Favorite skaters of everyone here | Golden Skate

Favorite skaters of everyone here

NCSk8Fan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Hi, I'm new and want to post in the middle of conversations and just jump right on in, as Mathman suggested to me, but I would like to know a little more about who-likes-which-skaters and find out a little more about you all out there. So, I started this to introduce myself and let you all know which skaters I like watching.

My absolute favorite skater ever, even though she did not always do to well, is Oksana Baiul. I have loved her skating since I saw her live at a Champions On Ice show years ago. What I love is how she is able to absolutely fly around the rink with tremendous speed and flow.

I also love Denise Biellmann of Switzerland for her creativity, flow and powerful stroking and speed. Her jumps are huge and you never expect her to miss them. Her spins are magnificent to see live. Once she hits her spin, there is no movement or travelling. It seems she can drill for oil while she is spinning.

I love Michelle Kwan because her programs are programs where it seems that the details of whether jumps are made cleanly or not, or spins are "slow" or not don't seem to matter when considering her performance abilities. I love the way she performs her programs and presents the whole 4 minutes, and not just the elements.

I like Sasha Cohen because you never know when she will do a move or something that is unique and flexible. Her gliding manuvers like spirals and Ina Bowers (sic?) are so wonderful to me, it is like she paints a picture for the audience to see and admire.

My favorite male skaters are Ryan Janke, Alexei Yagudin, Alexei Urmanov, Ilia Kulik and Todd Eldridge. All of them have flow and power and skate programs that are interesting beyond the jumping and spinning. Although I think Todd has some of the best spins of any man I have seen live, as they are so fast, centered and beautiful positions.

My favorite Pairs teams are Mishkutenok and Dmitriev and Berezhnaya and Sikarulidze because they have elegant power that seems hidden by flow. I love Shen and Zao a lot more over the last 2 seasons because they have a new confidence in their presentation and programs beyond their huge throw jumps.

My favorite Dance teams ever are the Dushenays (some programs) and Klimova and Ponomorenko (some programs) and Judy Blumberg and Michael Siebert (some programs) and Torville and Dean (love it all!). Currently, I like Navka and Kostamorov because of their wonderful presentation. It seems like they are skating for the audience. I like Denkova and Staviski also because they try new, unique ideas on the ice, like skating an old fashioned "court" dance on the ice last year.

So, that's a little bit about me and my tastes in skating to introduce myself. Who all will introduce themselves to me by writing about who they like? Thanks!!!
 

berthes ghost

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Well, hello! :)

I like almost all the same skaters as you do. I won't list all of my favs, as the list would just go on and on and on, but I will summerize.

Mens: All time favorite is Paul Wylie. Don't have a favorite among current eligables.

Pairs: A tie between G&G and the Protopopovs. Current favs are S&Z.

Dance: Exactly what you mentioned.

Ladies: A sort of 3 way tie:
1. Peggy because I was mesmerized by her as a child and have nastalgia, plus she is a doll to meet.
2. Chen Lu because I became a big skating fan after Tonya/Nancy and Lulu just captivated me always from Lillehammer to Nagano.
3. MK: was mixed the first few years, but she won me over with so many years of excellence. Fav of current eligables.
 

Spark

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 22, 2003
Welcome to the board. :)

I just started posting myself about a month ago. I enjoy many different types of skaters, but I'll list a few of my favourites for you.

Here are my favourites who are currently eligible:

Pairs:

Shen & Zhao, mostly for their awesome power and speed. They have also come a long way in the other aspects of their skating.

Langlois & Archetto, for their personality and musical interpretation.

Mens:

My favourite men today are Emanuel Sandhu and Takeshi Honda. I think they're both very artistic, and Sandhu also has amazing energy when he skates.

I haven't followed dance as much as the other four disciplines. I lost interest in it for awhile after the judging scandals around 1998 and I'm just becoming interested in it again now. My favourite eligible dance teams today include Navka & Kostomarov, Grushina and Goncharov and Belbin & Agosto.

My favourite female singles skater is definitely Michelle Kwan for her presence on the ice and musical expression. I also love to watch Sasha Cohen, Joannie Rochette and Fumie Suguri. Overall, I'm very drawn to musical, expressive skaters.

Some of my favourite retired/pro skaters are:

Oksana Baiul
G&G
Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze
Sale & Pelletier
Elvis Stojko
Lu Chen
Josee Chouinard
Kurt Browning
 

icenut84

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I enjoy watching so many skaters that it would be impossible to list them all, but my favourites include:
Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze
Abitbol & Bernadis
Shen & Zhao
Torvill & Dean
Bourne & Kraatz
Evgeny Plushenko
Stephane Lambiel
Alexei Yagudin
Kurt Browning
Michelle Kwan
Sasha Cohen
Irina Slutskaya
Fumie Suguri
Carolina Kostner

That's a concise list :)
 

rain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
Welcome! I'll list some of my favs in no particular order - the ones that come to mind off the top of my head, anyway and I'll include some of my favorite current Canadians since I'm from Canada...

