Daisuke Takahashi | Page 5 | Golden Skate

Daisuke Takahashi

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
<9>
Re: Future and dreams: Shizuka's version

Dai: "How do you see it concerning your future?"

Shiz: "When I turned thirty recently (end of Dec 2011), I found myself more relaxed than before. During my twenties, I made myself open and flexible to anything in front of me and of my interest, and challenged as many as possible in a 'trial & error' stance. But for my thirties, maybe I should narrow its range and focus on."

"I turned pro and do a lot of ice shows now, but I know I cannot do it forever. There will be time when I can't keep my form and my skating skills to thelevel satisfactory enough to the eyes of audience who get to pay. Figure skating is very popular in Japan now. I want it last as long as possible (for the benefits of both skaters and fans). We need to keep people's interest in this sport, and keep them coming to competitions and shows. Now I ask to myself: what can I do for the sport then, other than skating in shows?"

"I want to pass all of my skills, my knowledge and my experiences which I learned through both eligible and pro skating all these years, to younger skaters. I want to hand on the torch of figure skating, which I was handed by the elders, to the youngers."
"When I was competing I had never thought about teaching or becoming a coach. But now, I see it as one of my options in the future."

"The image of coaching, for me, is a little different. Not focusing on only a couple of skaters at my home rink. When a young skater needs a certain technique in skating, I want to teach it. To ANY skater who wants to learn from me."

Dai: "You mean, building a system to give young skaters adequate opportunities to learn to the appropriate degree, right?"

Shiz: "Yes. The ideal image of coaching for me is that I rather visit a skater, wherever s/he lives, who needs my help. I will make myself available anytime and anywhere, and teach according to their needs; a sort of 'delivery of coach (laugh)? The number of professional coaches are limited in Japan, for various reasons. Just imagine, how a male coach can teach a layback spin to a girl? or a biellman spin???"
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
<10>
Re: Future and dreams: Daisuke's version

Dai: "If I talk about myself, I can use the college rink as I wish, thanks to many people. But there are other skaters, a lot of them, who are in great difficulty to find ice rinks for daily on-ice trainings in Japan."

"My big dream is, I mean BIG so I am not sure if I ever can make it or ever come true, but, is building a school with ice rink, a sort of 'skating academy'. A permanent place for skaters and for coaches. At the Academy, various coaches in different professions, with its specific knowledge and training methods, are available to any skaters who are eager to learn. Coaches are to work as a team, assisting each other, and bring up young kids to top athletes."

"A jump coach, spin coach, skating coach...not only for skating. Coaches and specialists for all areas related to figure skating; such as dance, ballet excercises, conditionings, nutrition/ dietetics, machine trainings, and dormitory. And for kids who live far away, their parent(s) do not have to worry about their school and/or studies while being at the academy (because staff will arrange necessary conditions/help to prepare required documents, so that kids can go to a school nearby.)"

Shiz: "Sounds great. I truly wish such a day will come!"

Dai: "Let's do it. Let's make it happen together! Just imagining of it seems already too big a dream for me. I donot know how long it is going to take. But if circumstances allow me, I want to give it a try."

<Prior to knee injury, he said a couple of time that when he retired from eligible skating, he wanted to get away from skating community, because it was the only place he had known for his whole life since age 8. Almost-carrer-ending injury and its comback changed his mind. He started to think about his future and his sport more intently, and wanted to do something for his sport so that he could repay all the favors he got from coaches, federations, doctors! and many others.

For Dai's dream on 'skating academy', my guess is his younger days (before becoming a top skater) influenced him a lot. During his high school days, Dai had to tarvel every weekend by himself to Osaka for trainings with Nagamitsu. Competitions after cometitions, he had to skip classes and/or could not spend much time with his local friends. He had to leave his parents at age 18 to go for full tranings with her coach while attending college. Even before the injury, he worried a lot about the rather critical circumstances, such as continual closedowns of public ice rinks throughout in Japan.>
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
<11>

Re: The remaining time as eligible skater

Shiz: "How are you going to spend the remaining time as eligible skater?"

Dai: "I made up mind to continue until Sochi Olympics at the age of 25 (March 2011). 'Okay, I have three more seasons to improve myself', I figured. And started new things, things I avoided for a long time, you know (e.g. stretch excercises, ballet, relearning skating skills). I will always remind myself why I made this resolution, and how I wanted to grow as a skater and a person (Becasue three years is so long, that I may get lost, sometimes, on my way to the goal: to join the national team for Sochi). I want to be better than what I am now. I will do what I have to do, little by little, day in and day out until Sochi season, regardless of good results or not to come."

Shiz: "You are still young. I believe male skaters can have longer career (as eligible skaters than ladies). (With proper trainings, and barring injuries,) I would say thirty y.o."

Shiz: "I know your definition of so-called 'perfect skate' is very high. At this point of your career, how close do you think you could come to your 'ideal' image so far? Say in percentage; e.g. 70%, 85%, please."

Dai: "I donot know where is my...urh...marginal capability (=limit) as eligible skater just yet. So I can not tell you where I am now, or how far I can go from here."

<Ms. Nagamitsu always tells Dai, 'Don't set the limit. Once you set the limit, you can never go beyond that.'>

Shiz: "When you improve, you probably raise the bar for your definition of 'ideal' skate. You will know once you retire, 'oh, that was my very best'."

Dai: "Compared to my old-self before injury, I feel much younger now, especially mentally. I enjoy skating more. I can face competitions more positivley this season. I am in full of expectations for myself; how far I can go from here."
 
