Sometimes, there are skaters whose skills and qualities you can't deny but that you don't like for whatever reason or don't care about that much...and then they find the right program(s), that shows them in a different light and that makes you follow them with more attention or turn you into a fan. Did it happen to you?
The program(s) that changed it all
- Thread starter lappo
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2014
Delobel/Schoenfelder FD "Carnival" at 2006 European
Daisuke Takahashi's SP "Cyber Swan" at 2008 Four Continents
Florent Amodio's SP at 2010 Vancouver
Ashley Wagner FS " Black Swan" at 2012 Four Continents
Denis Ten SP/FS "The Artist" 2013 Worlds
Tatsuki Machida's "East of Eden" at 2014 Worlds
Patrick Chan's Chopin at 2015 Four Continents
Carolina Kostner "Ave Maria" at 2014 Sochi Team Event - still not a big fan, but turned me to start paying more attention to her
Sui/Han's sassy SP in the 2015-16 season
Anna Pogorilaya EX "Rising like a Phoenix" in the 2014/15 season
Akiko Suzuki FS "O" at 2012 NHK Trophy
Satoko Miyahara SP "Fire Dance" at 2015 NHK
Shibutani/Shibutani FD "Fix You'" at 2015-16 GPF
Hubbell/Donohue's SD & FD at 2017 Skate Canada
Of course, this list doesn't include my all-time or other favorites whose skating I felt in love at first sight.
Daisuke Takahashi's SP "Cyber Swan" at 2008 Four Continents
Florent Amodio's SP at 2010 Vancouver
Ashley Wagner FS " Black Swan" at 2012 Four Continents
Denis Ten SP/FS "The Artist" 2013 Worlds
Tatsuki Machida's "East of Eden" at 2014 Worlds
Patrick Chan's Chopin at 2015 Four Continents
Carolina Kostner "Ave Maria" at 2014 Sochi Team Event - still not a big fan, but turned me to start paying more attention to her
Sui/Han's sassy SP in the 2015-16 season
Anna Pogorilaya EX "Rising like a Phoenix" in the 2014/15 season
Akiko Suzuki FS "O" at 2012 NHK Trophy
Satoko Miyahara SP "Fire Dance" at 2015 NHK
Shibutani/Shibutani FD "Fix You'" at 2015-16 GPF
Hubbell/Donohue's SD & FD at 2017 Skate Canada
Of course, this list doesn't include my all-time or other favorites whose skating I felt in love at first sight.
- Joined
- May 10, 2010
Didn't care that much for Carolina Kostner until her footwork sequence in her free program at 2011 Worlds:
https://youtu.be/elDpqKUPt9U?t=3m7s
Javier Fernandez wasn't really on my radar until his [EDIT: 2011] short program at Skate Canada:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvQMmN6Upo8
Also didn't think much of Takahiko Kozuka until his 2008 short program to Take Five:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpRKk1fdu0
https://youtu.be/elDpqKUPt9U?t=3m7s
Javier Fernandez wasn't really on my radar until his [EDIT: 2011] short program at Skate Canada:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvQMmN6Upo8
Also didn't think much of Takahiko Kozuka until his 2008 short program to Take Five:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpRKk1fdu0
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2011
All just wonderful before IJS went crazy. Bring back spiral sequences. Caro Caro Caro !!,
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2014
- Country
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Boyang's Spiderboyang did it for me! The first time I saw him he was skating to Tango Amore and it was bizarre because he must have been like 15 at the time, but looked 10 so it was just awkward and I was like "Yeah...don't wanna see that", but I have seen the light. 
And Javier's Black Betty SP certainly showed me the benefit of using lyrics in programs and also made me a big fan of his
Also...strange as it may sound I wasn't actually a mega-Pushy fan until I started watching his early early programs (Junior Worlds 1997 early), he was so talented it was amaaaazing! Now I'm a Plushy tragic
And Javier's Black Betty SP certainly showed me the benefit of using lyrics in programs and also made me a big fan of his
Also...strange as it may sound I wasn't actually a mega-Pushy fan until I started watching his early early programs (Junior Worlds 1997 early), he was so talented it was amaaaazing! Now I'm a Plushy tragic
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2013
It was 2007, and Kim Yuna and Mao Asada were the girls that jump started Women's Figure Skating. Specifically for me, it was Yuna's Short: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTCAsSGgFWc She was SO on song, and the jumps were high. I was looking for someone to root for after Michelle. Rooting for Cohen was good in 2006, but as a Michelle fan, it felt -a bit- like rooting for the enemy (even though she is great, and I have matured to the point where I understand that it was my immaturity and blind fandom that wouldn't let me see her greatness).
