The performance that got you hooked
- Thread starter Layback11
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For many years when I watched figure skating, it was an every four years thing because really back when dinosaurs roamed the earth that was pretty much all you had -- Olympic coverage every four years. So I have vague impressions of Dorothy from 1976, stronger memories of feeling Scott wuzrobbed in 1980 (also remember David Santee skating to Rocky about the same time) and Fratianne-gate. And of course Scott had paid his dues so he got Oly gold in 1984 (or so it was the accepted progression then, or at least believed to be so). Also remember the days of Zayak vs. Sumners, Thomas and Witt on the international stage, and others.
But a single performance that really solidified my fandom? Brian Boitano's Olympics and the Battle of the Brians. I do appreciate Orser's free program but for me Boitano owned that night.
But a single performance that really solidified my fandom? Brian Boitano's Olympics and the Battle of the Brians. I do appreciate Orser's free program but for me Boitano owned that night.
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- Feb 20, 2013
Yuna Kim's 2010 Olympic FS, which is still my favorite ladies program ever.
Probably something by Michelle Kwan, I think I was too young to remember, she was making huge waves as an Asian American and was probably one of the few people I would regularly see on TV and think "hey, she looks like me," I think when I was 7/8 I didn't a school project on her for a presentation for our role models. I remember for my bristol board we had to colour her hair brown because the printer had no black ink left heh
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2014
Julia Lipnitskaia's Schindler's list is the reason why I fell in love with figure skating.
Before Sochi OG I don't even know what figure skating is. The topic was popular at that time, so I searched videos randomly on youtube (felt this sport beautiful but not enough to make me addicted), then I found Julia's long program on European Championship, and just totally fascinated by it. I watched it over and over again, maybe more than 100 times, in my mind it's the most touching program.
That's why I started to follow figure skating competitions in 2014-2015 season, and even started learn how to skate three months ago
Now I know more about rules and jumping techniques of figure skating. Maybe Julia is not perfect, but she will always be the most special one for me. Hope to see her back next season.
Before Sochi OG I don't even know what figure skating is. The topic was popular at that time, so I searched videos randomly on youtube (felt this sport beautiful but not enough to make me addicted), then I found Julia's long program on European Championship, and just totally fascinated by it. I watched it over and over again, maybe more than 100 times, in my mind it's the most touching program.
That's why I started to follow figure skating competitions in 2014-2015 season, and even started learn how to skate three months ago
Now I know more about rules and jumping techniques of figure skating. Maybe Julia is not perfect, but she will always be the most special one for me. Hope to see her back next season.
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- Jul 13, 2014
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Yuzuru Hanyu's SP Team Event 2014 Olympics
Jason Brown's FP 2014 US Nationals
Kevin Reynolds' FP Team Event 2014 Olympics
That's how I became fans of all three of them and eventually hooked onto figure skating. Though I've always liked figure skating in some way or form before that. But then starting with Yuzuru Hanyu, I became hooked. Then even more with Jason Brown. And then even more with Kevin Reynolds. Then over the course of the 2014-2015 season I got interested in more skaters. But the three I mentioned will always be my #1 faves.
Jason Brown's FP 2014 US Nationals
Kevin Reynolds' FP Team Event 2014 Olympics
That's how I became fans of all three of them and eventually hooked onto figure skating. Though I've always liked figure skating in some way or form before that. But then starting with Yuzuru Hanyu, I became hooked. Then even more with Jason Brown. And then even more with Kevin Reynolds. Then over the course of the 2014-2015 season I got interested in more skaters. But the three I mentioned will always be my #1 faves.
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- Dec 29, 2013
- Country
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Julia Lipnitskaia's Schindler's list is the reason why I fell in love with figure skating.
Before Sochi OG I don't even know what figure skating is. The topic was popular at that time, so I searched videos randomly on youtube (felt this sport beautiful but not enough to make me addicted), then I found Julia's long program on European Championship, and just totally fascinated by it. I watched it over and over again, maybe more than 100 times, in my mind it's the most touching program.
That's why I started to follow figure skating competitions in 2014-2015 season, and even started learn how to skate three months ago
Now I know more about rules and jumping techniques of figure skating. Maybe Julia is not perfect, but she will always be the most special one for me. Hope to see her back next season.
Welcome to GS and welcome to Yuliafever. You are not alone.
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- Apr 22, 2014
Ilia kulik, 1998 Olympics. Looking back now that I've come of age as a gay man, I realize I had a crush (I was 8 years old!)
(I was 8 years old!)
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
I started watching during the whole Nancy/Tonya thing, but it was Michelle's Salome and Lu Chen's Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto at 1996 worlds that got hooked. They both skated so beautifully and the scores were fairly close, so that event had everything for me. Great skating and suspense. What more could one want?
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2014
The program that got me hooked to skating was Elena & Anton's Swan Lake at Nagano. It wasn't perfect, there was a big splat at the beginning. I didn't know the term "crossovers" back then, but my goodness, the way they moved across the ice was something MAGICAL. 
Their posture, her arms, his back, and that perfectly simple baby blue costumes.... more please!
Normally I despise sob-stories taking over air-time of actual sports, but thank you CBS for airing Elena's story before their SP. It got me paying full attention to the TV, instead of my usual half-watching half-doing other things. I looked for a blank VHS and the rest is history haha. Omg you guys, remember that big brick thing called VHS?! I was obsessed with figure skating for 4 years and my interest kinda faded after B&S retired. I'd tune in for Michelle but that's about it.
