- Joined
- Oct 23, 2017
It’s currently the darkest, dullest, emptiest part of the figure-skating calendar, with light not due to peek through again until Mentor Torun Cup and EDUSport Trophy in early January. It’s also the time when a few major gift-giving festivals are celebrated in many parts of the world. So I thought, why not combine these two facts and encourage posters to give each other gifts? Specifically, the gift of overlooked, underappreciated or new and interesting skaters to follow in the New Year. As many of them as you like, with only two restrictions. They should be skating as Seniors domestically and/or internationally, and they can’t come from any of the big federations.
Hard mode: In dance, France counts as a big federation; in Pairs, China does; and in Ladies, South Korea does.
Here are my gifts to you!
Ice Dance
Matilda Friend and William Badaoui, AUS: This gutsy and cheerful pair of Sydneysiders has been consistently scoring PBs at competition after competition this season despite heavy university schedules, low funding and an isolated training location. Have a look at their catchy disco RD to Priscilla Queen of the Desert here and their dramatic take on Game of Thrones in the FD here. Jenny of Oldstones FTW!
You can also read an interview with Matilda here.
Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, LTU: These two have had at good season so far, ultimately scoring two Grand Prix places and making a bit of a splash with their unusual and effective FD. Their RD is a whole different bowlful of neat, sparky fun – if you missed them on the GP, check it out now.
Pairs
Cleo Hamon and Denys Strekalin, FRA: Denys has a hand/wrist injury that’s caused problems for this team a couple of times this season. But they made a strong statement at Junior Worlds last year with their unusual Hunger Games FS, and this year’s SP and Notre Dame de Paris free, when the lifts are cooperating, show that they’re no one-program wonders.
Ladies
Zahra Lari, UAE: Zahra hasn’t competed yet this season due to a fractured vertebra. Yes, she only has a couple of triples and her double axel timing is wobbly in competition. No, she doesn’t score high. But she holds the eye in a way many more technically accomplished skaters are completely incapable of doing. She started skating at age 14 and lands triple jumps in international competition, she’s the first woman to skate in hijab and the first to compete for the UAE, she has innovative spins and lovely step sequences, and her trailblazing has opened the way for more girls from the UAE to skate in the JGP and Novices, including her talented protegée Thea Aboudiwan. Have a look at her SP from last year here (her FS from Cup of Tyrol unfortunately vanished in the YouTube purge).
Jenni Saarinen, FIN: Jenni had a great outing at Finlandia Trophy early this season and followed it up with a solid silver medal at Finnish Nationals. She’s the kind of skater where I don’t necessarily remember her programs in between watching them, but when I watch I have my chin propped in my hands and a smile on my face.
Noémie Bodenstein, SUI: Following a difficult season thanks to injuries and a coaching change, Noémie has been back on a rising course again this year, and just a few weeks ago put out a blinder of a clean FS at Swiss Nationals, beating her PB by almost 21 points to scoop the silver medal out from under the noses of podium favourites Anais Coraducci and Yasmine Kimoko Yamada. You can watch that program here, and her SP from Volvo Open here.
Paulina Ramanuskaitė, LTU: Paulina had a rough time on the JGP this year due to a growth spurt and a back injury; she’s currently off the ice healing. But her skating last year showcased a ton of potential and when she’s on form she’s definitely one to watch. Last year’s FS is here, and her SP is here.
Men
Sondre Odvall Boe, NOR: Sondre’s another one who’s had a bit of a bobbly season so far, but when he’s on he’s lovely to watch: he touches your emotions quietly and in unexpected ways. He’s apparently going back to his Muse FS for the second half of the season and that should be worth a look at Euros, along with his SP to I Found You.
Darian Kaptich, AUS: This year’s Australian national bronze medallist has a nice eye for an effective costume and an increasing technical and artistic range. He’s also one of the most cheerful and charming skaters you could hope to watch in a month of Sundays, and he does it all from sunny, stinking hot Brisbane. As his Nationals programs aren’t up on YouTube, you can get a look at his JGP skates here: SP and FS.
