Who has the best skating skills?

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Patrick Chan and Yu Na Kim. Other good candidates for top skating skills include Kostner, Asada, Hanyu, Abbott, Takahashi, Brown.

 

[Globetrotter]

Patrick Chan and Yu Na Kim. Other good candidates for top skating skills include Kostner, Asada, Hanyu, Abbott, Takahashi, Brown.

Unfortunately, neither PChan nor Yuna are actively skating and competing now. Among the men, PChan stands out as being the one who has mastered the purest mastery over the blade. He does the basic stroking, gliding and edge work supremely well. But in my eyes, I don't think Yuna is that good with basic SS. Among the ladies, my all time fave in the SS department who probably even better PChan, is Yuka Sato. I simply can't think of anybody who has that blade purity and floating quality across the ice that stays so quiet.

Among active skaters right now, my personal fave in terms of SS will be Jason Brown and Hanyu for the men. For ladies, CaroK is the best assuming she will still skate, but otherwise, Wakaba Higuchi and Marin Honda have the best basic bladework for me with Satoko being less impressive (she uses the edges very well but not quite good at generating power). I am very impressed though by the Russian junior Alena Kostornaia as she does stand out among Eteri's brood as having very smooth skating basics. Generally, the Russian girls are awesome at difficult transitional tricks but other than Kostornaia and perhaps Gubanova, none of them are really impressive in terms of the purity of blade command. Same for the US ladies (generally mediocre SS) unless Gracie Gold does make a comeback.

 

[Leonardo]

Adelina Sotnikova. Her step sequence in her 2014 FS rivaled Patrick Chan's in intricacy, complexity, and ice coverage.

Irony?

 

[chopinskate]

Irony?

A hammer, more like.

Among the ladies, my all time fave in the SS department who probably even better PChan, is Yuka Sato.

I don't think this is just probable, it's a definite statement, IMO.

I don't think Yuna's SS were phenomenal, Kostner could do more with her blades than her, but what set her apart was her consistent use of what she had to their fullest extent.

 

[charlotte14]

But in my eyes, I don't think Yuna is that good with basic SS.

I agree with this. I think Yuna is like very talented and she could have done more but... Her back stroking was aggressive and I think had she had a better basic, it would be less excessive.

Among retired skaters, I think Shizuka Arakawa has amazing skating skills. Her blade command was above everyone at Torino Olympic. Sorry, Sasha.

 

[yume]

She didn't have the same speed than Kim and Kostner, and i think it did her a disservice in judges eyes in many areas, but Asada her blade work was amazing. Her step-sequences were always the highlight of her programs.

For current ladies my vote goes to Satoko Miyahara.

 

[TerpsichoreFS]

Marin Honda for me! (Surprise surprise)
Her skills mesmerize me

 

[mikeko666]

Patrick Chan, Daisuke Takahashi, Takahiko Kozuka, Jeremy Abbott.

 

[plushyfan]

How many skaters are there among you? What are skating skills concretly?

Balance, flow, sureness, speed, direction ( what is direction in skating?)

or

Basics, turns, steps, spins,jumps, spirals, moves in the field?

and all of these?

Forward skating.
Deep knee bend.
Edge control.
Inside edges
Outside edges
Flat part of the blade (neither edge)
Length of stride
Full extension
Toe flick
Full return
Proper arm swing
Backward Skating (C-cut push)
Deep knee bend.
Full extension and locking the leg
Full return.
Correct ankle pivot
Weight transfer or getting most power out of push
Forward Crossovers
Strong knee bend
Strong edge control
Correct use of body positioning and body weight
Stride push and X-push
Full extension
Toe flick
Correct use of balance and blade position (blade parallel to ice surface)
Backward Crossovers
Deep knee bend
Strong edge control
Correct use of body positioning and body weight
C-cut push
Full extension
Weight distribution or putting all weight on pushing foot
Full return
X-push
Full extension
Toe flick
Correct balance, blade parallel to ice on follow through
Correct balance, blade parallel to ice on follow through
Using power from both feet for the first push
Explosive Starts, Forward Toe Starts
Starting position
Wide V-diamond
Deep knee bend
Strong inside edge of toes
Foot positioning inside the skate
Weight over pushing foot
Explosive pushes
Explode or leap out with one skate to full extension
Land on toe of other skate and push again
Body positioning
Explosive Starts, Backward Crossover Start
Body positioning
Strong pushes
Quick pushes
Full extension
Powerful pushes
Lateral Mobility
Going far laterally or to the sides
Full extension on all pushes
Leap out or getting extra extension on last push
Weight distribution on blade of skates
Quicker pushes and quicker laterally
Skating with pucks
Same technique
Edge control.
Getting full arm swings
One hand arm swing
Keeping puck away from body
Keeping control of puck
Same stride as without the puck.

