If you could thank any skaters, who and what would you say?

[4everchan]

thank you Joannie Rochette for inspiring the whole world, winning a bronze medal that OG in 2010, skating just a couple days after her mom's passing. Your perseverance and dedication, your courage and grace will always remain the most beautiful moment in sport for me in Vancouver.

 

[brushalley]

Thankyou PASHA for bringing drama and excitement

 

[silverfoxes]

Plushy - thank for keeping me on my toes all the time & never providing a dull moment.
Sergei - thank you for the pleather.
Johnny Weir - thank you for making me pay attention to skating in the first place

Thank you to all skaters who take risks and push the sport forward (technically and creatively)

 

[chasingpolaris]

Thank you to Michelle for getting me into figure skating.

Thank you Daisuke for rekindling my interest in the sport and for the iconic programs that you’ve skated. Your accomplishments for Japanese men’s figure skating are truly amazing despite the setbacks that you’ve encountered in your career.

Thank you Mao for your elegance and your gorgeous triple axels. A true ballerina on ice. Thank you also for your mind of steel on the ice and your heart of gold off the ice. There is so much to be admired about you, Mao.

Thank you Stephane for your artistry and your choreography. Such lovely programs.

Thank you Liza for your amazing comeback. It has been a joy to watch you this season.

 

[m0001]

Thank you to Patrick Chan for making me enjoy watching figure skating!

 

[4everchan]

Thank you to Patrick Chan for making me enjoy watching figure skating!

 

[fruitbasket]

Thank you sooooo much to Yuna for make me love with Figure skating. Because of Yuna, I wait/ look forward to see Grand Prix season every year.

Thank you to Mao for her challenged programs to competing with Yuna since their junior year.

Thank you to Carolina to perform matured/ polished programs in since 2013.

I miss all three beautiful and polished skaters.

 

[mrrice]

Well, I would definitely thank Maria Butyrskaya for giving me the shock of my life when I saw her perform live in Finland. Also, for being my skating wife.

I would definitely thank Michelle Kwan for changing the way I looked and felt about skating. If it weren't for Michelle, I'd have never gone to the worlds in Finland.

 

[Scrufflet]

I'd like to thank ALL skaters for taking me out of myself and transporting me to a different place!

I'd thank Kurt Browning for making me feel 14 yrs. old every time he skates.

I'd thank Elvis Stojko for his grit; his spirit of endurance kept me going during a very rough period of poor health.

I'd thank Bourne/Kraatz for trail-blazing and determination.

I'd thank Virtue/Moir for blasting the old notion of Canadians who aren't sure if they're good enough right out of the water. How exhilarating!

I'd thank Tracy Wilson for teaching Canadians how to be skating fans.

And Joannie Rochette for being a strong, graceful, elegant woman - a superb role model for all!

 

[4everchan]

I'd like to thank ALL skaters for taking me out of myself and transporting me to a different place!

I'd thank Kurt Browning for making me feel 14 yrs. old every time he skates.

I'd thank Elvis Stojko for his grit; his spirit of endurance kept me going during a very rough period of poor health.

I'd thank Bourne/Kraatz for trail-blazing and determination.

I'd thank Virtue/Moir for blasting the old notion of Canadians who aren't sure if they're good enough right out of the water. How exhilarating!

I'd thank Tracy Wilson for teaching Canadians how to be skating fans.

And Joannie Rochette for being a strong, graceful, elegant woman - a superb role model for all!

and thank you Patrick Chan for coming back!!!!

 

[samm22]

I'd like to thank Michelle, Sasha, Sarah, Shizuka, Yagudin, and Evan for getting me into skating.