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deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
<12>

Re: Dai's Message to fans

Dai: "For those who have rooted for me all along since my days as a junior skater, you probably know me very well, including a rather vulnerable side of myself. I had so many ups and downs so far. But my understanding is that you enjoyed my skating and rooted for me, including this side of myself altogether. Two years is long. I do not know what is ahead of me. There might be another ups and downs, though I hope not. So I feel, and I may let you feel swinging back and forth between joy and disappointment. The story goes on. I would appreciate very much if you will root for me on my good days, and bad days, from here again. Keeping it in mind that there are still some people who are supporting me, I would like to go on, to aim for Sochi Olympics."
 
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deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Alright, everyone, that's it!

Please be reminded that, as I wrote before, I am no expert for translation.
Those words are not exactly what they said in Japanese, because my English vocabularies are very limited. I even changed the order of topics for easier reading. But I did my best to translate the main meanings, what both Shizuka and Dai wanted to tell you.

For those who spent your time to read my translations, thanks a lot for reading.

And for those who who encouraged me to keep going, thanks a million!
Without your kind words of encouragement from time to time, I donot believe I could ever finish it!

Now, onto the Worlds!

GOOO DAIIII!!! :party::party:
 

let`s talk

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Plushy predicts Chan, Daisuke and Hanyu for Worlds, on 3.45" :hb:


Imagine if the podium was Daisuke, Kozuka and Hanyu.:points:

Seniorita, don't confuse people, if you please. Plush didn't predict the podium that you listed here. The journalist asked him who Plush thinks can WIN the Worlds. And the Olympic champion gave three names as candidates for the gold: Chan, Dai and Hanyu, who got the longest praise from our overload. Once again, Plush didn't say that he thinks Chan will win gold, Dai- silver and Hanyu- bronze. He said that any of this three can win the GOLD, in his opinion.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Thanks, Deedee1! That final message from Dai is especially lovely. I hope he knows that his devoted fans (me included) will support him as long as he continues to skate (and even beyond that! I'm still Michelle's fan, after all). I can see that he is continuing to make efforts to improve, and that makes me even more of a fan.
 

seniorita

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2008
Seniorita, don't confuse people, if you please. Plush didn't predict the podium that you listed here. The journalist asked him who Plush thinks can WIN the Worlds. And the Olympic champion gave three names as candidates for the gold
Sorry I understood he said the names in the row for gold, silver and bronze, I wouldnt imagine he would have mentioned Hanyu for gold..:sarcasm: As much as I like Huzuru.
 

Bluebonnet

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Sorry I understood he said the names in the row for gold, silver and bronze, I wouldnt imagine he would have mentioned Hanyu for gold..:sarcasm: As much as I like Huzuru.

I wouldn't either. Or I'll take back my praise to him for his prediction!:biggrin:
 

Becki

Medalist
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
Sorry I understood he said the names in the row for gold, silver and bronze, I wouldnt imagine he would have mentioned Hanyu for gold..:sarcasm: As much as I like Huzuru.

You sure he wasn't talking about Sochi Olympics? I would bet my money on Yuzuru for Gold at Sochi, but not for this World Championships (it belongs to Patrick).
 

seniorita

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2008
^ Noi he talks about Worlds.
- Journalist: In April begins a new season of preparation for Evgeni. For now let's this remain secret for his fans. The question is who isthe favorite on the World Championship?
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Thanks, Deedee1! That final message from Dai is especially lovely. I hope he knows that his devoted fans (me included) will support him as long as he continues to skate (and even beyond that! I'm still Michelle's fan, after all). I can see that he is continuing to make efforts to improve, and that makes me even more of a fan.

Thanks. I am glad you like it.
I liked the way he said it in Japanese; with soothing sound of voice and friendly smile, in his usual amiable down-to-earth manner.
Listening to his message, my eyes got watering.

Figure skating in Japan has huge popularity today.
Every cometitions and ice shows Mao or Dai enter, tickets are to be sold out fraction of a second, and skaters are sometimes treated like a rock singer or movie star by younger people.
But I would see it as a sort of 'bubble popularity', you know.

After his successful 2006-07 season, winning his first medal at Tokyo Worlds, the number of Dai fans went just HUGE all of sudden.
But he knows that his popularity among fans and the media, and the popularity of figure skating in general in Japan for that matter, is mainly owing to producing good results on the international scene so far. What can I say, a temporary boom?; they can be hot and cold anytime. Once good results donot come with him, he knows those who idolize him as a cool Dai or sexy Dai would be gone soon.

For instence, when witnessing his 3-fall performance at the recent Nationals, these fans appeared so shocked, quite naturally...
But to the eyes of long-term Dai fans, knowing how he has grown as a skater and as a person over the years, it was no big deal. "Been a while we saw Dai messing up that bad." "Yeah, but in a way I miss that Dai. We donot get to see it often these days, right?" "Well, it's not that bad, compared to 2004 TEB where he landed no clean jump, messing all 8-jump passes..." "If he needs to mess up somewhere, better do it here, instead of later in the season..."

As for skaters such as Dai, Akiko, Shizuka or Takeshi who remember how hard it was to continue competitive skating when this sport was less popular back in the days in Japan, they have been always grateful to these fans who rooted for figure skating and its skaters for a long time (before it becoming so popular).
Because they know this kind of fans are true skating fans, who rooted and will root for them as a skater (not as a TV idol), and supported and will always support figure skating as a sport, regardless of good results or not, and/or regardless of mass media's hot attentions or not.
 
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hurrah

Medalist
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Just finished watching Dai's SP! It was really so good. His spins were so much better---speed, centering, position, everything, and you could tell all the stretching is paying off. His body moved beautifully. And I think he's gonna get a stable quad soon. It was so lovely!
 
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