Then one night in Dec 2005, I was in Mexico at the time for holidays. Turned on the TV for some football updates while I changed clothes.... Hey look figure skating is on (it was a repeat/highlights). And who was ESPN showing? A little ballerina in that junior-ish pink puffed-sleeved costume.
Their posture, her arms, his back, and that perfectly simple baby blue costumes.... more please! Normally I despise sob-stories taking over air-time of actual sports, but thank you CBS for airing Elena's story before their SP. It got me paying full attention to the TV, instead of my usual half-watching half-doing other things. I looked for a blank VHS and the rest is history haha. Omg you guys, remember that big brick thing called VHS?! I was obsessed with figure skating for 4 years and my interest kinda faded after B&S retired. I'd tune in for Michelle but that's about it.
Then one night in Dec 2005, I was in Mexico at the time for holidays. Turned on the TV for some football updates while I changed clothes.... Hey look figure skating is on (it was a repeat/highlights). And who was ESPN showing? A little ballerina in that junior-ish pink puffed-sleeved costume.
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2009
I had always watched figure skating ever since I can remember as a casual fan, but I do recall feeling particularly shocked when I saw Torville and Dean at Sarajevo because they made me see figure skating in a different light. What they put out was on a totally different level from anything else that I had thus far witnessed.
But I wasn't seriously into figure skating until I saw Mao Asada 2008 Worlds performance. That was the moment that I got hooked on Mao, and it was only after I became a fan of Mao that I started taking the time to learn about figure skating as a sport.
But I wasn't seriously into figure skating until I saw Mao Asada 2008 Worlds performance. That was the moment that I got hooked on Mao, and it was only after I became a fan of Mao that I started taking the time to learn about figure skating as a sport.
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- Joined
- Feb 23, 2014
I guess I used to watch figure skating, but the performance tat got me interested Eleonor´s Dream de Meryl Davis & Charlie White, but the one that got me hook was Samson & Delilah
I started watching figure skating in the 1970s when I was skating myself, and sporadically in the 1980s, but I wasn't really in it for specific performances.
It was in 1991-92 that I started watching on a regular and became obsessed. I'll credit Tonya Harding's freeskate at 1991 Skate America and the Duchesnays' free dance in Albertville as sucking me in the most.
(I like macho women )
It was in 1991-92 that I started watching on a regular and became obsessed. I'll credit Tonya Harding's freeskate at 1991 Skate America and the Duchesnays' free dance in Albertville as sucking me in the most.
(I like macho women
)
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- Jul 26, 2003
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For the men, it was Toller Cranston's Pagliacci exhibition and Graduation Ball SP. And John Curry's Olympic programs.
For dance, Pakhomova & Gorshkov 1976 Olympics. There is a reason millions of Russians made pilgrimages to Pakhomova's grave. They were fabulous. Dance was not shown on TV before that. I had to see ice dance every time it was aired on TV, and if possible, to go to live events. Best ever event I went to was 1984 Worlds in Ottawa. Every event was amazing. Underhill and Martini winning in pairs at home in Canada. The last amateur performance of Torvill and Dean, but the most jaw dropping program was not Bolero-it was their Paso Doble OSP.
I could watch that program endlessly.
But I didn't have a desire to find other fans and talk about skating endlessly till the Battle of the Brians.
For dance, Pakhomova & Gorshkov 1976 Olympics. There is a reason millions of Russians made pilgrimages to Pakhomova's grave. They were fabulous. Dance was not shown on TV before that. I had to see ice dance every time it was aired on TV, and if possible, to go to live events. Best ever event I went to was 1984 Worlds in Ottawa. Every event was amazing. Underhill and Martini winning in pairs at home in Canada. The last amateur performance of Torvill and Dean, but the most jaw dropping program was not Bolero-it was their Paso Doble OSP.
I could watch that program endlessly.
But I didn't have a desire to find other fans and talk about skating endlessly till the Battle of the Brians.
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2014
It was 1982 and I was 4 years old when I have vague memories of being transfixed by Torvill and Dean's Summertime and Mack and Mabel. I was fascinated and watched all the figure skating that was on the TV from that age.
I faded in and out at times in the depth of my interest, bearing in mind what was going on in my life, but I always came back to it. I still have fond memories of a video we bought of all Torvill and Dean's amateur competition performances too.
I faded in and out at times in the depth of my interest, bearing in mind what was going on in my life, but I always came back to it. I still have fond memories of a video we bought of all Torvill and Dean's amateur competition performances too.
I needed to watch "a performance" to get me hooked into each category. With the ladies, it was Yuna's FS at Worlds 2013, I almost cried. For ice dance, Meryl and Charlie's FD at Worlds 2013, I still get shivers watching it. And for men, Yuzuru's and Jason's SP at Sochi
The 1988 ladies FS and in particular Midori Ito in her shimmering blue fish scale costume and those tremendous jumps. First time I ever saw competitive figure skating. Then Liz Manley blew the roof off the Saddledome an hour later. THAT got me hooked for several years. I slowly followed it less and less once SLC was over, but periodically looked up whoever was winning, mainly because I loved Shen / Zhao and Kwan the most. Then I saw Yuna at 2009 worlds and it was WOW all over again. I was all over the 2010 Olympics skating events and thanks to YouTube am now watching it with more zeal and attention than ever.
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