And if you are not skater how can you see the SS? I can see Patrick's flow , incredible slipping.. but I'm not so brave to name the others.

 

[GGFan]

Breaking the rules but I think it's a pity that Lambiel often gets left out of these conversations. In terms of one foot, multidirectional skating with difficult turns. He was one of a kind. That footwork

ETA: I guess we've been focusing on singles skaters but the king and queen of skating skills currently are P/C.

 

[Harriet]

Breaking the rules but I think it's a pity that Lambiel often gets left out of these conversations. In terms of one foot, multidirectional skating with difficult turns. He was one of a kind. That footwork

Have you seen his Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence programme from 2017-18? It's got a strong focus on bladework and it's gorgeous. :luv17:

 

[GGFan]

Have you seen his Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence programme from 2017-18? It's got a strong focus on bladework and it's gorgeous. :luv17:

I had not seen it before. That's some Janel Lynn* level gorgeousness!

*If we were talking old school skating skills we would have to include Janet and John Curry.

 

[gkelly]

How many skaters are there among you? What are skating skills concretly?

Balance, flow, sureness, speed, direction ( what is direction in skating?)

Those words refer mostly to the "how" the skating is done.

Direction = forward and backward, clockwise and counterclockwise

or

Basics, turns, steps, spins,jumps, spirals, moves in the field?

Those are the "what" that can be done with good or not-so-good balance, flow, sureness, speed.

However, I would also say that figure skating skills in a fundamental sense involve using the body to direct the blade on edges, one foot and one edge at a time. There are other things that often happen in a figure skating program, but they are not fundamental to the very definition of the sport in the same way that gliding on edges is. Jumps and spins are considered to be freeskating elements (or transitions for briefer ones) rather than basic skating skills. Edges are usually involved in the entries and exits, but what happens in the air during a jump (or lift) is not a skating skill per se.

And spread eagles/Ina Bauers would be an exception to the "one-foot-at-a-time" concept. They're still expected to be on edges.

and all of these?

You've included both "what" and "how" examples in your list below. I'll divide them instead to "fundamental figure skating skills" and "other things that skaters might do but aren't primarily about controlling edges and therefore wouldn't be rewarded in the Skating Skills component."

Skating Skills:

Forward skating.
Deep knee bend.
Edge control.
Inside edges
Outside edges
Length of stride
Full extension
Full return [not sure what you mean by this]
Backward Skating (C-cut push)
Correct ankle pivot
Weight transfer or getting most power out of push
Forward Crossovers
Strong knee bend
Strong edge control
Correct use of body positioning and body weight

Stride push and X-push [not sure what this is]
Backward Crossovers
Weight distribution or putting all weight on pushing foot
Correct balance, blade parallel to ice on follow through
Using power from both feet for the first push

Powerful pushes

Strong inside edge of toes
Foot positioning inside the skate
Weight over pushing foot
Lateral Mobility
Going far laterally or to the sides
Full extension on all pushes
Quicker pushes and quicker laterally

Non-edge skills used for novelty/variety:

Flat part of the blade (neither edge)
Toe flick
Proper arm swing
Explosive Starts, Forward Toe Starts [pushing from the toes is a big No-No in figure skating]
Wide V-diamond [what is this?]

Not used in figure skating at all:
Skating with pucks
Keeping puck away from body
Keeping control of puck
Same stride as without the puck.



After going through your list, and deleting the repetition, I think what you were actually listing were a number of hockey skating skills and naming pieces of the technique for each skill.

Some of them are skills that are also used in figure skating, and some use pretty much the same technique. Some use different techniques for the same kind of move because in hockey the fundamental purpose is to control the puck. Controlling the body and blades is all in service of that purpose.

In figure skating, controlling the blades is the primary purpose.

And then elaborating on the use of edges and transitions between edges by transitioning from one edge to the other in the air, or by varying the use of the upper body and free leg, etc., is what can take it beyond mere technical exercise into art. But jumping or gliding on two feet or in straight lines, or standing in place, no matter how artistically, is not demonstrating any figure skating skill.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

Medvedeva, Miyahara, Asada, Tarakanova, Anfisa Ryabova, Kostornaya

 

[WhiteProphet]

Breaking the rules but I think it's a pity that Lambiel often gets left out of these conversations. In terms of one foot, multidirectional skating with difficult turns. He was one of a kind. That footwork

Amen!

