Top 5 Favourite ChSq Elements?

[Diana Delafield]

Perfectly synchronized SBS spin (don't see the synchronicity that often, but if you do: fainting again)

For all the yards of discussion there is about pair lifts, throws, death spirals, I still maintain the most difficult pairs element to master is synchronized sbs spins. The only pair I've seen personally who were always perfectly in synch was Gordeeva and Grinkov, although I'm sure there have been and are others. But I've never mastered it myself, and everyone I've seen goes off at times, either a bit and then they get it back, or a lot and it turns into a mess. That tiny split second each revolution when you can see your partner isn't enough to get yourself lined up again, although it's usually the man's job to change his speed to match hers (otherwise if you both independently try to change speed to match the other you'll end up with a worse mess, and it's not as if you can have a conversation about it while you're spinning). Just as it's usually the man's job to call the revolutions and give the "Up!" or other change commands because his voice carries more clearly.

Unless you're Irina Rodnina, of course, who was always the one in charge .

 

[adhara]

5. are hitch kicks a choreo sequence? They should be. Hitch kicks. And butterfly kicks a la Andrew Torgashev.

Yes, any choreographic jump with less than 2 rotations is considered part of a choreographic sequence.

Personally (coming from the perspective of doing them as well as watching)

1) Spread eagle: love to watch and love to do, also gorgeous in a quick transition and a beautiful axel entry
2) Aerial style butterfly: so fun to do even though it can be a little terrifying (the amount I pop it is... quite something) and so so impressive for not that much more effort than a single axel
3) Slides, any type of slide, technically not counted as part of a choreographic sequence but they feel so nice and, if done well, look so nice
4) Kerrigan spirals, these suck to do because I always feel like I am going to fall, but they are very pretty
5) Ina Baur, I cannot physically do one but if I could pick one thing in skating to be able to do, I would pick an Ina Baur with a fully bent back

 

[TallyT]

That's because it's Yuzu baby.

I'll watch pretty much anyone doing them!!! They are beautiful and pure beauty is becoming rarer in our sport, replaced by efficiency.

 

[Arigato]

I'll watch pretty much anyone doing them!!! They are beautiful and pure beauty is becoming rarer in our sport, replaced by efficiency.

If anyone can match his quality on a delayed axel, I'll watch.

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

Mulling over this (I was only considering recent seasons), my answers turned out oddly specific:
- Adam Siao Him Fa's Toe Arabian, 2023/24 FS
- Ilya Yablokov's Ina Bauer, 2022-24 SP
- Alexey Erokhov's forward lunge, 2020/21 FS
- Andrei Anisimov's spirals, 2022-24 FS
- Corey Circelli's spiral, 2021/22 SP

 

[labgoat]

Tai & Randy doing pull arabians

 

[icewhite]

Here you can see Hugo Hermann's signature move at ~2:38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4pDvsj8aYA

 

[Mathematician]

Mulling over this (I was only considering recent seasons), my answers turned out oddly specific:
- Adam Siao Him Fa's Toe Arabian, 2023/24 FS
- Ilya Yablokov's Ina Bauer, 2022-24 SP
- Alexey Erokhov's forward lunge, 2020/21 FS
- Andrei Anisimov's spirals, 2022-24 FS
- Corey Circelli's spiral, 2021/22 SP

Finally someone else appreciates the lunge as well. So underrated I love it.

 

[LolaSkatesInJapan]

3) Slides, any type of slide, technically not counted as part of a choreographic sequence but they feel so nice and, if done well, look so nice

They’re also fun to practice until you get the results your coach/you seek, you fall a lot but you’re so close to the ice, it actually is funny and fun… also I’ve had that one spot on my left knee so red for days, because practicing a certain slide

 

[labgoat]

Toller Cranston ended programs with them, when he wasn't dying on the ice and causing a rule for some years that competitors must not end programs lying on the ice.

Toller only died as a pro iirc whereas Torvill & Dean tried it as amateurs and thus both popularized dying on ice and inspiring the judges to ban anyone else from doing so. Interestingly Ivan Shmuratko found a way to get around this in his short program. He ends his program, holds his pose just long enough and then dies to complete the true story he was portraying of the death of a countryman.

 

[labgoat]

Tai & Randy doing pull arabians

Or how about an assisted walkover into lunges...see below within this footwork

 

[labgoat]

Tai & Randy doing pull arabians

 

[labgoat]

Toller only died as a pro iirc whereas Torvill & Dean tried it as amateurs and thus both popularized dying on ice and inspiring the judges to ban anyone else from doing so. Interestingly Ivan Shmuratko found a way to get around this in his short program. He ends his program, holds his pose just long enough and then dies to complete the true story he was portraying of the death of a countryman.