"I wish I'd been there when..." | Page 2 | Golden Skate

"I wish I'd been there when..."

MK's Winter

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
1998 Nationals for Michelle's short and long.

1992 Olympics for Paul Wylie's programs

1998 Olympics so I could cry along with Lu Chen live instead of at home

1996 Worlds for ladies, men's and pairs
 

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
I have been lucky enough to see every major skating star live since 1986 including all OWG until the last 10 years when I could only go to a 2-4 events a year. So for skaters’ performances I did not see prior to 1986, these are the performances I wish I had seen live:
1976 Innsbruck OWG – John Curry, FS, Toller Cranston FS, Dorothy Hamill FS, Rodnina/Zaitzev FS, and the winning medalists performances of the first time ice dance was competed at OWG.
1984 Sarajevo OWG, Torvill/Dean OSP, FD, Brian Orser FS, the Carruthers FS
1979, Worlds Tai&Randy FS, 1984 Worlds Underhill/Martini FS
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
In the early years of the Olympics and Worlds, there was an event, Mixed (male/female pair) compulsory figures. From the little existing film footage available , it appears to have been a beautiful thing to observe. I would like to have seen Henie skate at her last Olympics and attended the Mixed compulsory figures competition at that Olympics.

I didn't know about the mixed compulsory figures! This sounds fascinating. I've just tried to google this, but with no luck... can you provide a link so that I can explore a little more?
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I have been lucky enough to see every major skating star live since 1986 including all OWG until the last 10 years when I could only go to a 2-4 events a year. So for skaters’ performances I did not see prior to 1986, these are the performances I wish I had seen live:
1976 Innsbruck OWG – John Curry, FS, Toller Cranston FS, Dorothy Hamill FS, Rodnina/Zaitzev FS, and the winning medalists performances of the first time ice dance was competed at OWG.
1984 Sarajevo OWG, Torvill/Dean OSP, FD, Brian Orser FS, the Carruthers FS
1979, Worlds Tai&Randy FS, 1984 Worlds Underhill/Martini FS

I like your list! And I'm jealous of your attendance at so many splendid events. (In the nicest possible way.)

I'd like to have attended some of the professional competitions at Landover. There was an unusually high quality of performance at those events, including the splendid pairs programs by Underhill and Martini, the amazing G/G duets, ice dance performances unconstrained by competitive rules, and powerful moments from the likes of Kurt, Paul Wylie, Kristi, Gordeyeva as a soloist, and Yuka Sato. I think Michelle even skated in one, when it was structured as a Pro-Am. I can't remember if that was the year she did East of Eden, 1998.
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
OLympia, it was 1998 when Kwan did lamento d'Arianne and east of eden at Landover and the competition that year was called


1998 Equal World Open
December 11-12, 1998

Isn't it the Isu's complaint that brought this series, as it was formatted then, to an end? THe result was it was restructued to some kind of team format. Too bad.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Underhill and Martini!

That's the reason I started this thread... to remind myself of some amazing skating from a different era.

Some of our younger posters may not be even aware of this team. Here's the program that won them a World Championship.

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

If you like a little more sizzle with your steak, check out their professional programs, in particular "Unchained Melody."
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
OLympia, it was 1998 when Kwan did lamento d'Arianne and east of eden at Landover and the competition that year was called


1998 Equal World Open
December 11-12, 1998

Isn't it the Isu's complaint that brought this series, as it was formatted then, to an end? THe result was it was restructued to some kind of team format. Too bad.

Thanks, Icey. That was some competition.

If the ISU ended Landover, they showed once again that they have rocks in their heads. That show probably brought a lot of fans to skating. It was usually shown on TV on a weekend afternoon at a good time, not hidden away at noon, and there was heaps of anticipation about what the best skaters would do each season. There was just enough judging to satisfy people who like a competition, but even if you didn't care who won, you got to see exciting skating.

One person we've forgotten to mention for glorious programs is Robin Cousins. His Olympic short and long programs in 1980 were pretty marvelous. Oh, and Yagudin.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
One person we've forgotten to mention for glorious programs is Robin Cousins. His Olympic short and long programs in 1980 were pretty marvelous. Oh, and Yagudin.

