Skaters and Their Signature Moves, Elements & Programs | Golden Skate

Skaters and Their Signature Moves, Elements & Programs

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
when we think of most figure skaters, there are certain trademark or signature elements/moves even programs
that they would be associated with here's some

Carolina Kostner - speed
Yuna Kim - 3Lz-3T
Mao Asada - 3A
Evgeny Plushenko - quad combinations, biellman spin
Yuzuru Hanyu - effortless 3A, quad Salchow
Gracie Gold - jumps, 3Lz, hollywood look
Julia Lipnitskaya - fast spins

Davis /White - difficult and effortless lifts, speed
Volosozhar / Trankov - speed, huge 3 twist, huge 3 Loop/Flip
Shizuka Arakawa - Ina Bauer
Michelle Kwan - beautiful spirals
Irina Slutskaya - 3Lutz-3Loop, double handed beillman spins
Midoria Ito - 3A
Virtue / Moir - goose lift
 

Sandpiper

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
Virtue/Moir - Goose lift, deep edges, romance. ;)
Gordeeva & Grinkov - Quad twist, unison
Midori Ito - 3A, of course, but also her 3-3 combinations
Julia Lipnitskaya - I-spin and hyper-extended Biellmann
Sasha Cohen - I-spin, great extension on spirals
Viktor Petrenko - huge 3A
Brian Boitano - same as above, + 'tano lutz
Timothy Goebel - quads
Shen/Zhao - back-to-back throws, speed
Pang/Tong - throws
Elvis Stojko - 4-2, 4-3 combos, pushing quads in general
Brian Orser - 3A. As with Stojko, I'd argue many people surpassed him in the execution of the element, but he was a forerunner in making it a part of men's FS
Daisuke Takahashi - layback spin?

I... really wouldn't include Yuzu's quad salchow at this point unless you mean his habit of falling on it is his "signature." :unsure: Yes to his wonderful 3A though! I'd argue his Ina Bauer as well.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
... Gracie Gold - jumps, 3Lz, hollywood look ...

Is "Hollywood look" a move, an element, or a program??? :rolleye:

s_f, why do you insist on diminishing Gracie Gold's true on-ice strengths by including such irrelevance? :bang:

(And to save you the trouble: No, I am not threatened by GG's looks. :laugh:)
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
When I picture a TRUE signature move, I picture something that nobody else or few people do. I know people will disagree, but I don't consider it about the quality so much as the actual maneuver being attempted. Yes, V/T's twist is superior, but it's not a "signature" move. Same with things like Gold's/Kim's jumps or Kostner/Suzuki's footwork which are a quality thing more than a signature thing.

Bonaly - backflip on one foot
S/Z - forward outside death spiral with variation
M-T/M's lift from lunge and then in both directions
D/R - SBS 3Z
Hanyu - triple axel entry
Osmond - that little Biellman over the head thing she incorporates
Sotnikova - flying camel two-handed biellmann
Lipnitskaia - Biellmann/spirals/I-spin
Hanyu - axel entry
S/H and P/Z - quad twist
Goebel/Fernandez/Reynolds - 3 quad programs
Rippon - Rippon lutz
Sahkhanovich - tano 3T on her combos
Slutskaya - Biellmann on both legs
Cohen - full-split spirals
Ito/Asada - 3A
Asada - layback Y-spin
Hicks - that one spin she does transitioning from camel to sit
Zhang - pearl spin
Sawyer - side split spin
Klimkin - 3S out of a spin
B/K - hydroblading
Brown - back layback catchfoot
Plushenko - rare jump combos like 3A-3F and 4-3-2/4-3-3, gratuitous hip thrusts :biggrin:
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Is "Hollywood look" a move, an element, or a program??? :rolleye:

s_f, why do you insist on diminishing Gracie Gold's true on-ice strengths by including such irrelevance? :bang:

(And to save you the trouble: No, I am not threatened by GG's looks. :laugh:)

LOL, it's totally relevant -- just like S/K's "signature" blue eyes. :laugh:
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Yuzuru Hanyu - effortless 3A, quad Salchow

:rofl: Are you kidding me?! What's signature about it - the number of times he falls or pops it?

Good lord, at least pick something like him doing 4T-3A sequences in exhibitions.

Why would you call his major weakness as his signature?! That's insulting to Fernandez, Goebel, and all other guys who have mastered the 4S.
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
:rofl: Are you kidding me?! What's signature about it - the number of times he falls or pops it?

Good lord, at least pick something like him doing 4T-3A sequences in exhibitions.

Why would you call his major weakness as his signature?! That's insulting to Fernandez, Goebel, and all other guys who have mastered the 4S.

