Yoipes! What an idiosyncratic list.
I'm happy with Browning, Yagudin, and Takahashi, of course.
Interesting that the "Whaaat?!!?" skaters were NOT Canadian. In fact, three milestone Canadians are absent from the list: Cranston, Orser, and Buttle.
I suppose I can see why she didn't cite Curry or Cranston, because they're long enough ago that they were doing many doubles, though I try always to make a spot on my list for them, because they're so gorgeous to watch even today.
As for the middle-era immortals, from the eighties and nineties, who knows; maybe she felt that they get to show up on a lot of lists, but she wanted rather to spotlight skaters that few fans think about. I think that if people follow up by watching something by Honda, Li, or Tobel, it will broaden those viewers' horizons of the possibility of skating. A lot of us tend to get ossified and think of our faves without venturing beyond that agreed-on field of excellence.
When I think of my favorite skaters among ladies, I notice that I love (I mean in a really, really uber forever way) several skaters who are pretty much universally agreed on as the greatest ever--Kwan, Asada, Kim, Janet Lynn, Peggy Fleming. But like many of you, I also love some skaters that aren't at the top but have some special quality, such as Alissa Czisny. I feel the same way about other disciplines, notably ice dance (Rahkamo/Kokko, for example, and Roca/Sur). I think that's a great way to be a skate fan, because it responds to the individuality and the possibilities for achievement of skaters all through the ranks. I know that a lot of you are special fans of Angela Nikodinov, for example, or other skaters who might not for some reason or another have made it to the top of the pyramid. (I remember a really wonderful long program by Aren Nielsen of the U.S., to James Horner music from the movie The Rocketeer.) If anyone would be well-informed about hidden treasures in skating, it would be someone like Kwong. So good for her for putting some other names out there.
It'll be interesting to see everyone else's counter-lists!
