Wakaba Higuchi

[gsyzf]

That's an interesting comparison! Yuna isn't the first skater that comes to mind when I think of Wakaba (I've heard lots of Midori Ito comparisons ) but I do think that she has lots of potential in terms of musicality. There just needs to be well-packaged programs that can showcase it.

According to Japanese commentary ( I read somewhere), midori ito herself said wakaba resembles her.

 

[solar]

According to Japanese commentary ( I read somewhere), midori ito herself said wakaba resembles her.

I'm not surprised! Both are very strong jumpers

 

[solar]

It's Wakaba's 15th birthday today! Time flies ... It seems like she was 13 only a few weeks ago

To celebrate, I've completely updated the first page of this fan fest to include competitions, scores, biographies, personal bests, and other links! It's still in progress, as I'm still trying to find videos and other links. But I tried to do it in time for her birthday

 

[Pika]

Happy birthday Wakaba ! :hap57:

 

[hamaguri]

HAPPY birthday! Wakaba!
i wish you the best of luck!

 

[ioanna]

Happy birthday Wakaba! I hope she will be able to put her amazing 3Lz-3Lo combination back in her FS at Jr Worlds. I also wonder about that 3A she said she would add in the second half of this season.

 

[Interspectator]

Happy Birthday Wakabaaaa! She had to deal with setbacks and injury early this season so I was sooo happy to see her improve and get on the podium again. I hope she can improve her podium placement at Jr. Worlds as well.

 

[matmuh]

happy birthday Wakaba!!! hopefully she will be injury free from now on! and i wish for better programs for her next season

 

[Li'Kitsu]

Happy birthday little firecracker! Hoping for an injury free next year and lots of smiles, great skates, great competitions and great medals

 

[solar]

Happy birthday Wakaba! I hope she will be able to put her amazing 3Lz-3Lo combination back in her FS at Jr Worlds. I also wonder about that 3A she said she would add in the second half of this season.

I'm curious about this as well, actually. I don't think she'll do a 3A this season, but I do think she might add her 3Lz-3Lo combination by the time Jr Worlds comes around....

 

[invisiblespiral]

Happy Birthday Wakabby!

 

[Crossover]

I wondered why this thread keeps busy with new posts; I know why now.

Happy Birthday, Wakaba!

 

[solar]

I wondered why this thread keeps busy with new posts; I know why now.

Happy Birthday, Wakaba!

I was curious of that as well I didn't think anyone would even respond to my birthday post, but I'm glad people did!

 

[Maria Victoria]

Adding my birthday greetings to Wakaba! For me, she is one of the best competitors among the Japanese ladies with a fierce desire not just to excel but to win. Watching her and Satoko at the JN gala, I had the sense that they will develop one of the most exciting (friendly) rivalries in the future. Wishing her the best for 2016.

 

[solar]

Adding my birthday greetings to Wakaba! For me, she is one of the best competitors among the Japanese ladies with a fierce desire not just to excel but to win. Watching her and Satoko at the JN gala, I had the sense that they will develop one of the most exciting (friendly) rivalries in the future. Wishing her the best for 2016.

Speaking of Satoko and Wakaba, HERE is a cute moment between them backstage during the 2015 Japanese Nationals FS :luv17: They probably just found they were in first and second after Mao and Rika skated after them

 

[solar]

Japan times posted a nice article about 2015 Japanese Nationals with a nice section about the ladies:

Higuchi in elite class with Mao after result at nationals

There's a translation of the message Wakaba posted after the competition on her Twitter:

“I am very happy to have been able to perform the free program (which I feel I still have to work on) at the All-Japan competition.

“It was a very different experience to last year, plus I found some issues I need to tackle.

“I was able to skate comfortably — maybe, partly because it wasn’t my first time skating at the All-Japan,” Higuchi noted.

“Looking back this year, there were periods when things were tougher than I had imagined it could be, but I’m glad I was able to be in shape when all the important competitions took place around the latter half of the season.

“Your cheers and support were a big help to me. Thank you very much.

“There are many tournaments and shows right from the start of the New Year.

“I’ll do my best to achieve good results at the National Sports Festival, All-Japan Junior High and World Junior tournaments, so please give me your support!

“Thank you.”

 

[solar]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ljhth_sp-ex-4_music

Here is Wakaba's exhibition from the NHK Exhibition Special 2016! (I think that's the official name).

 

[Crossover]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ljhth_sp-ex-4_music

Here is Wakaba's exhibition from the NHK Exhibition Special 2016! (I think that's the official name).

I feel spring already coming from her fresh and vivid gestures on the ice. Thank you for the video, solar.

 

[solar]

Wakaba got first place in the Junior Ladies competition of the 2016 Japanese National Winter Sports Festival (a Japanese regional sports competition).

She was first in the short program with 66.75, but only ranked third in the free skate with 112.56. But overall, she was still able to get first place. I can't seem to find protocols, so I'm not sure what happened in the free skate. But congratulations to Wakaba for the win!

(There won't be any videos besides a few news clips).

 

[cohkaix]

Wakaba got first place in the Junior Ladies competition of the 2016 Japanese National Winter Sports Festival (a Japanese regional sports competition).

She was first in the short program with 66.75, but only ranked third in the free skate with 112.56. But overall, she was still able to get first place. I can't seem to find protocols, so I'm not sure what happened in the free skate. But congratulations to Wakaba for the win!

(There won't be any videos besides a few news clips).

From twitter, the audience reported that Wakaba missed the opening 3-3 combination. In the 2nd half she executed a 3Lz-3T, but also had a pop on a 3L. On the other hand, in the news it is reported that the opening 3-3 was meant for a 3Lz-3L, which means she adding back the -3L to her jump combinations.