No women should be MORE celebrated than these two, who pushed the sport in both artistry AND technical ability. I was always a Yuna fan. The speed, the power, and the outward way Yuna performed captured me. However, after 2010, I rooted for both. For me, 2014 was the crowing moment for Mao, in her short: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm9F-lSuArQ (I love British Eurosport for those two, but if you want to see the 3F, you can watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2xjUQWPsPY). The ethereal quality of Mao's skating, along with the triple Axel, and the spell she casts, is beyond reproach in this short.
I understand why Japanese and Korean fans were at each others throats. They were two Champions going for the same crown. As a Kwan fan, it reminded me of the Kwan/Cohen, Kwan/Lipinski rivalries. However, as time passes, I hope these fans watch the amazing skates of the rival skater with new eyes, and can appreciate the stunning depth of quality and quantity they both put out throughout their careers.
I would put them 1 and 1a in the rankings. In whichever order you choose. Not even Medvedeva could touch them at their peak.
No women should be MORE celebrated than these two, who pushed the sport in both artistry AND technical ability. I was always a Yuna fan. The speed, the power, and the outward way Yuna performed captured me. However, after 2010, I rooted for both. For me, 2014 was the crowing moment for Mao, in her short: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm9F-lSuArQ (I love British Eurosport for those two, but if you want to see the 3F, you can watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2xjUQWPsPY). The ethereal quality of Mao's skating, along with the triple Axel, and the spell she casts, is beyond reproach in this short.
I understand why Japanese and Korean fans were at each others throats. They were two Champions going for the same crown. As a Kwan fan, it reminded me of the Kwan/Cohen, Kwan/Lipinski rivalries. However, as time passes, I hope these fans watch the amazing skates of the rival skater with new eyes, and can appreciate the stunning depth of quality and quantity they both put out throughout their careers.
I would put them 1 and 1a in the rankings. In whichever order you choose. Not even Medvedeva could touch them at their peak.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2014
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2012
for me, Virtue/Moir 'Valse Triste' FD at Tokyo 2007 Worlds changed my perception of Ice Dance
in Ice Dance, also WeaPo 'Je suis malade' FD at Nice Worlds 2012 was a defining moment of some sorts, Shibutanis 'Fix you' at Boston Worlds 2016.
in Ice Dance, also WeaPo 'Je suis malade' FD at Nice Worlds 2012 was a defining moment of some sorts, Shibutanis 'Fix you' at Boston Worlds 2016.
Virtue/Moir 2008 Worlds FD. I said "these are the Olympic champions in 2010 for sure"
Yuzuru Hanyu 2012 Worlds LP. Same reaction but for Sochi.
Papadakis/Cizeron 2014 Cup of China FD. Same reaction again but for worlds 2015.
Mao Asada 2007 Worlds LP.
Yuna Kim 2006 Worlds SP
Davis/White Bollywood OD in Vancouver.
Delobel/Schoenfelder 2006 FD in Torino.
Shibutanis Fix You at Skate Canada 2015.
Daisuke Takahashi everything.
Sui/Han Worlds 2016 SP.
Yuzuru Hanyu 2012 Worlds LP. Same reaction but for Sochi.
Papadakis/Cizeron 2014 Cup of China FD. Same reaction again but for worlds 2015.
Mao Asada 2007 Worlds LP.
Yuna Kim 2006 Worlds SP
Davis/White Bollywood OD in Vancouver.
Delobel/Schoenfelder 2006 FD in Torino.
Shibutanis Fix You at Skate Canada 2015.
Daisuke Takahashi everything.
Sui/Han Worlds 2016 SP.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2012
I quite agree about Daisuke - for me, he was a skater who was able to evolve and show different qualities/characters each season, enriching people's perception about him in general. He was splendid, believable and different equally in Elvis SP, 'Blues for Klook' FS or Cyber Swan in 2007/08 season - his insane musicality and this flare for the performance in general allowed him in my opinion to create a fresh, new perspective in his respective skating each season. His programs may not have like super technical push, highest BV out there, but they pushed FS in terms of complete/compelling performance in actual competition; polish of his skill, organic co-relation between music, movement made everything so easy to watch and appreciate.
