Of course she’s a super talented girl exciting to watch. She’s one of the girl who can compete with the 3A and reach the 230 marks this saison. She still can improve and do a quad. If she skates clean with 3A and a quad she can win the world title but she needs consistency.
Is Rika an exciting skater?
- Thread starter Joekaz
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- Jan 6, 2018
She is still dealing with her injury. I hope she can rest and heal. When she comes back with her glorious lutz (and it IS glorious, despite the nasty smears), she has chance to break the dominance.
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2014
She is planning 4S, and that might potentially make her vulnerable to injury. But hopefully not.
That's in no small part due to not having a lutz though. Give her an extra 5 points per competition for having 3Lzs and then see if she's taken seriously.
I think she’s an incredibly exciting skater and that she had the “it factor” since the first time I saw her as a new senior. Which just shows that those qualities are purely subjective and people will naturally have different opinions on who has it and who doesn’t.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2014
agreed. Rika getting 81 without a lutz and with injury is no small feat.
"and she knows it. I hope she will do some extra effort to get noticed in the serious competition."
I don't really understand comments like this. Like skaters don't push themselves hard enough. So easy to tell athletes to jump higher! spin faster! when we're all just keyboard warriors smh
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
That about sums up four pages of remarks. "Quality in thought and deed is "Just what you like" Robert Pirsig :agree:
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
^ This has made me think a little about what exactly makes a figure skating performance "exciting." To me, what is not exciting is a series of difficult jumps without much reference either to the quality of the element or to its place in the overall conception of the program and the musical structure.
If by "exciting" we mean something that stirs the emotions and touches the soul, for me the most exciting elements are, for ladies, a long elegant change-edge spiral in classic Arabesque position.
And for men, a gigantic Russian split jump right on the musical climax never fails to deliver a thrill. :yes: (is this sexist? No, no! -- the ladies can do it, too!)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A60EaH-CEAAp9Sg.jpg
If by "exciting" we mean something that stirs the emotions and touches the soul, for me the most exciting elements are, for ladies, a long elegant change-edge spiral in classic Arabesque position.
And for men, a gigantic Russian split jump right on the musical climax never fails to deliver a thrill. :yes: (is this sexist? No, no! -- the ladies can do it, too!)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A60EaH-CEAAp9Sg.jpg
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2019
LOL, 'well hung' men in tight pants and a nice package ....
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
It's more the triumphant leap into the air. Star lifts in pairs are right up there in the excitement department, for me. Ta-da!
https://media.gettyimages.com/photo...erform-a-star-picture-id896614716?s=2048x2048
(By the way, you can buy a print of this marvelous photo of Zabiiako and Enbert at 2018 Russian Nationals, without the water mark, for a mere $US 499.00.)
https://media.gettyimages.com/photo...erform-a-star-picture-id896614716?s=2048x2048
(By the way, you can buy a print of this marvelous photo of Zabiiako and Enbert at 2018 Russian Nationals, without the water mark, for a mere $US 499.00.)
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- Joined
- Dec 22, 2018
Yes, she reminds me of a warrior. Cute, but deadly.
I enjoy watching her, except for latest fs, which is really tedious and boring, but that's not Rika's fault.
I enjoy watching her, except for latest fs, which is really tedious and boring, but that's not Rika's fault.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Country
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When I watch her skating, I find Rika to be a supremely sublime skater, which to me is better than being an exciting skater. Music and emotion. I would hate it, absolutely hate it, if every skater tended toward being "exciting" as a performer. I like the variety of experiences we get being fans of figure skating too much. But I'm also a big fan of Nathan Chen, who brings excitement right into his program and his music, like it's intrinsic in him. So yeah, I like many kinds of skating and I love that Rika (and Nathan) bring their own personalities into their skating, rather than trying to be like their competitors.
Still, I find lots of excitement in being a fan of Rika, because she's bringing high technical merit along with her complete skating.
Still, I find lots of excitement in being a fan of Rika, because she's bringing high technical merit along with her complete skating.
So, we have a skater training a 4S, a 4T, a 3Lz/3F-3Lo, a 3F-Eu-3S and already has a 3A-3T. Technically, all she would need is more quads to be literally perfect. If she does all this next season, it'll be a delight to watch.
Her interpretation of her programs has improved and her ankle seems mostly recovered by now. There's a lot to look forward to.
Her interpretation of her programs has improved and her ankle seems mostly recovered by now. There's a lot to look forward to.
The one thing that worries me with her is how maturity might affect her body. If she develops a more curvy figure in the hips as usually occurs that could thow off her jumps. Right now she has a relatively wide waist which make her body more straight and athletic. We will see.
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She's 17. How much more growing is there for a 17 year old?