Ladies: Yuka Sato, Michelle Kwan, Angela Nikodinov, Sasha Cohen, Lu Chen, Oksana Baiul, Fumie Suguri, Lucinda Ruh - currently in Canada I'm impressed with Joannie Rochette and new Canadian champ Cynthia Pheneuf.

Mens: Kurt Browning, Ilia Kulik (wasn't all that thrilled with him until he turned pro - now I just wish we'd see some more pro competitions so I could see more of him), Alexei Yagudin, Elvis Stojko, Cousins (became a fan with Belfast Child), enjoyed Candelloro before he started going way over the top - I'm a big fan of the current Canadian crop Emanuel Sandhu and Jeff Buttle

Pairs: Sale/Pelletier, Mishkutounik/Dimitriev, Kazakova/Dimitriev, Berezhnia/Sikhurlidze, Gordieva/Grinkov, Underhill/Martini, lots of the current Canadians including Putnam/Wirtz, Langlois/Archetto, Marcoux/Buntin

Dance: Bourne/Kraatz, Torvil/Dean, Drobiazko/Vanagas, Annissina/Peizerat - In Canada I'm really excited by the potential of Lefebrve/Markov.
 
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Tove

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
first favorite: Sergei Davydov
second favorite: Sasha Abt

others I like a lot: Sergei Dobrin, Ilia Klimkin, Stanick Jeannette, Frederic Dambier, Alexander Shubin, Ilia Kulik, Alexei Yagudin

men and pairs are my fave disiplines, in pairs I love Lena & Anton, but unfortunately they turned pro, and I'll never see them skate in Europe again...:cry:
others: Arthur Dmitrev, with both partners, Gordieva & Grinkov, Berankova & Dlabola, Ina & Zimmerman

Ladies: Galina Maniachenko, Sasha Cohen, Elena Liashenko,

Dance: Denkova & Stavisky, Klimova & Ponomarenko, Anissina & Peizerat
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Hi again. My fav of all is MK, but I will just list a few of my other personal favorites that no one has mentioned yet.

Ladies: Kristi Yamaguchi, Jenny Kirk, Shizuka Arakawa, Mao Asada.

Men: Vahktang Murvanidze, Johnnie Weir, Matt Savoie, Jeffrey Buttle.

Pairs: Tai and Randy, the Protopoppovs.

Dance: Watanabe and Kido, Fusar-Poli and Margaglio, Punsalan and Swallow.

Mathman:)
 

Kasey

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Hi there, and welcome...

Hmm, well, first, I am not and have never really been a dance fan. Bourne and Kraatz were the only ones to really capture my attention, although I have liked Roca and Sur when I've seen them in COI/SOI shows live. I can watch some other teams, and appreciate the strength and talent that it takes, but just don't really get excited about it.

Pairs is also not a big interest to me, although more than dance (Yep, I'm a single skater fan!) I loved G&G though, wow! And Misketenuk and Dmitriev were beautiful to watch...Bereshnaya and Sikharulidze are very similar (to me) to watching G&G. I also liked Brasseur and Eisler, Ina and Zimmerman, and right now, the Chinese pair whose names escape me! (World Champs last year?) As you can tell, I'm not great with spelling some of these last names!

Women's....I think Kristi Yamaguchi and Caryn Kadavy will always be beautiful to watch...class, grace, flow. I think Katia has turned into a beautiful single skater, just in her artistry and again, class, grace and flow. On the other hand :)wink:), I loved Tonya Harding's excitement and power, until she proved her true colors! Of the current eligibles, Michelle Kwan, Shizuka Arakawa and Fumie Seguri are my faves. Beautiful, artistic, and all seemingly "nice"! (I know, I know, that shouldn't matter, but it's something that will draw me to a skater). All time fave female skater...Yuka Sato, for every single reason listed here, as well as the fact of her exquisite face: She always looks SO happy to be on the ice.

Mens....Ahhh, my fave discipline! :) Still love a lot of the pro skaters. Joe Sabovcik, power and height! Paul Wylie, well, impossible to explain why, just WOW. He steals my heart each time he's on the ice. Kurt Browning, great humor, character and FEET! Scott Hamilton...ditto of Kurt! Rudy Galindo, for his strength of body and character. Todd Eldredge, I was never a huge fan while he was eligible, although I wouldn't up and leave the room while he was skating! But seeing him open up more expressively in his programs, as well as his work ethic, his determination, his mental strength and those SPINS!!! WOW! I feel about the same of Kulik....am a bigger fan of him now than I was when he was eligible. Current eligibles, I like Weiss (and I am not even sure WHY! LOL! There is just something about his skating and him personally that I find appealing), Joubert, Sandhu (great personality and style on the ice!), Buttle (great edges, spread eagles, nice original spin positions).....heck, most of them! :) All time fave male skater would be Alexei Yagudin though....I think that for ME, in MY opinion, what I enjoy to watch and feel in skating, he is the full package.

Oh yeah, and "up and comers" I will enjoy watching mature....Griazev, Lysacek, Bradley, Yukina Ota, and Jenny Kirk!

Hmmm...I think generally, I kind of like skating! ;)

Kasey
 

Ravyn Rant

Totally 80s Dance Party!
Medalist
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Hi, all! I've been lurking for months, and decided it was finally time to decloak! Thank you all for providing such an entertaining forum. It's wonderful to know that there are others out there that love this sport as much as I do. (i.e., to the extent that my friends are considering an intervention!)
Having said that, my all-time favorites are:
Ladies: Michelle (she's on the current eligible favorites list, too!)
Men: Robin Cousins, followed closely by Brian Boitano and I'm saving a space for Alexei Yagudin when we see how his pro career develops...
Pairs: G&G, Artur Dmitriev and either partner, and out of pure sentiment, Kitty & Peter. (yes, I'm old enough to remember.)
Dance: Torvill and Dean, Klimova & Ponamarenko (sp?) and Bestamianova and Bukin.
Current eligibles: The Chinese pairs, the American ladies, the entire Japanese team (go, Takeshi!), and a host of others depending on my mood and the competition. Basically, they're all amazing and I want them all to do well.
Hope to post more at another opportunity. Glad to be here!
Rave
 

BronzeisGolden

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
LADIES
1. Michelle Kwan - Lillehammer brought my attention to skating, but Michelle made me a devoted and passionate fan. She is exquisite.
2. Chen Lu - I was hooked after her "Claire De Lune" short from Lillehammer. Her "Rach" from the 1996 Worlds is still my favorite ladies' free skate.
3. Shizuka Arakawa - She has been around for a while and has worked consistently to move up in the ranks and improve her skating. I now find her to be a lovely artist and a powerful jumper.
4. Fumie Suguri - I didn't become a fan until I saw her skate "Moonlight Sonata" at the 2002 Olympics. She also has a beautiful style and wonderful jumps.
5. Jenny Kirk - She may have some slight errors in technique, but she is refreshing and charming. I just love her!
6. Sasha Cohen - After attending the 2004 Nationals, I finally became a fan. She is brilliant to watch in person.
7. Kristi Yamaguchi - Such a secure and effortless style! "Samson and Delilah" from the 1991 Worlds is a classic!

MEN
1. Alexei Yagudin
2. Paul Wylie
3. Evgeny Plushenko
4. Todd Eldredge
5. Kevin Van Der Perren
6. Ryan Jahnke
7. Ilia Kulik
8. Elvis Stojko

PAIRS
1. G&G
2. M&D
3. Shen & Zhou
4. Brasseur & Eisler
5. S&P
6. B&S

DANCE
1. Usova & Zhulin
2. T&D
3. The Duchesnays
4. Anissina & Peizerat
5. Krylova & Ovsyanikov
6. Bourne & Kraatz
7. Belbin & Agosto
 

lulu

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Men
current eligible skater:
Evgeni Plushenko
Ilia Klmkin
Emanuel Sadhu
Johnny Weir
Ryan Jahnke

Alexander Abt
John Curry
Ilia Kulik
Alexei Urmanov

Ladies (not a big fan of ladies skating in general, but here are some of my favs)
current eligible skaters:
Shizuka Anakawa
Fumie Suguri
Sasha Cohen
Carolina Costner
Galina Manechenko
Irina Slutskaya
Elena Sokolova
I always had a soft spot for Midori Ito too.