A similar case for me is Patrick Chan right now - particularly his SP performance at TEB 2012 (?, I am not sure right now about the exact date) to 'Elegy' put a different perspective in my perception of Patrick, made me understand his skating more and get into it actually not only as a viewer, but in sense of reacting to it emotionally.
Tatsuki Machida's everything at 2014 worlds
Adam Rippon's Arrival of the birds/O
Patrick Chan's both programs in 2016/2017 season
Yuzuru Hanyu 2017 Worlds LP
Ashley Wagner's Moulin Rouge
S/H's Spanish Romance
Really, some of them are still not my cup of tea but they did have stand out programs, while others became my fav over the years.
This list does not include all-time favs of course
Adam Rippon's Arrival of the birds/O
Patrick Chan's both programs in 2016/2017 season
Yuzuru Hanyu 2017 Worlds LP
Ashley Wagner's Moulin Rouge
S/H's Spanish Romance
Really, some of them are still not my cup of tea but they did have stand out programs, while others became my fav over the years.
This list does not include all-time favs of course
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2017
This. Oh how I miss him so.
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2013
Changed it all in that, I had seen the skater before but didn't think super highly of them until seeing a specific performance?
The only one that comes to mind is Evgenia Medvedeva's FS at Skate America 2015.
For most other skaters I like, I had liked them for quite a while before they had their highlight performance...
The only one that comes to mind is Evgenia Medvedeva's FS at Skate America 2015.
For most other skaters I like, I had liked them for quite a while before they had their highlight performance...
So many Shibutani/Shibutani 'Fix You' in this thread, :agree: but I have to agree, this program make them true champion! I use to find them a bit odd... but they definitely skate ‘fix you’ from the bottom of their hearts, which shown us the true colour of Shibutani.
D/W, ‘Indian Folk Dance’, OK, I know I am a bit late, but I don’t even watch ice dance before this.
P/C, “Concerto No. 23” (2015)
Yuzuru Hanyu’s Romeo & Juliet 1.0 (2012), it changes everything. I only start to pay attention to figure skating after watching this program.
Wakaba Higuchi, ‘Skyfall’ of this season. I was not a big fan of her before this season, but this program really change my impression about her, I am now rooting for her to be in the Japanese Oly team.
Rika Hongo, ‘Riverdance’ , Jason Brown, also ‘Riverdance’
D/W, ‘Indian Folk Dance’, OK, I know I am a bit late, but I don’t even watch ice dance before this.
P/C, “Concerto No. 23” (2015)
Yuzuru Hanyu’s Romeo & Juliet 1.0 (2012), it changes everything. I only start to pay attention to figure skating after watching this program.
Wakaba Higuchi, ‘Skyfall’ of this season. I was not a big fan of her before this season, but this program really change my impression about her, I am now rooting for her to be in the Japanese Oly team.
Rika Hongo, ‘Riverdance’ , Jason Brown, also ‘Riverdance’
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2017
Alexandra Trusova: Four Seasons
Gracie Gold: Sleeping Beauty
Zijun Li: Moonlight Sonata
Jason Brown: The Room Where It Happens
Alina Zagitova: Don Quixote, take 1
Bradie Tennell: Cinderella
Karen Chen: Tango Jalouzie
Nathan Chen: Polovtsian Dances
Polina Tsurskaya: Chess
Mai Mihara: Capriccio and Rondo
Wakaba Higuchi: Skyfall
Elena Radionova: Rachmaninoff
Yulia Lipnitskaya: Schindler's List
ShibSibs: Fix You
Sui/Han: Turandot
Gracie Gold: Sleeping Beauty
Zijun Li: Moonlight Sonata
Jason Brown: The Room Where It Happens
Alina Zagitova: Don Quixote, take 1
Bradie Tennell: Cinderella
Karen Chen: Tango Jalouzie
Nathan Chen: Polovtsian Dances
Polina Tsurskaya: Chess
Mai Mihara: Capriccio and Rondo
Wakaba Higuchi: Skyfall
Elena Radionova: Rachmaninoff
Yulia Lipnitskaya: Schindler's List
ShibSibs: Fix You
Sui/Han: Turandot
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