2019-20 U.S. Men's Figure Skating

[karne]

Can we not tout our own preference of a style as if that’s what everyone wants or that’s what everyone should aim to achieve?

Much as I love Jason, I'm going to back in this comment. There is no "right" style and there is no "wrong" style. I spent a good five years watching a very, very good skater get pilloried and beaten to death by the judges and fandom for skating "wrong". I'd rather not see any other skater go through that.

 

[el henry]

Can we not tout our own preference of a style as if that’s what everyone wants or that’s what everyone should aim to achieve?

Who did that? I did not see any post on the past three pages that touted one style as the best?

 

[Greengemmonster]

Much as I love Jason, I'm going to back in this comment. There is no "right" style and there is no "wrong" style. I spent a good five years watching a very, very good skater get pilloried and beaten to death by the judges and fandom for skating "wrong". I'd rather not see any other skater go through that.

I don't think you're taking about him but I looooooves Vincent and this made me think of him.

Funnily enough I only watched Vincent to see how horrible he was going to be because I ran across some very loud people who hated him. Naturally I had to check out the alleged ghastly boy who couldn't skate.

Couldn't find anything wrong with him at all and enjoyed the heck out of his performances.

The only thing I do is yell at him to tuck his arms in on the quad Lutz. Always makes me think he's tempting fate by not tucking them in.

 

[Jeanie19]

I agree that there is no right or wrong style. Every skater should find their own style that is right for them. It makes skating exciting that every skater is unique.

 

[Tavi...]

Can we not tout our own preference of a style as if that’s what everyone wants or that’s what everyone should aim to achieve?

Nobody has done that here.

 

[TontoK]

The is a certain aggressive and athletic style of skating that I tend to enjoy most.

But I also think skating would be less interesting if everyone skated the same.

John Curry and Max Aaron approached their competitive skating in completely different ways, and I love both.

 

[lariko]

I don't think you're taking about him but I looooooves Vincent and this made me think of him.

Funnily enough I only watched Vincent to see how horrible he was going to be because I ran across some very loud people who hated him. Naturally I had to check out the alleged ghastly boy who couldn't skate.

Couldn't find anything wrong with him at all and enjoyed the heck out of his performances.

The only thing I do is yell at him to tuck his arms in on the quad Lutz. Always makes me think he's tempting fate by not tucking them in.

This. So much this. Hiwatashi&Zhou... lol, secret handshake!

 

[1111bm]

I don't think you're taking about him but I looooooves Vincent and this made me think of him.

Funnily enough I only watched Vincent to see how horrible he was going to be because I ran across some very loud people who hated him. Naturally I had to check out the alleged ghastly boy who couldn't skate.

Couldn't find anything wrong with him at all and enjoyed the heck out of his performances.

Sure, everyone has different aesthetic and stylistic preferences. But I would argue that praising or being critical of a skater's execution of a certain style, quality of his/her movements or its authenticity is different from that.
I can give credit for a nicely executed performance or well constructed program and appreciate its quality, even when I don't particularly enjoy a certain style or even dislike it, and vice versa.
(although I admit that in reality it's not as clear-cut as that, and one's personal preferences will have an impact f.i. on what one considers authentic or well-executed, or not)

 

[el henry]

I'm so glad to see we all agree that we love different styles!:yay:

And that we agree that no one has touted one style as better than another:hap85: But if a poster is on a Board like this, it is because, I think, we love so many different skaters. And we support the skaters we love:agree:

It's no secret that I adore Jason and Andrew T. among the American men. They have some similarities, but their styles can also be very different. And I also am a big fan of Alex K., whose "style" may be considered very different from Jason's and Andrew T's. (although I would argue that Alex K. and Jason have performance aspects in common. But not spins )

It's all good.

 

[ice coverage]

And here is the last, third part of the interview with the young and eager Malinin; flushed with success and well adjusted Naumov, & intractable and airy Torgashev, team USA at JWC. ...

Many thanks to lariko for translating the 36-minute video.

---

... Who are your idols in figure skating? ...

Interesting that apparently not one of the three admires or watches Jason.

My two cents re the interviewer's question about idols (Твой кумир в фигурном катании?):

Malinin and Torgashev each named only two idols. IMO, it seems very possible/probable that Ilia and Andrew do watch and admire additional skaters -- without putting them in the most-super-extra-special category of "idol."

Naumov twice said explicitly that he watches everyone and learns from everyone. (As well as discussing five men by name.)

 

[lariko]

Pretty much every interview or press conference I had watched had that question asked from every skater. I am sure they all have an idea of what they are going to answer if it is asked. Sometimes, it is an expected answer, sometimes it is not. It is what it is, I think it is perfectly normal for a skater with a completely different style to like someone who is not skating like them. Moreover, I would venture they don’t want to be a Second Someone, they want to be the first of their name.

The only one of them who speaks of another skater with an obvious, irrepressible excitement of a fan, is Naumov speaking about Plushenko.

