jumps vs. precision of stroking and edging, perhaps. When you get two opponents as good as the Brians, or Chen and Kwan, or G/G and K/D, it almost doesn't matter. I never think of the silver medalists in any of those combinations as lesser skaters. It was as if the entire evening won a gold medal.

centerpt1 · Jul 2, 2012

iluvtodd said:
Rudy Galindo's US Nationals win in 1996

The best moment/story for me!

iluvtodd · Jul 3, 2012

First time around, I limited my choice to one moment. Now I'll add a few more:

Battle of the Brians - 1988 Olympics - To me, the greatest men's competition in the sport, ever! I admire the respect and sportsmanship that both Brians have shown for each other. The Calgary Olympics got me "hooked" on figure skating!

Midori Ito's Olympic free skate - 1988 Olympics - I just want to hug her (Calgary 1998 is still my all time favorite Olympics, winter or summer).

Shen & Zhao @ 2003 Worlds - so thrilled to be there and be part of that standing ovation even before they finished their program.

Todd winning 1996 Worlds and putting his gold medal on his mom. I tear up every time I watch that performance and that gesture.

blue dog · Jul 3, 2012

iluvtodd said:
Todd winning 1996 Worlds and putting his gold medal on his mom. I tear up every time I watch that performance and that gesture.

I still giggle when I remember Todd's interview during the gala later that week, saying his mom hadn't given the medal back yet.

Oreo · Jul 3, 2012

These are all fantastic choices. I would throw into the mix Paul Wylie winning the silver medal at the Olympics. Everyone had low expectations of him, and yet he pulled it off--gloriously so.

blue_idealist · Jul 3, 2012

Michelle vs. Tara in the 1998 Olympics LP. That's when I really became a hardcore figure skating fan.

Olympia · Jul 3, 2012

Oreo said:
These are all fantastic choices. I would throw into the mix Paul Wylie winning the silver medal at the Olympics. Everyone had low expectations of him, and yet he pulled it off--gloriously so.

I just rewatched Paul's long program to Henry V last week to the Patrick Doyle score, because i was listening to the William Walton music for the earlier film version of Henry V and I wanted to compare sound tracks. Wylie's program still makes my heartbeat speed up and my mood lift. His skate perfectly suits the philosophy behind this thread, because it's technically exciting yet also emotionally engaging. It was truly the skate of a lifetime, on the niight it mattered the most.

Which historical moment best encapsulates what is great about figure skating?

Mao88

Macassar88

Olympia

sillylionlove

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

iluvtodd

ladyjane

mskater93

ImaginaryPogue

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

mousepotato

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!

Buttercup

Olympia

centerpt1

iluvtodd

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!

Oreo

blue_idealist

Olympia

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