Maia and Alex Shibutani--Oh, everything! But the most outstanding moment for me was watching their FS at Skate Canada from within the arena.
Cappellini & Lanotte at Cup of China--How incredibly spectacular! So great to see them BACK.
Yuzuru's Free at NHK--It looked pretty incredible in practice at SC. Great to see it realized in Japan. And to see him stretching himself in his performance style. This is his most interesting Free Skate thus far, IMO.
Sui & Han--Skate America. I just love their programs this season. Please, please may she heal well and be able to perform these at Worlds.
Max's SP at Skate America. GREAT to see that quad triple back.
Mao's free is my favorite ladies' programs of the season, but I'll wait for that performance I know she has in her somewhere. Should be seeing her live in Boston!
My favourite program, regardless of execution, is probably Rika's Riverdance
The others, in random order because I can't really choose:
- the Shibutani's Coppelia
- Yuzuru's Seimei
- Mao's short program
- Satoko's Firedance
Satoko's free could make this list too, but let's use some variety... I already have 3 japan ladies' and one man's I swear I'm not doing it on purpose, I'm partial to the ladies because I follow them more but I'm not fixated on japanese skaters
a tough one to choose...surprisingly (for me) lots of great programs so far this season!!!
but if I would have to choose 5...
1. Wenjing Sui/Cong Han SP - really masterful program, with complex choreography, dancey feeling and some amazing elements but foremost with such charisma, attack and personality of skaters filling the program;
2. Javier Fernandez SP - flamenco music+A. Najarro choreography+Javier with facial hair = SUAVE OVERLOAD:dance2:
3. Ekaterina Bobrova/Dimitry Soloviev FD - shall I say this program made me a fan...A really special storytelling and such vibrant expression on ice!
4. Yuzuru Hanyu SP - FS is also fantastic, but after NHK I feel that a clean Chopin won me more...
5. Mao Asada SP - with this kind of program she proves she has a maturity, skills and presence to sell these kind of stuff greatly. Just wishing her speedy recovery, lots of rest and perfecting jumps - the program is kind of different from her previous stuff yet has loads of potential. Also wish she would try some gold/metallic dress with fringe...
I can't choose only 5 It's not possible.There were far too many great programs :clapper:
1) Yulia's TEB SP
2) Meagan & Eric's SC LP
3) Meagan & Eric's NHK SP
4) Patrick's SC LP
5) Kaitlyn & Andrew's RC FD
6) Yuzuru Hanyu's NHK LP
7) Evegenia's SA SP & LP
Boyang Jin's 4Lz-3T was unbelievably awesome. 9.19 points for one element!!!
In no particular order:
Shoma's LP in SA
Mao's SP in COC
Yuzuru's LP & SP in NHK = Near perfection!!!
Javier SP in COC (I the facial hair)
Patty's LP in SC
Honorable mention:
Yulia's SP in TEB
Satoko SP & LP in NHK
Radionova SP & LP (minus the horrid soundtrack) in COR
Ashley's SP & LP in SC
the Sibs in NHK
Evegenia's LP & SP in SA
Max Aaron in SA
In no particular order:
Alaine Chartrand's SP at COR
Ashley Wagner's SP at SC
Satoko Miyahara's SP and FS at both events
Rika Hongo's FS at COC
Evgenia Medvedeva's FS at COR (still not a fan of her yet, but I really liked this performance)
Honourable Mentions:
Yulia Lipnitskaya's SP at TEB
Gracie Gold's SP at both events
Mao Asada's SP at COC
Elena Radionova's SP and FS at COR
Not many really Great programs -- but it does not come too often anyway ...
1) Hanyu's SP and LP at NHK ...
... the distance from everything else is HUUGE.
Honorable mentions: a) Bobrova and Soloviev FD (at NHK only).
b) Volosozhar-Trankov SP: real fun.
c) Boyan Jin SP/LP: discovery of the season.
Manfred from Kawaguti-Smirnov is great but this is not this season program.
I also imagine a great LP from Yulia. Yet this is to wait for a while.
1&2: Hanyu's Sp and LP from NHK
3&4: Rika Hongo's Sp and LP from CoC
5&6: Shibs' SD and FD (I can't decide which)
7&8: G/P SD and FD from SC
9: Javi's SP from CoC
10 K/S LP
I seriously couldn't chhose between those SPs and LPs, but I wanted more people on my list than Yuzu, Rika and the Shibs
Honorable mentions:
1& 2: Menshov's LP and SP, I find them both appealing
3: Shoma Uno's SP
My top (for each discipline), just for fun:
Ladies' FS: Evgenia Medvedeva
Ladies SP: Elena Radionova
Men's FS: Yuzuru Hanyu
Men's SP: Yuzuru Hanyu
Pairs Short: Sui and Han
Pairs Long: Stolbova and Klimov
Short Dance: ehh, don't really like any of them TBH
Free Dance: Tie between Shibutanis and I/Z