Hype

[Piel]

Skaters are always being hyped as the next "It Girl/Guy/Pair/Team". Some live up to the hype, some don't, and sometimes the next big thing seems to come out of nowhere. Who are on your lists?

Lived up to the hype:
Jamie and David
Shen and Zhao
Annisina and P(can't spell)

Failed to live up to the hype:
NNN (because of injury)
The Stieglers

Out of nowhere: IIRC
Urmonov
Oksana B.
Yuka
Gritchuk and Platov
Michelle and Tara? The first I can remember of
them was more cute little jumping beans as opposed to here's
the future of ladies figure skating. (and of course neither
received in hype later on )

Piel

 

[Tonichelle]

Nicole Bobek and Angela Nikodinov could be on the list of failed to live up to the hype.

Elena and Anton lived up to the hype...

Scott Hamilton lived up to the hype

Kurt Browning lived up to the hype until the Olympics

Paul Wylie came out of no where to kick major bootie at the Olys after failing to live up to his potential for eons...

 

[Spark]

I do remember some hype about Michelle when she was thirteen. I think people did think she had a lot of potential, and that she was the next one, but people were just so absorbed in the Harding and Kerrigan fiasco that she just got put aside a bit in 1994. Winning the silver at nationals at age thirteen is a great accomplishment, but everyone's focus was on Kerrigan that year. However, the next year much of the media's attention became focused on her. Overall, I'd put her with the skaters who lived up to the hype, because she WAS considered the future of ladies skating, but with the Harding and Kerrigan drama, people weren't very focused on the future.

As for Lipinski, she first came out on the scene when Kwan was having her major year of recognition (1995-1996). People did notice her, but their attention was mainly on Kwan. The same thing happened the year she won the Olympics, because people were predicting Kwan would win and Lipinski would only have a chance if Kwan didn't make a mistake. I'd list her as a skater who came out of nowhere. There was "hype" about her, but the public eye was mainly on Kwan throughout Tara's brief elite career.

Sarah Hughes was another skater who came out of nowhere. I remember people saying she wasn't as talented as other skaters her age that were coming up from junior. People were really hyping Sasha Cohen, Naomi Nari Nam, Elizabeth Kwon, and Deanna Stellato as the next possible American Ice Princesses, and saying Sarah was too tall and awkward. By the Olympics, people had begun to respect her, but she wasn't a serious threat for the gold. Her victory in the Salt Lake City Olympics surprised everyone.

 

[Piel]

Thanks Spark after being 29 for a while my memory is not real good, LOL. My first memories of Tara were in that eggyolk yellow dress skating to "Walking On Sunshine" as an exhibition, IIRC it seemed that she used that music for a while. I think another difference between Michelle/Tara and NNN/Sasha was NNN/Sasha had better presentation when they first came to our attention and right off it was WOW. Michelle/Tara were IMO more Aww how cute.

Piel

 

[show 42]

Sydne Vogel came up through the ranks with Michelle and Tara and was considered a strong contender........but never quite reached her potential............42

 

[mzheng]

I do remember some hype about Michelle when she was thirteen. I think people did think she had a lot of potential, and that she was the next one, but people were just so absorbed in the Harding and Kerrigan fiasco that she just got put aside a bit in 1994.....Overall, I'd put her with the skaters who lived up to the hype, because she WAS considered the future of ladies skating,

I agree with Spark. I have a set of old tapes from ABC in which shown MK at 94 Olympics. Also show Danny Kwan talking about he sold a big house to finance two daughter's skating. Followed with commentator 'here is the major dividen' and MK's earlier program. Then commentator "the US lady figure skating future laid on tiny shoulder". So MK indeed lived up to the hype.

 

[pennyfromheaven]

Silverstein & Pekarek are another team who never lived up to all the incredible hype about them; it also looks like Sasha Cohen will fall into this category as well

 

[lavender]

It is too bad because all of the other skaters were lmore talented than Sarah.

Anyway it's not over for Sasha although she shouldn't have all this hype around her. She may still win something big.

 

[bleuchick]

Piel - hi there!

here is my list...but a wee bit different.

publicity publicity publicity

- Tonya
- Nancy

Crossovers from another world

- Tonya - I am sure somewhere along the way, her wrestling fans became interested in skating. That added to the popularity of skating.