Pairs:
current eligible
B/C (Moskvina's new team-not going to try to spell their names)
O/S (see above)
Don/Hunt
Uta/Seb

Mishkutienok/Dmitriev
Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze
Kazakova/Dmitriev
Bechke/Petrov
Gordeeva/Grinkov
Ina/Zimmerman
Kawaguchi/Markuntsov

Dance: I became a huge dance fan in recent years
current:
Navka/Kostomorov
Grushina/Gonchorov
Denkova/Stavitski
Belbin/Agosto
Gregory/Petrekov
D/S (France)
C/S (Israel)
-basically I like all of the top teams in the world right now, worlds should be vary interesting! :p

Klimova/Ponomarenko (90s and pro programs)
Bestemova/Bukin
Usova/Zhulin
Gritchuk/Platov

and many more!
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I can not ever ever ever list all of them without taking up a lot of room...

top 5

Pros

Men:
Kurt Browning
Scott Hamilton
Paul Wylie
Steven Cousins
Alexei Yagudin

Ladies:
Kristi Yamaguchi
Josée Chouinard
Katia Gordeeva
Yuka Sato
Nicole Bobek

Pairs:
Salé & Pelletier
Gordeeva & Grinkov
Meno & Sand
Hough & Ladret
Brassuer & Eisler

Dance:
Torvill & Dean
Roca & Sur
Bourne & Kraatz
Usova & Platov


Eligible

Men:
Michael Weiss
Timothy Goebel
Matt Savoie
Kevin Van Der Perran(just recently LOL)
Ryan Bradley (same as Kevin ;))
this is the first time in a long time that I have a bunch of American guys on my top 5 list... crazy! :eek:

Ladies:
Angela Nikodinov
Jennifer Kirk
Jennifer Robinson
Irina Slutskaya
Fumie Surguri

Pairs:
Langlois & Archetto
Scott & Dulebohn

Dance:
Belbin & Agosto
Gregory & Petukhov
Lang & Tchernyshev
 

elingrace4eva

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Currently Eligible:

Ladies: Sasha Cohen!!! Jenny Kirk, BeBe Liang

Men: Tim Goebel, Brian Joubert, Jeff Buttle, Johnny Weir, Michael Weiss, Ryan Bradley

Pairs: Orscher/Lucash , Langlois/Archetto

Dance: Belbin/Agosto (I don't know a lot about dance...I'm embarassed to admit)
 

soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Ladies:
Midori Ito (all time favorite)
Katarina Witt
Tara Lipinski (absolutely loved her Olympic short program)
Oksana Baiul
Lu Chen

Men:
Yevgeny Plushenko
Alexander Fadeev
Brian Boitano (all time favorite)
Viktor Petrenko (second fave)
Todd Eldredge

Pairs:
Mishkutonov and Dmitriev
Gordeeva and Grinkov

Ice Dance:
Usova and Zhulin
Klimova and Ponamarenko
Anisinna and Pezeirat(sp?)
Wynne and Druare(sp?) ( Suzie Wynne was such a cutie)
 

Jhar55

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Hi and welcome.
Well my favorites are Todd always like the way he jumped and his spins. Michelle she eleglant seems to be real not that stuck on herself. Loved watching G&G they always gave that feeling of romance and it came out as they were really in love with each other. Others I like are, Scott, Kurt, Paul, Brian B & O.,Kristi, Sasha, that's just a few but in general I like to watch all of them. I am one of those who never get enough of skating.
 

BrokenAnkle

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 16, 2003
It's fun to see everyone's favorites

Eligible men:
Tim (sob)
Ilia Klimkin
Jeff Buttle

Eligible women:
Michelle
Shizuki
Jenny

I don;t really follow dance and pairs enough to have favorites, but I have loved S&Z for years.

Pro men:
Elvis
Victor Petrenko
Brian Boitano

Pro Women:
Yuka
Josee

Pro Pairs
S&P
B&S
A&B (hope we see them sometime)

retired favorites:

Martini and Underhill
Bourne and Kraatz (I like Canadians!)
A & P
Robin Cousins

BA
 
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sk8fanconvert

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Here's some of mine- they've all been mentioned already, I think, except for Yebin Mok (fell in love with her- and Jenny K.- at 2003 US Nationals).

Pro:
ladies: Katarina Witt, Yuka Sato, Lu Chen

men: Kurt Browning, Brian Boitano, Ilia Kulik

pairs: Brasseur & Eisler

dance: Anissina & Peizerat, Usova & Zhulin

Current eligibles:
ladies: Sasha Cohen, Michelle Kwan, Yebin Mok, Yukina Ota, Jenny Kirk

men: Johnny Weir, Brian Joubert, Kevin van der Perren

pairs: Shen & Zhao, Don & Hunt

dance: Navka & Kostomorov, Belbin & Agosto
 

Dustin

Custom Title
Rinkside
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I'll only list current eligibles, mainly in no specific order:

Ladies: Sasha Cohen, Jenny Kirk, Jane Bugaeva, Irina Slutskaya

Men: Brian Joubert, Evan Lysacek, Ryan Bradley, Johnny Weir, Evgeny Plushenko

Pairs: Don/Hunt, Shen/Zhao, Orscher & Lucash

Dance: Belbin & Agosto, Navka & Kostomarov, Galler-Rabinowitz & Mitchell
 
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