What skaters have left the biggest legacy? | Page 3 | Golden Skate

What skaters have left the biggest legacy?

StephenGfan

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 10, 2018
i forget how old some people are on here, lol.
anyways:

- Michelle kwan
-Tessa/scott
- gordeeva/grinkov
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
What did [Paul Wylie] do exactly if i may ask? i have no idea who he is.

I think that Paul Wylie is respected by U.S. figure skating fans of that era (late 1980s) more because of the substance of his character than because of any particular figure skating achievement. The highlight of his competitive career was the 1992 Olympic silver medal after he was essentially written off as a skater and barely made the U.S, Olympic team. Sort of a "Little Engine that Could" story.

As an odd fact, both he and Kristi Yamaguchi are partners in figure skater/hockey player marriages. Kristi married NHL defenseman and Stanley Cup winner Bret Hedican, and Paul married a collegiate hockey player from Brown University.

Wylie is also unusual in that he attended Harvard University as a full-time student right at the heart of his skating career, graduating in 1991 just before his Olympic success. he credits the combination of full time skating with full time school for developing self-discipline. (Nathan Chen, take note. :) )
 

GGFan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2013
shes kinda overrated tbh. she didn't really do much for figure skating other than popularized carmen. Even in her era she wasn't the best in many eras

The shade! :laugh2:

I partly agree. I have my issues with her amateur skating (she was much improved in 1994, but didn't have the tech) but she has an amazing legacy as an A+ competitor. She knew how to get it done when it counted and how not to betray any hints of weakness. She didn't win those two Olympic golds on politics alone.

I put her right up there with Michael Phelps, Jordan, Serena, etc.
 

Rissa

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
shes kinda overrated tbh. she didn't really do much for figure skating other than popularized carmen. Even in her era she wasn't the best in many eras

Overrated or not, she's the only skater most people from my neck of woods (not Germany) have ever heard of.

Plushenko obviously had a big impact. There are still emulating his style (cough Yuzu cough).

Hanyu's using Pllushenko's music, not emulating his style. Their skating are completely different. Now, say Johnny Weir, and it's a different story.
 

GGFan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2013
I honestly can't think of anything by them other than bolero....

This is just blasphemous. :eeking: Every single one of their free programs during the 1981-84 quad were masterpieces (and Bolero might be my least favorite). Their Paso Doble OSP from 1984 is one of my favorite things ever. Their professional programs were also amazing. The 1994 OD is still being emulated. I could write pages about them but I would just suggest watching. Christopher Dean is one of the all-time best male ice dancers. Utterly captivating. :points:
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I am interested by Wylie and Yamaguchi. I am not refuting, just curious why one would say so. I loved their skating at the time,but I haven't ever really thought about their legacy. What is it? Dorothy Hamill, however always seemed to be being held up when I was a child (in a way that Peggy Flemming wasn't), long after she retired.
In Canada Barbara Ann Scott was THE queen of skating for as long as I can remember. She had a legacy that I would say outran her actual achievements (not that I am belittling those)
Torvill and Dean seem indisputable as do the Protopovs (much more than Irina Rodnina interestingly).
I would say the Duschenays also had a greater legacy than their medal record.

Kristi Yamaguchi continued the trend of female figure skaters inspiring many little girls to take up the sport... including Michelle Kwan who finally had someone who looked more like her than Peggy Fleming or Dorothy Hamill. Several of the US ladies credit wanting to be Kristi Yamaguchi that got them to work hard and become elite skaters.

She also helped make pro skating more than just a gimmicky Ice Capades deal. She headlined SOI for years and kept up her tech for most of that time. She kicked major booty in the pro competitions and was one of the reasons they were taken seriously.

She also inspires off ice with her Always Dream foundation.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I honestly can't think of anything by [Torville and Dean] other than bolero....

[Katarina Witt is] kinda overrated tbh. she didn't really do much for figure skating other than popularized carmen.

That is kind of an interesting point. Maybe a way to approach the "legacy" question for skaters of the past is, can you name even one program that they skated? What did Peggy Fleming skate to in Grenoble? (We do remember that her mother made her a chartreuse dress to honor the local liqueur-making priests.) What did Dorothy Hamill skate to? (Cute haircut.)

John Curry. -- Don Quixote
Janet Lynn -- Afternoon of a Faun
Alexei Yagudin -- Winter (Man in the Iron Mask?)
Sasha Cohen -- I was going to say Romeo and Juliet, but for me, it's Hernando's Hideaway. Olé!
Curously, I know that Trixie Schuba skated to Man of La Mancha at the 1972 Olympics. "To re-e-e-ach (double Lutz!) the unreachable ... STARS!!!! :laugh:
 
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GGFan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2013
That is kind of an interesting point. Maybe a way to approach the "legacy" question for skaters of the past is, can you name even one program that they skated? What did Peggy Fleming skate to in Grenoble? (We do remember that her mother made her a chartreuse dress to honor the local liqueur-making priests.) What did Dorothy Hamill skate to? (Cute haircut.)

John Curry. -- Don Quixote
Janet Lynn -- Afternoon of a Faun
Alexei Yagudin -- Winter (Man in the Iron Mask?)
Sasha Cohen -- I was going to say Romeo and Juliet, but for me, it's Hernando's Hideaway. Olé!
Curously, I know that Trixie Schuba skated to Man of La Mancha at the 1972 Olympics. "To re-e-e-ach (double Lutz!) the unreachable ... STARS!!!! :laugh:

Be careful: Dominina/Shabalin -- Aboriginal Dance :devil:
 

Harriet

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Country
Australia
Be careful: Dominina/Shabalin -- Aboriginal Dance :devil:

There's legacy, and then there's infamy. That's infamy.