 

[Lucy25]

I think Michelle Kwan was hyped, but not in the same way as fans and the media hype skaters now. Back then (when Michelle was 13-14) were there internet forums about skating? Much of the hype now a days comes from the internet. Also, if I remember correctly, fluff pieces were not like they are now, so the hype was more subdued. That's what I remember, anyway.

I think Tara was hyped because even though she lost to Sydney Vogel (was it Junior Nationals?), she got all the press and the invitations to skate in exhibitions and shows.

 

[thisthingcalledlove]

hype

didn't live up to it...

hartsell/hartsell
joseph/butler
weiss (his own hype, not anyone else's)
lisa ervin
elizabeth kwon

lived up to it...

sale/pelletier
shen/zhao
lipinski (in her short career)

 

[Rgirl]

Silverstein & Pekarek are another team who never lived up to all the incredible hype about them...

I don't disagree, but in case some people don't know, Justin broke off the partnership with Jamie because her problems with anorexia nervosa were getting worse. I know she tried to start training and find another partner about 18 or so months ago, but couldn't get the funding. Jessica Joseph also had problems with her weight, which eventually ended her competitive career.

I also agree with Spark about Michelle. Also, I think the whole nature of hype changed after '94 not only because of Tonya/Nancy but also because of Oksana Baiul and the BIG $$$ figure skating started making. And of course as was said, the Internet has had an effect. Pre-'94 (MISTAKE corrected by Ogre Mage--thank you!--that should read "Pre-'92") there hadn't been a US ladies OGM since Dorothy Hamill in '76. Then in '94, as we know, figure skating went KA-BOOM! The fluff pieces before were basically where are they from, what kind of music do they like, when did they start skating--the basics. Now we get people asking 15-year-olds their philosophy of life. I also think now the networks hype a lot of skaters, especially in ladies singles, in the hopes of getting viewers interested in following their "rise to fame" and thus watching more skating.

So before '94 I'd put skaters in what I call the "hope" phase and even after '94 some skaters got more "hope" than what I'd call "hype." By hope, I mean, "Here's a (skater, team) many people in the skating world have hopes for." By hype I mean, "Here's a (skater, team) who I have no doubt we'll be seeing on the podium at the next Olympics!" I remember Verne Lundquist saying about Oksana Baiul that she would become one of the most beloved names in figure skating and might even win two more OGMs!

Anyway, in the "Didn't fulfull the hope" category I'd also put the US ice dancing team of Eve Chalom and Mattew Gates (they're with Ice Theatre of New York now, but not as an ice dance team).

I'd put Scott Davis in the "Didn't fulfill the hope" category. He did get some hype early on for his spins--and they were incredible--but apparently they also contributed to a problem in his inner ear, which of course made it dificult for him to balance.

I'd say Elena Berezhnaya by herself fulfilled her hope/hype and then some, and also fulfilled it with Anton. She and her former partner, Oleg Schiiakov, were touted as the next great Russian pairs team in the '94/95 season. But even then I didn't think they were a very good match since she had such clean controlled lines and he didn't. After the accident with her getting hit by his blade on side-by-side came spins and the resultant brain injury, at least I never heard anything about any possibility of her returning to the ice. Although they were the favorites going into the '98 Olympics but lost to Kasakova and Dmitriev by having the "worst fall at the worst time" in their LP, I still think they lived up to their hype overall with their career.

Yulia Obertas, the Russian pairs skater, I thought would be fantastic if she got the right partner, because last season she looked so strong and it seemed her partner just wasn't up to her level. But this season even with a new partner, not much so far. Although I finally saw her with her new partner at COR, the SP, and they looked good except for missing the SBS 3t. But they still don't have the power stroking of the top teams. However, they're coached by Tamara Moskvina, one of the greatest coaches ever, IMO. Although even Tamara has said she doesn't know how much longer she can keep up the pace and energy needed to coach a really top team. She said she only agreed to coach Obertas because she felt she had immense talent.

I don't know if Volchkova was hyped, but with the coaching change to Schpilband last year I had real hopes for her of breaking through but at least so far this year, it hasn't happened.

IMO Timothy Goebel has done much better than I ever would have expected with his presentation. He's had problems the last two seasons early on--last season, all the way until Worlds--but he's won that World silver every year, plus the Olympic bronze. But I'm most impressed with how well he's done with his style.

