Yuzuru Hanyu: 2018-2019

[khtmyzr]

Now that the Men’s competitions in Lombardia and US Classic are over, it has finally hit me that ACI is up next... I’m already nervous
This will be the first time I get to watch the stream of Yuzuru’s competition live since I had to work during the OWG. Any tips on how to handle my own nerves while watching? How should I brace myself for the coming Friday?

 

[Reth]

Now that the Men’s competitions in Lombardia and US Classic are over, it has finally hit me that ACI is up next... I’m already nervous
This will be the first time I get to watch the stream of Yuzuru’s competition live since I had to work during the OWG. Any tips on how to handle my own nerves while watching? How should I brace myself for the coming Friday?

I remember my first time watching him through stream. I though my heart was going to pound out of my chest I remember reading ppl twts and comments saying don’t expect too much. He tend to pancake or flop his first comp. Consider this a costume reveal then anything else.

 

[TallyT]

I remember my first time watching him through stream. I though my heart was going to pound out of my chest I remember reading ppl twts and comments saying don’t expect too much. He tend to pancake or flop his first comp. Consider this a costume reveal then anything else.

I'm not sure I'll manage the stream (2.30 a m Sunday morning?) but I'm going to try - this is the very first time I've watched Yuzu (and the other boys, there's several I really want to do well!) compete live and I'm already starting to fizz with glee and nerves. And then I remember that it's the first time we see COSTUMES and how I felt when I saw Dory (eeepppp!!!) and Haruyo koi (adoration on first sight).....




They're not going to get much sense out of me at work later this week...

 

[yude]

I'm not sure I'll manage the stream (2.30 a m Sunday morning?) but I'm going to try -

Same for the Japanese fans SP starts around 2 am and FS starts around 1:30 and ends at 5 am. And as for FS, we won't be able to sleep right after it because there is the medal ceremony and the articles will come. My Saturday and Sunday will be totally gone (and I'm also taking a day off on Friday to watch the practice, haha) I think the competitions in North America might be the hardest for us to watch.

 

[myself]

Slightly OT here, but I thought Yuzu's board would be a good place to ask - Does anyone know where to find reference material (like a vocabulary list) on Japanese skating terms?

I'm trying to teach myself Japanese (it's going so very, very sloooowly) but I figure, since I've got some basics down, why not learn some skating terms? (seeing as that's a major part of why I'm learning Japanese in the first place). I realize a lot of them would probably be loan words (i.e. taken from English) but it'd be nice to know the accepted kana, ect. so I'd more readily recognize them in articles. I'm thinking like names for the jumps, spins, spirals, spread eagle - that kind of thing.

I swear I stumbled onto something like that ages ago, thinking, "Oh I'll come back to that later when I know some more Japanese," and of course I have no idea where such a site would be now. Or maybe it was just a fever dream I made up *sigh*

 

[TallyT]

Same for the Japanese fans SP starts around 2 am and FS starts around 1:30 and ends at 5 am. And as for FS, we won't be able to sleep right after it because there is the medal ceremony and the articles will come. My Saturday and Sunday will be totally gone (and I'm also taking a day off on Friday to watch the practice, haha) I think the competitions in North America might be the hardest for us to watch.

I don't work Mondays any more, which is lucky because whatever happens I will need to recover....

 

[Interspectator]

Same for the Japanese fans SP starts around 2 am and FS starts around 1:30 and ends at 5 am. And as for FS, we won't be able to sleep right after it because there is the medal ceremony and the articles will come. My Saturday and Sunday will be totally gone (and I'm also taking a day off on Friday to watch the practice, haha) I think the competitions in North America might be the hardest for us to watch.

Yes, I'll be sleeping at very strange times and drinking lots of coffee next weekend.

 

[TallyT]

Yes, I'll be sleeping at very strange times and drinking lots of coffee next weekend.

... and trying NOT to wake the rest of the household up if the 4A, a new record or some staggering costuming spectaular - or all three - pop up on the screen at 4 in the morning....

 

[tzazu]

I'll be on duty both days :hpull::sad4:, but I'll try to watch it in my phone if possible:hopelessness:

 

[Weetos]

Yuzu's practice sessions have so much high quality content... better than most competitive skates tbh. His spirals in PyeongChang were a joy to watch

I watched those so many times. He just has this natural grace in everything, I swear I have occasionally rewound a video just to watch him take his bows again, he even makes leaving the ice an art form

I'm not sure I'll manage the stream (2.30 a m Sunday morning?) but I'm going to try - this is the very first time I've watched Yuzu (and the other boys, there's several I really want to do well!) compete live and I'm already starting to fizz with glee and nerves. And then I remember that it's the first time we see COSTUMES and how I felt when I saw Dory (eeepppp!!!) and Haruyo koi (adoration on first sight).....




They're not going to get much sense out of me at work later this week...

Dory was kind of bizarre, but I'm assuming a cape would be impractical for competition how much choice did he have in that one though? I have no idea whose idea it was...
The fantasy cuttlefish one is very pretty, especially in motion. I really like most of his costumes, they are never boring, so I can't wait to see two new ones

ACI is on at the perfect time for me, 6pm I think, that means I have to watch. I will probably watch through my hands until the jumping is over :/

 

[TallyT]

I really like most of his costumes, they are never boring, so I can't wait to see two new ones

Oh yeah... having had a look at the bland, rather elderly-looking costumes (with a couple of exceptions) in the two competitions just finished I am really hoping Yuzu will give us something gorgeous (and goodness knows, the fanartists on twitter have come up with lots of ideas for him!!!) We are already in love with the music, aren't we?

 

[khtmyzr]

Consider this a costume reveal then anything else.