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2019
I always feel a bit icky commenting on their bodies but I think Rika looks like she's grown into whatever shape it is she should grow into and she's building those quads slowly and steadily.
She's probably one of the few where I'm not too worried about a sudden "Surprise!!!! Puberty has hit" moment.
I'm just hoping for no injuries and no more boot hijinks (the dark colored duct tape was so bad for my nerves last season
)!!!!!
She's probably one of the few where I'm not too worried about a sudden "Surprise!!!! Puberty has hit" moment.
I'm just hoping for no injuries and no more boot hijinks (the dark colored duct tape was so bad for my nerves last season
)!!!!!
- Joined
- May 19, 2011
I do find Rika to be remarkably exciting. Her daring alone gives her an ex-factor IMO. She's a very well-balanced skater in terms of her technical abilities and artistic abilities as well, which is rare. Where I'd like to see her improve is in her audience connection and performance. Rika has wonderful programs--great concepts, wonderful music, exciting and interesting choreo. She also performs, but it's almost like she's at about 50%. It's there but it's not shining as brightly as it could. In a field where she's competing with electric skaters who have that Eteri-Russian awe about them, Rika has to up her game to get that recognition. She has better programs than all 3 Russians combined and the only person on her level skill-wise is Kostornaia. However, she's getting beat in areas she should have the edge. Some of that is politics, but some of that is on her as well.
Rika reminds me of Satoko in her early years. Since her junior days I always saw Satoko as a gorgeous artistic skater...but I remember in 2014/2015 people called her boring or "paint by numbers" in terms of her artistry and delivery (effin' Tara & Johnny
). It took her a few years to shed her introverted style but she did and she's a pro now. To me Satoko is THE most artistically stunning and aesthetically pleasing performer in the field by a light year (i.e. about 6 trillion miles
).
I feel Rika has to continue to work to learn how to open up, reach the audience and really engage them in the music/choreo/emotion of her skating. It's already there, right under the surface. Once she's able to tap into it, I feel like it will elevate her skating even higher.
Rika reminds me of Satoko in her early years. Since her junior days I always saw Satoko as a gorgeous artistic skater...but I remember in 2014/2015 people called her boring or "paint by numbers" in terms of her artistry and delivery (effin' Tara & Johnny
). It took her a few years to shed her introverted style but she did and she's a pro now. To me Satoko is THE most artistically stunning and aesthetically pleasing performer in the field by a light year (i.e. about 6 trillion miles). I feel Rika has to continue to work to learn how to open up, reach the audience and really engage them in the music/choreo/emotion of her skating. It's already there, right under the surface. Once she's able to tap into it, I feel like it will elevate her skating even higher.
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2019
I always get the impression that Rika is still fairly reserved and "young". Not young in an amateurish way but I feel like she doesn't have the confidence to cut loose and go crazy yet.
She's got the movement, she feels the music, she looks amazing on ice but I think she's still a bit shy. I do see snippets of her wilder side coming out in her exhibition programs. The good thing is she's got time for that and if she's healthy, she's going to be around to grow and explore that with time, especially once she's nailed the quads.
I must say I find her overall presentation very endearing (there's something very darling about her in my eyes) as I personally don't like the showboating type. I've seen it referred to as "skating big" but to me it's irritating and comes off more like preening so Rika suits me just fine.
Just to clarify that comment was not about Satoko who is lovely and has an SP to die for this season!
She's got the movement, she feels the music, she looks amazing on ice but I think she's still a bit shy. I do see snippets of her wilder side coming out in her exhibition programs. The good thing is she's got time for that and if she's healthy, she's going to be around to grow and explore that with time, especially once she's nailed the quads.
I must say I find her overall presentation very endearing (there's something very darling about her in my eyes) as I personally don't like the showboating type. I've seen it referred to as "skating big" but to me it's irritating and comes off more like preening so Rika suits me just fine.
Just to clarify that comment was not about Satoko who is lovely and has an SP to die for this season!
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- Dec 28, 2013
- Country
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You'd be surprised. I believe Kanako Murakami unexpectedly grew a few cms between 17-19, which is possibly one of the reasons for being plagued by URs later in her career. I'm of Japanese parentage (father very tall, mother petite, whole family skinny!) and after a growth spurt around age 13-14, I continued to grow slowly until I was 18. And you often hear of figure skaters having delayed growth/puberty because of their strict diets and training regimes.
But Rika has a different body type to Kanako (who was very skinny when she debuted in seniors at 15), so I don't think she will grow much more.
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2005
I'd call the 3A and 3A-3t both great and spectacular. I thought she was more exciting last year when she had a really wonderful free program and the 3A was both new and also unique (it was before we had Kosternaia's amazing 3A for comparison), but yes, she's an exciting skater. She passes the "tea test" - I never get up and go make a cup of tea while she's skating.