I think Lang and Tchernyshev have not lived up to their hope/hype. They seemed to have all the technical ability, chemistry, and charisma, but somehow they never seemed to fulfill their potential. I don't mean they should have been on the podium at Worlds, but they never had their magic performance at a major international competition, at least not that I can recall.

Didn't live up to the hope/hype: Alexander Abt. Sigh. IMO one of the most naturally gifted skaters I've ever seen but some of the worst luck I've seen with injuries. I mean, rip the muscle off the bone and spend almost a year in the hospital. I think last year was his last best chance, unfortunately. But just saw him do his SP at COR (recently televised) and nobody and move like that man. A Scott Hamilton wOw for Abt in that SP.

Also, didn't live up: Takeshi Honda.

Achieved beyond expectations: Kazakova & Dmitriev.

Did and Didn't: Anjelika Krylova (thank you, Piel) and Oleg Ovsiannikov. Russian dance team. Lived up to hype until her back injury, skated pro a little but not much. Always a pity when such beautiful skaters' careers are ended by injury.

Did and Didn't:
Irina Slutskaya. Came out in '96 with the win at Euros and although lacked style, was a great jumper, spinner, speed demon, and had excellent footwork until about mid-97 when puberty hit. Seemed out of it forever until '00/01. So "Did It With a Dip."

Sarah Hughes: You'd think with the OGM it would be "exceeded the hype." But she was predicted to win by Time magazine and in a big way. I think from '99 until the Olympics, Sarah fulfilled or exceeded every expectation. After winning the OGM, her heart seemed to go out of it or she seemed to transfer those feelings to interest in school. Unfortunate that despite trying to break the cycle of winning the OGM and going pro that Sarah's last year as an eligible ended poorly, although she did win the silver at Nationals, even though it wasn't up to even her regular standards. Perhaps she just felt a different calling.

Bourne & Kraatz: Were clear victims of cheating judges at '98 Olympics, but then sadly were clear victims of bad luck, fate, whatever, in '02 when they ended their perfect FD with that SPA-LAT! Poor guys. But came back and won Worlds with a vengeance. Then broke up, lol.

Maybes: Sasha Cohen. I think with Sasha there has been a lot of disagreement over how much "hype" she's gotten and whether she's lived up to it.

AP: Seemed poised to go to the next level last season and at least so far this season it hasn't happened--haven't had Nats yet though.

Kostner: Amazing skills and 3/3s, but very inconsistent. A "time will tell" skater. I'd say same for any skater under the age of 16. Until puberty is finalized, anything can happen.

Other "Did Live Up":
Men:
Plushenko
Yagudin
Kulik
Stojko
Kurt Browning
Scott Hamilton
Paul Wylie--in the nick of time, lol, and helped make pro skating something really wonderful to watch from '94 to '98.

Ladies:
Michelle
Tara
Kristi
Kat Witt

Pairs:
G&G
Mishkutenok & Dmitriev
Kasakova & Dmitriev
Sale & Pelletier
B & S (already mentioned)
Brasseur & Eisler

Dance:
Torvill/Dean (not counting '94 Olympics)
Grishok/Platov

Rgirl

 

[Mathman]

Whatever happened to Elizabeth Kwon?

http://www.catslair.com/skating/1999/nationals/99n1010.jpg

Mathman

 

[Spark]

The last I heard of Elizabeth Kwon was that she was struggling with injury problems and decided to quit skating. That was in 2000.

She's another who didn't live up to her potential.

 

[Piel]

Rgirl, Angelika Krylova (spelled wrong, I'm sure). I loved that pair. I tell you Peter and Naomi's downfall was...her stringy bangs !

IMO it seems the Russian gals seem to take a few detours before getting to the top.

Does anyone know why the ladies outside of the U.S. are able to get their college degrees while skating competively sooner than the U.S. ladies?

Piel

 

[youarewhipped]

I agree with most of the lists above....