That actually makes me nervous

I'll be on duty both days :hpull::sad4:, but I'll try to watch it in my phone if possible:hopelessness:

I’ve got work both days too, but I guess it’s pretty useless for me to pretend I’ll be able to sleep peacefully to be well-rested for work when I’m aware Yuzuru is skating.
The SP starts around midnight for me so hopefully I can get my excitement level down after it’s done and get some sleep

 

[yude]

Slightly OT here, but I thought Yuzu's board would be a good place to ask - Does anyone know where to find reference material (like a vocabulary list) on Japanese skating terms?

I'm trying to teach myself Japanese (it's going so very, very sloooowly) but I figure, since I've got some basics down, why not learn some skating terms? (seeing as that's a major part of why I'm learning Japanese in the first place). I realize a lot of them would probably be loan words (i.e. taken from English) but it'd be nice to know the accepted kana, ect. so I'd more readily recognize them in articles. I'm thinking like names for the jumps, spins, spirals, spread eagle - that kind of thing.

I swear I stumbled onto something like that ages ago, thinking, "Oh I'll come back to that later when I know some more Japanese," and of course I have no idea where such a site would be now. Or maybe it was just a fever dream I made up *sigh*

I couldn't find a list but found a blog post, there are only basic terms but I hope it will help you.

https://englishlive.ef.com/ja-jp/blog/sports-english/figure-skating-english/

I excerpt some (and also added a little).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
short program (ショートプログラム）
free/long program (フリープログラム）
Total Element Score（技術点）
Program Component Score（演技構成点）
jump（ジャンプ)
spin（スピン)
step（ステップ）
GOE (加点/出来栄え点）
under rotation (回転不足）
down grade (ダウングレード）
step out (ステップアウト）

Toeloop（トーループ）
Salchow（サルコー）
Loop（ループ）
Flip（フリップ）
Lutz（ルッツ）
Axel（アクセル）

double jump（2回転ジャンプ/ダブルジャンプ）
triple jump（3回転ジャンプ/トリプルジャンプ）
quadruple jump（4回転ジャンプ）

Camel spin　（キャメルスピン）
Biellmann spin　（ビールマンスピン）
Donut spin　（ドーナツスピン）

Ina Bauer（イナバウアー）
spiral (スパイラル）
eagle (イーグル）
spread eagle (スプレッドイーグル）

S landed a triple Axel.（S選手はトリプルアクセルで着氷しました。）
S is the first skater to perform a clean quadruple loop in competition.（S選手は試合でクリーンな4回転ループを跳んだ初めての選手です。）
Y reacts at the “kiss and cry” with his coach.（S選手はキスアンドクライエリアでコーチと一緒に得点を待ちます。）

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As for the jumps, we also write/say "３回転トーループ" as "トリプルトーループ", both are correct and the same meaning of "triple toeloop". (it is confusing!)

 

[myself]

Oh yeah... having had a look at the bland, rather elderly-looking costumes (with a couple of exceptions) in the two compettions just finished I am really hoping Yuzu will give us something gorgeous

IIRC in last year's ACI SP all the men were wearing black except for Yuzu (in Chopin blue) and, like, one other guy?

I get that all-black makes a striking image against the white of the ice, but when everyone does it, it gets a bit samey.

It makes me appreciate Yuzu's costumes all the more. They may occasionally be a bit out there, but he'll never get lost in the crowd.

 

[TallyT]

IIRC in last year's ACI SP all the men were wearing black except for Yuzu (in Chopin blue) and, like, one other guy?

{evil grin} So kind of them all to voluntarily provide a all-pretty-samey human backdrop for our Peacocky Prince to stand out all the more...

 

[myself]

I couldn't find a list but found a blog post, there are only basic terms but I hope it will help you.

https://englishlive.ef.com/ja-jp/blog/sports-english/figure-skating-english/

I excerpt some (and also added a little).

Thank you so much!!! That was much more than I was expecting. Oh my, I must get cracking on my vocabulary lists.

 

[hanyuufan5]

Thank you so much!!! That was much more than I was expecting. Oh my, I must get cracking on my vocabulary lists.

I also recommend watching actual skating with Japanese commentary, and also the subtitled version of Yuri on Ice. Sometimes they say things slightly differently, like they'll say, "回転が足りなかった" or something instead of the official "回転不足" for underrotations, etc.

 

[Amef]

Costume reveal and a chance to see jump layouts. I don't expect to see 2 perfectly clean programs at ACI.

Although last year he did set a WR in SP unexpectedly.

 

[Henni147]

Costume reveal and a chance to see jump layouts. I don't expect to see 2 perfectly clean programs at ACI.

Although last year he did set a WR in SP unexpectedly.

My perception over the last three seasons: Yuzu's biggest problem in the first 1-2 competitions was a new program, new jump or radical layout change.


Remember his SP in 2015: at ACI and SC he put his 4T into the second half to get the 10% bonus. He's never tried that layout before. And failed.
At NHK he changed his mind and went for two quads in the first half, which suited him better. Obviously.
FS in 2015: Completely new program and first time that he attempted three quads in his free. (Despite that he performed pretty well at SC.)

2016: Two new programs, very late preparation at TCC plus 4Lo and 4S+3T debut. No surprise that many things went wrong.

2017: 4Lz debut and Yuzu made radical changes in his freeskate layout. At ACI I had the feeling that he didn't know what he wanted to do at all. Going for the quads? No quads but triples? And the music went on and on...


Currently he has no new jumps (except 4A maybe) and he seems to feel very comfortable with his new programs. So if he doesn't experiment too much at ACI and Finland GP this season but sticks to one layout, there's a good chance to beat his "bad-start-curse". Eventually

 

[Interspectator]

https://twitter.com/hueber_sydney/status/1041293410718703621 The Chinese National Grand Prix shows these very cute young skaters in various Yuzu-esque costumes!