Thoughts on Satoko Miyahara's skating

[ioanna]

She's great but I count Satoko as kind of "intermediary". Kind of like Kovtun is for the Russian men. The next "stars" will be Honda, Pitkeev et al. and their contemporaries.

We'll talk about Honda being the future "star" when she gets at least half of Miyahara's consistency.

 

[ioanna]

They may be skaters from different eras but also skaters in different leagues, and I'm not trying to bring mihara down but it's just the simple truth, if Mihara retired today no one would care, or atleast not many. Mihara just didn't have anything that made her stand out and memorable, i can't name a single skate of her i would want to watch again or whom i found memorable, that may be just my personal opinion, but sasha who is also a silver medalist, is much more memorable in comparison, despite not having won much more, her skating style and spins and spirals made hr stand out, that can't be said about Mihara

Your opinion of Miyahara is not the universal truth. At least spell her name right before you continue to post condescending nonsense.

 

[yuki]

They may be skaters from different eras but also skaters in different leagues, and I'm not trying to bring mihara down but it's just the simple truth, if Mihara retired today no one would care, or atleast not many. Mihara just didn't have anything that made her stand out and memorable, i can't name a single skate of her i would want to watch again or whom i found memorable, that may be just my personal opinion, but sasha who is also a silver medalist, is much more memorable in comparison, despite not having won much more, her skating style and spins and spirals made hr stand out, that can't be said about Mihara

I'm sorry, but this is very condescending. If you don't find Satoko memorable, that's your prerogative, but you shouldn't assume that this is what most people think. I find her musicality remarkable and her bidirectional spin is an element that no one else does and imo makes her stand out.

(Her family name is Miyahara, btw)

 

[matmuh]

They may be skaters from different eras but also skaters in different leagues, and I'm not trying to bring mihara down but it's just the simple truth, if Mihara retired today no one would care, or atleast not many. Mihara just didn't have anything that made her stand out and memorable, i can't name a single skate of her i would want to watch again or whom i found memorable, that may be just my personal opinion, but sasha who is also a silver medalist, is much more memorable in comparison, despite not having won much more, her skating style and spins and spirals made hr stand out, that can't be said about Mihara

isnt it a bit bold statement saying noone would miss her??? i would miss her and there are many others i am sure, and she has done 2 seasons as senior and 1 season senior+junior, its normal that she doesnt have the same fan base as other skaters, esp someone like Mao,
regarding her skates, i have many choices i can choose from cause i know many of them she skated cleanly, so i can enjoy different performances from different competitions and even compare the progress clearly of course, that may be just my personal opinion

 

[OS]

Sheesh... Satoko's skating must have been absolutely riveting.
The most active skaters thread this season so far. Gooooo Satoko!! May the force be with you! (Hee... you know this is coming...)

 

[ioanna]

Sheesh... Satoko's skating must have been absolutely riveting.
The most active skaters thread this season so far. Gooooo Satoko!! May the force be with you! (Hee... you know this is coming...)

That's a lot for an "intermediary" skater whom "nobody would miss if she were to retire today" isn't it. :agree:

 

[Skater Boy]

That's a lot for an "intermediary" skater whom "nobody would miss if she were to retire today" isn't it. :agree:

what does this mean?

 

[jenaj]

They may be skaters from different eras but also skaters in different leagues, and I'm not trying to bring mihara down but it's just the simple truth, if Mihara retired today no one would care, or atleast not many. Mihara just didn't have anything that made her stand out and memorable, i can't name a single skate of her i would want to watch again or whom i found memorable, that may be just my personal opinion, but sasha who is also a silver medalist, is much more memorable in comparison, despite not having won much more, her skating style and spins and spirals made hr stand out, that can't be said about Mihara

I would miss her. And it's Miyahara, not Mihara.

 

[mary01]

I would miss her. And it's Miyahara, not Mihara.

Good for you, i wouldn't, and me not even remembering her name shows just how memorable she is lol

 

[solani]

Good for you, i wouldn't, and me not even remembering her name shows just how memorable she is lol

Her jumps might not be memorable, but the rest of her skating is. I love jumps, but to evaluate a skater only by his/her jumps seems a bit shallow to me.

 

[Marin]

Good for you, i wouldn't, and me not even remembering her name shows just how memorable she is lol

Honestly, I think it is already insult of a skater and not a healthy comment, hope mods will take care of it.

 

[ioanna]

You know what, mary01... Satoko would actually agree with you. In fact, another of my favorite skaters, Tatsuki Machida, once said "if I were to retire today, nobody would remember me". Is he remembered now? I would dare say he is. By his team mates, by his fans, and also by people who were not his fans.

Same as Satoko. She said as long as Mao is around, she does not consider herself the #1 Japanese lady even if she beat her all season. Because she believes Mao's legacy and longevity means more than a few competitions where she beat her. "When she enters the rink, she has a special aura around her which I hope I can get someday", she said. Of course, I don't expect you to know such details since you are not bothered enough to even remember her name.