Yuzuru along with Javier are one of the only few current elites to execute clean 4S
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
M-T/M's lift from lunge and then in both directions
Osmond - that little Biellman over the head thing she incorporates
S/H and P/Z - quad twist

based on your definition of true signature if that's what you call it
none of this would qualify :unsure:
 

fleeting

Queen Anissina
Medalist
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
In the past, I'd say Charlie's butterfly jump was a very signature move for D/W ;)
 

HanDomi

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Yuzuru along with Javier are one of the only few current elites to execute clean 4S


I have to agree with CSG.

Yes, he can do beatifull 4S in practices, but still was struggling in competition so I don't see this as his signature, but definitely can see his 3A entry and his 4T, which for me me is the most beatifull and smoothest quad toe ever :)
 

Sandpiper

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
Hmm, seems like we can talk about programs, in addition to moves. In that case:

Michelle Kwan - SP: Rachmaninoff LP: Lyra Angelica
Evgeni Plushenko - SP: Tosca, maybe? LP: Tribute to Nijinsky
Alexei Yagudin - SP: Winter LP: Man in the Iron Mask or Gladiator
Yuzuru Hanyu - SP: Parisian Walkways LP: R&J 1 for now
Patrick Chan - Four Seasons
Brian Boitano - Napoleon LP
Kurt Browning - Casablanca
Daisuke Takahashi - SP: Eye LP: Blues for Klook (Not sure about these)
Yuna Kim - her SP + LP in Vancouver
Yulia Lipnitskaya - Schindler's List is well on its way to becoming this
Viktor Petrenko - that dratted LP he kept for four years :laugh: :bang:

(As the last entry shows, these "signature" programs aren't necessarily my favourites.)
 

fleeting

Queen Anissina
Medalist
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
Anissina/Piezerat's reverse lift is definitely their defining move :love:
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
Michelle Kwan-change of edge spiral; (perfect) split falling leaf
 

76olympics

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 4, 2004
Some older ones(!):

Toller Cranston: broken leg sit spin; Russian splits

Kurt Browning: footwork ( Scott Hamilton also)

Dorothy Hamill: Hamill camel

Brian Orser- triple axel

Jozef Sabovcik: BIG single axel

Paul Wylie: Ina Bauer; Spread Eagle; scratch spin

Brian Boitano: tano lutz, Spread Eagle, Death drop

Michelle Kwan: the spiral; charlotte
 

skatedreamer

Medalist
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Country
United-States
Brian Boitano -- in addition to the 'Tano Lutz, the spread eagle. Lots of skaters do them, but has anyone else ever held one for a full circle the way he did in his Napoleon LP? That has to be one of my favorite FS moments ever.
 

edenlover

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Brian Boitano -- in addition to the 'Tano Lutz, the spread eagle. Lots of skaters do them, but has anyone else ever held one for a full circle the way he did in his Napoleon LP? That has to be one of my favorite FS moments ever.

I totally agree. The image is so fresh. The arms were at his side as he completed the circle. Truly unique and unusual.

Michelle brought back the Charlotte, and her inside/outside edge spiral was always to die for. I love her falling leaf and agree with
Dick Button, who called it the best in the business.

ANother thing about Michelle. She was able to portray passion and personal involvement with the music like none other. She always seemed as one with the music. The presentation was sincere and honest, in my opinion. There was no acting. There is none other who comes across with such sincerity. Yes, there are skaters who can do more difficult technical content, but no one can match her artistry. That is trademark (and I've watched skating since 1962). She is simply "THE BEST." These are things that make her a legend.
 

MK's Winter

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
I totally agree. The image is so fresh. The arms were at his side as he completed the circle. Truly unique and unusual. Michelle brought back the Charlotte, and her inside/outside edge spiral was always to die for. I love her falling leaf and agree with Dick Button, who called it the best in the business. ANother thing about Michelle. She was able to portray passion and personal involvement with the music like none other. She always seemed as one with the music. The presentation was sincere and honest, in my opinion. There was no acting. There is none other who comes across with such sincerity. Yes, there are skaters who can do more difficult technical content, but no one can match her artistry. That is trademark (and I've watched skating since 1962). She is simply "THE BEST." These are things that make her a legend.

I agree with everything!

Michelle's falling leaf was simply beautiful. Love her change of edge spiral, my heart lived for it!

I also have to say Lu Chen's jumps. I can't explain it but I loved the delay (I guess you can call it that) before she would rotate, very stunning in her Worlds Rach performance.

G and G: they have the best skating skills. I saw them live at Champions on Ice and the quietness of their blades was amazing.
 
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