 

[sheetz]

So Daisuke Murakami is contemplating a return to competition representing the US.
https://jackfigure.com/exclusive-mu...g-retirement-skating-for-united-states-again/

 

[YuBluByMe]

So Daisuke Murakami is contemplating a return to competition representing the US.
https://jackfigure.com/exclusive-mu...g-retirement-skating-for-united-states-again/

Oh my goodness. I was straight tripping because I read “Daisuke is contemplating a return to competition representing the US.”

Okay. I am now calm. (I should’ve known better anyway.) I thought Murakami was already skating for the US, though. Did he go back to Japan? Last time I saw him skate he was definitely representing the US.

Edit: Nope, I’m wrong. He was representing Japan the last time I saw him. I wonder why USFed approached him then? I find that strange, especially since it seems to be after he already retired. The US mens field isn’t shallow so why are they offering a chance for a retired 30 year old to compete for them? I mean Japan didn’t approach him so...why?

 

[el henry]

Dice Murakami representing the US may be like Yaro Paniot representing the US: he lives full time here anyway, so why not.

I saw Dice at Philly International three years ago, representing Japan at the club competition. Then he and Frank Carroll sat right behind me (the decided highlight of my skating audience experience) and Frank told my benchmate that Dice competed in the club competition because Japan would not clear him for the International comp. I knew nothing about Dice or his backstory and was surprised to hear his perfect American English.

TLR: if he's serious (and this is Jack Gallagher after all, so who knows) he may not feel supported by the Japanese fed. And their line-up is as daunting as the US men.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I don't think you're taking about him but I looooooves Vincent and this made me think of him.

Funnily enough I only watched Vincent to see how horrible he was going to be because I ran across some very loud people who hated him. Naturally I had to check out the alleged ghastly boy who couldn't skate.

Couldn't find anything wrong with him at all and enjoyed the heck out of his performances.

The only thing I do is yell at him to tuck his arms in on the quad Lutz. Always makes me think he's tempting fate by not tucking them in.

Lmao. She’s definitely not talking about Vincent.

Vincent has improved a lot over the past couple years and hasn’t been just a quad machine but he’s definitely the crop of guys who isn’t “waiting their turn and waiting for the PCS” and is landing tons of quads to propel themselves to the top fast as evidenced by being the reigning World bronze medalist and posting some of the highest scores in recent years. I don’t really feel his programs live up to his artistic potential but he should be focusing on continuing to have the firepower and getting good results and the artistry will come. It’s a sport too - ain’t no shame in not being best artist out there if you have the athleticism to back it up.

 

[karne]

I wonder why USFed approached him then? I find that strange, especially since it seems to be after he already retired. The US mens field isn’t shallow so why are they offering a chance for a retired 30 year old to compete for them? I mean Japan didn’t approach him so...why?

It's absolutely perplexing. There are younger, more recent retirees they could have asked first, but why they're asking anyone at all is beyond me. Yes, USFS lost an entire warm-up group of men after 2018, but it's not like there's absolutely no hope.

 

[Skater Boy]

Dice Murakami representing the US may be like Yaro Paniot representing the US: he lives full time here anyway, so why not.

I saw Dice at Philly International three years ago, representing Japan at the club competition. Then he and Frank Carroll sat right behind me (the decided highlight of my skating audience experience) and Frank told my benchmate that Dice competed in the club competition because Japan would not clear him for the International comp. I knew nothing about Dice or his backstory and was surprised to hear his perfect American English.

TLR: if he's serious (and this is Jack Gallagher after all, so who knows) he may not feel supported by the Japanese fed. And their line-up is as daunting as the US men.

This would seem odd. Time to move on or find a country he had a better chance of qualifying like Canada? But I don't think he would be a shoo in there either. And it is robably too late to skate for another country for the olympics.

 

[ice coverage]

Adam Rippon and Jason Brown are among the skaters taking part in the "Open Ice" live fundraiser for the UN Foundation's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. April 25 at 2 pm ET.

It is the brainchild of Kaitlyn Weaver, who started organizing it a few weeks ago. Jordan Cowan of On Ice Perspectives is assisting her.
Others on board include the likes of Patrick Chan, Tracy Wilson, Brian Orser, and many other well-known names.

https://tiltify.com/@oniceperspectives/openice

ETA (on Apr 19):

Also: https://www.facebook.com/openicelive/​

(It is a different fundraiser from tomorrow's event for Americares [ETA: which of course Jason is co-hosting with Gracie].)

---

New article from Phil Hersh has lots of good stuff re Jason's current training and outlook:

With 2020 worlds definitively gone, skaters like Jason Brown try to stay on peak while off ice in uncertain times

http://www.globetrottingbyphilipher...jason-brown-try-to-stay-on-peak-while-off-ice (Apr 16)​

 

[karne]

Oh, Jason is also doing Open Ice? That's great!

I wonder if Hersh saw Jason land a quad in practice earlier this year or something. He sure seems sweet on Jason all of a sudden.

 

[el henry]

Alex K. actually started practicing a new 2020-21 SP on the ice before the shutdowns, and shared this clip (h/t to kmw227 in the new programs thread)

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_LTlnfJ...d=x97o0st3ppsm

Not only is it passionate and fiery and I’m so glad the two Alexes are working together, but see if you can catch the “Christopher Bowman moment” in Alex J.’s comments

(and yes, I’m showing my age....)