 

[charlotte14]

Medvedeva, Miyahara, Asada

Eh... Zhenia has ok SS but...

 

[Shayuki]

I'm not a fan of any notable senior lady's skating skills, really ... So I'd say, Ekaterina Kurakova :confused2:

At least the best skating skills for a Russian senior lady by a large margin.

 

[plushyfan]

Those words refer mostly to the "how" the skating is done.

Direction = forward and backward, clockwise and counterclockwise



Those are the "what" that can be done with good or not-so-good balance, flow, sureness, speed.

However, I would also say that figure skating skills in a fundamental sense involve using the body to direct the blade on edges, one foot and one edge at a time. There are other things that often happen in a figure skating program, but they are not fundamental to the very definition of the sport in the same way that gliding on edges is. Jumps and spins are considered to be freeskating elements (or transitions for briefer ones) rather than basic skating skills. Edges are usually involved in the entries and exits, but what happens in the air during a jump (or lift) is not a skating skill per se.

And spread eagles/Ina Bauers would be an exception to the "one-foot-at-a-time" concept. They're still expected to be on edges.



You've included both "what" and "how" examples in your list below. I'll divide them instead to "fundamental figure skating skills" and "other things that skaters might do but aren't primarily about controlling edges and therefore wouldn't be rewarded in the Skating Skills component."

Skating Skills:

Forward skating.
Deep knee bend.
Edge control.
Inside edges
Outside edges
Length of stride
Full extension
Full return [not sure what you mean by this]
Backward Skating (C-cut push)
Correct ankle pivot
Weight transfer or getting most power out of push
Forward Crossovers
Strong knee bend
Strong edge control
Correct use of body positioning and body weight

Stride push and X-push [not sure what this is]
Backward Crossovers
Weight distribution or putting all weight on pushing foot
Correct balance, blade parallel to ice on follow through
Using power from both feet for the first push

Powerful pushes

Strong inside edge of toes
Foot positioning inside the skate
Weight over pushing foot
Lateral Mobility
Going far laterally or to the sides
Full extension on all pushes
Quicker pushes and quicker laterally

Non-edge skills used for novelty/variety:

Flat part of the blade (neither edge)
Toe flick
Proper arm swing
Explosive Starts, Forward Toe Starts [pushing from the toes is a big No-No in figure skating]
[FONT=&]Wide V-diamond [what is this?]

Not used in figure skating at all:[/FONT]
Skating with pucks
Keeping puck away from body
Keeping control of puck
Same stride as without the puck.

[FONT=&]

After going through your list, and deleting the repetition, I think what you were actually listing were a number of hockey skating skills and naming pieces of the technique for each skill.

Some of them are skills that are also used in figure skating, and some use pretty much the same technique. Some use different techniques for the same kind of move because in hockey the fundamental purpose is to control the puck. Controlling the body and blades is all in service of that purpose.

In figure skating, controlling the blades is the primary purpose.

And then elaborating on the use of edges and transitions between edges by transitioning from one edge to the other in the air, or by varying the use of the upper body and free leg, etc., is what can take it beyond mere technical exercise into art. But jumping or gliding on two feet or in straight lines, or standing in place, no matter how artistically, is not demonstrating any figure skating skill.
[/FONT]

Thank you. I noticed not once you are a peaceful expert among us. But after your meaningful and competent explanation I'm undrestanding but I cant see it I "have no eyes' for it. I believe should be a skating past to it. I have seen many skaters live but I didn't see too much different between the top 1-7 skaters. Or on the shows between the performers.

I just read my list completely. I copied from some pages when I wanted to know what are skating skills. Yes, I know puck doesn't need to figure skating..

 

[OS]

Who is the best driver?

The one can accelerate the fastest, maximised their power, exhilarate intricate stunts at maximum strength, power, speed, agility while avoiding killing anyone in the process wins?

Or

the one that obeys all the rules, don't venture off the lines, being predictable, slow down to be on the safe side while also committed to drawing a line as accurately as possible at the cost of speed, power and avoid getting anywhere close to hot bodies or unnecessary risks.

Or

the one who knows how to do both but also do it with amazing style, choreography, music on the beat, effortlessly elevate skills into craftsmanship much like Baby Driver, the movie.

 

[Ulrica]

For men;

Yuzuru Hanyu
(Brown and Uno as second and third)

For women;
Carolina Kostner
(Honda and Miyahara as second and third)