I would like to thank Sasha in particular for encouraging joy and artistry in skating, and for inspiring me to stretch and try to achieve half the spiral she had

I would like to thank Michelle for all of the beautiful and consistent programs she skated throughout her reign

I would like to thank Mirai Nagasu for the happiness, determination, and drive she showed in Vancouver and nationals last year

I would like to thank Carolina Kostner for being an amazing fellow Italian and for skating some of the most beautiful programs on earth

I would like to thank especially Mao Asada for the triple axel, the triple flip-triple loop, her chopin programs, Vancouver, her Rach piano concerto 2 program, her elegance, grace, poise, determination, drive, line and musicality, the world record, her costumes, her smile, and most of all her gorgeous sochi lp

 

[Matilda]

Johnny Weir, for telling me that adult skating is awesome and encouraging me to give it a try and get involved with a skating club. His advice changed my life. It helped me through a rough patch in my life, as it gave me an activity I love, helped me lose 30lb, and gave me a new circle of friends. Of course, I'm thankful for Johnny for his lovely skating, too, and for inspiring kids and adults alike to always be themselves and pursue their dreams.

 

[EdgeCall]

I'd like to thank the unknown lady who got me into this sport, which I have come to consider the most aesthetic of all. I had never cared about skating before, but one day I read the title of an unknown song and looked it up on youtube. What came up was a video of her performance. At first I ignored her, but while I listened she suddenly caught my attention by the marvellous way her movements fit the song. That came to a complete surprise to me because while I love music, I actually dislike dancing. In the following days I looked up more skating videos with songs I knew and liked. Men, Ladies, Pairs, I watched them all and became hooked. Finally I began to memorize the athletes' names and wanted to know what this sport was all about. But I forgot the name of the first skater and the first song! To this very day I cannot remember, but whoever it was, I want to tell her nothing but this: Thank you.

 

[Weathergal]

Thank you to Dorothy Hamill for making me a figure skating fan--first with the beauty of your skating and later with your graciousness and class.

 

[heyang]

Thank you Michelle Kwan for letting us see you grow up to be a beautiful artist and a well-rounded woman .

Thank you Scott Hamilton for bringing fun to skating and creating Stars On Ice.

Thank you Kristi Yamaguchi for being a wonderful ambassador for skating with your success as an amateur, your presence as a pro, winner of DWTS, mother, author, etc.

Thank you Brian Boitano for power and grace on ice.

Thank you Torvill and Dean for making me appreciate ice dance.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Kurt Browning for his entertainment value and getting me into the sport.

Orser for being an amazing coach and representative of the sport.

Lu Chen & Kostner & Wagner & Tuktamysheva for showing the importance of never giving up.

Stojko & Asada & D/R for pushing the technical boundaries.

D&W and V&M for a wonderful rivalry that evolved ice dance.

And Radford for coming out before coming out on top of the World podium.

 

[TheGrandSophy]

And Radford for coming out before coming out on top of the World podium.

Although I respect their skating, I don't love D/R's style, but I will always salute Eric Radford and applaud him for that. :thumbsup:

As a relative of a gay teen, I was a bit sad when, upon showing him some skating last year for the first time, he asked me who were some out skaters today and I had to um and ah. So it was great to be able to text him about Eric.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Although I respect their skating, I don't love D/R's style, but I will always salute Eric Radford and applaud him for that. :thumbsup:

As a relative of a gay teen, I was a bit sad last year when, upon showing him some skating last year for the first time, he asked me who were some out skaters today and I had to um and ah. So it was great to be able to text him about Eric.

Nice story! While Radford is the only openly gay skater competing, I will say that there are definitely others, hopefully some of whom will follow Eric's lead when they feel the time is right for them to. I know for a fact of two other current elite skaters who are gay, and one who's a lesbian, but obviously won't out them out of respect. But Eric isn't the only one! Still, he's the only one to come out before retiring, and while at the top of his game at that.

 

[ice coverage]

Nice story! While Radford is the only openly gay skater competing, I will say that there are definitely others, hopefully some of whom will follow Eric's lead when they feel the time is right for them to. I know for a fact of two other current elite skaters who are gay, and one who's a lesbian, but obviously won't out them out of respect. But Eric isn't the only one! Still, he's the only one to come out before retiring, and while at the top of his game at that.

I've lost track of whether Caluza still is competing at all?

Anyway, he recently came out.

 

[TheGrandSophy]

CSG, I'm sure there are more, but, yes, as you said it is up to each one to decide if and when they are ready. Tbh, I assume a fair few skaters are just not out in the public sphere, just keeping it to family and friends.

Golden, I believe he retired at the end of 2014, but he is out now. Thanks.