But regarding the question of Katarina Witt's performance legacy, what leaps to my mind when I think of her isn't Carmen, it's Robin Hood. So that's two nameable programs for her!
 

Triple loop

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 19, 2018
Like Sam-Skwantch, I will have to say Elaine Zayak. In 1994, Dick Button referred to her as an icon- one who changed the sport and made it different. In the 1980's, she successfully executed multiple triple jumps- toe loop, toe Wally, loop, and salchow. There were interesting transitions between jumps and combinations. Elaine set the standard for ladies' skating today. Unfortunately, this athletic skating was not acceptable back then. Therefore, the Zayak rule was passed. Instead, we should be proud of this great champion for her hard work and fortitude. 😀
 

rugbyfan

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
I have carefully not been posting about Kurt on here because it is difficult for me to be objective about him - for me he is the complete package skater, but what do people think about his legacy? He certainly left memorable programs. I would guess quite a few people could name his 1994 one, and of course he started the quad phase (sort of). I would have said what he did for Stars on Ice and in the Professional world in general left a huge legacy but what would others say?
 

iamchrislao

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 13, 2014
somebody tell Michelle to log on in here! She'd cry! No Oly Gold needed!

Yes, agree about Michelle Kwan! just irreplaceable. And this is from someone who rooted for Irina throughout their rivalry. When I became learned, I realized wow! I finally get the ruckus! What a genius on the ice! the grip (her edge work is not raved about enough)

Agree also as to all those stated here--Can we seriously argue about Midori Ito? No! The names of the jumps to this day we mention? No! They revolutionised the sport absolutely by their innovations!

Hmm, not sure about "BIGGEST" legacy, but certainly the following left their mark not just because of the firsts but the longevity and strength of their careers:

1. Yuzu---many firsts right? e.g. 4loop, 4toe-3axel
2. Asada--many firsts too e.g. 2 3Axels in 1 program, 3 3As in one competition, the lady to have landed the most 3As ever
3. Irina--first to land 3lutz-3ritberger. We see that these days as a regular. But before that, there was Ando who followed Irina.
4. Plushenko--first to land 4toe-3toe-3ritberger?
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Like Sam-Skwantch, I will have to say Elaine Zayak. In 1994, Dick Button referred to her as an icon- one who changed the sport and made it different. In the 1980's, she successfully executed multiple triple jumps- toe loop, toe Wally, loop, and salchow. There were interesting transitions between jumps and combinations. Elaine set the standard for ladies' skating today. Unfortunately, this athletic skating was not acceptable back then.

I don't know that it was so much that "this athletic skating was not acceptable" as that they didn't want to see the same triple jump over and over, and weren't seeing toe loops and toe walleys as sufficiently different to warrant more than one of each (the new rule considered them the same jump for purposes of counting repeats). Zayak was not the only skater at the time including multiple triple toes in the same program, just the one who had benefitted most obviously from repeating the same skill.

Some of those other skaters were men, who also lost any advantage they might have gained from repeating the same jump. (Here's one example from the same 1982 Worlds.)

So we could read the message of the rule not so much as "We don't want to see that many triple jumps from women -- show us what else you can do" but instead, to all skaters who inflated their jump count with repeats, "You think you're such a great jumper? Go learn more types of triples and show us what else you can do with jumps as well as other skills."
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I have carefully not been posting about Kurt on here because it is difficult for me to be objective about him - for me he is the complete package skater, but what do people think about his legacy? He certainly left memorable programs.

To tell the truth, Kurt Browning is the only skater whose full body of work sticks in my mind. I can easily picture Casablanca, Brick House, Nyah, Play that funky music white boy, Singin' in the Rain, the Clown, Don't Fence me in.
 

GGFan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2013
I have carefully not been posting about Kurt on here because it is difficult for me to be objective about him - for me he is the complete package skater, but what do people think about his legacy? He certainly left memorable programs. I would guess quite a few people could name his 1994 one, and of course he started the quad phase (sort of). I would have said what he did for Stars on Ice and in the Professional world in general left a huge legacy but what would others say?

Kurt left a marvelous legacy. I still love to look back at his 1989 Worlds Free to Gay Parisienne and Casablanca of course.

He had the natural talent Chris Bowman without the demons. Given he landed the first quad he is also a direct link between today's generation and the 80s. His feet were also out of this world. He could do footwork with the best of them.

What sticks out even more to me is that he set the standard for the character program--whether light or dramatic. Whether it's Javi or Keegan Messing I'm always reaching back to Kurt in terms of a trajectory of elevating that style from just cutesy to something more substantive.
 

plushyfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Country
Hungary
Hanyu's using Pllushenko's music, not emulating his style. Their skating are completely different. Now, say Johnny Weir, and it's a different story.

Yes, but Plushenko himself left one of the biggest legacies. I wonder why more posters didn't mention him. :scratch2: Well, probably I know..:handw:

Hanyu's style is obviously different but Plushenko is his hero. Plushenko's career had a big impact on him from his childhood. Yuzuru had similar haircute( mushroom) as Plushenko had in early career. I remember in 2010-2011 Yuzuru wore "Evgeni Plushenko" plastic bracelet and he played soccer with him :laugh: He expressed how much he loves him many times.
 
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