Which brings me to something I've already mentioned in a previous post, Satoko maintaining her #1 Japanese lady position even after Mao's comeback has brought the absolute worst out of some Mao fans. I was here during the 2014-2015 season, and I know that although she did get the same criticism she gets today, nobody ever crossed the line. Unlike today, when it happens often. Even Mao fans who were supporters of Satoko when Mao was away, have now turned against her.

I believe Mao would be very disappointed to see the behavior of some of her fans. She is always accepting wins and defeats with grace and dignity. If you consider yourself a Mao fan, learn a thing or two from her and think twice before insulting a young girl who's been in the senior circuit for only 2 seasons and a half and who is still learning to improve her skating on all areas every day.

And by the way, Mao said Satoko is the only skater of the new generation who is close to her. In other words, the skating landscape in Japan has changed compared to the one she was part of before she took a break. They're all fresh seniors who don't really talk to her. So in times like those, Mao is happy to be in the company of this young, humble girl.

Let's learn something from these pictures.

http://66.media.tumblr.com/25d0a57434cd75b2a9b32a47198041b7/tumblr_od34gujlvV1uh3g7co2_1280.png
http://67.media.tumblr.com/35890e490d788a89918ee34c469cf02c/tumblr_o01moxkaHb1r1yaqpo1_540.png
http://66.media.tumblr.com/bd065963870ee49b7486f7496949e65e/tumblr_nyj3i0V4uw1qc5l9co1_1280.jpg
http://65.media.tumblr.com/d62d7114b984dd5c44d7bc90f92413a8/tumblr_nvp49qJZbM1uh3g7co2_1280.jpg
http://67.media.tumblr.com/0c162d371108feacb8632362d777df81/tumblr_nvonh5KYbR1r1yaqpo1_1280.jpg
http://blog-imgs-55.fc2.com/y/a/s/yasashiisekai/20121225222542e17.jpg
http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/4b/d8/6f12021baa9726d4956ea7d31e35539d.jpg

 

[jenaj]

Good for you, i wouldn't, and me not even remembering her name shows just how memorable she is lol

Not remembering or not knowing? The example of Machida is a good one. I saw him at Skate America and will never forget him. Also, with Satoko, as with Machida, I would always wonder what might have been.

 

[jenm]

Good for you, i wouldn't, and me not even remembering her name shows just how memorable she is lol

Meh. A lot of people will remember her and her lovely skating. She's covered.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I would miss Satoko for certain and I will always remember her and especially that little shoulder dip in the Beethoven program She's got a very soft presence and her programs are always fun and easy to watch. Always something to talk about with this one

 

[MaxSwagg]

She is actually very much like Machida. Very good but it's not like he had the charisma of Dai or Taka-chan. Satoko is very good and very consistent but she is kind of just "there," and doesn't have the charisma of someone like Marin Honda. It's just too bad about those small, very pre-rotated jumps.

 

[ioanna]

She is actually very much like Machida. Very good but it's not like he had the charisma of Dai or Taka-chan. Satoko is very good and very consistent but she is kind of just "there," and doesn't have the charisma of someone like Marin Honda. It's just too bad about those small, very pre-rotated jumps.

Yes, she is very much like Machida in the sense that Machida's skating got better and better with age and a lot of work. But when Machida broke out of his shell his presence on the ice was nothing like the charisma of a Dai-chan or Taka-chan, he brought his own personality; one of the factors that make people remember him now. When he took the ice his perfect posture, flair for drama and balletic movements were all part of his own creation. Satoko will get there; she already has the perfect posture and balletic movements.

Originality is something I appreciate about skaters. There are skaters with instant appeal and there are the "underdogs" who end up winning people's hearts without them noticing it. So your comment about just being "there" is kind of unnecessary and entirely subjective.

 

[Sydney Rose]

ioanna, if you haven't already, be sure to check out the latest TSL's This and That with Dave Lease and his guest Drew Meekins. They discuss Satoko and are very complimentary toward her. Drew saw her in person last weekend and sounds quite taken with her skating and her skating dress. :luv17:

 

[Crossover]

She is actually very much like Machida. Very good but it's not like he had the charisma of Dai or Taka-chan. Satoko is very good and very consistent but she is kind of just "there," and doesn't have the charisma of someone like Marin Honda. It's just too bad about those small, very pre-rotated jumps.

No..Satoko is not very much like Machida at all. Tatsuki has nice jumps, especially his 4T, 3A and 3Lz and no prorotation or underrotation problem that Satoko has. I like Miyahara's musicality, so I enjoyed watching a couple of her programs, but she doesn't own some glaring presence on ice yet like Tatsuki. I think Satoko is similar to Shoma. I didn't feel that Kozuka charismatic although he had very nice SS among the Japanese men.

 

[Biellmann]

I'm sure Satoko Will have a long career, many wins/podiums/medals and people Will remember her as that lovely skater... and other Will remember her as the skater with small jumps- but they Will remember her

People are so bothered by her jumps ( bc they can't find other "weaknesses"), but she may improve in the next years, who knows?