Didn't live up to the hype:

Sasha Cohen-especially all of the quad hype

Elaine Zayak-her return was nice I guess

Caryn Kadavy-always buckeled

Teresa Aiello-disappeared after Junior Worlds

Lisa Ervin-eating disorders took her out I think

Shelby Lyons-no idea where she is

Brittney McConn-no idea

Sydne Vogel-no idea

Stacy Pensgen-grew

Erin Pearl-no idea

Trifun Zavonivic-switched countries but hasn't done anything

Julia Soldatova-lost everything

Vanessa Gussmerolli-quit I believe

Victoria Volchkova-never could land her jumps

Louann Donovan-hasn't really gone anywhere

Sara Wheat-can't skate under pressure anymore

Japanese Girls with 3a's and 4's-kudos to Fumie though, she triumphs above her supposedly technically superior countrywomen. They'd do better with consistency in their basic triples and some artistry.

Oksana Baiul's return to amateur skating-never happened

Maria Butraskaya-World Champ-what a fluke

Nicole Bobek-so much talent, wasted away


People who deserve some credit for their vitality and tenacity

1.) Michelle Kwan obviously
2.) Tonia Kwaikowsky-a lot of people counted her out, but she just kept coming back to nationals every year. Too bad she didn't go to Nagano instead of Nicole.
3.) Lu Chen-another huge one-after the problems with the Chinese Government as well as her ankle and foot, she came back to win third at Nagano for the second time. Go Lulu!

 

[Rgirl]

Rgirl, Angelika Krylova (spelled wrong, I'm sure). I loved that pair. I tell you Peter and Naomi's downfall was...her stringy bangs !
IMO it seems the Russian gals seem to take a few detours before getting to the top.
Does anyone know why the ladies outside of the U.S. are able to get their college degrees while skating competively sooner than the U.S. ladies?
Piel

Thank you, Piel, the ever dependable! Actually, I did remember Anjelika's name about an hour after I went offline--that happens to me a lot, sigh--then I just hoped I'd remember it today, lol. A lot of people didn't like her facial expressions, but what a gorgeous body and face! Really an amazing ice dancer. And her back injuries sound as if the pain was agony.

about Naomi's bangs. Between her bangs and Peter's hair, they probably couldn't see each other. Though I hear Peter isn't as cute with his hair cut. Of course I want to see for myself I did see him live and up close at Stars, Stripes, and Skates in '02 and he is a hunk. Six ft, at least. There were lots of little girl skaters and he was patiently letting their parents take his photo with every one of them. The little girls just stood there like they were in the presence of a Greek god--slack jaw, eyes glazed, drool. Really, it was sweet. And Peter was the only "famous" skater of the group to do that, which I thought was pretty cool.
Rgirl

 

[Ladskater]

Piel

Skaters are always being hyped as the next "It Girl/Guy/Pair/Team". Some live up to the hype, some don't, and sometimes the next big thing seems to come out of nowhere. Who are on your lists?

Personally, I don't think it's fair to do this to skaters. Sometimes skaters are "promoted" by their National Team - such as Skate Canada or the USFSA in the hopes that a skater might be the next future champion, but it does not always work.

For example,Canada had a wonderful skater who followed in the footsteps of Karen Magnussen. Unfortunately, she did not have Karen's great determination and therefore was pushed too fast by the then CFSA (now Skate Canada). She ended up quitting skating.

I think skaters need time to prove themselves and yes some are "instant" stars - but people fail to realize the competitive life is very stressful and not all skaters are able to handle it.

I think all skaters should be given credit for even entering the world of competitive skating whether they make it or not.

 

[Ogre Mage]

Pre-'94, for one thing there hadn't been a US ladies OGM since Dorothy Hamill in '76.

What about Kristi in '92?

 

[euterpe]

There has never been hype like the hype for Sasha Cohen today.
If you look at the USFSA website (yes, I know, the new website is awful) "news" stories, the last few were about Sasha's coach change. The most ridiculous: the press conference on Sasha's first week with Robin. Puh-leez!

I think the publicity barrage only makes it worse for Sasha when she doesn't quite succeed.

On another subject, I recall Michelle Kwan going to '94 Worlds with Nicole Bobek (Nancy Kerrigan had retired and Tonya Harding was in deep you-know-what). Nicole failed to make it out of the qualifying round, leaving 13-year-old Michelle with the task of finishing high enough to keep two US ladies' slots for Worlds '95. Michelle handled the pressure and finished 8th at her first Worlds appearance.