Olympia, our tastes are very similar. Cousins was amazing in Lake Placid! His short program was chock full of charm.

I am especially fond of his diagonal step sequence in his short program. So musical and light...

A fall out of a triple loop in the LP cost him a perfect program, but it didn't cost him the gold. IIRC, he trounced everyone in that competition.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I wish I was there for the ladies event in nagano, all three deserved gold. I can't think of three more incredible, distinctive talented ladies who deserved the podium in any order than tara, Mk, and the exquisite Chen Lu.
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
1988 Olympics - Elizabeth Manley's long program, and Brian Boitano/Brian Orser's long programs
1998 Olympics - Elvis Stojko LP
1996 US Nationals - Rudy Galindo LP
2010 Olympics - Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir FD
 

Pepe Nero

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 11, 2011

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Would love to have seen the Euros 1998 men's competition, if only for the "oh, lordy" factor when those three baby-faced Russians swept the podium...

Modern-times, I'd love to have been at the men's event at 2011 US Nationals to see Jason raise the roof...and retrospectively take a slingshot with me and take shots at Tom Z while Josh was skating. :(
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Olympia, our tastes are very similar. Cousins was amazing in Lake Placid! His short program was chock full of charm.

I am especially fond of his diagonal step sequence in his short program. So musical and light...

A fall out of a triple loop in the LP cost him a perfect program, but it didn't cost him the gold. IIRC, he trounced everyone in that competition.

Keeping in mind that Cousins was skating the Olympics after Curry dominated. It was astonishing to me that skating had so much scope. Curry was classical in style: he made ballet on ice. But Cranston's skating was completely different, more jazz-like. Both of these skaters continued to grow, and to stretch the possibility of skating, after they turned pro. I actually got to see each of them live as pros. I was sitting way back in the nosebleed section each time, but it was still an unparalleled experience.
 

sather

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 15, 2012
2002 Olympics Yagudin SP, 2010 Olympics Ladies LP, V&M FD
But more than any of these, 2008 Jeffrey Buttle's LP. I miss him soooo much :cry:
 

merrywidow

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
1968 Olympics, Grenoble France. Peggy Fleming, Gold. Tim Wood, Silver. The Protopopovs, Gold
1976 Olympics, Innsbruck, Austria. John Curry, Gold. Dorothy Hamill, Gold
1988 Olympics, Calgary, Canada. My alltime favorite closing ceremonies plus the Battle of the Brians & the Battle of the Carmens
1996 Worlds, Edmonton, Canada. Todd Eldredge, Gold. Michelle Kwan, Gold
 

prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Sorry Tonto, I have to break the rule you set because my list is not long and I haven't seen too many figure skating performances... :eek::

1)
I would love to have watched Kurt film Singin' in the Rain for his TV program.
This would have been delightful and I wish I'd been there with you!

2) Kurt Browning @ 1997 Battle of the Sexes. I need front-row seats for this, OK? I adore this performance and I love the song. They go together better than peanut butter and jelly...except I don't like PB&J so...better than butter and strawberry jam.

3) 1998 Nagano Olympic Ladies' FS. Because the podium and performances were crazy-good: Tara, Michelle, Lu.

4) 2002 SLC Pairs SP: Because of B/S's Lady Caliph.

5) 2002 SLC Olympic Men's SP: Because of Yagudin's Winter.

6) 2003 Worlds Ladies' FS: For Michelle Kwan's Aranjuez.

7) YuNa Kim 2011 Worlds FS. Yes, I choose this over her Vancouver Olympics. I would have been there to be utterly heartbroken for the result, and then have to watch her be so, so sad. But her Arirang program is my favourite program of hers and it wasn't skated often enough, so I have to choose this event to watch it. I also think whatever she was going through for the 2011 season helped her to reflect and focus again for her comeback this year, so it's not a permanent heartbreak. Please, David Wilson, top this program for next season!
 
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