Who has the best footwork?

[Tonichelle]

People need to quit using the CoP as an excuse to be unimaginative. There have been some really great programs that have done well in competition since the CoP... but instead of branching out and trying new things every skater/team thinks it best to just continue to copy what worked the season before.

 

[vlaurend]

No Lambiel, who dances his footwork with such joy and openness of movement?

No Takahashi, who puts more emotion and drama into 25 seconds of footwork than most skaters put into their whole program?

Sorry. No one on your list.

Ditto. Takahashi and Lambiel prove that the new judging system does not limit the creativity of footwork sequences at all.

 

[Jasper]

No way, definitely Buttle and Takahashi.

 

[fumie_fumie]

footwork: sandhu, buttle, chan, hands-down.

 

[elye]

Buttle!

 

[Antilles]

Browning, for sure. It says a lot that he's one of the only "older" skaters on the list. I think most of these polls suffer from a recency effect.

I think Hamilton should have been on the list. I think Brian Orser would be a better candidate than Boitano. Boitano has a lot of wonderful qualities, but I wouldn't put footwork as the best of his ample skills. Robin Cousins also had amazing feet to watch.

Yagudin skated his footwork with great passion and speed, but he was mostly doing the same kind of steps repeatedly. I think someone needs to have versatility to be counted among the best.

Candeloro's footwork in the D'Artagnan program was quite memorable.

Buttle, Lambiel and Takahashi are my favourites of the current crop of skaters.

 

[Tonichelle]

I wouldn't put either Brian on the list, personally.

 

[gkelly]

For men, my choices would have to include Scott Hamilton, Brian Orser, Alexandre Fadeev, Kurt Browning, Alexei Yagudin. I'd probably still vote for Browning for the combination of quickness, variety of steps, and musicality.

Oh, and David Liu!

To expand the field further and into the current era, other options would include Stojko, Candeloro, Plyushenko, Takahashi, Lambiel, Sandhu as mentioned . . . also Sebastien Britten, Dmitri Dmitrenko, Evan Lysacek.

And for edge work in general more than for quickness and step sequences specifically, Brian Boitano, Mark Mitchell, Todd Eldredge, Jeff Buttle.



Women . . . uh . . .

Yuka Sato for quickness. Michelle Kwan for musicality and edges. Irina Slutskaya for difficulty and edges. Sasha Cohen for intensity. Um . . . not too many who have made it a signature skill. I guess Mao Asada and Carolina Kostner this year.

 

[champs]

I love Patrick Chan's footwork this season. May not be as intricate as others but I love the flow he creates with it.

 

[ManyCairns]

Robin Cousins for fun, showy, dancy footwork.

For deep, clean edges (not exactly footwork, I guess), Hamill, Sato, T&D.

 

[slove26]

I voted for Michelle Kwan, I just love how much passion and expression she shows in her straight line foot work. To me she is second to none.

 

[nippponophile]

Definitely Daisuke Takahashi

I'm wondering why Daisuke Takahashi doesn't appear as an option in some of these polls, it would seem he is an obvious candidate in this poll in particular. Love his interesting sequences in his Swan lake hip hop routine, and straight line sequence in Romeo and Juliet is very dramatic.

 

[dorispulaski]

None of the above. Daisuke Takahashi of the current crop. Brian Orser of the old timers. I dearly love Brian Boitano's skating, but footwork was the one place where Orser was clearly better.

 

[Tonichelle]

I dunno, I don't think Orser is as great as some of the guys on the list... he's definitely good, and I was fortunate enough to see him skate LIVE in 99....

but compared to someone like Kurt? or even Scotty?

 

[dorispulaski]

Toni, I just just making the point that if you were going to have one of the Brian's on the list, Orser was the better of the 2. Plus Browning as an eligible was a different kettle of fish than Browning as a pro. It was as a pro that Browning's footwork became truly exceptional, I think.

In fact, very few of the folks on that list are on my favorite footwork performers. Of those on the list, Yagudin and Browning for the men and Michelle for the ladies. Dorothy Hamill & Peggy Fleming could well be on the footwork list, though.

 

[vlaurend]

According to the world and Olympic technical panel and judges, Plushenko and Asada have the best footwork of anyone on this list. They know more about footwork than anyone else, so I'll go with their picks. :agree:

 

[Tonichelle]

Toni, I just just making the point that if you were going to have one of the Brian's on the list, Orser was the better of the 2. Plus Browning as an eligible was a different kettle of fish than Browning as a pro. It was as a pro that Browning's footwork became truly exceptional, I think.

Oh I completely agree... Kurt prior to 93-94 is such a different skater... I much prefer his stuff 94 and onward... with a few exceptions lol

According to the world and Olympic technical panel and judges, Plushenko and Asada have the best footwork of anyone on this list. They know more about footwork than anyone else, so I'll go with their picks

Because they *never* make the wrong call

 

[Bennett]

I voted for mao but I also wanted to vote for Jeff. They both have amazingly beautiful steps.

 

[Wrlmy]

Mao really proved she's capable of difficult, intricate footwork this year. But I wish she would stick to Lori Nichol. I was little underwhelmed by Tarasova's work. Mao's footwork was far more enjoyable and well integrated to the choreagraphy in Lori Nichol's program.

 

[Bennett]

Mao really proved she's capable of difficult, intricate footwork this year. But I wish she would stick to Lori Nichol. I was little underwhelmed by Tarasova's work. Mao's footwork was far more enjoyable and well integrated to the choreagraphy in Lori Nichol's program.

Although I found both of them absolutely gorgeous, I also couldn't help liking Nichol's even better than Tarasova's. It had a very lovely flow and upper body movements and went so well with her smooth skating and overall softness. Nichol is a very musical choreographer and I really like how she pays attention to the changes in melodies. Although she may tend not to be very dramatic, everything so naturally flows in her programs. Very tasteful.