What makes skaters special?

[el henry]

Well, why skip the chance to repeat myself in different threads; it is the Internet after all...

@Skylark had an excellent list, and for me, the first last and always is the joy of the skate. Does the skater want to be on the ice, does the skater want to show us what they can do on the ice, and do they bring us onto the ice with them. And I don't mean how many revolutions they can fling through the air, although that can be part of it.

I actually started watching with Janet Lynn, who had this ability in triplicate.

Then I saw Toller. No one, but no one, has wanted to show the audience what the ice could do more. John Curry did too, but I loved Toller more. Just did.

Torvill and Dean. Entrancing, you didn't want them to leave the ice.

Then I stopped watching FS. Life, yes, and the direction of skating ...where was the skater who wanted me to share the ice with them?

Jason Brown showed me that these kinds of skaters were still around. There are more, but he brought me back, so he will be my favorite as long as he skates. I believe that he wants me to see what can be done in the rink, and that he wants to share it with me.

And I want to see.

 

[skylark]

Well, why skip the chance to repeat myself in different threads; it is the Internet after all...

@Skylark had an excellent list, and for me, the first last and always is the joy of the skate. Does the skater want to be on the ice, does the skater want to show us what they can do on the ice, and do they bring us onto the ice with them. And I don't mean how many revolutions they can fling through the air, although that can be part of it.

I actually started watching with Janet Lynn, who had this ability in triplicate.

Then I saw Toller. No one, but no one, has wanted to show the audience what the ice could do more. John Curry did too, but I loved Toller more. Just did.

Torvill and Dean. Entrancing, you didn't want them to leave the ice.

Then I stopped watching FS. Life, yes, and the direction of skating ...where was the skater who wanted me to share the ice with them?

Jason Brown showed me that these kinds of skaters were still around. There are more, but he brought me back, so he will be my favorite as long as he skates. I believe that he wants me to see what can be done in the rink, and that he wants to share it with me.

And I want to see.

:agree::agree:

and .... about repeating oneself .... I figure that most people don't read every post in every thread, so why deprive anyone of the chance to be exposed to my ornery view? And seriously, I think we need to see more of your views about why the number of rotations isn't the only thing and is highly overrated currently.

I have such a great story about the meaning and origin of that back-country word, ornery, but it is way topic:

 

[kwanette]

1. Skating from the Heart** Emotional Resonance. Examples from worlds 2016: Grant Hochstein's Les Miserables and Ashley Wagner's Moulin Rouge. There's something so powerful when the music means something to a skater and he/she/they are able to directly translate that meaning to audiences and viewers through movement and expressiveness.

2. Pure joy in skating. Some who exemplify this for me are Jason Brown, Julianne Seguin / Charlie Bilodeau, and Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov.

3. Poetry in Motion. Adam Rippon's Worlds and nationals 2016 free skates are pure artistry. A technical example is that Adam echoes or pre-echoes the Tano arm position a few times during his Beatles FS. This gives resonance and artistry to the movement that takes it far beyond the added technical difficulty. It elevates the quality of the program/choreography/interpretation. A musical example is the few seconds of transition and beginning of the Blackbird segment. Adam's demeanor changes from the first notes of transition; his movements are both calmer and elevated, even though those are the precise seconds that he's preparing for a huge, beautiful triple axel. At nationals, the audience just gasped, collectively. It was amazing.

4. Beautiful technique that practically disappears into the program because it serves the program. Gabrielle Papadakis / Guillaume Cizeron FS at Worlds 2016. Ashley Wagner's Hip Hip Chin Chin. Joshua Farris' FS at 2015 4CC. Patrick Chan's FS at 2016 4CC. Jason Brown's Riverdance.

Well said and I couldn't agree more. Just seeing both Grant and Adam at Worlds and those performances..just other-worldly..

I'll add both Mirai Nagasu and Max Aaron from Worlds..Both skated with incredible "heart"..

 

[TheCzar]

I for one, gravitate towards the balletic, classical type. They don't have to always skate to classical music but everytime I see a skater skate with finesse and a cool sensibility, I tend to cheer them on even if the programs aren't perfect. In that regard, I adore Mao Asada, Li Zijun, and Kiira Korpi, Hanyu, Chan, Takahashi...and actually, Alissa Csizny.

I also think dynamism and presence make skaters special. Kostner, Kim, Fernandez, Plushenko, Ito. Punchy, gutsy and sassy. I like that very much.

In terms of selected aspects of skating, I'm a sucker for a beautiful layback spin. Mirai, Alissa, and Kim up to 2011.

In short, any skater who can make figure skating look like art and still get the job done- teamed with an intangible quality are special skaters. It's far too early for me to see whether any of the Russian wunderbabies count because of their seemingly short life expectancy, but of the current three, Pogorilaya reminds me so much of a very young Kostner and Butyrskaya.

 

[plushyfan]

Pogorilaya reminds me so much of a very young Kostner and Butyrskaya.

Yes, Pogorilaya reminds me of Butyrskaya!

 

[dorispulaski]

I really like skaters who really skate to the beat. So many just twist their arms around or fling them up at musical flourishes but just step whenever.

 

[deedee1]

The key word for me is 'magnetic'. It just happens. Whether I'm aware of it or not, it happens. And it still happens even when the certain skater(s) (and her/his/their skating style) was not my cup of tea in the past. No specific reasons about it needed. I love such moments, and as a skating fan I feel blessed. :yes: