I like them before I saw them, but I couldn't really see the flow, edging, and blade control of the the Finnish women -- Drei, Poykio, and Kettunen -- until I saw them live. Same with Kristoffer Berntsson and Ana Persson of Sweden.
Denkova/Staviyski became immediate favorites during the Tango Romatica CD at Malmo; she looked like she was about to devour him. It was clear how they used their whole bodies, how beautifully they relate to each other on ice, and how tight their feet are. Their dramatic range was extraordinary -- from tango to the dignity and style they showed in their barrocco OD to their walk-like-an-Egyptian FD last year.
I couldn't believe how much speed out of nowhere Delobel/Schoenfelder could generate, and how controlled and flowing their dancing is. His physical presence is commanding in a strong/silent-type way; he uses his height well. I feel like they have equal stature, the feeling I got from Miskutienok/Dmitriev in pairs.
I really loved Totmianina/Marinin's Peer Gynt short last year, but until I saw it live, the flow and drama didn't come across on TV, nor did her amazing toepoint, carriage, and edge and flow out of throws. Even though I really don't like their Cotton Club LP, it was really a lot better in person, because their technique is so much fun for me to watch. I know this doesn't rock everyone's boat, but I love great technique.
I always loved Julia Sebetsyen, but I didn't know how much "boom" she has in her Lutz and Flip until I was there in person. In Malmo her Flip looked like her feet were higher than the boards. She also gets a lot of speed from her blades without much visible effort and uses the whole rink very well, something that's impossible to see on TV.
The height effect I also noticed when I saw Yagudin perform a 3A and Slutskaya perform a 3R -- both corkscrewed towards the ceiling. Also Andrejs Vlacenko's flying sit spin really flies.
I like Plushenko a lot more in person, because there's something very vivid and palpable about his energy and command. He doesn't seem nearly as over-the-top in person as on TV. Cohen is another skater who looks very different on TV than in the rink. In person she's so tiny. I sometimes think that on TV, she looks like a ballet dancer or actor from the 10th row -- overly made up and straining. Seeing her in person is like seeing her from the center of the first tier -- blended and modulated.
Klimkin's and Joubert's style and energy come through on TV to me, but they also are so much more vivid in person. Both have charisma, but in opposite temperatures.
On TV I never watch Sikuharlidze, but in Stars on Ice recently, I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. I know they'll forever be joined at the hip of skating lore, but the best pair, I think, is Sikuharlidze and Pelletier, who are delightful in the group numbers together.
One of the great things about seeing live competitions is exposure to a lot of skaters that are normally just names on results lists. There is a gap, especially in pairs, between the top skaters/teams and the next tier, but among the lower-ranked skaters, even those who don't qualify, it's not the splatfest one might expect, especially from the technical 3's and the ridiculous matching pre 3's that show up on IceCalc. There are a lot of skaters with beautiful qualities, who can do some moves with the best of them -- Karamedir's COE spiral, one of the Eastern European Ladies' Biellmanns on each leg, that just float to the overhead position without strain or slowing down and have complete control transitioning from leg to leg -- and have interpretive skills that are top-notch, like Mexico's Ana Cecilia Cantu. But without Eurosport, the only way to see them is to show up for 4C's, Euros, or Worlds.
We all are aware of those casual skating fans. You know the ones that are at Stars On Ice and wonder when Michelle Kwan is going to be on. So yeah... that number, and COI in general because of that usage of vulnerability gave me a terrrible taste in my mouth.
