Most artistic skates of the last 15 years | Golden Skate

Most artistic skates of the last 15 years

rugbyfan

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
I had a blinding revelation when I was commenting on a post earlier which made me realise how much more I look back at 6.0 skates than at anything since about 2002 (except Jeff Buttle and a select few Patrick Chan) in singles. This is because while I can appreciate quads I miss spirals, the emphasis on clean skating and artistry. I am becoming increasingly less excited by singles figure skating, but I think part of this is ignorance of middle score skaters and the most artistic programmes. What would be people's highlight singles skates from the last 15 years where these are the criteria that mattered? (Links would be great). By the way before anybody leaps on me I am not trying to say that current skaters are not artisitic - in a sense the opposite. I am trying to ask which programmes you would most recommend for artistry, bearing in mind that I think falls do disrupt the feel of the programme
 

Daniel1998

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2015
For ladies, over the last 5 years, anyway, these are three that come to mind:

Karen Chen 2017 US Nationals SP - On Golden Pond

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NixhPhyYW4w&t=14s
If anyone can find a video of this where Tara is not yapping through the entire thing, let me know.

Yuna Kim 2014 Olympics SP - Send in the Clowns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QLSKGs-mhU

Carolina Kostner 2014 Olympics SP - Ave Maria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK5GeuGkXNs

I'd also add Osmond's signature Edith Piaf SP. Not sure which performance is her best, but she's done a number of great ones, including in Pyeongchang.
 

koatcue

Medalist
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Country
Russia
And I will recommend the Rus ladies then:
YUlia Lipnitskaya -Euro 2014, "Schindler's list"
ALyona Kostornaya - Linz sp 2019 "Angel"
ALina Zagitova - 2018 Russian nats "Don Quixote" (or 2018 gp Eric Bompard)
EVgenia Medvedeva - 2016, skate america , long program. She was a breath of fresh air - super musical
Anna Scherbakova -junior worlds, free program. (I personally love more Trusova's 2017 junior long just for those emotions I got and musicality)
ANastasia Tarakanova - long program Salzburg 2017 (that RAW EMOTION!)
POlina Tsurskaya - short program 2016 "light of the Severn", Saransk (few skates are better than this, believe me)
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I go back and watch V&T's Sochi programs often. They have a lot of subtle intricacy in their programs, so they are COP-friendly without feeling too busy.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Anytime Jeremy Abbott or Adam Rippon stepped on the ice.
 

bostonskaterguy86

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Country
United-States
Jason Brown’s short program from this past season is a master class in musical interpretation. I think his best performance of it was at Worlds.
 

Ulrica

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
In no particular order

Yulia Lipniskaya FP Team Event Olympics 2014
Yulia Lipniskaya SP Euros 2014
Yuzuru Hanyu SP Olympics 2018
Yuzuru Hanyu LP Olympics 2018
Yuzuru Hanyu FP Worlds 2017
Carolina Kostner SP Worlds 2018
Carolina Kostner SP Olympics 2014
Mao Asada FP Olympics 2014
Mao Asada SP Worlds 2014
Shoma Uno SP Worlds 2017
Javier Fernández FP Olympics 2018
 

anonymoose_au

Insert weird opinion here
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Australia
Plushy's Tribute to Nijinsky - it is glorious. Whenever I rewatch the Russian Nats version, I want to give it a standing O at the end and throw flowers. :laugh:

But yeah footwork sequences were like 200% better in the 6.0 days. One foot skating is impressive and all, but sometimes only two feet will do!
 

andromache

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Sui/Han have had some stellar programs, most notably Bridge Over Troubled Water. A complete masterpiece.
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
I’m not sure about the topic. If we go back 15 years, we are still in the 6.0 era ( 2004). Is the question which are the most artistic skates under the IJS? I would look at Daisuke Takahashi’s and Satoko Miyahara’s programs for the ones that come closest to the best 6.0 artistry.
 

gsk8

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Country
United-States
Alexei Yagudin! Broken Arrow, Gladiator, Winter, and Man in the Iron Mask are a few that come to mind. But he missed the 15-year mark on the OP ;)
 

ladyjane

Medalist
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Country
Netherlands
I always think it's difficult to compare, though there are some older programmes (even a lot more than 15 years ago) that come to mind, Yagudin's Winter and Man in the Iron Mask among them, but Kurt Browning is always A in interpretative footwork. More recently (so within IJS) of course (well, to me) Carolina, Mao and Yuna but also Satoko and Kaetlyn did a great job. In pairs of course Aljona and Bruno (only one year ago, but don't forget their beautiful lighthouse programme from the year before too) while Sui and Han are also pretty artistic as are Vanessa and Morgan (though very differently, which is a good thing). I also loved Sasha's Romeo and Juliet (one of the 'make me cry' programmes) but Irina's 'wonderland' at Worlds 2005 can still make me get all emotional. And definitely not just because of the 3L-3Lo combi. Daisuke is always lovely to watch, even with 'lesser' jumps than quads, while most recently Kevin Amoz and Matteo Rizzo both impressed me on the artistic score. Not even mentioning Yuzu, who is an artist well into his fingertips and beyond. While Javier also did a good job in being artistic and not just jumps. I think I forgot quite a few (Patrick, Jeffrey, sorry), but there's so much to see on that score, even today. Just get rid of the cluttered programmes with the less than one second Ina Bauers and spirals, only one foot skating steps sequences (while often anough you can do a lot with two feet that can be remarkable) and I think there would be much more to say artistically. But there are still skaters who find a way to do just that. Not everyone is 'just' a jumping bean - although combining that with true artistry is just wonderful.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Can you suggest any particular programmes/ performances?

Watch the CBC coverage of CK sp Sochi OWG. Ave Maria, the blue ombré dress and an angel in skates. It was THE ladies performance to remember among many great skates done by Julia, Adelina and of course the Queen Kim Yuna.
 

4everchan

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 7, 2015
Country
Martinique
i will dig in

i agree with OP

Jeff Buttle... both programs from wc 2008 to name only these two.... but also his glenn gould tribute that was nixed because it was too tough to skate on... it was a very ambitious program, artistically and technically.

Patrick Chan : I would put many here but i will keep quiet

Take 5 : this is the program that made it clear to me = 4everchan
ELEGY as a gala piece, then TEB 2013
CHOPIN (4cc is so timed with the music)
Journey at Nationals.. i was there... it was mesmerizing
Blackbird at worlds WOW!!! i had never liked that program until then.. he skated with so much freedom....
it is a pity that DWTW and Hallelujah were never skated to their full potential... they were also brilliant.

virtue and moir : mahler
many of their OD/RDs were the best of the field too

piper and paul : starry night

daisuke takahashi: blues for klook

jeremy abbott : exogenesis 3 adagio for strings

papazero : mozart FD

shoma's loco

Osmond's piaf

lubov and dylan rachmaninoff symphony lp

adam's birds


i guess i should shut up now ;)
 
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