Graham Newberry, GBR: I fell for Graham back in the days when he tended to skate like he was in a battle to the death with his own programs (spoiler alert: he generally lost, but he did at least take the things down with him). These days he and his programs are mostly on the same side and working quite well together, though. Here he is at British Nationals in the short and the free.
Who are your overlooked, underappreciated or delightfully new favourites? Share!
Hard mode: In dance, France counts as a big federation; in Pairs, China does; and in Ladies, South Korea does.
Here are my gifts to you!
Ice Dance
Matilda Friend and William Badaoui, AUS: This gutsy and cheerful pair of Sydneysiders has been consistently scoring PBs at competition after competition this season despite heavy university schedules, low funding and an isolated training location. Have a look at their catchy disco RD to Priscilla Queen of the Desert here and their dramatic take on Game of Thrones in the FD here. Jenny of Oldstones FTW!
You can also read an interview with Matilda here.Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, LTU: These two have had at good season so far, ultimately scoring two Grand Prix places and making a bit of a splash with their unusual and effective FD. Their RD is a whole different bowlful of neat, sparky fun – if you missed them on the GP, check it out now.
Pairs
Cleo Hamon and Denys Strekalin, FRA: Denys has a hand/wrist injury that’s caused problems for this team a couple of times this season. But they made a strong statement at Junior Worlds last year with their unusual Hunger Games FS, and this year’s SP and Notre Dame de Paris free, when the lifts are cooperating, show that they’re no one-program wonders.
Ladies
Zahra Lari, UAE: Zahra hasn’t competed yet this season due to a fractured vertebra. Yes, she only has a couple of triples and her double axel timing is wobbly in competition. No, she doesn’t score high. But she holds the eye in a way many more technically accomplished skaters are completely incapable of doing. She started skating at age 14 and lands triple jumps in international competition, she’s the first woman to skate in hijab and the first to compete for the UAE, she has innovative spins and lovely step sequences, and her trailblazing has opened the way for more girls from the UAE to skate in the JGP and Novices, including her talented protegée Thea Aboudiwan. Have a look at her SP from last year here (her FS from Cup of Tyrol unfortunately vanished in the YouTube purge).
Jenni Saarinen, FIN: Jenni had a great outing at Finlandia Trophy early this season and followed it up with a solid silver medal at Finnish Nationals. She’s the kind of skater where I don’t necessarily remember her programs in between watching them, but when I watch I have my chin propped in my hands and a smile on my face.
Noémie Bodenstein, SUI: Following a difficult season thanks to injuries and a coaching change, Noémie has been back on a rising course again this year, and just a few weeks ago put out a blinder of a clean FS at Swiss Nationals, beating her PB by almost 21 points to scoop the silver medal out from under the noses of podium favourites Anais Coraducci and Yasmine Kimoko Yamada. You can watch that program here, and her SP from Volvo Open here.
Paulina Ramanuskaitė, LTU: Paulina had a rough time on the JGP this year due to a growth spurt and a back injury; she’s currently off the ice healing. But her skating last year showcased a ton of potential and when she’s on form she’s definitely one to watch. Last year’s FS is here, and her SP is here.
Men
Sondre Odvall Boe, NOR: Sondre’s another one who’s had a bit of a bobbly season so far, but when he’s on he’s lovely to watch: he touches your emotions quietly and in unexpected ways. He’s apparently going back to his Muse FS for the second half of the season and that should be worth a look at Euros, along with his SP to I Found You.
Darian Kaptich, AUS: This year’s Australian national bronze medallist has a nice eye for an effective costume and an increasing technical and artistic range. He’s also one of the most cheerful and charming skaters you could hope to watch in a month of Sundays, and he does it all from sunny, stinking hot Brisbane. As his Nationals programs aren’t up on YouTube, you can get a look at his JGP skates here: SP and FS.
Graham Newberry, GBR: I fell for Graham back in the days when he tended to skate like he was in a battle to the death with his own programs (spoiler alert: he generally lost, but he did at least take the things down with him). These days he and his programs are mostly on the same side and working quite well together, though. Here he is at British Nationals in the short and the free.
Who are your overlooked, underappreciated or delightfully new favourites? Share!
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:luv17: :agree:
